: Good morning everyone, and I look forward to being optimistic in 2025 about building Australia's future. We're here today for a very significant announcement. Before you hear from political representatives I want to introduce you to Wayne Sachs. Wayne Sachs is an Ambo who came to see me way back in 2009, in February 2009, in Parliament House to talk to me firsthand about his experience of attending accidents here on the Bruce Highway. Accidents which all too often resulted in fatalities or in serious injuries. And in that Budget, in May of that year, we announced funding for Cooroy to Curra, the first section of Cooroy to Curra A, B, C and D were gone through with the full duplication of the highway. This was a very significant announcement at the time. The local member for Wide Bay had been previously the Transport Minister, had described it as the worst section of road in Australia but nothing had been done about it. The government under Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan as Treasurer, both of whom were very familiar with this area as people from Nambour just down the road here, were determined to get this done and now it has all been done, making an enormous difference. But to hear firsthand, I was talking with - Wayne and I have kept in touch, we were talking last week about the announcement that we were planning to make that was put in the Mid-Year Economic Forecast and I thought it was important to give Wayne the opportunity to hear firsthand about exactly what this upgrade to the Bruce Highway means. Wayne?
WAYNE SACHS, GYMPIE OFFICER IN CHARGE, QUEENSLAND AMBULANCE SERVICE: Well, thank you PM for the privilege of being here and I'd also like to acknowledge the presence of Ministers King, Chalmers and Watt today. This, I would call it, a love affair between the Prime Minister and myself started in February 2009 when I went to Canberra when he was Infrastructure Minister to talk about the fatalities on the Bruce Highway and also the people that were suffering serious injury over a long, long period of time with nothing being done. He spent a good hour with me in Parliament House that day. He listened intently and he listened and acted and we are ever so grateful because what what he did was he took it to Cabinet. It moved from number 26 on the priority list I believe, up to number one in the country, and things got done almost immediately. So, the meeting took place in February 2009, he announced it in May of 2009 and in September 2009 on the 3rd of September the first sod was turned with the PM and myself there. And what that has done is literally saved hundreds and hundreds of lives over that period of time. I can remember on section B on the Cooroy to Curra stretch, we started, the work started there first because in a 10 month period there were 54 people killed just in that one little section. And that's not including the people that were suffering from serious injury. So, what they have done is absolutely amazing. They've saved countless and countless lives. And since this has been done, this bypassing of Gympie from Cooroy to Curra, what it has actually done, fatalities have actually stopped, basically. You might get the odd bingle here or there, but basically the fatalities have stopped and they've saved countless lives. This major announcement today for what they're intending to do throughout all of Queensland, I just can't really - I'm not sure what the proper word is - but what they're doing by doing this is actually just amazing. Just incredible. Because they're going to be saving literally thousands of lives for what they're doing. It's a lot, a lot of money, but by God, it's worth it and you can't put a price on lives, of course. I have so much respect for the PM for what he has done and for his Cabinet at the time and for continuing to push for safety on the Bruce Highway, not only through Gympie, from Cooroy to Curra, but throughout the whole state. It's just incredible. And you know, as I say, you know, not only were people being killed and maimed, but you've also got those poor families that had to live with all that and it was just horrendous and yeah, it's just great stuff. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks - hear, hear. Thanks so much, Wayne, and thank you for what you do as well. What Wayne didn't say was - how long have you been an Ambo here for?
WAYNE SACHS: Well, all up 50 years.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah.
