JESS TEESDALE, MEMBER FOR BASS: Good morning everyone. It’s an absolute pleasure today to welcome Prime Minister Anthony Albanese here at the Discovery Early Learning Child Care Centre. We also have Labor Leader Dean Winter and Sarah Lovell, somewhere in the back. It is such a pleasure this morning to be here. We've had a chat with some of the kids. We've had a chat with the child care educators who are here, and we can see the incredible work that is happening every single day and every moment in these centres. It is absolutely integral that across Tasmania there is accessible and quality early child care services available. And we're really excited today to be able to support that even further. Prime Minister?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Jess. And it's great to be back here in Tasmania, my second visit in this term of government, having been here more than 20 times as Prime Minister during my first term. I want to make sure that we represent the entire nation. I'm so pleased that Jess Teesdale – I'm here with her for the first time as the Member for Bass, and I'm sure that Jess will make an outstanding contribution to representing Northern Tasmanians in our national Parliament. And I'm also very pleased to be here with Dean Winter, the Leader of the Labor Party in Tasmania, as well as Sarah Lovell, the Shadow Minister, because we share a vision for this state and indeed for the nation, that every single Australian – particularly the little ones here – deserve the best start in life. It's why my Government has concentrated on support for early learning. And I can report today that since coming into government in 2022, there are some 1200 more child care services around Australia. 95,000 more children in early learning and importantly, 48,000 more educators in the workforce. And importantly, from December to of last year, we, of course, implemented a 15 per cent increase in people's pay in order to secure the workforce. And that is flowing through. There are now up to 90 per cent of early learning educators have either received the first increase – the 10 per cent increase in their pay – or that is pending with applications going through. That is absolutely vital that we value these wonderful educators who we met here today. Of course, this is not just childminding. Importantly, it's about giving young Australians the best start in life. And that's why I very much welcome the announcement that Dean and Sarah are about to make as well. Joining the the Federal Government's pledge to support more early learning educating centres through child care. We, of course, in last December made a major commitment that we included in the March Budget for our $1 billion Building Early Education Fund. What that's about is making sure that people – particularly in outer suburbs and regional areas – get access to early learning and to child care. We want to make sure every child, no matter where they grow up, no matter what their economic circumstances, have that best opportunity in life. That is part of Labor's core objective, making sure that opportunity is spread, the doors of opportunity are widened and then pushed further out as well. And that will very much be a focus of my Government's second term agenda. Of course, a whole range of the measures that we've put in place will commence next Tuesday on July 1st. Everything from paid prac, including for early educators, will begin on that day. Our support for increased funding for TAFE, our support for increased Paid Parental Leave will all commence next Tuesday, as well as our increased support for child care. I can report as well that for a family earning $168,000 with one child in care for 30 hours a week, out of pocket costs are some $7,440 lower as a result of the plans that were put in place first term. So, I think it is so vital as well that we work cooperatively with states and territories and with the announcement that Dean's making today, that ensures that it's consistent with my Government's approach when it comes to early learning. I'll hand over to the Labor Leader.
DEAN WINTER, LEADER OF THE TASMANIAN LABOR PARTY: Well, I just want to say thank you to the Prime Minister for his policy which provides more child care for more Tasmanians. And it's a policy that we are so proud to endorse and so proud to build on. Here in Tasmania, the conversations I have right around the state, whether it's on the west coast of Tasmania, places like Smithton, Scottsdale, all the way down to Dover – it's with families who can't get access to the child care they need. These are families who are under significant cost of living stress, who can't work the hours they need because of the frustration of not being able to get the child care they need. It's not just child care. This is about early learning. This is about preparing Tasmanian young people for the best start in life. And that's at school. So, our announcement today is twofold. Every new school that we build we’ll add child care to it. We will ensure that there is child care in every new school. Every major redevelopment will add child care to it as well, because we understand that's such an important component of education for young people. And the second component is that we will step in where there is a need for us to step in. There are so many places in Tasmania where you can't get access to child care at all. In the cities, we have situations like we have right here. The waiting list to get into this service is three years. And then we have places like the West Coast where there's no child care at all. Our policy will step in where we need to. We will step in and make sure there's child care available for every regional community. We'll start on the West Coast of Tasmania. When I'm on the West Coast. I talk to hard working West Coasters who are working in traditional industries but simply can't work the hours they need because there's not the child care available. I want every child to have access to child care because I know it helps families and I know it helps their education and development. We want to work with Anthony Albanese and a federal Labor Government because we know their plan for child care is right for Australia, it's right for Tasmania and we can build on what they're doing. Their investments are significant and we can leverage those investments right here in the state and deliver a fresh start for Tasmanians that they need. Tasmanian families tell me they need a fresh start. We've had no acknowledgement from Jeremy Rockliff or the Liberals that we need a fresh start when it comes to child care – that there's a problem. I don't think they get it. As a parent, myself, and most of our team have got young kids, we understand what it's like not being able to get access to child care when you need it. Before and after school care not being available puts huge pressure on families. We understand these issues and that's why we want to fix them. So, I'm going to ask Sarah Lovell, our Shadow Minister responsible, to go through the policy in a little bit more detail.
