Good morning, everyone. My name is Matt Gregg and I'm the candidate here in Deakin. Pleasure to be joined by the Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles, the candidate for Menzies, Gabriel, and of course the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much Matt and it's great to be back here in the electorate of Deakin and good also to be joined by Gabriel, our candidate for Menzies. I'm spending a bit of time in this part of the world. Tomorrow, of course, I'll be at Box Hill for Lunar New Year, at what will have a few people there from the last time I was there, and it's great to be joined by Andrew Giles as well. I want to give a shout out to everyone at this TAFE. Whether it is the teachers, the people imparting the skills that they've spent their life in building and plumbing, passing on those skills to young Australians taking up the opportunity to have a fulfilling career in life. This is what building Australia's future looks like. Investing in young Australians to give them the skills that they need, or investing in people retraining for the jobs that are available and will continue to be available in the future. It's now one week since I stood up at the National Press Club and I announced there a $10,000 incentive for people to go into construction apprenticeships. We know that we have skills shortages in these areas. The people undertaking apprenticeships in plumbing or in carpentry and other skills in construction here will never be out of work because there will always be a demand for them and they will be able to have fulfilling careers with well paid jobs. But we need to make sure that they get through that incentive to do apprenticeships, to stay as well. Which is why we've structured the increased payment, up to $10,000, to put them on the same position that people doing electrical apprenticeships are on, going forward. To make sure that those payments flow through at $2,000 a pop, to make sure that they stay in that apprenticeship as they go through their four year period. This is so important to drive Australia's economy. It is something that we're determined to do. We've got a $32 billion Homes for Australia Plan, but we need to make sure that we have the skilled workforce to be able to build the homes and the apartments for people. What we have with this scheme is just that, an incentive. And today, on a day in which the Housing Australia Future Fund, Clare O'Neil will be up later today announcing the contracts that have been issued for 800 social and affordable homes that is right throughout the country. So we have incentives there, whether it be for home ownership through our Help to Buy Scheme, whether it be our Social Housing Accelerator, Housing Australia Future Fund for social and affordable homes to be built, or whether it be our Build to Rent Scheme - the legislation which was passed just in December by the Senate, after a long delay of disruption from those on the Coalition and Greens Party benches. We finally got that legislation through. That will lead to increased build to rent properties. We want more homeowners, we want more people to have access to affordable rentals. We want to make sure as well that there's more social housing available in Australia. And we want to make sure that the workforce is there to build those homes. And I'll now hand to the Minister for Skills and Training, who has responsibility for the rollout of these important projects. TAFE, the truth is the Victorian Government, State government, shout out to them here as well, they have been big supporters of TAFE and have provided incentive. We have legislation before the Parliament when we resume next week for free TAFE. That has benefited so many people throughout, not just the construction industry, but in areas of shortage like aged care, child care workers as well. We want to make free TAFE permanent because we understand that TAFE is at the centre of the vocational education and training sector and we value it, we fund it, and we'll continue to do that into the future.
ANDREW GILES, MINISTER FOR SKILLS AND TRAINING: Thanks very much, Prime Minister. It's great to be here with you and also with Gabe and with Matt at Swinburne's Croydon campus, a fantastic facility. And I've got to say that one thing really stems from our visit today, and that is that there is no better time than now for young Australians, and older Australians too, to pick up the tools and become a tradie. For all of the reasons the Prime Minister has said and for all of the conversations we've just been having with apprentices. Now, these apprentices did disagree on one thing, whether carpentry or plumbing is the better trade. But I think we can all agree that we need more chippies and more plumbers now. And the Albanese Government is resolutely committed to helping more people get their opportunity to get the skills they want in areas that we need and to play their part in building Australia's future, especially when it comes to our very ambitious housing targets that the Prime Minister was just talking about. We've done so much to encourage more people to get into these trades, but of course there is more to do. But we didn't start from a great position. When we came into government we inherited the worst skills crisis in 50 years, the second worst across every advanced economy. And a big part of that was because of the attacks on TAFE. We're here at the Swinburne Croydon campus. Just down the road at Lilydale the former Liberal state government closed the campus. And of course, the former Federal Liberal government ripped $3 billion out of TAFE and training when they were in office. The choice at the next election really builds on that, our ongoing efforts to rebuild pathways to skills for every Australian, particularly in the trades. And that's why we're offering the additional incentive of $10,000 from 1 July for people to take up these trades to build more houses and build great careers for them and their families. That's why we are building on the enormous success of free TAFE. And I'm so pleased that now in Victoria, we've had 110,000 enrolments - let's think about that just for a moment. The cost of living relief that everyone has got, up to $17,000 for someone who's undertaking a Diploma of Nursing, while of course, filling skills gaps across our economy and helping other Victorians with cost of living pressures. And that's why, when Parliament goes back in a week, I'll be proud to vote for our bill to make free TAFE permanent. And this is really the crux of the debate at the next election. Our belief, as the Prime Minister said a moment ago, in investing in Australians to build Australia's future by ripping apart the cost barriers that denied too many people the chance to take up careers that they want to get into and which we need them to be doing. And the Liberals who say that if you don't pay for something, you don't value it. Well none of the apprentices here would agree with that. And I haven't met a single free TAFE student who believes in that. The challenge for the Liberals is to get on board and play a part in building Australia's future, or to get out of the way from us from doing that.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it's been reported that you were not briefed at the time the Sydney caravan explosives were found. Can you confirm when you were briefed, and is it correct protocol that you, as Prime Minister, were not briefed before the NSW Premier, Chris Minns?