WAYNE SACHS: But in Gympie, well over 30.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, 50 years as an Ambo, more than three decades here servicing this local community. And when Wayne came to see me at that time, he spoke with extraordinary passion and anyone with a heart would have responded to it. And I thank you, Wayne, for what you've continued to do. He's still working as an Ambo here and has the day off today to make this contribution. So, thank you very much for what you have done. Look, the 2025 election will be a clear choice. Labor building Australia's future or a Coalition determined to return Australia backwards and costing more under Peter Dutton. And that's the choice that Australians will have. We're a Government that wants to invest to assist all Australians. Someone said to me 'why are you making the first announcement of this year in the electoral Wide Bay? It's not a target seat.' That's because I'm determined to represent all Australians, regardless of where they live. To do the right thing in the national interest. And that's something that drives my Government. The Bruce Highway is 42 per cent longer than the Pacific Highway and it services, 62 per cent of Queenslanders use this highway. And that's why the figures are quite horrific. 41 fatalities on the Bruce Highway in 2024. There's been two fatalities already, in an accident, already this year. And that's why this is a priority. That's why we're singling out this highway above all others to contribute 80 per cent funding rather than the 50 per cent that is standard across other road and rail projects across not just Queensland but around the country. Because this is a special piece of highway. It's a dangerous piece of highway and it needs upgrading. During the pandemic, because I was in Canberra and couldn't go to Sydney, we did three road trips through Queensland along, some of which, were along the full breadth, just about, of this highway. So, I saw firsthand what was needed. Today's announcement of $7.2 billion of additional funding for the Bruce Highway will save lives. It brings the Australian Government contribution up to $17 billion. Previously, when I was the Infrastructure Minister, the Howard Government had contributed $1.3 billion to the Bruce Highway over 12 long years of neglect. My Government's determined to invest in infrastructure and what this will do is allow for priority areas like Maryborough to Benaraby, Rocky to St. Lawrence, Bowen to Townsville, Ingham to Innisfail to be upgraded. I spoke with the Queensland Premier, David Crisafulli yesterday. He certainly welcomed this commitment and we discussed the need for work to commence on all of these projects as soon as possible, which is what we will do. He welcomed the fact that this is capped funding because it will ensure that we actually get it right and make sure that the projects are delivered. For a long time there's been a lot of promises that haven't resulted in delivery. During this same period we funded, when I was the Infrastructure Minister, the works to be undertaken, the studies and feasibility projects for the Rockhampton Ring Road. Shockingly, some almost a decade later, when we came to office, hadn't yet dug a hole on that project and it was underfunded. Construction there is underway and will be in Rockhampton later today. We need to make sure that these projects get done. They'll create jobs while the work is being undertaken. But importantly, as well, this will improve safety and will make an enormous difference to the lives of Queenslanders and all who visit this great state of Queensland. I'll turn now to the Infrastructure Minister, Catherine King, and then Jim Chalmers, the Treasurer, and Murray Watt, who represents, of course, the great state of Queensland in our Senate.
CATHERINE KING, MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Can I first start by just thanking Wayne for the extraordinary service he's done to Queensland by championing this project all of his working life, seeing the reality and really making a huge difference. What a legacy, Wayne. It's an incredible thing to have done and I want to say thank you very much for that. But this is also very much the Prime Minister's legacy as well. The biggest single investment ever in the Bruce Highway. $7.2 billion we're announcing today of new money, in addition to the almost $10 billion that is currently invested by the Commonwealth in this highway. This is a road that Anthony, as Infrastructure Minister, invested significantly in and as Prime Minister, cares deeply about. This investment will change lives. It will save lives. And I'm very proud that we're making the announcement today. We know that for too long, the star rating system - the system by which we determine whether a road is safe or not - has been too low on this road. Almost 45 per cent of the Bruce Highway only has a two star rating. And tragically, we saw two people - two people - lose their lives not that far from here at the start of this year. Enough is enough. We want to get this road fixed once and for all. This investment will get this road up to three stars. And what that actually means is you will see more overtaking lanes. You will see a larger central divider, you will see barriers to prevent traffic crossing over lanes. And you will also see straightening out of some of the more dangerous sections and resealing as well. This will make a significant difference to road safety, but also for productivity. The many trucks that carry freight along the spine of this road. I'm very proud to have been part of a Government that is making this investment, alongside, of course, our Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Senator Murray Watt, the advocacy that they have done on this project. This will literally save lives and make an enormous difference. And I want to thank very much the work of the Queensland Government, the previous Labor Government, for providing us with much of the figures on which we've based this investment today, and the current Queensland Government for working closely with us to make sure that we can make this investment and really make a significant difference for the Bruce Highway, but for all of those families and all of those members who travel along this road, every single day. Thank you.
