SUZIE JONES, CEO OF LADY GOWRIE TASMANIA: Thank you. I'd like to welcome everyone, including the Prime Minister and Anne to our Lady Gowrie Gilbert Street, Latrobe service. We're very proud to stand this service up in just under three months as an interim service while we build a new state of the art service down the road. Worked closely with the Albanese Government, State Government and Council for the funding to stand up this service. There was a pressing need in the community, and at Gowrie, we're very, very aware of the privilege that we have of supporting and caring and educating our little people. So, to secure that funding and stand up this service and make sure that we didn't have service failure in the community while we build our new service was critically important for us to support those children and families and the local community. So welcome. And thank you. Thank you for visiting on day three, we're very new but we're absolutely honoured to have you. Thank you.
ANNE URQUHART, MEMBER FOR BRADDON: Yeah, hi. Thanks for being here, everyone. I just want to say welcome. Welcome to my neck of the woods, Prime Minister, and it's lovely to have you here, Suzie. Obviously, you're part of this community now. This is a fantastic place for the Latrobe community, but also the broader Latrobe municipality, but also, I'm sure there's kids that come in from Devonport and other places. We were faced with a really difficult situation at the end of last year when St Pat's Child Care Centre, run by CatholicCare decided to close its doors with around 53 children that were there, and we were contacted by the council, and I want to thank the Latrobe Council for working so well with us, and also State Government obviously had a role to play, and Lady Gowrie particularly, for coming to the rescue for this community. We, as the Albanese Labor Government fought really hard to get funding to get into this centre. And I'm really happy to see the fruition of it turned from a bit of a second hand sort of junk shop into the facility that it is today for a temporary facility for the parents who rely so heavily on their service, but also for the children who come in here, the carers and the child early childhood educators came from across from St Pat's, so that means that the parents and the children are used to the same people caring for them. So, there's been very little disruption, if any, for the kids that come into this service. So, it's really great to be here, and thanks for visiting, PM, it's great to have you here, so what we can do when we actually work together. So, thank you.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks so much Anne. It's wonderful to be back here in Tasmania, and particularly good to be here with the Member for Braddon, Anne Urquhart, who had the best result of any candidate in the 2025 election. And that was because the locals here knew her. They knew the work that she had done as a union delegate, as someone who had lived in this community her whole life, but also importantly as a Senator representing the northwest of Tasmania in particular. And here in Latrobe, this is literally a concrete example of the effectiveness of a good advocate for her local community. Anne wanted to make sure that this community didn't have a gap in the service delivery, and that's why she worked with State Government and Local Government to deliver $340,000 of Federal funding to make sure this temporary child care centre was established at the same time as a permanent one is built just around the corner by Lady Gowrie. This is a great achievement, and just part of our commitment to early learning. We know that 90 per cent of human brain development occurs within the first five years, more than 90 per cent, and so we have had a comprehensive plan to deal with child care. The system that we inherited was, frankly, just not up to scratch, so the first thing that we had to do was to make sure that we developed a workforce plan. So, the wage increases for early educators has made an enormous difference to encourage people to go into the sector, but also for staff to be retained in the sector - they were leaving because they couldn't afford to stay. So, what we've done is increase the Child Care Subsidy. That made a difference for on average, around about $9,000 saved for Tasmanian families over the last three years. In addition to that, on January 6, the Three Day Guarantee came for child care, making sure that that subsidy is there. The disincentive for people to go back into work, the real issue, the barrier that was there from the way that the previous system operated, we've removed that, and that Three Day Guarantee is making a difference as well. In addition to that, we're providing direct funding. There's a billion dollars in the Budget for child care, investment in infrastructure, making sure that communities that don't have access to early learning are able to get that infrastructure. Here in Tasmania is just part of what we've done, is $4 million for a brand new early learning service at St Marys District School, $3.5 million dollars for a new service at Bruny Island District School, $3 million for Bothwell District High School, and also delivering a new early learning service at Huonville Primary School. So right throughout Tasmania, this is a part of our focus. After this, I'll be talking as well about health. We have delivered as part of the Health and Hospitals Agreement an additional $700 million for Tasmanian health. And I do want to thank Jeremy Rockliff for the constructive engagement that we had in delivering that Health and Hospitals Agreement for Tasmania. I'm a regular visitor here. We are big investors here, because Tasmania is so important as a driver of our economy, with the projects that comes from Tasmania, but also we want to make sure that Tasmania continues to have that diversified economy, which is why we're working through issues like Nyrstar and other issues as well, supporting manufacturing jobs here. But for the youngest Tasmanians, these facilities are so important. I just want to conclude by giving a shout out to the early educators here who make such an enormous difference. No one goes into this profession because they're going to be very wealthy at the end of it. They go into it because they want to contribute to their local community, and they love the people that they look after, the littlest Australians, and they make such a positive difference to their lives as well. Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Some other issues, Prime Minister, private health premiums are rising at their fastest rate in nearly a decade. What do you think is driving that? And do you think it's fair on Australians already under financial stress?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, health costs are an issue, but that is why we're providing funding for Urgent Care Clinics, now one in Burnie opened just down the road here, and that is one of the 124 that are now open. What that's doing is taking pressure off family budgets. If people are in a situation, one in three around the country, the 2 million visits have been for people under the age of 15. So, kids falling off a skateboard or a bike or issues, a broken bone on weekend sport, they're able to go to an Urgent Care Clinic, get the care they need, and all they need is their Medicare card, not their credit card. And that is making an enormous difference as well, taking pressure off the emergency departments of hospitals. In addition to that, later today, I'll be going to in in Launceston, going to a clinic that is now fully bulk billed as a result of our tripling of the bulk billing incentive, what we've seen is a massive expansion of the number of bulk billing facilities that enable people to see a GP for free. In addition to that, endo clinics opening up around Australia as well the biggest Women's Health package ever delivered by any government in history, is being delivered right here. And Rebecca White is making an enormous difference in her capacity as an Assistant Minister, as well mental health clinics making a difference, as well as the $25 billion of additional funding for health and hospitals over the five year agreement. So, we're doing what we can to take pressure off when it comes to health and we'll continue to look right across the board at cost of living measures. That is what we have been focused on front and centre, while the Coalition are just focused on themselves, and this week, yesterday, we saw an announcement of a Shadow Ministry that's essentially reheated leftovers from the Morrison Government.
