Press conference – Petersham, Sydney
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: This morning, I’ve had the opportunity of meeting with families who will benefit from our child care changes that come into effect on the first of July. There’s more than 8, 000 families in my electorate here of Grayndler that will benefit. That’s part of the 1.2 million Australian families who will benefit from these changes. The increase in childcare subsidy, the changes to the thresholds, will make an enormous difference. This is not welfare, this is economic reform. It will boost workforce participation, it will boost productivity, and it will benefit our economy. And at the same time, of course, it will benefit our youngest Australians. We know that over 90 per cent of human brain development occurs in the first five years, so it is certainly good for children as well. And the families I met today, families from Melbourne, Newcastle, as well as Sydney, were all welcoming of the changes. They know how hard it is to balance up work life and looking after your children. These changes that we bring in are a part of our economic reform agenda, boosting productivity. Now, Treasury estimates that these changes will result in some 1.4 million additional hours per week being worked – the equivalent of putting 37,000 additional full time workers into the workforce. We know one of the challenges that Australia is facing is changes to the labour market. The other thing that it will do is that if women are able to work full time, rather than the current circumstance where if a woman, and it largely is women, work a fourth or a fifth day, they’re working essentially for nothing, or sometimes actually their income going backwards, then it means higher retirement incomes for women as well. We need to put these reforms, and to put women at the heart of our economic agenda. That’s something that we’ve done in our first two budgets with the changes to childcare, the changes to paid parental leave, as well as the changes to the industrial relations system that have led to feminised workforces being able to have better wages. In particular, the $11.3 billion that we provided for workers in the aged care sector – largely women. So this is very much a part of my government’s economic reform agenda. And this morning it was great just to hear firsthand the difference that this will make to the families who we are able to meet with this morning. Happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, cheaper childcare is the promise through subsidies, but what assurance do you have that childcare fees won’t rise and essentially eat up these savings?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we will continue to do is to monitor those issues, but we’re very confident that this will make an enormous difference. And of course over a period of time, childcare fees have increased, we’re conscious of that. But we need to look at this as a wholehearted change. Not only are we making these changes, we’ve also got a Productivity Commission Review looking at the impact of this, how we can move forward. One of the families that we met with today were a family who when their children were first born were living in Berlin, and they were paying something like eighty dollars, or equivalent eighty euros per month – an enormous difference. So many countries of the world are more advanced than Australia. And here in Australia, of course, so many families will say to you, ‘we are so much better off now that little Johnny, or little Mavis has turned school age’. And when a young person goes into school, a young person can go to any school here at Taverners Hill Public School or Petersham Public School, going there for free, and it to accepted that that’s a part of society’s responsibility of investing in our youngest Australians. What we need to do is to change the way that it is seen, and understand that those first years of development and early learning, play based learning, are so important. And that’s what I see every time I go into an Early Learning Centre. I see young people, our youngest Australians looked after by these educators, really lifting them up and making an enormous difference.
JOURNALIST: The criticism from the opposition is that this subsidy will add to inflation without adding any real outcome, can you see that as an unwanted extra?
PRIME MINISTER: I see that as an unwanted criticism. It is extraordinary that the opposition don’t seem to understand that early learning and childcare is about productivity, and that’s why these changes are so welcomed by the business community. The business community understand that they want their workforce to be able to work full time to produce productivity benefits. And every single analysis, whether it be by Treasury or the Productivity Commission, or economists, all say very clearly that when you boost childcare, you boost productivity, you boost workforce participation, and you assist growth in the economy. Good for families, good for children, good for our economy – that’s a true triple bottom line when it comes to our changes.
JOURNALIST: New polling out today show support for the Yes vote is slipping and the No vote is growing faster, indicating that those who are undecided are leaning towards No. Is that a sign your current approach is failing?
PRIME MINISTER: What we’re continuing to do, and we will, is to advocate for the benefit that will come from constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians through a Voice. It’s about practical change, and when you involve people who are directly affected on matters that affect their lives – health, education, housing, infant mortality, incarceration rates – then you’ll get better outcomes and that is what this is about. And now that the parliamentary process has been completed, and I note that there were no votes on any amendments to the processes that went through the Senate this week, were finalised on Monday. Now that that process is over, it’s now over to the Australian people. This is a change that’s from the bottom up. It is a change that Indigenous Australians have advocated for when they met at Uluru in 2017. And if not now, when? We need to recognise First Nations people in our Constitution. We should be proud of sharing this continent with the oldest continuous culture on earth. And we know that when we listen to people who are directly affected, we’ll get better outcomes and that is what this is about.