JIM CHALMERS, TREASURER: I also want to pay tribute to Wayne. He's an absolute champion for road safety, but also for regional Queensland. And we appreciate it a great deal, Wayne. Thank you so much. And I also want to thank the Prime Minister and the Infrastructure Minister for their leadership that has got us to this point today. No Australian has invested more in the Bruce Highway than this Prime Minister. And that's because Anthony Albanese understands Queensland. He knows what really matters to us in this state, and particularly when it comes to regional Queensland as well. We are backing the Bruce with billions. We are backing the Bruce with billions of dollars in new investment in this critical stretch of highway which is crucial to Queensland but also has great national significance as well. This is what it means to build Australia's future, but with a particular emphasis on Queensland. Now, as Treasurer, I'm really proud of the billions of dollars that Catherine and I and the team and Anthony have been able to find to invest in the Bruce Highway. But as a Queenslander, I know how important this investment is when it comes to local communities like this one, and also local economies right around Queensland as well. As I said, this is what it means when we say we want to build Australia's future. We want all of Australia to be part of that story. We want to strengthen the national economy. And that means regional Queensland needs to be a bigger part of the story. Now, this is more than a highway. This is a big bitumen thread that links people and communities with families and with economic opportunities as well. And that's why today is such an important day. That's why we are so proud to be making this announcement here on the outskirts of Gympie, because we know what a difference these big billion dollar investments can make. We want to connect people and families and communities with economic opportunities right around Queensland, indeed right around Australia. And that's why these billions of dollars in new investment are so important. It's why we will fix the Bruce. It's why we're investing these billions of dollars. We are backing the Bruce with billions today. And we're really proud to be doing that.
MURRAY WATT, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS: Well, thanks, Jim. And can I join with everyone else in acknowledging and thanking Wayne for his decades of advocacy on behalf of Queenslanders, particularly in this region, but right across Queensland. Because all of us here in Queensland understand exactly how important the Bruce Highway is and exactly how important it is to have Queenslanders like Wayne speaking up on our behalf, just as he has done with the Prime Minister for many, many years. Can I also, of course, thank Anthony Albanese, who has already been recognised as delivering more funding for the Bruce Highway than any other politician or any other Member of Parliament in Australia's history. And that includes the long line of National Party members who hold the seats along the Bruce Highway and have consistently failed to deliver to their communities over many, many years. Today's announcement of $7.2 billion in extra funding for the Bruce Highway is a game changer for Queensland. And that's because the Bruce Highway is Queensland's spine. It is the network that our freight runs along from north to south, connecting with the rest of the country. It's the road that Queenslanders depend upon when they go to visit family members, when they go to visit their doctors and get medical appointments. It is the lifeblood of Queensland. And that's why it's so important that the Albanese Labor Government has recognised that and has, frankly, recognised that Queenslanders' lives matter. There have been too many Queenslanders lose their lives on this highway over the years. And despite that, we have seen decades of inaction by the National Party and the Liberal Party when it comes to fixing this. The Prime Minister has recognised that we stand today making this announcement in a very safe National Party electorate that, frankly, is not a target seat at the next election. But what this announcement demonstrates is that we're not guided by political gain. We're guided by what is in the interests of Queenslanders. And that's why we're investing in the Bruce Highway, to make our state's spine stronger and safer forever.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Murray. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, when you first became Labor leader, your first stop, just about, was regional Queensland after a disappointing result in 2019. At the last election, Labor went backwards in Queensland. Your colleagues really only realistically saying Leichhardt can be won from the Coalition as a regional seat. Why have you failed to convince voters that Labor has something to offer outside the capital cities?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, our vote went forward in Queensland across just about every seat in this entire state at the 2022 election compared with where we were at in 2019. What I'm concerned about is delivering on policy and the politics will be up to people to judge. What I'm determined to do is to show that Labor in government is delivering for Queensland. We're delivering. Whether it be this infrastructure investment, whether it be our tax cuts for every single Queenslander, whether it be the housing relief that we put in place, whether it be cheaper medicines. We're determined to deliver. We care for Queensland families and we care for our nation. And that's what I'm determined to do.
