Ministry remarks - Melbourne

Speech
Transcript
Melbourne
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Prime Minister of Australia

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks everyone for joining us, and thanks to the Premier for joining us, but more importantly, thanks for the collaboration where we're working well together, as we do with states and territories right around the country. And here in Victoria, at the beginning of last year, was one of the first states to sign up to full and fair funding for every public school, and that funding has started to flow. And a few weeks ago, of course, we signed up to the National Health and Hospitals Agreement, resulting in $25 billion of additional investment over the next five year agreement. But importantly, as well, the work that we're doing in primary health care with opening of new Urgent Care Clinics, the tripling of the bulk billing incentive, the $25 price for PBS medicines, is $7.70 for concession card holders - all of this work that we are doing is a partnership, as well as working together on the energy transition, we're doing it together in a cooperative way, as well as investing in infrastructure here in Victoria. Victoria missed out for a long while from the Commonwealth Government, with something like 8 per cent at one stage of the National Budget going to Victoria, in spite of the fact that this has been a growing state and a growing city of Melbourne. So, you are very welcome here, Premier, and we look forward to continuing to engage with you and happy if you can say a few words.

JACINTA ALLAN, PREMIER OF VICTORIA: Thanks, Prime Minister. Thanks to you and all your colleagues, not just for being here today, but for being here very regularly. I think you made a comment the other day about the number of times you've been here from to Melbourne and Victoria. It really means a lot, because as the PM has just gone through, we had a few lean years, it's more than a few lean years, and the PM mentioned that in the context of infrastructure funding, and it makes a real and meaningful difference to Victorians and the people that we represent, that we've got a partner in the Federal Government that doesn't just understand us, but wants to back this great state. And it's those outcomes that the Prime Minister, whether it is the infrastructure projects, and if you look at this great city, apologies to our New South Wales friends - we are the biggest city, pretty soon going to be the biggest city in the nation, population wise. But we've got a partner in Canberra that's delivering those projects to back that growth, the Airport Rail, the North East Link, the Suburban Rail Loop, the three big road rail projects are going to bring this city and support that growth into the future. But I think also too, the PM went through a few areas where, if you line up your Cabinet agenda and our Cabinet's agenda, they're pretty much the same, focusing on better health care - you mentioned the Urgent Care Centres, we're delivering that as well. The work on the PBS, the work on the Medicare benefits, where we're delivering free virtual emergency departments, care at the chemists. It's that shared agenda. The work we're doing in schools is so really important, the Free TAFE agenda that we both share. It all comes from having that understanding that there's a value set that we share as governments, which is about being focused on working people, on families, and understanding that we have a responsibility as governments to recognise where they're at right now, a lot of pressures. Cost of living is real. And cost of living isn't just money, as real as that is, it's also time. So how do we ease the pressure? Make it easy to see a GP is saving families time and stress during their days. So, these are just some - we could talk all afternoon, but I know you've got a very busy Cabinet agenda about the joint program, but it all comes back to that understanding that when Federal and State Governments work together, we can drive these outcomes for the people that we represent and certainly Prime Minister, since the election of you and your team, Victoria has noticed the difference. We appreciate the difference, and we appreciate having a Federal Government that's got our back. So, thank you.

PRIME MINISTER: Thank you very much.