: Welcome everyone to the National Situation Room. My name's Joe Buffone. I'm one of the Deputy Coordinator-Generals here at the National Emergency Management Agency. We've just briefed the Prime Minister on the current situation and you'll hear a little bit about that. In particular the fact that it has slowed down at the moment. There's a couple of key things around that. One is that it gives more time for preparedness, but obviously it is a very, very dynamic situation. So, we are coordinated at every level, at the national level, state and territory level, local level, and obviously with a focus on communities. Clearly, South East Queensland and Northern Rivers in particular is a focus and all of the agencies are working very, very hard to be coordinated. And as the Prime Minister has said, no borders. It's about working together. So, Prime Minister, over to you. Thank you.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Joe. And thank you to you and your team for the extraordinary work that you do on behalf of Australians. These are tough times, but Australians are tough people and we're resilient people. I've spoken this morning again, been in contact with Queensland, with New South Wales. I spoke with the Mayor of Lismore, Steve Krieg. He spoke about what a tough night he's had with himself and his partner. You know, they are still in recovery mode. They've had hit after hit after hit there in that local community, but they are tough. It ended up being a discussion about how they were preparing and how positive he was that they had put everything in place that they could. At the worst of times, we always see the best of Australian character. I said yesterday that there were no political parties in this process and there are no borders. Tropical Cyclone Alfred certainly does not recognise any borders and nor should the Government's response. And that is why I know that Premier Minns and Premier Crisafulli are in lockstep as well going forward. As are the three levels of government working together and through the National Coordination Mechanism out of here, we are assisting with the coordination as well of the private sector, as well as the Commonwealth Government response. So, that includes supermarkets, telcos, banking, freight companies, all of the organisations which will play a role first in preparedness, then in dealing with the impact of this cyclone, and thirdly in the recovery period which will occur. My message to people, whether they be in South East Queensland or Northern New South Wales, is we are there to support you, we have your back. We respect the work that you are doing in your preparedness. And we know that this is tough times and that's why every Australian, every Australian, regardless of where they are in this great country of ours, is thinking of you over the coming period. As Joe indicated, there's been a significant update in where we were from this time yesterday. This time yesterday it was anticipated that the cyclone would cross into the territory - land crossing would occur in the early hours of tomorrow morning. It's now anticipated, because it has slowed up somewhat, that that will now be at a later time. That's not all good news. It is important to stress it is still anticipated this will cross into land and will reach landfall. It will just do it later. And a risk is of course that in slowing up that it increases in its intensity. But at this stage it is still predicted to be Category Two as it crosses onto land. It is expected to make an impact on Friday. We expect three separate hazards. Storm surge and high tides along coastal communities and severe winds as Alfred approaches the coast. Then rainfall and of course potential flash and riverine flooding right into the weekend. So, it's not just a matter, to put it really simply, it's not a matter of just when the winds die down, everything's then okay. That could be as the waters are rising and flooding is increasing as well. More than 660 schools are closed across southeast Queensland and more than 280 schools are closed across Northern New South Wales. Queensland supermarkets in affected areas will close from today. I can, as well, update you on the following response from the Commonwealth. We've received a request from both Queensland and New South Wales overnight or in New South Wales' case in the early hours of this morning for the early recovery grants of a million dollars for affected councils. I'll sign off on those at Parliament House immediately this finishes and that money will be on its way. That's important so that immediately there's not a process of - there's a road issue that's been damaged by waters and then we have a process of the bureaucracy dealing with these things. The money's on its way so that the work can continue absolutely immediately. We want to make sure that as soon as recovery work is physically possible it gets underway. We've delivered 310,000 sandbags into Brisbane for distribution across councils and there is more on their way. 60 ADF personnel and 30 high clearance vehicles are being pre-positioned to go to Queensland to support police and SES volunteers as we move to the recovery phase. They will door knock to identify and support at-risk people. We have approved, in addition to that, two ADF search and rescue choppers to support Queensland post crossing. Yesterday we pre-positioned heavy lift helicopters from our national aerial firefighting fleet. A Sikorsky S-61 is being deployed to Coffs Harbour and a UH-60 Black Hawk is being pre-positioned in Bundaberg. We have activated the Australian Government Disaster Response Plan, a crisis coordination team which will operate out of here. I intend operating out of here for coming days, it is probably the best place I can be to make sure that there is seamless activity between New South Wales and Queensland. So, put in your diary. This time tomorrow I intend to be here again. But if need be, as required, if there's a further update required then I'll do that this afternoon. The National Coordination Mechanism is providing support and importantly, we have people from NEMA there in the meeting where I was yesterday in Queensland, similarly in the New South Wales coordination as well. So, there is really, having seen firsthand, the seamless coordination which is there is something which unfortunately there's been a lot of experience with these events and it does show that that has occurred. We also, as of yesterday, we declared a Child Care Subsidy period of emergency for child care services in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. That's essentially about making sure that the child care centres are not financially disadvantaged as well as of course - let that flow through to people. Could I conclude with these messages. I would encourage people to listen to local ABC radio at times like this. ABC shows why it's important that we have a national broadcaster. Or visit BoM - Bureau of Meteorology, bom.gov.au - for updates that are done on a regular, in realtime basis, so that people can see what the impact of this weather event is. Queenslanders, in addition to that, can stay up to date at disaster.qld.gov.au and also a site that is very good - I encourage people to look at getready.gov.au, sorry, getready.qld.gov.au, getready.qld.gov au. So I encourage people to have a look at that too. That has really practical advice for people about preparing your home, preparing for these events. In New South Wales, visit ses.nsw.gov.au and stay up to date on the Hazards Near Me app that is run by the SES. Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: A natural disaster emergency text warning, text message warning system, rather, was due to be completed by the end of last year. It's not operational. Why is that? Is that a risk to these people that could benefit from having a national messaging system?