JOURNALIST: The Premier said this morning that it was his new LNP State Government that brought your government back to the table for this funding agreement. Is there any truth in that, that this wouldn't have happened with the former State Government?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we worked with governments across political persuasions. Steven Miles, when Premier, made these representations. When we came into government, Catherine King as the Minister had to deal with the mess that was inherited. The Rockhampton Ring Road that, frankly, hadn't started because the money wasn't there from the former Federal Government. We had to get those measures in place and it's that discipline that we showed in those budgets that have allowed us to come to the position in MYEFO, we've provisioned for this. But it'll be in our 2025 Budget going forward. And I don't regard Premiers as being either Labor or LNP. I regard the Queensland Premier as representing the state of Queensland and I'll cooperate with people across the political spectrum just as I cooperated with Dom Perrottet when he was the Minister for New South Wales, when we implemented coal and gas price controls, in spite of the opposition of Peter Dutton and his team. Peter Dutton has opposed everything that we've done. Whether it be with Labor premiers or Liberal premiers what I've done is work constructively and I'll continue to do so. And I look forward to having a constructive relationship with the Queensland Premier on an ongoing basis.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how important is Queensland for your election reelection chances (inaudible)?
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry, the truck.
JOURNALIST: Sorry, I'll say that again. How important is Queensland for your reelection chances? And are you planning an April election?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm planning a 2025 election. And during the 2025 election I'll continue from - I'll give you the big tip. I'm not going to the Governor-General this Sunday. But we're here rolling out the policies that are consistent with building on the foundation that we've established during our first two years. Cutting inflation from 6 per cent down to something that has a 2 in front of it. Unemployment with a 3 in front of it. Making sure we've delivered real wage increases four quarters in a row. Delivering tax cuts for every Australian. We want the next term to build on the foundations, just as this announcement today is building on the foundations that Catherine King has laid as Infrastructure Minister in the first two years.
JOURNALIST: You've had some big spending commitments in the past month, also on childcare and education, do you plan to announce new revenue measures to offset that or will the Budget be brought back into balance purely by bracket creep?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we, of course have delivered under this Treasurer here, two budget surpluses. That's two more than were delivered under the entire period in which the Coalition were in government where they promised a budget surplus in the first year and every year thereafter. That was the commitment that we made. We turned a $78 billion Liberal deficit into a $22 billion surplus and followed it up with another one. But we've also been making sure that we invest in the care economy. We've invested in aged care, which was in crisis. Bear in mind there was an Aged Care Royal Commission, the Interim Report of which was titled Neglect. One word. We've made sure now a nurse is available in nursing homes 99 per cent of the time. There are literally millions of additional minutes and hours being delivered to aged care residents as a result of the changes that we've made. You now have a workforce which is able to be continued - people not leaving the workforce as were in aged care, for example. That's just one area in which we have committed investment because it's the right investment to make sure that the values that we hold of making sure that every Australian, whether it be the youngest Australian having access to childcare or older Australians - or older Australians - having the commitment that they need to live their older years in dignity and respect.
JOURNALIST: Just quickly, the police are investigating an incident in the eastern suburbs of Sydney involving the graffiti of a vehicle with clearly anti-Jewish language. Are you aware of that? Have you been briefed on it? Do we need to do more about antisemitism?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there is no tolerance for antisemitism in Australia from my Government, nor should there be tolerance from anyone else. Antisemitism is a scourge. And any event such as this targeting people because of who they are is not the Australian values that I hold dear and the Australian values that are held dear by, overwhelmingly, Australians.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, mayors around Queensland have called for the Bruce Highway to not be a political plaything. What do you say to people who might look at this and see this as a vote buying strategy?
