ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon. National Cabinet has met in Sydney this morning, and we've reached a landmark agreement to deliver record funding to state and territory hospitals, but also secure the future of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. This agreement represents one of the most significant national reforms in living memory. These reforms will ensure that Australians can continue to access world class healthcare, as well as disability supports. It prioritises investment in our precious public health system and builds on my government's measures to strengthen Medicare. It is a major step forward in addressing the pressures that are there on our health and aged care systems, as well as on the NDIS, ensuring their sustainability into the future. As part of this deal, the Commonwealth will provide an additional $25 billion for public hospitals to reach a record $219.6 billion over the next five years. This is three times more additional funding for public hospitals than was agreed to under the last five year agreement under the Morrison Government. We also committed to working together to make the NDIS better and more sustainable. We want growth in the future to be 6 per cent or less, and have agreed to work towards that. My government will continue to help states to take pressure off their hospitals as well. On top of this agreement, through the 1800MEDICARE system that began on January 1, through the additional Urgent Care Clinics, of which we will have 137. 120 of those are already open, and they've taken pressure off emergency departments. And the record new investment in expanding bulk billing is working. There are now 3,300 medical centres that are fully bulk billed. 1,300 of those are new as a direct result of our tripling of the bulk billing incentive. In addition to that, we are opening 92 Medicare Mental Health Clinics, cheaper medicines for every Australian, and delivering the most significant aged care reforms that have been implemented by any government this century. The success of our Commonwealth has always been about finding common ground. And I want to thank the Premiers and Chief Ministers for the work that we've done together over a long period of time, making sure that our focus is not on ourselves or on politics, but is on patients, how do we deliver the health care that Australians need and that Australians deserve. And under our Federation system, what that requires is for the Commonwealth, together with states and territories, to work together in the interests of the respective states, but also in the national interest. And that is what we have been provided for with this agreement. We know that we need to get older, longer stay patients out of hospital rooms and into dedicated care, and the aged care reforms will assist with that. We know that we need to provide quality care for Australians with a disability, and the reforms will do that, as well as ensuring that they are sustainable. And we know that we want to cut waiting lists and reduce emergency department wait times as we go forward. This funding deal is about a better deal for Australians, about better health care, about strengthening Medicare, consistent with my government's commitment to strengthen Medicare as a focal point for the Australian health system, but also as a great source of national pride. We can pride ourselves that Australians get the care they need when they need it, and they do that through the Medicare system and through our public hospital system as well. So, I do want to thank all the officials as well who've worked very hard on this, but particular thanks to my colleagues here, the Premiers and Chief Ministers.
JEREMY ROCKLIFF, PREMIER OF TASMANIA: Well, thanks Prime Minister, and thank you very much firstly, which all Premiers and Chief Ministers acknowledge the uplift in support for Medicare and primary health care more broadly, as committed to at the last Federal Election, which is welcome. And certainly, the investment in urgent care centres is playing out well for people in our respective states and territories as well. Notwithstanding that, the states and territories made a very robust case for further funding, uplifting funding, certainty in funding, because we all care about the people we represent. Every single Australian, in my case Tasmanian, deserves the very best of healthcare, whether that's in their primary healthcare system, which alleviates pressure, and the acute care system, when people attend an emergency department that they are cared for, and also the longer stay older patients is, has been a particular focus of states and territories leading up to the agreement that was signed today. This has been some two year journey. There's been some very strong advocacy from all Premiers and Chief Ministers to best represent their communities. And this outcome, as I say again today, is welcome. It's one that does have significant uplift in funding, and one that we can support our respective health systems further going forward.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Jeremy. We're happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: One for the New South Wales Premier, if that's okay? Will this agreement solve New South Wales' terrible bed block situation and the shortage of aged care and disability spots in hospitals?