JOURNALIST: Just on that, in your view, what impact will have failed referendum have on the reconciliation cause?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Indigenous Australians have themselves advocated for this change. It’s a gracious and a generous offer. It’s a gracious and generous hand out, seeking to walk forward together. This can be a moment of unity for our country, just like the 1967 referendum was, just like the recognition of the fiction of Terra Nullius that occurred with the Mabo decision, and then the Wik decision. Just as the apology to Stolen Generations were all moments of national unity that made our country stronger, that made it more united and made it more reconciled. My objective is to give support to the request which has been made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And I’ll be encouraging people to go down that path. Just as the business community, the sporting codes, faith groups, ethnic groups, through the Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia, the trade union movement, all of these groups in civil society are all saying it’s time that we moved forward together. This is a positive change that will not have any downside, this is all upside. And I sincerely hope that Australians do vote Yes, that they consider, they look at the words that are actually put forward, which are very clear, and that they vote Yes when the referendum is held in the last quarter of this year.
JOURNALIST: Just on that, the polling suggests that the undecideds, when they finally do make up their mind are leaning towards No in greater numbers than Yes.
PRIME MINISTER: Well no, there’s a different poll every day. All of the polls, including the one you’re referring to from some company, and I note that a week ago there was a front page story which came straight from the No camp last Sunday. Every poll, including the one that was mentioned today, of course, has the Yes vote at higher than the No vote, and so we continue to put the case. Australians will make up their own mind. And I encourage Australians to have a look at the wording that’s put forward, to talk with First Nations people as well. The Barunga Statement in favour of Yes was brought to Parliament this week, all of the Land Councils in the Northern Territory, including the two big land councils of the Northern Land Council and the Central Land Council, making it very clear their unanimous view, their unanimous request for people to vote Yes in this referendum. And I was humbled to meet in my office with these wonderful indigenous leaders who came from the Northern Territory. We have an eight year life expectancy gap in this country, we have worse health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, there is a greater chance of a young Indigenous man going to jail than to go to university in this country in 2023. We have done things for Indigenous Australians with the best of intentions for 122 years, since Federation. What this is about is doing things with Indigenous Australians. And just as this morning was about listening to parents, with children, about early learning, and about their experiences, and using that experience and that knowledge by listening to get better outcomes to get better policies, that’s what good policy making is about. And the Voice will be about just that. Giving Indigenous Australians a voice that can be listened to, that can then be taken into better policy to make a difference to close the gap, because we have to do better.
JOURNALIST: A couple of questions on Russia, it could be headed toward a civil war. Some experts are saying the Wagner insurrection could lead to a faster victory for Ukraine. What’s your reaction to that and is now the perfect time to ramp up support for Ukraine?
PRIME MINISTER: My view is very clear, that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal, is a breach of international law, shows no respect for the sovereignty of a democratic nation, and Russia should withdraw from this action. It should withdraw today. It is Russia and its involvement that keeps this war going. The people of Ukraine are showing incredible courage in fighting not just for their national sovereignty, but fighting for the international rule of law to be upheld.
JOURNALIST: The Russians have filed a High Court challenge against legislation to evict them from the Yarralumla site, are you confident that (INAUDIBLE) the government won’t have to compensate Russia?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m very confident that it will be resolved appropriately and in accordance with Australian law. The legislation that was passed with support of the entire parliament, was passed unanimously through the House of Representatives and through the Senate, and we’re very confident about our legal position.
JOURNALIST: Are you at all concerned that Russia will retaliate by moving out Australia’s representative in Moscow?
PRIME MINISTER: We are not, of course, booting out representatives. What we’re doing, the Russian Federation can maintain its existing embassy which is there in Canberra. But we acted upon national security advice, I make no apologies for that.
JOURNALIST: The Newtown Jets are heading west as part of the NRL expansion plans. Do you think this resurrection is the greatest comeback story in Australian sport?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it could well be if it occurs. I just hope that the Jets still get to play some games, if it occurs, at Henson Park. One of the great sporting grounds of the world, Henson Park. There’s nothing quite like having a beer on the hill on a Saturday and watching old school footy at Henson Park, which is why I’m pleased that the upgrade at Henson Park will occur. There’s women’s AFL being played there as well. It is a great day, and one of the great days in Australian culture is the Beer, Food and Footy Festival that held at Henson Park every year. And the Newtown Jets have a very warm place in the hearts of people who grew up in this area like I did, where you had to support either Souths, Newtown or Balmain – but you have a soft spot for all three. And I think on the moment that I was elected Prime Minister, of course, there’s now footage out there of the fact that I was in my Newtown Jets jumper. And they still have continued, of course, to play in the New South Wales Cup, and they once again are going pretty well this year. Thanks very much.