Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service, Minister for Government Services
MATT SMITH, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR LEICHHARDT: Good morning, my name's Matt Smith, I'm the ALP candidate for the federal seat of Leichhardt. I'm here with Minister Katy Gallagher, Senator Nita Green, at the Services Australia here in Cairns. I want to thank Katy for coming up to Cairns today, particularly off the back of that interest rates cut and thank her for the work that she did in I guess enabling this to happen. When the Albanese Labor Government came to power, there was a six in front of inflation, now there is a two, without a spike in unemployment, which is a really wonderful thing. Now, we know there's more work to do, but this first interest rate cut is going to provide a lot of relief to a lot of Far North families. With that being said, the last thing that we need is job cuts. And the LNP have said numerous times they will take services and cut 36,000 jobs in the Australian Public Service. There is a misconception that these jobs are just in Canberra, but there's over a 1,000 of these jobs located here in Cairns and the Far North. And I've heard first-hand from people, including in our veterans' community, what it has meant to have Labor's investment in the public service to their lives. When Labor came to power, there were over 42,000 outstanding claims through DVA. Now, their claims are being processed in a matter of months. That makes a tangible difference to the lives of the veterans who we owe so, so much. The LNP has said, Peter Dutton and Jeremy Neal, have said they will cut jobs in Far North Queensland. I will always stand up to protect jobs in Far North Queensland. These jobs, they spend their money at small businesses, they keep afloat our restaurants during the down times, they are an integral part of our society. These people have families, and I will always stand to protect workers. Thank you, Minister.
SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR FINANCE: Well, it's great to be here with Matt Smith, our candidate for Leichhardt, and also with Nita Green, the fabulous Senator for Queensland. And we are really here to talk about the importance of public sector jobs outside the front of Services Australia, which has done so much hard work, particularly with the major weather events in the last couple of months, in getting payments out the door and supporting Queenslanders with all of their, you know, what they need, to help them with particularly responding to the floods, but also the work they do every day. This is a very busy Services Australia. They see about 300 clients a day. And these jobs are located right where people need them. So, we are concerned about the threats that Peter Dutton has made about job cuts across the public service. He's said he'll cut 20 per cent of the jobs across the public service, and 20 per cent of the jobs in a place like Cairns, you know, equates to about 200 jobs. But looking across the state, it's about 25,000 public servants that work across Brisbane - across Queensland, sorry, in a whole range of areas whether it be Services Australia, the tax office, the Great Barrier Reef Authority. These are really important jobs across the state and it's important that people understand that a 20 per cent cut would significantly reduce services across Queensland, and that's bad for people that need it, but also for those people who are hard-working public servants every day. So, we're here to say thank you to all the work they do, but also to talk about the importance of these jobs. These jobs aren't people sitting behind a desk in Canberra, as Peter Dutton would like you to believe, these are people that are out there supporting their local community and helping people, often when they are at their most vulnerable. And I think it's really important that we talk about that and recognise the essential services they provide. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Minister, there's been a review called after the recent flooding and cyclones around insurance premiums in Australia [INDISTINCT] is a review due this year if you're re-elected? Could you talk about what aspects of that you would be looking into?
GALLAGHER: We're very aware of the pressure that's on people with insurance, particularly in areas where there's major weather events, cyclones, floods, fires, and the fact that that's a big impost on cost-of-living for people. So, we've established a task force in addition to the work that's been done with the cyclone reinsurance pool, to look at what meaningful ways that we can help with insurance. Part of it's about disaster mitigation, so the fact that we have factored in a billion dollars going into essentially mitigating some of the risks. And if you talk to insurers around the state, they will say that that's probably the single biggest thing government could do, invest in mitigation. So, we know it's been popular with roof works, with making sure doors are locked, can be locked down, all of those areas, because that can reduce premiums significantly. We know that can drop 10, 15 per cent off insurance premiums. So, I think it's a mix of things. Government has to look at the regulations and how they work. We have to take seriously disaster mitigation in areas like this, so that we can help people out, and continue to work with councils and state governments on how we respond to the increasing impacts of climate change.
JOURNALIST: Is there any prospect of the coverage period being extended for up to a week after the end of a cyclone?
