Prime Minister: National Cabinet | Prime Minister of Australia

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: National Cabinet have had a very successful meeting here in Brisbane today, and I want to begin by thanking Annastacia for hosting us here in the great state of Queensland. Today, we have determined a range of reforms around the theme for a better future for the Federation. We all know that the challenge that we have with global inflation, with pressures on our economy, mean that the Commonwealth needs to work with state and territory governments in a cooperative way in order to achieve reform, to achieve our common objectives of lifting up the living standards of Australians, creating greater economic opportunities, creating employment and making sure that no one is left behind. I want to thank the Premiers and Chief Ministers for the once again cooperative approach that they have taken, not just at this morning’s meeting, but in the lead-up to today’s meeting as well.

Front and centre, as we indicated at the last time we had a National Cabinet meeting, is of course health. And in health, first ministers reaffirmed our commitment to health as the priority for National Cabinet in 2023. And indeed, we agreed that we will have a special meeting of National Cabinet in the fourth quarter to discuss further health reform. Today though, we received, of course, a range of reports and work has been done, including the work of the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce. And today, to pre-empt some of the announcements that will be in the Federal Budget in a week and a half’s time, I’m pleased to say that we agreed, and there was endorsement for the Commonwealth’s initial announcements when it comes to health of some $2.2 billion of practical measures to strengthen Medicare. One of the things that we need to do is to improve primary care delivery, so that it takes pressure off our public hospital systems around the country. And these reforms are practical and will make a difference. Firstly, supporting workforces to work at top of scope, including pharmacists, nurses and paramedics. We need to provide pharmacists with the opportunity to deliver the services that they’re capable of. That will provide support and income for community pharmacies, but it will also take pressure off our GPs and off that system as well in the primary healthcare network. We want to expand the nursing workforce to improve access to primary care. The third is improving access to and delivery of after-hours primary care. That will include an incentive for doctors, for GPs, to stay open in longer hours that will be included in our Budget when it’s handed down on May 9. We will introduce My Medicare patient ID to support wraparound care for patients, registered with their local GP through new blended payment models. One of the things that’s been identified is patients who will regularly turn up at emergency departments, we want to make sure there’s a registration there so that we can reach out. What are the issues that are actually driving those regular presentations? It might be a mental health issue, it might be alcohol and drug problems, how do we reach out in order to assist people, but at the same time take pressure off those emergency departments. We will provide flexible funding for multidisciplinary team-based models to improve quality of care. And lastly, in the Budget there will be measures to invest in digital health to improve health outcomes. First Ministers also endorsed the independent review of overseas health practitioner regulatory settings in a report that was led by Robyn Kruk. We need to make sure that some of some of the bureaucracy that is taking too long to make sure that people with qualifications can actually participate and provide healthcare in this country and that is part of that process. We will continue to work and will task Health Ministers with working to progress the recommendations and report back to the National Cabinet and we will have a meeting, as I said, in the last quarter of 2023 dedicated to that.

The first ministers at National Cabinet also discussed our NDIS financial sustainability framework. We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS in order to support equity and fairness for all Australians who are living with disability, including those not eligible for the NDIS and ensure that every dollar goes to those who need it most. We know that the trajectory of NDIS expenditure is just not sustainable into the future. Indeed, that trajectory projects some $97 billion on the NDIS over the medium term, so in 10 years’ time, when you look at the budget framework, and that is simply not sustainable. The growth over the period in between the last Budget and October, of course, was alone some $8 billion in just those few months. So we want to make sure that the promise of the NDIS is fulfilled. We want to make sure that the Commonwealth can work with the NDIA board to take immediate action to ensure a sustainable scheme, and in order to do that we are committing to $720 million in the upcoming Budget to lift the NDIA’s capability, capacity and systems so that it provides better support for participants. The framework is the next step and will provide an annual growth target in the total costs of the scheme of no more than 8% by July 1 2026, with further moderation of growth as the scheme matures. Everyone here is absolutely committed to the NDIS. We want to make sure that it actually can continue into the future in a sustainable way.

We had a range of measures around the theme of better planning for stronger growth. Housing Ministers will develop a proposal for National Cabinet to deal with, and later this year, outlining reforms to strengthen renters’ rights across the country. State and Territory Governments have a range of measures in place. We want to make sure we look at best practice and that we strengthen the rights of renters. As part of the new national migration strategy, the Commonwealth will ensure that states and territories have a greater contribution to Australia’s migration settings as well. We need to make sure that we get the right people in the right places in order to fulfil the jobs and the demand that is there for skilled labour and for workforce without putting undue pressure on particular areas of Australia where there’s been a concentration in the past, and that will be important going forward.

