“Unplugged Insights: A Doorstop Encounter with the Prime Minister in Perth”

TRACEY ROBERTS, MEMBER FOR PEARCE: Good morning. That was incredible. We’re getting a swimming pool in Alkimos, one of the rapidly expanding regions in Australia. Thank you immensely to the Prime Minister for hearing our community’s needs, paying attention to us, and now backing our community by delivering this swimming pool. So, thank you very much on behalf of the City of Wanneroo. It’s remarkable. We have an exciting few years ahead as we construct this pool, monitor the progress, witness the outcomes, and see the joyful expressions of our community. So thank you. And Prime Minister, it’s wonderful to have you back in Pearce.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Wonderful. Thank you very much, Tracey, and I’m delighted to be back in Pearce for my 27th visit to Western Australia as Prime Minister. This morning’s event is absolutely fantastic. It symbolizes what my Government aims to achieve, which is to construct Australia’s future. I envision a nation that continues to grow, that continues to flourish, which is ambitious and hopeful about Australia’s destiny, that embraces opportunities. This stands as a prime example of planning ahead, ensuring that right next to a new railway line, there’s a top-tier facility not just for swimming with a total of four pools, but also for other recreational and athletic pursuits, precisely where you have a burgeoning sector and increased density around the new rail line. Too often, we have observed communities expand, and then people retrospectively think, “how are individuals going to reach here, how will they enjoy a quality lifestyle?” and I sincerely commend the City of Wanneroo for its leadership regarding this initiative. Moreover, we’ve effectively collaborated across three tiers of government. Tracey Roberts, as a former Mayor, possesses profound understanding of this local community and she’s an exceptional representative. May I also mention that this visit concludes a small journey I undertook from Canberra, through the Sunshine Coast in Queensland to Gympie, then Rockhampton to Cairns to Mount Isa to a cattle station in the Northern Territory and then across to Kununurra and now here in Perth. Including in the northern suburbs, yesterday I was at the Urgent Care Clinic, one of eight established to enhance Medicare support throughout Western Australia, one of the 87 set up nationwide. My Government is resolute in tackling cost of living challenges while constructing Australia’s future simultaneously. We must address immediate problems while keeping our vision focused on the future. How can we create a better Australia moving forward? This stands in sharp contrast to our adversaries, who are pessimistic, who oppose everything and who possess only strategies that will regress Australia and impose further costs on Australians. I’m open to a few questions.

JOURNALIST: A synagogue in southern Sydney has once again been vandalized with at least a dozen swastika symbols. What is your reaction to this?

PRIME MINISTER: This represents a criminal act, and those accountable must face the full consequences under the law. That’s why my Government was the first to enact legislation ensuring that crimes like this are recognized for what they truly are. They embody hatred. There’s no place in Australia, a tolerant, multicultural society, for such criminal endeavors. Australians should acknowledge and respect one another, and they largely do so, irrespective of their religious beliefs. We are a multicultural nation. We must remain inclusive and united, and this is what my Government is committed to uphold. I know that this incident occurred in Chris Minns’ electorate, the Premier of New South Wales. I’m confident that the New South Wales police will take continued action. They must locate and apprehend those responsible for this crime.

JOURNALIST: Following the seaplane accident at Rottnest Island, do you have confidence that the adventure tourism sector is adequately regulated, and would you endorse an inquiry into that sector?

PRIME MINISTER: The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, whose head is here in WA, will automatically conduct an investigation following any such incident. However, the adventure tourism industry is significant. It generates employment. This is an enticing destination, and numerous areas in Western Australia depend on light aircraft or helicopters for transportation, as I witnessed just yesterday in the East Kimberley. This is a crucial segment of the tourism industry. We maintain a strong safety record internationally. This event is heartbreaking, and my thoughts are with all those families and friends affected, who have lost loved ones in this tragedy. The industry remains essential. Through CASA, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which adheres to worldwide best practices, we will continue to uphold this standard.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, Novak Djokovic has claimed that he was poisoned while in immigration detention in Melbourne in 2022. Are you investigating that assertion?

PRIME MINISTER: I have not come across those statements, so I won’t comment on claims I haven’t reviewed. I extend my best wishes to Mr. Djokovic for success on the court during the Australian Open.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how do you respond to Warren Mundine pursuing Liberal preselection for the upcoming election?

