THERESE TOWNSEND, RESIDENT: Welcome to our home. Brian and I have raised our children here. We've lived here for 33 years in Mansfield, and we've recently installed a solar battery because it's going to save us money. And we were triggered to do it because of the Government rebate, which made it affordable and sensible for us. So I'll introduce Kara Cook. Thank you so much.
KARA COOK, MEMBER FOR BONNER: Thanks Therese, and welcome everyone to Bonner. My name is Kara Cook. I'm the new Federal Member here. Great to welcome the Prime Minister back today, as well as Minister Chris Bowen. We are so thankful to Therese and her family for welcoming us to their beautiful home here in Mansfield. And it's a beautiful Queensland day. We are the Sunshine State. So what better day to be talking about solar and about home batteries. So I'll hand over to PM to address the group. Thank you, PM.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks so much, Kara, and it's fantastic to be back in in Bonner. I came here a number of times in the lead up to the election. And can I say that everyone in Bonner should be really proud of the first speech that Kara Cook gave, which spoke about this local electorate, her love for the local community and the contribution that she'll make not just to this electorate, but to the nation for many years ahead. And it's fantastic to be here on this beautiful Queensland day. I've got to say, as well, it is much warmer here than it has been in Canberra. And it's not surprising that Queensland has the largest number of solar roofs anywhere in Australia. And of course, Australia has the largest per capita number of solar households of anywhere in the world, which is why our program to support batteries – so that the storage occurs when it's needed, when the sun is shining, so that power can be delivered when it's needed, to save more than $1,000 a year on people's power bills as a direct result of putting in a battery. Whilst we have so many solar panels, what we want to do is to make sure we boost storage. But it's good not just for the 28,000 households who've chosen to take up this 30 per cent rebate since July 1st in a matter of just weeks. It's good for the grid as well. It's good for everyone, because what it does is take pressure off the grid during peak times. And that's why this is such good public policy. Good for households, good for public policy, good for everywhere in Queensland, but also, of course, good right throughout Australia. It is, particularly in our suburbs and our regional communities, is the highest uptake of these solar panels. And it makes an enormous difference. Solar panels are more common in Australian houses than a backyard pool. Here in the Sunshine state, this will make enormous difference going forward. And I'll hand to the Minister who's presided over this program and just congratulate Chris. He came through our processes and said, ‘this is something that will make an enormous difference’. If anything, we underestimate the uptake. But more and more, you'll see that uptake grow, I think, exponentially over the next little while as people have a look at what households like this one here is. Therese and her family are putting in this battery in order to store that energy from their roof.
CHRIS BOWEN, MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY: Well, thanks very much, Prime Minister. It was in Brisbane that the Prime Minister and I announced this program during the election campaign. It's great to be back in Brisbane to acknowledge the fact that now 28,000 Australian households have installed a cheaper home battery under the Albanese Government's program announced in April. And now we're in August and the program has been implemented and is working so successfully across the country. April to August is a pretty fast turnaround, but that's because Australian households have embraced this program with such enthusiasm. And as the PM said, right across the suburbs and regions of Australia, 28,000 cheaper home batteries installed. 5,700 here in Queensland and mainly in the suburbs. Now they're doing it in Brisbane, of course, but double the number of batteries in Bonner and Brisbane installed in the last six weeks. The community in NSW that has the highest take up is Gilmore in regional NSW, and with Hunter second, and Macquarie third. That story is the same right across Australia. Households knowing that what's good for the planet is good for their pocket, knowing that they can reduce their bills and their emissions at the same time. If you already have solar panels, then you reduce your bill on average by $1,100. If you're doing solar panels and battery at the same time, $2,300 a year savings. And Australians are getting on with it. 1,000 households every working day, Monday to Friday every week for the last six weeks, installing a battery, whole chunk on Saturdays too, but Monday to Friday, 1,000 a day. And we've had more batteries installed in the month of July than in all of 2024, and a monthly installation rate three times higher than 2024. So, this is Australians responding to good government policy. But it just goes to show that we're all in as a country. Australians get it. The path to Net Zero is important for the planet, it's good for the economy, good for their households. And under this Prime Minister, we are simply rolling up our sleeves and getting on with that task in front of us. So, great to be back in Brisbane, great to be in Bonner in a community taking up this program with such enthusiasm. Thanks, PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Authoritative polling of Palestinians revealed that Mahmoud Abbas has support of just 15 per cent of the Palestinians in occupied territories, while satisfaction with Hamas stands at 60 per cent. You say Hamas can have no role in the future of Palestine, the Palestinian state. What if Palestinians democratically choose?
PRIME MINISTER: Hamas will be excluded from the process. We've made that very clear. And the idea – I don't know if you have a different perception than me – he idea you can do polling in Gaza at the moment is quite frankly a triumph of hope over reality.