The Commonwealth is commencing an independent review of the infrastructure investment program, adopting a refreshed approach to infrastructure investment. We want to be able to examine the former government’s program that quite frankly had inadequate amounts allocated for some projects, they simply aren’t enough for those projects to proceed. And, quite frankly, the National Party has its imprint all over the infrastructure program. We know the debacle that is Inland Rail, for example, a program that has been going for years where the costs have blown out to in excess of $30 billion – blown out by more than four times and yet still does not have a path or a plan to get to a port, either in Brisbane or Gladstone or in Melbourne. That’s an example of a failed program that was presided over by our predecessors. I want to emphasise that existing commitments that have been made by my government, whether before the election or since of course, will not be impacted by that and we’ll continue to get on with the job of delivering those projects. We want to work with States and Territories to support a more sustainable infrastructure pipeline to provide certainty going forward and to make sure that we deliver.

Within the next six months, Planning Ministers will also develop a proposal for National Cabinet to outline reforms to increase housing supply and affordability, working with the Australian Local Government Association as well. In addition to that, the Commonwealth is also making substantial new investments. Supporting a better migration system through increased visa processing capacity, by expanding pathways to permanent residence for temporary skilled, sponsored workers and taking steps to address migrant exploitation. We know that in this country we have had a demand for everything from engineers to nurses to skilled workers, carpenters, bricklayers, people who have skills that are needed in the economy. The idea that we don’t provide a permanent pathway for those skilled workers that we need is quite frankly not serving our country’s interest, and Clare O’Neil outlined the strategy yesterday and we want to work with States and Territories on those issues.

We want also to have continued investment to enable a pipeline of new social and affordable housing, including the delivery of our Housing Australia Future Fund, a $10 billion fund that is being held up by the Coalition and the Greens political party in the Senate at this point in time. You can’t argue you want more housing supply and more social and affordable housing if you are continuing to oppose that program, and we’ll be continuing to support that. In addition to that, in the Budget we’ll expand the capacity of the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator by expanding the liability cap by $2 billion. That’s the fund that provides money for investment by community housing to expand support for the community housing sector to increase supply for affordable housing that is so needed. We will also offer incentives to increase the supply of housing in our Budget. We’ll increase the depreciation rate from 2.5% to 4% per year for eligible new build to rent projects where construction commences after the budget date of May 9 2023. And we’ll also reduce the withholding tax rate for eligible fund payments from managed investment trusts to foreign residents on income from newly constructed residential built to rent properties after July 1 2024 from 30% to 15%, subject to further consultation on eligibility criteria.

First Ministers also considered the work that is occurring between Skills Ministers. We know that arising out of the Jobs and Skills Summit we produced an agreement delivering some 180,000 fee-free TAFE places. That is now being delivered right around the country, and we want to work together for a new long-term national skills agreement. We’re working as well on net zero transformation, and we of course agreed with the principles there, last year in 2022, and we want to make sure that as communities are in transition that there’s support provided for that transformation. The care and support economy, we discussed the importance of those issues going forward and having a strategy including an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander care and support workforce.

And lastly, the National Cabinet given the change in composition at the National Cabinet, I want to welcome the New South Wales Premier Chris Minns to his first National Cabinet meeting. We reaffirmed our unanimous support as leaders to the statement of intent that was signed in February of support for the referendum for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a referendum to be held in the last quarter of this year and listening to them. Listening to them in order to close the gap and make a practical difference to the lives of the most disadvantaged group in Australia. We’re happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, a number of Premiers behind you this morning raised GP shortages as one of the key issues on the health front. What is being done to fix that and do you consider a boost to GP numbers is years away given the time it takes to train a GP?

PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re working to provide support and the measures that I spoke about of the $2.2 billion program are all aimed at providing greater GP access aimed at primary healthcare and how you support that. In addition to that, the Kruk report done by Robyn Kruk is about how you get people to be registered as GPs who are eligible in a more efficient way as well. So there’s not a single solution. There are a range of reforms, six of which are substantial new reforms, new commitments from the Commonwealth with real dollars over the forward estimates in order to make a difference, but in addition to that, we agreed to continue to work on this. This has been a decade of neglect prior to the election of my government, where Medicare and primary healthcare was not a major priority. We want to make it a priority. We’re working on practical examples and in areas like, to use as an example, the frequent user program, if you like, people who are fronting up to emergency departments on a regular basis, making sure that they’re able to be given that outreach of support is something that originated from Victoria. People on the ground who run the hospital system know the pressure that it’s under and the Commonwealth is up for ideas on how we improve primary healthcare. The funding, additional funding that we’ll have in our Budget for after-hours GPs to continue to operate is important as well. The urgent care clinics that we are establishing and we’ve made announcements in South Australia, in Western Australia, in Victoria, around a range of the states, in Tasmania, and I’ll be in another state or territory, to narrow it down, in the coming days to announce further urgent care clinics. The aim of them is urgent care clinics that will be open, longer hours 8am till 10pm, providing services to that, for many people who can’t get access to a GP, getting access for those health needs that aren’t acute, that don’t require them to be in an emergency department of a hospital, but can be fixed and fixed with the only thing you need is your Medicare card, with bulk-billing available. Now that is a major initiative that already there will be a range of these urgent care clinics up and running on July 1, as we committed to do and that will make an enormous difference. So we’re working together collaboratively to make a difference.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you mentioned strengthening renters’ rights across the country, obviously it’s different across the jurisdictions, is the report by Housing Ministers about uniform national settings and what specifically on renters’ rights was discussed?

PRIME MINISTER: Well there are a range of measures that each of the State and Territory jurisdictions have different provisions. And so what we’re not seeking to do is to have absolutely uniform, because different states will have different circumstances. But there are measures and commitments every State and Territory is doing something in this area. So what will occur over coming months is looking at the different programs that are in place, some of those are around the frequency of any rent increase that can occur. In at least one jurisdiction’s case, it’s also over the amount that can occur of any increase. There are a range of measures that will be considered by state and territory governments to strengthen the system of renters’ rights, there was agreement on that. There will, it’s up to states and territories, this is within their power to determine. So I doubt whether you’ll have a completely uniform system coming out. But what you will have is that exchange and housing ministers working together over coming months.

JOURNALIST: Just to your point about the sustainability and the need for the NDIS to be sustainable, is there a point at which the Federal Government will be approaching the States and Territories to restore the 50-50 arrangement, the dollar for dollar funding arrangement, or will the Commonwealth continue to contribute that extra 16 per cent?

PRIME MINISTER: Well one of the things about the, well, that figure varies, that’s the point, as it goes forward. If the projections, the way that they are at the moment continued, then the Commonwealth at the end of the medium term would be contributing 82 per cent of $97 billion in the NDIS. Now the growth factor when the NDIS was introduced was anticipated to be 4 per cent, which is why the cap on spending from state and territory governments is 4 per cent. Now we’re not proposing to change that, we want to work in a cooperative way. But states and territories can assist obviously in that process, but we’re not trying to change that. We are trying, though, to recognise with an 8 per cent target by the end of the forward estimates, and then putting it on a further sustainable trajectory, to make sure that this scheme can continue to deliver. That we don’t find ourselves in a situation down the track where the viability of what is a critical scheme for Australia is drawn into question. Because the NDIS is an important national reform. People who need that support should get it. And so there are obvious issues though with the way that the scheme is being administered. That’s why we’re providing substantial funding, I said the figure before, about how much we are providing for the NDIS going forward, $720 million in the Budget, will be in the Budget on May 9, because we want to make sure that it’s sustainable, that the people who need support are getting it, that the issues that have been identified, there’s issues of fraud that have been identified in some cases. But other issues as well re costs, so that the costs of some technology or support, physical support for devices, for people, that there hasn’t been a false inflationary cost to them because they’ve registered in the NDIS, as eligible equipment to be used, for example. We want to work with Kurt Fearnley who is doing a terrific job. I’m pleased he’s come on-board as the Chair to make sure that it is sustainable. But it’s about making sure as well, that is what we’re doing. Why are we doing it? We’re doing it so that NDIS participants can continue to get the support that they need.

JOURNALIST: (inaudible) for GPs, stop doctors from burning out and will it simply see GPs spread far too thin?