PRIME MINISTER: That matter is for the Liberal Party. My understanding is that the last time he contended for Parliament was in Gilmore, where he required a map to find it and he was not particularly successful. He’s also sought a Senate position and was rejected by the Liberal Party itself. It’s up to Liberal Party members to decide who their candidate is. Paul Fletcher has announced his retirement, and I wish him the best. I was on the Sydney University SRC with Paul Fletcher, literally in the last century, and I wish him and his family well going forward. I would like to point out – here’s what’s becoming rare. Moderates within the Liberal Party. We’ve seen Simon Birmingham and Paul Fletcher announce their retirements, following others out the door. Whether they be individuals who have lost their seats in North Sydney and other areas, or people like Christopher Pyne. Will the last moderate voice in the Liberal Party please turn off the lights when they leave? Because the Liberal Party is progressively being dominated by the hard right, as evidenced under Peter Dutton’s leadership.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, in light of the severe bushfires currently plaguing the Northern Hemisphere, such as in LA during their winter season, are you concerned about possibly not receiving the support we usually depend on during our peak season? And do we have sufficient resources to manage independently?

PRIME MINISTER: This is one of the matters we must remain aware of. Climate change is a reality. It doesn’t imply that each extreme weather episode occurs due to climate change. However, it does mean that scientific evidence indicates an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather patterns. This trend has been unfolding over many, not just years, but decades. We have observed record-hot years being recorded.

year after year, and we are also witnessing an increase in extreme occurrences. I find these images distressing. And I advise Australians who may feel unsettled, especially those who endured the bushfires of 2019-2020 or other severe events, to seek help if necessary. It is a sign of strength to acknowledge, “I need assistance with this. I’ve been unsettled.” Moreover, these incidents are alarming. There has been a considerable loss of life and a tremendous loss of property and resources along the west coast of the United States. It is accurate to state that this period is not typical. And we are very aware of this in Australia. Historically, we have seen a transfer of assets and personnel between the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, whether that includes the United States or Canada, alongside Australia. Assistance has flowed in both directions. If the seasons are extending more and more—which is crucial to note since the events of 2019 commenced earlier, not in January or during the holiday season, but well before and then intensified—we are faced with an aberrant event that we must remain mindful of. That’s why my Government is unapologetically committed to the scientific understanding of climate change. It’s why we cannot afford to say, “hold off on actions, don’t do anything until the 2040s and we’ll construct a nuclear power station in Collie.” That approach lacks logic concerning what we need to achieve. Most significantly, it lacks logic regarding the economics of Peter Dutton’s nuclear reactor initiative. Here in WA, there is a commitment to renewables combined with gas. This aligns well with my Government’s future policy as well. Last point.

JOURNALIST: It’s fair to mention that during the last election, many were highly concerned about climate change. In the previous year, they’ve concentrated more on the cost of living. Do the images from LA alter the political priority, bringing us back to such a political landscape?

PRIME MINISTER: I would suggest that individuals observing those scenes will have a spectrum of reactions. Firstly, there is the human aspect. The human toll of lives lost, the trauma inflicted by the images we have seen on television. However, for individuals experiencing it directly, it will be a traumatic ordeal that will affect their lives indefinitely. That’s the first observation—human. The second concern is environmental; the ecological harm we are witnessing due to this devastation. Yet the third is economic as well. There is a financial impact associated with these incidents. To simply disregard that effect on the economy is incorrect. The economic repercussions of rebuilding in areas affected by extreme weather disasters—be it the bushfires of 2019-2020 or the flooding in WA—are significant. I visited Fitzroy Crossing and the impacted communities; the destruction of that bridge significantly impacted productivity, as it severed a vital roadway in that region of Western Australia. We must not underestimate the association between climate change and the economy. They are interconnected. The positive aspect is that adequately addressing climate change will create opportunities for new industries, new employment, and new growth, and no nation is better positioned to capitalize on, for instance, the minerals that will energize the globe in the 21st century than Australia, with no state better poised to benefit from it than Western Australia. This is why our Production Tax Credits hold such significance. Taking action on climate change is not only beneficial for the environment but also advantageous for the economy and job creation. Thank you very much.