PRIME MINISTER: Well of course they'd benefit, that's why we're putting it in place. I would prefer it was ready but it's been complex to deliver. Something when we came to government, if you look at where we are now, it is the facility that I opened and we have put in place. The current emergency alert system was always going to be the primary messaging system for the high risk weather season.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can you explain why there has been that delay on the timeframe of that service, and can you update when we might see it in place?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's been complex to deliver. You want to make sure, you have to be 100% sure that it's ready to go before you turn it online. The current emergency alert system is the one that's been in place for some period of time. That remains effective and it is the primary messaging system for the high risk weather season.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, I know it pales in significance when we're talking about property and lives, but for you, does this cyclone basically rule out an election being called this weekend or early next week?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm focused, as much as some people here are focused on something else, I'm focused on the needs of Australians. This isn't a time for party politics. I'm just focused on doing my job and governing. And that's something I've been focused on since 23 May 2022, when I was sworn in as Prime Minister.
JOURNALIST: The Trump Administration has called for Australia to lift its defence spending to 3% of GDP. Even with the extra money your Government is pumping in, by the end of the decade, we will be well below 3%, somewhere around 2.3. Do you plan to fund it like that? And where would the money come from?
PRIME MINISTER: Australia determines our national interest. And as a result of the Defence Strategic Review, my Government is allocating significant additional resources for defence, that is being rolled out, including missiles, including a range of assets that improve both our capability, but also importantly our delivery. My Government is delivering increased defence assets and increased defence capability, and that's what we're rolling out.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, I think you said you'd be based here for the next few days. Will there be any Queensland travel or Northern New South Wales travel interspersed, or will you just be solely here?
PRIME MINISTER: No, look, they may well be as appropriate. Yesterday we investigated whether I could stop in between Brisbane. Clare Armstrong was with us yesterday, just to dob you in Clare, just to name check you in the press conference. We tried to get into Lismore. It was closed yesterday. The priority is where I can be most effective. I'll be wherever I can be most effective. And I'll be consulting with Premier Crisafulli and Premier Minns, we're in contact not just on a daily basis, on a more than daily basis.
JOURNALIST: It's a week until tariffs come into effect on steel and aluminum exports to the US. Trump's given exemptions to some tariffs on different industries overnight. Are we on track to see those tariffs in place or have there been negotiations?
PRIME MINISTER: We're continuing to engage with the US Administration. We think that tariffs are not in Australia's interest or not in the United States interests. The United States enjoys a trade surplus with Australia.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, could I ask, not only has Donald Trump withdrawn military aid, but he's also now going to withhold intelligence from Ukraine. We are part of the Five Eyes Agreement with the United States. Do you worry that Donald Trump is about to hand Ukraine on the platter to Putin?
PRIME MINISTER: I say very clearly that Australia determines our own foreign policy, and it is in Australia's national interests to support the brave struggle of the people of Ukraine led so ably by President Zelenskyy. This is a struggle of people who have suffered from an illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Vladimir Putin is an authoritarian leader who leads a regime that has imperialistic designs not just on Ukraine, but on the region. And that is why we need to stand with Ukraine in support of their national sovereignty, but also in support of the international rule of law. Hang on, Tim Lester has come all the way from the United States to ask a question.
JOURNALIST: That's got to mean something.
PRIME MINISTER: It does, Tim. Good to see you.
JOURNALIST: And you, Prime Minister. The United States has profoundly changed its relationship, its security relationships with Ukraine and is warming to Russia. It is our major security ally. How is the Government reconsidering our security relationship with the United States? And if it's not, shouldn't it?
PRIME MINISTER: Our security relationship with the United States is secure. Our relationship with Russia is a very different one. And just up from here, you might have missed it, Tim, on your magical mystery tour to the United States. But I passed on the way here the attempted site of a Russian embassy where the Government took unprecedented and swift action on a bipartisan basis to stop what Russia was planning for that site. Our position on Russia has not changed. They're an authoritarian regime. The way that this war should stop tomorrow is for Russia to withdraw and to back off from its illegal and immoral invasion.
PRIME MINISTER: Hang on, if we all just, it's a small room. Just here. People who are polite get a bonus.
JOURNALIST: Can we afford to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, we determine our policy. We determine our policy. And our defence policy is to increase our defence expenditure, that's what we're doing. And unlike the former government that made announcements, with no money to back it up, we back it up with real dollars, real investment and real assets.
JOURNALIST: Democracy thrives on transparency. Are you going to call an election in the next week?
PRIME MINISTER: I think I answered that before. I am focused on what's going on here -
JOURNALIST: So you haven't decided?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm focused on what is going on here. I refuse to be engaged in the game that has gone on for one year. One year ago, Peter Dutton called for an election to be held in order to stop our tax cuts. Our tax cuts went through ever since then, what I'm focused on is governing. And we are delivering. We're delivering whether it be assistance, most importantly, at this time for the people of South East Queensland or Northern New South Wales, or whether it be the changes to the economy that we've seen. We've seen inflation falling, wages rising. Yesterday's current account figures were extremely positive. Exceeded market expectations with that 0.6 growth in the quarter. What that shows is that our coherent, orderly plan for responsible economic management is making a positive difference. So, we do all of that while we deal with issues that sometimes come at you as a government, like this one. But when an issue like this comes at you, that has to be a priority. And that's my priority today. Thanks.