GALLAGHER: Look, I know that's been raised. Nita might want to add into that. I know that has been raised and our task force that we've got working in the Prime Minister's department are considering all of the ideas about that.
GREEN: I'm on the Joint Select Committee for Northern Australia and we've been inquiring into the reinsurance pool, been hearing about all the different proposals, particularly from the Chamber of Commerce and other people about any changes to the reinsurance pool. We need to make sure that any proposed changes would actually have an impact on premiums. I just want everyone to remember that before the last election, the LNP told people in Far North Queensland and North Queensland that the reinsurance pool would save them 43 per cent on their insurance. They said it was a 43 per cent reduction on insurance premiums, but they refused to release the modelling that backed up that information. So as a government, we are being responsible, considering all of the proposals, but I would be very wary of Peter Dutton and the LNP making any claims that changes to the reinsurance pool will have wholesale reductions in premiums unless there's modelling to back that up. We saw that before the last election. They sold people in Far North Queensland a pup, and I want to make sure that we are really being really up front with people about the changes that we can actually impact on the insurance market and the range of measures that government need to put in place to do that. The reinsurance pool is just one part of that.
JOURNALIST: Your government has obtained modelling about what the cost of extending the coverage period will be, the figures are publicly available. Is it something that Leichhardt voters can expect from the ALP, actual policy announcements ahead of the election, or is it one area where changes are likely to follow on after the election?
GREEN: We're considering all the proposals and the Joint Select Committee which I'm part of will be handing down a report in the next couple of weeks.
JOURNALIST: Is Zelensky a dictator?
GALLAGHER: Look, we've worked pretty closely with supporting Ukraine through the illegal invasion of their country by Russia. We have sent aid and defence support to them, and we want to see the war end as quickly as possible. I think that's in the interest of the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia and Europe.
JOURNALIST: How can Trump justify his actions?
GALLAGHER: Well, I'll leave him to explain the comments he's made. Obviously, we haven't been part of the discussions that the US has been having with Russia. But I think Australia's position has been to support where we can, helpfully, the people of Ukraine, and seek to have an end to this war as soon as possible. It's cost too many lives.
JOURNALIST: Is help and money, support to Ukraine, just a waste of time?
GALLAGHER: Well, I think we've worked with other countries. You know, we've been a contributor along with other NATO countries to assist with Ukraine. I don't think anyone could support an illegal invasion of a country, which is what we saw happen with Russia. And we would hope that peace will come to that region as soon as possible.
JOURNALIST: What does all of this mean in terms of, can we trust the US anymore?
GALLAGHER: Well, the US remains our closest ally and you know, we've put a lot of effort into working with the new administration. I think our relationship goes back decades and decades and it's a very important one. It's one where we worked to ensure the security of our country, the US, where we're working on AUKUS, we have an important trade relationship with the United States, and that will continue. That will continue into the decades going forward. It's a very important relationship and one which I think you've seen the PM, the Foreign Minister, the Defence Minister and others engage with the new administration in our national interest and in our region's national interest.
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you over the presence of Chinese ships off the coast of Sydney?
GALLAGHER: Well, this is something the Defence Minister has said we're monitoring. We've been aware of these ships for some time and Defence has been you know, doing the job that they need to do, which is monitor the movements of those ships. Obviously, we follow international law about freedom of movement in international waters and we will continue that. But obviously, the ADF, the Defence Force, is keeping an eye on those ships, as you would expect us to do.
JOURNALIST: The Insurance Council of Australia, and it's mainly focused on developments in inner Brisbane and places like Parramatta, are calling for new developments to not happen in flood-prone areas, which has been a talking point on the northern beaches of Cairns. If you're elected as the candidate for Leichhardt, are there any policy changes that you would be pushing for, for Far North Queensland?
SMITH: An announcement was made probably back in September when the Disaster Minister came up. And the flood map - there was a $2.8 million investment in the flood mapping of the river plane. Look, planning and planning development is the purview of the council, but being able to provide them with up to date, accurate information that's you know, no longer 30 or 40 years old that doesn't take into account the obvious changes in our climate, is going to give them the ability to make the correct decision moving forward.
JOURNALIST: Do Councils need pressure placed on them by State and Federal Government to make the decisions?
SMITH: Councils are their own entity. There's three layers of government and they work independently, so they'll make the decisions based on the information they've got.