PRIME MINISTER: What's correct protocol is making sure that we don't speak about operational matters. I addressed this yesterday. I have no intention of undermining an ongoing investigation by going into the details. What I will do is continue to prioritise two things - the first and most important is keeping Australians safe. The second is making sure that I provide support to the police and intelligence agencies for them to do their job.
JOURNALIST: The deputy opposition leader has said that you and National Cabinet should have been briefed. What do you say to this?
PRIME MINISTER: I say this should not be the source of political debate, and that I note that the Coalition have said as well that they wouldn't change the protocols that have been in place for a long period of time. The idea that you make public pronouncements about something that is an ongoing investigation is of course entirely inappropriate because as the police have made very clear, both state and federal, the priority is those ongoing investigations.
JOURNALIST: But you were not briefed?
PRIME MINISTER: I have not said that. I have said that I do not comment. I can't be clearer. I can say, I can say it the same way, you know, that I said yesterday. I'll say the same thing tomorrow. I do not talk about operational matters for an ongoing investigation.
JOURNALIST: The Chief Commissioner here in Victoria has said that additional police are patrolling suburbs. They're called assurance patrols. There are about 5,000 officers that have been deployed in Melbourne suburbs since October 7 last year. Is that something that needs to be seen across Australia? Do we need more police to be patrolling because of the rise of antisemitism?
PRIME MINISTER: We are having increased police resources, whether it be in Victoria or NSW, other states and territories. We have Operation Avalite federally. We will give police and the authorities every support that they require and every request has been met by every jurisdiction.
JOURNALIST: Jacinta Price has said that she'll cut funding for Welcome to Country if she's elected. What are your thoughts on that?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm here talking about apprenticeships, talking about opportunities, talking about jobs, talking about support for cost of living. What Australians are concerned about when I travel around the country isn't looking for culture wars and looking to divide. What they're looking for is cost of living support. And I note this week, haven't got a question on it yet today, but I tell you what the most important thing that has happened this week is for Australians, and that's the inflation figures. Down to 2.4 per cent, and of course the trimmed mean down to 3.2 from 3.6. It is now below 2.5. The inflation rate, the target band is between 2 to 3. So we're in the lower half of that. That's what Australians are concerned about. That's what is raised with me. And I've got to say as I went around here and I talked to all the young apprentices here and outside, and I want to thank Tommy and Oscar for the long chat that we had outside talking about whether being a plumber or being a chippy is the best job, and whether Banh Mi or meat pies were better as well, I've got to say. What they were talking about is their careers, talking about cost of living, talking about those issues. Now I find it extraordinary that we're now in an election year, third year of Peter Dutton being the Opposition Leader, the only cost of living relief that they've come up with is this rather bizarre plan for bosses to be able to take their mates and whoever else who's a potential client, spend $20,000 on lunch or karaoke nights or weekends away, golf days, movie nights, on what have you. You know, what I'm concerned about is the real issues facing Australians. That's cost of living and making sure that we continue the path on which we're on, which is lower inflation, higher wages, low unemployment, with 1.1 million jobs created.
JOURNALIST: For the Jewish community though, surely inflation figures aren't the biggest topic that they're worried about at the moment. They're worried about feeling safe in their homes.
PRIME MINISTER: I was asked about flags.
JOURNALIST: Yeah, I know. But in terms of the Jewish community, they are still worried about a rise in antisemitism. What do you say to those people that don't feel safe walking around their streets at home at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER: I say that my heart goes out to you and we are doing all that we can. I just had a previous question about the increased security that is being offered. But I say this as well, and that's why I won't undermine investigations and play politics with it. I want perpetrators of antisemitism to be hunted down and to be locked up. That's what I want.
JOURNALIST: Can I just go back on to Jacinta Price though? Is it appropriate to be raising that kind of suggestion that we should be cutting funding for something that is a traditional Welcome to Country?
PRIME MINISTER: What I'm doing is talking about issues that Australians are concerned about.
JOURNALIST: On the Nature of Positive laws, what assurances have you given to the WA Premier that you will not be doing a deal with the Greens?
PRIME MINISTER: The same ones that I do publicly, everywhere, on all of our legislation. All of our legislation is Labor-focused. We put our values into our legislation.
JOURNALIST: How important, this is a question from our friends at Channel 7. How important are prefabricated homes for solving the housing crisis?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll hand to the Minister.
MINISTER GILES: It's a great question because when I leave this wonderful TAFE campus, I'll be going to another wonderful TAFE campus in Heidelberg, where we've established a Centre of Excellence in modern methods of housing construction. Because we recognise two things, that Australia has lagged behind comparable countries in using prefabrication and modular housing to an extent that is holding us back. And while we've got some great businesses there, we also know that there are skills that we need to develop. So the joint investment we have in the Melbourne Polytechnic Heidelberg campus is a big statement of our belief that we can do more in this. We can also, as we're here at a TAFE campus, think about how we can better equip young Australians and older Australians who have been in the industry to take advantage of the opportunities that are there.
PRIME MINISTER: I'll take one more.
JOURNALIST: Would it be appropriate to shelve those reforms until after the election?
PRIME MINISTER: We've got legislation before the Parliament. It's been before the Parliament for a long period of time. It's up to others to decide whether they vote for it or not. But it's been before the Parliament for a long period of time and it is long overdue reforms of John Howard's environmental laws. And we've made it very clear that our approach is about supporting industry, supporting jobs, whilst doing it in a sustainable way. So we, that is the basis of the legislation going forward. Thank you very much.
JOURNALIST: Just on Oscar Jenkins if I may, are you satisfied with Russia's assurances that you've received?
PRIME MINISTER: No. Which is why I refer again to the same answer I gave yesterday. We are seeking further assurances and evidence. And we're also, I reiterate my call for Russia to release Mr. Jenkins. Thank you.