SARAH LOVELL, SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION & EARLY YEARS: Thanks, Dean. Thanks, Prime Minister. I'm really proud to be here with Dean Winter, the Labor Leader and with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, to be announcing our child care policy which really makes – is a key pillar of our education offering at this state election. As somebody who has been campaigning with child care educators for many years on many of the policies that the Albanese Labor Government are now delivering, this is a real opportunity for Tasmania. We have a federal Labor Government who is doing what Labor Governments do best – delivering policies that make a real difference to Tasmanian families. The opportunity at this election is for a state Labor Government to do what Labor governments do best here in Tasmania – step in and provide the services that are so sorely needed. We know there are many regions in Tasmania where there is no child care available. And that is not only an obstacle for families who want to be participating in the workforce and in the economy, but it's a real disadvantage for children who we know benefit from having an early start in a quality education and care setting. This is a policy that will make a real difference for many of those regions and I'm very proud to be announcing that today.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions on this firstly before opening it up for more broader. Any questions?
JOURNALIST: Is it true you're going to China before you go to the United States?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it's true that I will be travelling to China later this year. We are waiting for a confirmation of a visit to the United States as well. I was in the United States last week, so it's not true that I'm going to China before the United States. I was there in Seattle and making a very important announcement.
JOURNALIST: Are you hoping to meet with Xi Jinping?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes.
JOURNALIST: Is it your hope that at some point Australia will be able to run repatriation flights out of Iran?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, the situation is obviously very volatile there. Our hope is that Australians are kept safe. So, at the moment there are of course not flights out of Iran. Overnight we were able to have, 118 Australians have been airlifted out of Tel Aviv on a Royal Australian Air Force flight. We think that is very good news. We will always prioritise the safety of Australians.
JOURNALIST: Just locally, Prime Minister. You've already committed $290 million to the Macquarie Point Stadium. Is there any flexibility for Tasmania to get more funds from the Commonwealth?
PRIME MINISTER: No, our funding is capped. It's for urban development there at the Macquarie Point site. We're also funding here in Launceston some of the upgrade of UTAS as well, jointly with the Tasmanian government. $65 million from each level of government.
JOURNALIST: Given that you've committed $3 billion to Brisbane for the Olympic Games, is there any room for Tasmania to be given more funds?
PRIME MINISTER: No, the funding is capped for the Olympic Games and the funding is capped for the Macquarie Point site as well. I point out that when I was the Minister in 2012, we contributed $50 million to the Macquarie Point site and nothing happened effectively for more than a decade that the state government had that funding available. We think this is a prime site. One of the things that has happened over a period of time is that Australian cities have been improved by, whether it's Barangaroo in Sydney, the Docklands precinct in Melbourne, Elizabeth Quay in Perth, right around our rivers we have recognised that there's something other than a place to deposit the waste from industry. And there is no more pristine or beautiful site in Australia than the Derwent River. And that is a pristine site, and what the Macquarie Point urban redevelopment will do is to make sure that the CBD of Hobart flows down to the riverfront to the benefit of Tasmanians, and indeed, I think there's a national interest there as well.
JOURNALIST: The Tasmanian government was due to deliver a finalised housing plan for a Macquarie Point. Has that been received by the federal government?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Your Environment Minister has delayed the decision on Robbins Island again for the sixth time. Is that able, is that project able to get up under the current EPBC Act or are you waiting for new laws?
PRIME MINISTER: No, no, we're considering the proposal. The state government had that assessment for seven years. Seven years we were waiting. So the new Minister quite rightly is showing due diligence with the project. I know there is some opposition to it, but we think that renewable energy is really important. So obviously environmental assessments have to take place in accordance with the Act.
JOURNALIST: So, you support Robbin's Island wind farm?
PRIME MINISTER: I support the Environmental Act being applied and the law being applied and that's what the Minister will do. Am I a supporter of renewable energy? Yes, I am.
JOURNALIST: This particular project?
PRIME MINISTER: I just answered the question, which is that it needs to go through the appropriate approvals. But I'm a supporter of renewable energy - of course that has to be subject to appropriate legal assessments. And if I, as Prime Minister, were to preempt the environmental assessments, then that creates legal issues.
JOURNALIST: There are growing calls from First Nations leaders and the community for you as PM to act on deaths in custody and the over representation of First Nations people in the justice system. What can you do in this area?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I note that overwhelmingly the justice systems are controlled by state and territory governments. But Malarndirri McCarthy is someone who's very passionate about representing the needs of Indigenous Australians and she is doing a fantastic job.
JOURNALIST: Back to the Middle East, can you reflect on Donald Trump's impatience with the Israeli PM?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think that President Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don't think it needs any further reflection. I think that he stated his views pretty abruptly and I think they were very clear. I certainly, as I have said this week, we want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation. And that is consistent with the very clear comments of President Trump.
JOURNALIST: Sussan Ley admitted this morning that her party got smashed. Will you be watching your back as they rebuild over the coming years?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh look, my concentration is on running a good government. My government has, since we came to office we had, inflation had 6 in front of it - it's now at 2.4. Interest rates have started to come down and have come down twice as a direct result of the hard work that we've done. Unemployment is relatively low at just 4.1 per cent. Real wages are increasing. We are delivering improved services in areas like child care, in health care with the investment that we have here in Launceston at the hospital. The new Urgent Care Clinics that we'll be rolling out. The support for better funding for public schools that we've agreed with every state and territory around the country. My job will be to focus on going forward, including meeting our net zero targets. And I think that the Liberal Party, we’ll allow them to keep fighting each other, the National Party to keep fighting each other, and the Liberal Party to keep fighting the National Party. My job will be to be focused and to ensure that our government delivers on the commitments that we have given, as well as meeting new challenges. We do need to lift productivity, we need to engage in what is an uncertain world. We provide certainty and clarity going forward with the clear direction that my government has. Thanks very much.