PRIME MINISTER: This is investment. This is investment in a road consistent with what I've done every time I've had the opportunity, whether as a Minister or now as Prime Minister. I've invested in a road in which this - we're standing in the electorate of Wide Bay near Gympie. I'm not sure what the two party preferred vote is here, but I know it's not 49 per cent for Labor. This is doing absolutely the right thing by the national interest. That's why this investment is being made.
JOURNALIST: You won't be seeing the Governor-General this weekend, but will Federal Parliament -
PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?
JOURNALIST: You said you won't see the Governor-General, you know, this weekend, anytime soon. But will Federal Parliament sit before you call an election?
PRIME MINISTER: Federal Parliament's due to sit. I hope to see you there.
JOURNALIST: It's been 18 months since you reversed the traditional 80/20 split to a 50/50 split and specifically cited, Ministers specifically cited, the Bruce Highway in that announcement you said that the 80/20 split creates perverse incentives. Is this a back flip on that decision?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. This is the right decision done for the right reasons. The Bruce Highway is unique. There was 50/50 funding, by the way, in a range of projects when I was the Infrastructure Minister. And that's because - I'll give you another little figure that's really easy to remember. The Howard Government's investment in public transport, in rail - zero. Zero over 12 years. What happened when I became the Minister was we invested in urban roads like the Ipswich Motorway. We invested in urban public transport projects like Cross River Rail that was cut. Redcliffe rail line - first promised in 1895 - delivered due to the commitment under the Gillard Labor Government that we put in place and opposed by Luke Howarth and opposed by the LNP state and federal at that time. Now people can now ride on that rail line. Gold Coast light rail. Committed $365 million for the Gold Coast rail line. The first stage, committed, was said by the local members at the time on the Gold Coast and the LNP went out there and opposed it - including Steve Ciobo - was opposed to the disruption that would occur now that made a major difference to the Commonwealth Games and its hosting there and it has on an ongoing basis made a major difference as well. That is the change that's occurred in the role of the Commonwealth when it comes to infrastructure and transport. Now here, on the Bruce Highway, because of the unique nature of it, I think there's a unique case for it and that is why the Government has made this decision that we have to put this additional funding in. Just like when we came to ohffice we had to put additional funding - the Minister will know the figure in the Rockhampton -
MINISTER KING: $700 million.
PRIME MINISTER: An additional $700 million into the Rockhampton Ring Road, because - or bypass - because, simply, it wasn't funded. So, we had to deal with that and we do make sure as well - as I said to the Premier and he certainly agreed that it was a good thing - and I say this, that the Premier of Queensland was Local Government Minister when we did Cooroy to Curra and when we had the contribution here, to the first section, we saved money which we then put into the next section being built here as well. Which is why now today we have - and Senator Chisholm was here last year opening the final section of the road.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will you be proposing any new revenue measures before the election?
PRIME MINISTER: That's a good try, Greg. It reminds me of your 2030 emissions target that was put forward in press conference after press conference, Greg.
JOURNALIST: You're talking about more investment across the care economy, do we need tax reform and more revenue to pay for it?
PRIME MINISTER: What we need to do is to make sure that every single dollar of expenditure is expenditure that is well worth it. And the investment in this road is worth it. For those who say that it's not - and the Coalition have $315 billion in which they say is wasteful expenditure. What that means is cuts to the indexing of pensions. That means cuts to infrastructure. It means cuts to the Cheaper Medicines including the 60-day policy. It means abolition of the Future Made in Australia program of jobs and manufacturing and making things here in Queensland. It means no support for Energy Price Relief. That's the choice that Australians have. What we do is make sure that we deliver. That's why we've been responsible. That's why in the ERC that Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher preside over so well, we make sure that we go through line by line to make sure that that value is there for taxpayers.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you're using the slogan 'Build Back Better'g. Did you pinch that from President Joe Biden?
PRIME MINISTER: We're not. That's not our slogan. Good try.
JOURNALIST: Is there a one word slogan, one sentence slogan you would use?