PRIME MINISTER: No, and we need clearly, we’ve also had plans about workforce planning, about how we get increased number of GPs in and we’ve already had some trial programs and some programs on the ground. For example, the program that I announced with Premier Rockliff in Devonport is about how we can get GPs in Tasmania in to rural and regional services, by essentially having them employed through the public hospital system. We’re up for, there’s not a single solution whereby you stand here and say this is the one measure we have that will solve the issue. What we’re determined to do, as a National Cabinet, is to work collaboratively, is to make sure we take in the full suite of ideas which have come in from each of the states and territories to make sure that we deliver this difference.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, until a few months ago, Premier Andrews here was asking for the 50-50 funding for hospitals to be reinstated. Is that completely off the table or is there an opportunity for you to bring it back?

PRIME MINISTER: Well the point is that if you have the existing system with a change in the relative payments, that doesn’t change the system. That doesn’t change that. And what we’re determined to do, whilst I’m sure that every state, I’ll make this prediction, every state Premier and Chief Minister, if I said to them we’re going to provide 50-50, they’d say that’s great, but 60-40 would be better from the Commonwealth and 70-30 would be better still. That’s the nature of it. But what we’re discussing here, and that’s perfectly understandable, what we’re discussing here and what the Premiers have done is come up with practical outcomes of reform that makes a difference, that recognises that there is a finite funds from all levels of government are under pressure. How do we make sure that every dollar of value comes from taxpayers’ expenditure? And if we just put additional money into public hospitals without doing anything about primary healthcare, then guess what? That would not be making a difference. And what we’re determined to do is to reform in a practical way.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you really going to be DJing a radio shock jock’s wedding with questionable figures in attendance?

PRIME MINISTER: Well I’m not in charge of the invite list. I was invited by Kyle Sandilands to his wedding, which is taking place tomorrow in Sydney. I accepted that invitation, and I intend to attend the wedding. Kyle Sandilands is someone who’s a significant figure and one of the things about Kyle Sandilands, I’ll say this, a bloke who at one stage was homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, and has grown into someone who is a significant public figure, is a part of what is an Australian success story. So I was invited to the wedding, I said I’d go, and I keep my commitments, including to Kyle Sandilands.

JOURNALIST: Just back onto the NDIS, what happens if the states don’t want to do more, as Premier Palaszczuk said last week, it’s a national scheme, will we see cuts in services? What’s the plan if the states won’t come to the party?

PRIME MINISTER: We’re about making sure that we all have an interest in developing, making sure that the NDIS is sustainable going forward. And that’s agreed. And that isn’t just about jurisdictions. That’s about the values of the people who stand up here. That’s what’s it’s about. Making sure that people with disabilities get the support that they need, so that, as well, they can contribute fully to the economy. One of the things about the NDIS and making sure that people with disabilities can fully participate in society, is that that produces not, it shouldn’t be seen as a cost, that’s an investment. It’s an investment in our economy, but it’s also an investment in our humanity. And it’s those values that I share with everyone here.

JOURNALIST: Just on the NDIS, follow-up to that, will you ask the states to renegotiate the funding agreement before it finishes?

PRIME MINISTER: I got that question before.

JOURNALIST: You stood alongside the Tasmanian Premier as one supporting the Voice. What sort of feedback did you get from state and territory leaders today about what they’re hearing on the ground? What can they feed into your arguments for the Yes vote?

PRIME MINISTER: Very positive. One of the things about the state and territory leaders who are here is they’re all unanimous in their support, as was Chris Minns’ predecessor, Dominic Perrottet as well. This is an important reform. This is about giving respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but it’s also about how Australians see ourselves, but also how the world sees Australia. So the principle is very clear, the what is recognition. The how, as determined by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people themselves, through an extensive consultation process leading up to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017, is they want to be listened to. They want to be listened to so you get better practical outcomes, so we close the gap. Everyone here is conscious of the fact that life expectancy is almost a decade shorter for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians. That the gap in areas like infant mortality, issues of incarceration rates that are amongst the highest of any group in the entire world, that we can do better. And that when we listen, as state and territory governments have over issues like community health programs, justice reinvestment programs, the Indigenous Rangers programs, you get better outcomes. And that’s why Australians, in the lead up to the referendum, will ask themselves as well: if not now, when? When do we recognise the great privilege that we have of sharing this continent with the oldest continuous culture on Earth? And that’s a commitment that is shared. And that’s why you’re seeing not just state and territory leaders, but you’re seeing leaders in the business community, you’re seeing trade unions, you’re seeing Pat Farmer run 80 kilometres every day for six months, he’s still in Tassie at this point in time. You’re seeing sporting organisations all come together to say, now is the time to get this done. We’ve been doing it the way of Canberra or state capitals deciding things for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. What they have asked for, and this proposal doesn’t come from me, it doesn’t come from any of the governments represented by the leaders here, it comes from them. It is a gracious request. It’s a modest request and it’s one that should be taken.