JOURNALIST: Wouldn't we have to accept a democratic outcome?
PRIME MINISTER: No. We exclude terrorists, we exclude Hamas. Very clearly.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, your conditions for Palestinian state would rely that Hamas lays down its weapons. How do you suppose that is actually going to happen? How does anyone demilitarise Hamas?
PRIME MINISTER: The important thing is what the Arab League have said. The Arab League, the countries around the region, as well as the international community have made it very clear Hamas has no role. No role.
JOURNALIST: But how do you actually demilitarise Hamas?
PRIME MINISTER: The Arab League have made it very clear that Hamas must lay down its weapons. The international community have made it very clear that Hamas will have no role in a future Palestinian state.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the White House says Donald Trump isn't married to any one solution on the Gaza conflict. Do you have any concerns that Australia's move to recognise Palestine will affect Australia's relationship with the United States?
PRIME MINISTER: President Trump has been an advocate for peace in the Middle East, and indeed is characterised by being an advocate for peace around the world. And this is an opportunity that the international community are saying very clearly: enough is enough. What is a way forward for peace and security after 77 years of conflict? The whole world, and indeed Australia, has been committed to a bipartisan support for a two state solution for a long period of time. One of those states is Israel, the other is Palestine. In order for Palestinians to be able to satisfy their legitimate aspirations for their own state, Israel must be assured of security as well. And that is what the world is working towards.
JOURNALIST: Protesters are planning to march across the Story Bridge in Brisbane here next weekend as part of some more national protests off the back of the big rally in Sydney recently. If Sydney Police are able to manage a crowd of that size marching across the Harbour Bridge there, do you think police in Brisbane should be able to manage?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't speak on behalf of Queensland police. I'll allow them to do their job.
JOURNALIST: Do you support the protest though?
PRIME MINISTER: I'll allow them to do their job. I'm not going to comment on every specific protest and what the rules are. Those things are worked out by state governments.
JOURNALIST: Just back to your earlier answer, I just want to make it clear, the way it's hoped Hamas is being demilitarised is from diplomatic pressure from the Arab League. Is that the path we’re taking?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's a range of paths, but we're not writing Middle East policy in a backyard here in Brisbane. What the international community are doing is moving forward as one with a common voice that says, ‘we must end the cycle of violence’. The way to end the cycle of violence is to ensure that Israel can continue to exist in security, in safety, with prosperity and for the legitimate aims of the Palestinian people to be realised. In 1947, when the United Nations made the decision that they did, they envisaged two states. One a majority Jewish state, a homeland for the Jewish people, and a homeland for the Palestinian people. That is the vision that was supported by the international community. Overwhelmingly that is supported. A two state solution is supported by the international community. And they are doing what we can to have effect to that to build on the momentum for peace that is required. People are watching what is happening in Gaza. They're watching it playing out. The catastrophe for humanity that is being played out there. And you can either watch, or you can do what we can, which is to be a part of momentum. We're not big players in the Middle East. What we are though, what we can do, is to add our voice to those who are saying enough is enough, and we need to advance the long term peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Too many innocent lives have been lost.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Jim Chalmers has signalled that he will pursue an EV road user charge in this term of Government. Is it your intention that electrical, electric vehicle users start paying this charge before the next election?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll work through those issues. I was the Shadow Minister for Transport when Paul Fletcher put forward on behalf of the Liberal Government as the Minister, policy on EV charging. We played a constructive role and they couldn't advance that. So, we'll continue to work those issues through. I know that they've been discussed by treasurers as well as by government leaders.
JOURNALIST: Do you believe that they should be paying taxes like a lot of road users, though?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I believe is that we need money to ensure that roads are adequate and that is a long held belief. I'm an Infrastructure Minister guy. We are putting more than $7 billion into the Bruce Highway and we'll continue to engage constructively.
JOURNALIST: If it is something that comes out of the Roundtable though?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're not writing policy again on the future of our economy in a backyard in Brisbane. What we're doing is continuing to engage, which we will constructively about these issues. They've been kicked around for a long period of time, was being kicked around from a decade ago. What we need to do is to work those issues through and to come up with a realistic plan that can be implemented. And we'll await those discussions. I know Catherine King will obviously play a role in that, as the Transport Minister.
JOURNALIST: Do you envision Brisbane hosting the, Australia's first Quad meeting. What do you make of David Crisafulli's pitch to you?
PRIME MINISTER: I think David Crisafulli has pitched up very strongly and I support his argument. I think in the lead up to Brisbane 2032 it is an opportunity to showcase this great global city to the world. And hosting of a Quad that brings together Australia, the United States, Japan and India - four major economies - will of course be a major international event. It attracts thousands of people, not just the four leaders, but it also attracts great international attention. And I want to showcase this great state of Queensland to the world, particularly in the lead up to Brisbane 2032. And I'll work constructively with the Premier to make sure that that happens.