PRIME MINISTER: We're using - we've done this with backdrops, we've done this with media releases. I did this today. Again, it is building Australia's future, is our slogan, if you like. It's been there. We've done a launch in Adelaide and then another launch here in Brisbane where we launched our child care policy. So, I'm not sure which LNP member has sent you that question to ask, but they should pay attention and you should be cautious about just reading out things that are sent from the LNP.
JOURNALIST: A future Queensland Government would be forgiven for saying, well, you know, this section of the Bruce Highway is so dangerous. Maybe there's another section that was worth 80/20. Does this mean forevermore every upgrade of this road or another in Victoria -?
PRIME MINISTER: So, the Bruce Highway - we are making this commitment. The Pacific Highway has been duplicated thanks to the investment that the former Rudd and Gillard Governments made. Again, the same figure, ironically, was used on the Pacific Highway. $1.3 billion under the Howard Government's 12 years. Under our period in office, we committed $7.9 billion over half the time. That's what we did on the Pacific Highway. Now, some of those projects, because of the stimulus program that we did, Kempsey bypass was 100 per cent, $513 million fully federally funded. So, I'm happy for you to ask me questions about infrastructure. But we delivered. The Pacific Highway is now completely duplicated, as is the Hume. If you look at the East Coast, it is the Bruce Highway that requires further investment, which is why it stands out as requiring this response, which is what we're delivering.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are there any plans or timeline on expanding the number of lanes from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane? You know, it gets very congested and we've got Olympics coming up.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we're doing today is announcing what we're, what we're committing to, which is a $7.2 billion commitment, I think is what we're talking about today. That's a pretty significant commitment.
JOURNALIST: Will the Government have a mandate for your superannuation policy - on balances above $3 million - will you have a mandate to implement that if you win the next election?
PRIME MINISTER: We will have a mandate for all of our policies -
JOURNALIST: Will that still be your policy, is that still the case -
PRIME MINISTER: But that's our policy. It's still sitting before the Senate. We hope that the Senate come to their senses and stop representing just a small minority of people and represent the national interest. But Peter Dutton's policies come with one word: no. Except for his nuclear policy which calls for a plant pretty close to here in Biloela, or near Biloela there. Which calls for, if you look at the costings, the only costings that they've put out which are pretty flimsy, calls for 40 per cent less energy use, 40 per cent less economic activity. Under the Coalition his vision is for a smaller Australia, is for making less things, is for less economic activity, is for less jobs. Which is how they've come up with this absurd policy which will be run by state owned enterprises. The biggest state owned commitment. A Soviet-style command economy of the energy system with his nuclear plan, because no one in the private sector would touch this with a barge pole because it doesn't add up economically. Which is why they've had to come up with this 40 per cent smaller economic activity. That's the biggest flaw in what they are going for at the next election. We'll be arguing for more jobs, more manufacturing, more things made here. And we'll have a major announcement next week about private sector investment here in Australia which will require more energy, not less.
JOURNALIST: With the $7.2 billion announced today, is the dual carriageway between Gympie and Tiaro the next section to be done or is there a time frame around when that's likely?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, what we'll do is we're sitting down - I discussed with the Premier last night the priority projects. He certainly agreed Maryborough to Benaraby was - that's the first thing that he'd identified as a priority. The Queensland Government, of course, already have a program that was worked out under the former Government as well. The total expenditure of that was $9 billion to lift the whole highway up to that level three of safety. And that's where our $7.2 billion commitment comes from. But we want to roll out as much works as possible as soon as possible. That is our objective. Last one.
JOURNALIST: Novak Djokovic spoke in Melbourne this morning. He said he's traumatised every time he comes to Melbourne because of what happened during COVID. Is that fair and is how he was treated then fair?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I made comments at the time about it. I found it astonishing that in the lead up to Christmas, Novak Djokovic was denied by the then Federal Government the opportunity to see his Orthodox minister, priest, during that period. I think that that was something that I think was hard to justify at that time. Thanks very much, everyone.