JOURNALIST: On the closure of Eraring in 2025, Australians are already facing increased power bills. Is there a risk of supply disruptions? And could it result in more pain to household budgets?

PRIME MINISTER: I’m very confident that we can get this right. I want to pay tribute to the workers at Liddell who’ve done such extraordinary work over many, many decades. What we’re seeing with the programs that we’ve put in place such as Rewiring the Nation, which has been rolled out across the states and territories, making sure that our energy grid is built for the 21st century, with the increased investment that you’re already seeing made by the private sector, is that we are making a difference of lowering our emissions but also increasing supply. The problem with the former government is that they had a decade of inaction and delay and denial. During that decade you saw four gigawatts lead the system and only one gigawatt come in, and that meant that we were more vulnerable as a result. Now we want to provide that investment certainty, which is why our targets of net zero and 43 per cent by 2030, but also the Safeguard Mechanism was backed not just by environmental organisations, backed by the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Industry Group, all called out for that to be supported in a bipartisan way.

JOURNALIST: Premier Palaszczuk, last August, you said there were lots of interesting ideas coming forward for Wellcamp that would be shared with Queenslanders. What happened to those ideas? And why were they never shared with Queenslanders?

ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Wellcamp was built because our hotels were at capacity. We were in a different scenario to what we are today. And the Wagners have indicated that they’re looking at using that facility for agricultural workers. I saw comments today about Jarrod Bleijie up there, more interested in props than policies. It’s about time the Opposition put together some policies.

JOURNALIST: My question was about the ideas.

PREMIER PALASZCZUK: Well, no, I’ve answered your question.

JOURNALIST: That was Wagner Group not the government.

PREMIER PALASZCZUK: We were in a different situation to COVID. I made that very clear.

JOURNALIST: With the migration review yesterday, you’ve outlined a large number of people expected to come into Australia. You’ve just outlined a situation that is looking pretty grim for housing infrastructure and you’re working on health. Is Australia in a state to take all these migrants in right now?

PRIME MINISTER: To be very clear about what’s happened with migration in this country is that during the period of the pandemic, there was of course closed borders. So, for example, there are 60,000 students from China who are enrolled in courses in Australia. All of those were online. Guess what, they’re coming back, they’re here now. And increased student numbers from India as well. You also saw of course Australians not leaving in the numbers, and that’s continuing to be the case, not leaving to work overseas, to do the six month visitation that occurred. I did it as a backpacker, as a young fellow, so did most of my generation I’ve got to say. That hasn’t hit back as well. So, if you look at the numbers for this year, they’re high. But that’s in recognition of the fact that the borders were closed previously, so the population is lower today substantially than it would have been in terms of the projections that were there prior to the pandemic. So, that is occurring. What Clare O’Neil, the Minister, outlined yesterday was a new migration strategy with an emphasis on, with the global labour market, how do we attract the people who we need, the skills that we need and where we need them? And that’s why we’ll work with state and territory governments on those issues of how we deliver better outcomes. It’s a constructive proposal. And as Minister O’Neil said yesterday at the National Press Club, if these measures are all put in place, she anticipates the actual migration number of permanent migration will be lower than it would be otherwise under just a business as usual scenario. But we also need to recognise the problems that are created by having people here on a permanent basis, but temporary, that contradiction. And there’s nowhere that’s more obvious than with our New Zealander population who, previously to the weekend, didn’t enjoy the same rights that Australians have when they go to New Zealand. So, what we’ve done essentially is to regularise that, so that for the 360,000 New Zealanders who have been here for more than four years, paying taxes, contributing to their local communities, being engaged as well. You had a real barrier, an impediment, to them being able to be fully participating by becoming Australian citizens. We in this country have built this country, with the exception of First Nations people, on people coming here for themselves and their children and their grandchildren, seeking a better life, having that security of permanency, which is here. And we want that to happen because that’s the way that you build a better future. And that is part of what we’ll continue to work with state and territory governments on.