JOURNALIST: Ahead of next week's roundtable, the ACTU is pushing for a four day work week. Is that an idea you support?
PRIME MINISTER: I wouldn't mind a six day and 23 hour work week myself rather, than 24/7. There’s, you know - look, people will come up with a whole range of ideas and you know, that's not a bad thing. You know, I think a lot of people would like to have a five day working week. And so look, these ideas will come up. I'm not going to give a running commentary on all of them, but certainly the Government has no plans. In a range of industries, sometimes people work different hours. So, for example in the resources sector, for example here in Queensland, I've got friends who work in that sector who live in Mackay or Rocky or Cairns, work for a period of days on and then work a period of days off. Five days on, five days off. Or there's various roster arrangements as well. So, these things work through. The ACTU of course is entitled to put forward whatever ideas it likes. But that doesn't mean, as I've said, that it's Government policy because someone put forward an idea.
JOURNALIST: On that roundtable, Prime Minister, you've said you're up for big reform. Should the public expect any major reform imminently to improve productivity or will you be seeking a mandate from the public?
PRIME MINISTER: I think there's a range of things that we can do immediately out of the roundtable. That's what I hope is that there's agreement that there's some low hanging fruit out there that we can get done. There's other measures that will feed into next year's Budget. There's other things that could be for a future term of Government. But what this is about is an opportunity for business unions and civil society to put forward ideas. Ideas are good. Engagement is good, and dialogue is good, and public debate and discourse is good as well. I mean this idea – I'm not sure where Minister Bowen came up with this idea – but chances are that it was a product of discussions and going around and looking. That's how good policy is developed. You know, this is an example of something that's been developed in partnership with the community. The community have been saying, ‘well, I've got solar panels, but I can't afford a battery’. Okay, we'll make it a little bit easier. And talking with the industry here, there are, the suppliers have been here this morning as well. They're pretty wrapped because they're getting a lot of work done and it's good for jobs, good for the economy. And we, of course as well, want a Future Made in Australia. Chris was at the South Australian factory producing solar panels earlier this week, or at the end of last week. That's expanding by nine times. We also want to produce more things here. We have everything that goes into a battery. One of the progress we have is for battery manufacturing.
JOURNALIST: On battery manufacturing, the Queensland Government, the former Queensland Government, committed to spending, I think, about $100 million jointly with your Government to set up a Australian battery industrialisation centre. The current Government has pulled out of that. How, what impact, I suppose, will that have on projects like this?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they've made their decision. I think that's one that we regret. We think there are opportunities, particularly opportunities here in Queensland to make more things here. I know that, you know, in another area, but not unrelated to dealing with climate, the factory producing trains there at Maryborough, Downer EDI, has gone gangbusters since the former Government here in Queensland decided to stop the outsourcing of trains. That's just one area. You know, we need to make more things here in Australia, public transport, whether it be NSW, Queensland, Victoria, other states where we've seen outsourcing. Whether it be trains that can't fit on stations, ferries in NSW that were designed to go down the Parramatta River and for people to stand on top of them, but if they do stand on the top deck, they'll be decapitated because the people overseas who were planning these things didn't think that through. You know, I want things made here and here in Queensland. I want more manufacturing, more jobs to be created here and we'll work constructively with the Crisafulli Government. I have a constructive relationship with David. We talk regularly and we'll continue to do so.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you make of this morning's wages figures?
PRIME MINISTER: I think it's great news. The fact is that we inherited a position where inflation was at 6 per cent, real wages were falling, interest rates had begun to increase. Now what we have is inflation down to 2.1% per cent. Unemployment is relatively low at 4.3 per cent. We have interest rates that yesterday decreased for the third time this year and we have real wages increasing. That's a good thing. That means increased living standards and is, I think, welcomed, just like the interest rate decision. So, we, you know, we're working very hard. But to make this point, inflation down, interest rates falling, real wages increasing, unemployment steady. That is the envy of the Western world in terms of economic outcomes. That has been produced by the hard work that Australians have been producing. It's, I think, one of the reasons why we received the backing for a second term to continue our approach to these measures. Last one.
JOURNALIST: You’re heading to New York soon for the United Nations General Assembly. Are you looking for a meeting with President Donald Trump?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm available for a meeting with President Trump at very short notice, at any time. We’ll continue to engage. We engaged with our American colleagues on a ministerial level, and I’ve been engaged in constructive discussions with President Trump. We’ve had three very warm and cordial discussions. He’s spoken about them publicly, and I thank him for that. He gave me a very warm phone conversation after my re-election as Prime Minister, and made some public comments about what he thought, that was very generous, and I thank him for it. Thanks very much.