JOURNALIST: How close is the government to announcing changes to the capital gains tax discount?
PRIME MINISTER: We have a tax policy, which is for tax cuts that will come in on July 1, and then they'll get another tax cut the following July 1. That's the focus that we have and the policy that we have on tax.
JOURNALIST: You talk a lot about intergenerational inequity. Do you see the capital gains tax discount as part of that problem?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, I see intergenerational equity as being an issue across the board. One of the things that happened to me this morning on radio, on Tasmanian radio, I spoke to one of the commentators who spoke about the difference that it made, the cut of 20 per cent in student debt that has saved 3 million Australians, largely young Australians, an average of $5,500 each. So we're focused right across the board, whether it be that, the 725,000 Australians who've used Free TAFE, including here in Tasmania, many thousands doing everything from construction and electrical - as well as getting a Free TAFE course, they get $10,000 cash incentive - or doing work in childhood and aged care as well, people who are looking after our youngest and our oldest Australians also benefiting from that Free TAFE. So, across the board, we're doing that, and of course, our tax cuts by lowering the first marginal tax rate, particularly benefit young people, part time workers, people who aren't on high incomes. We want to make sure that they got a tax cut, and that's why we're focused on those measures.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what do you make with Philip Lowe's comments? Is he just lobbing bombs, or is your government spending actually hurting the economy?
PRIME MINISTER: I haven't seen his comments. But you know Phil Lowe? Phil Lowe, the footballer, former Manly player, or former RBA Governor. You know you have, you have people who are exes who get their name on the paper. I haven't seen his comments, but what I'm focused on is today, making a difference today, right now. And that is something that we continue to do, and that's why, when it comes to savings, we've produced $114 billion of savings, including $20 billion of savings in the Mid-Year Forecast, that makes a substantial difference.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned by a protester trying to walk through the Hyatt Hotel where a major defence conference is taking place?
PRIME MINISTER: I think I continue to just say, people need to turn the temperature down, politicians and people - that does nothing to advance a cause, that just alienates people from whatever the supposed cause that this this person has done. People who break the law also should face the full force of the law.
JOURNALIST: Is the government considering implementing a temporary exclusion order on the women and children waiting and wanting to return to Syria?
PRIME MINISTER: We take national security advice, and we will do what we can to keep Australians safe within the law.
JOURNALIST: If most women and children do arrive back, do make it back to Australia, will you arrest them on arrival?
PRIME MINISTER: We will implement the law to its fullest capacity that we can. We want to make sure that Australians are kept safe. I have - these people, I've said yesterday, you make your bed, you lie in it. These are people who chose to go overseas to align themselves with an ideology which is the caliphate, which is a brutal, reactionary ideology and that seeks to undermine and destroy our way of life. So, we will be doing and are doing nothing to assist or to repatriate these people.
JOURNALIST: There are children among that group, though they haven't made that choice.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are doing nothing to repatriate or to assist these people. I think it's unfortunate that children are caught up in this, that's not their decision, but it's the decision of their parents or their mother. And we want to make sure that we continue to be very clear about the government's position, and I can't be clearer.
JOURNALIST: The camp in Syria has confirmed women and children have passports - are you helping in that respect?
PRIME MINISTER: No. People having an - implementation of Australian law is what is happening. We are providing no assistance to these people, and won't provide any assistance to these people, but we won't breach Australian law.
JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about the state of Tasmania's Budget? And would you consider a Federal bail out?
PRIME MINISTER: No, that's a matter for Tasmania. I work constructively with state and territory governments of whatever persuasion.
JOURNALIST: The IMF, though, has said that Tasmania's fiscal strategy has credibility concerns and debt is skyrocketing. Do you think there needs to be some action?
PRIME MINISTER: That's a matter for Tasmania, and my job is a big one as Prime Minister of Australia, and we work constructively with state and territory governments. That's a matter for them.
JOURNALIST: Perth, the man charged with engaging in the terrorist act for allegedly throwing a bomb into an invasion day protest in Perth can now be identified. Are you pleased that the court has lifted the suppression order? And what steps are you taking to reassure First Nations Australians who are concerned at the moment?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's a matter of course for the courts. We have an independent process in Australia of a separation of the political system, from the judiciary, but personally, I'm pleased. This is, was, the alleged attacker here - this is a very dangerous situation for First Nations people, and we have condemned it from the very beginning. We continue to reassure First Nations people that we understand this will be traumatic for them. The threats that are out there to security from a rise in a range of areas are very real, whether it be antisemitism, whether it be a white supremacist ideology, which this person was radicalised down, or whether it be sovereign citizens. I've been to funerals of police officers in Queensland and Victoria who were killed by people who don't recognise the state. We need to isolate these ideological extremes, and we need to reassert our values as Australians, and this was a horrific attack on First Nations, people that could have had catastrophic consequences had it been successful.
JOURNALIST: Would high speed rail go to Brisbane or just between New South Wales and Victoria?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, that's got a long way to go, it's at very early stages, and we'll have more to say about that over a period of time. Thanks very much.