CHRIS MINNS, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: Look it'll go a long way to solving those problems. But those challenges have been in the system for a while, and it won't simply be a question of funding from the state or the Commonwealth. I mean, we have to run a system in New South Wales where we're paying people to stay in the system. We're using the experienced, experienced nurses and paramedics and doctors and dealing with growth. And one of the challenges that the Prime Minister is facing, as well as all the Premiers, is we've got an ageing cohort, so as much as the system is stretched today, we can expect even further problems in the future, but we're very grateful that we've got this agreement today. There's a recognition that it does look for potential growth in the health system, but also a combined effort from the states and the Commonwealth to deal with rising costs in the NDIS, which is important.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, what would you say to Australians who are planning to protest during President Herzog's visit, including people within the labour movement? And if Premier Minns could comment on that too, and will large protests be allowed during the visit?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what I'd say is that people of course have a right to express their views and that will occur in a democratic society. But I would make this point, that President Herzog is coming particularly to engage with members of the Jewish community who are grieving the loss of 15 innocent lives. That is the particular focus of this visit. I welcome the fact that President Herzog is coming here. The nation needs to look towards uniting. We have too much division and people will have their views on the Middle East. But I make this point, that Australia is not in a position to solve by ourselves the Middle East issues, and people don't want conflict brought here. So, I'd say that people should recognise the solemn nature of the engagement that President Herzog will have with the community of Bondi in particular, and bear that in mind by the way that they respond over the coming weeks.
PREMIER MINNS: Well, I completely agree with the Prime Minister. I mean, I think that there would be an expectation that most Australians would accept that President Herzog is in Australia to stand with the Jewish community of New South Wales after the worst terrorism event the country's ever seen. I understand people are concerned about what's happening around the world and in the Middle East, but this happened in Sydney and I think there should be an opportunity for that community to grieve and I hope that people are respectful of that. When it comes to protest designations, I just want to make it clear, we'll take any and every decision that we believe is appropriate to keep the President safe and the community safe. And if there's an expectation that protestors are going to have free run of the city, I'm sorry, that can't be the case. I think most reasonable Australians would expect us to keep security and safety on the streets as well as respect a guest of Australia.
JOURNALIST: Premier, the constitutional challenge is underway reports over those new laws regarding some of the issues, regarding protests and so forth. What do you expect to happen in the runup to the Israeli President's arrival?
PREMIER MINNS: Look, I don't know. I mean, I'm not going to front run the court's decision. People have got a right to petition the court, but I've got a lot of confidence and faith in the legislation that we've passed. I just want to make this point. The number one obligation of any government, in any place across Australia, is to keep the community safe. And the decisions that we've made are exactly in line with that. We think they're proportionate, protests haven't been banned, but the idea that you can completely take over the street and dissect one of the busiest cities in the world because you want to have a protest every week, I think there's got to be reasonable limits on that and that's what our legislation does.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, will there be a delay to the start of the Thriving Kids programme? And also under your Government, total federal spending is at its highest share of the economy since 1986, excluding the pandemic. If the RBA makes that decision next week to raise the cash rate, will you take responsibility for the economic climate that's created that decision?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the states put to us the possibility of a short delay in the full implementation of Thriving Kids, but Thriving Kids will start from this year and the full implementation will be completed on 1 January 2028. We agreed that proposal was reasonable, that we get this right. And so, it is a positive move. When it comes to government investment and expenditure, we today are making an announcement of $25 billion of additional investment in people's healthcare. That is what we're investing in. We have found $114 billion of savings. We found $20 billion of additional savings in the mid-year economic forecast just in December last year. That compares with the last budget of the Morrison-Frydenberg Government that had, it's a really easy figure to remember, zero. Zero dollars in savings in their last budget. A massive blowout in expenditure, promises into the never-never and deficits as far as the eye could see. What we delivered was to turn two of those deficits into surpluses under Jim Chalmers as Treasurer and reduce the deficits going forward.
JOURNALIST: On gun reform, have you got all the states to agree on the gun buyback scheme and what about the costs for that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that would be a decision for states and territories, respectively. Our position's very clear. We support the action that we put forward and legislated for in the Parliament a week ago. The terrorists in Bondi had hate in their hearts, but guns in their hands. Our legislation that was passed by the Parliament dealt with both. And we have a proposal of a gun buyback. States and territories, it's up to them whether they participate or not. It will be 50 per cent funded by the Commonwealth for those states and territories that agree to do so.
JOURNALIST: Did you get the temperature today? Who's going to sign up for that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's up to them to make their own announcements. I respect their rights to do so. I encourage them to do so, of course. And certainly a majority of states and territories will be doing so.
JOURNALIST: Can we just get an update from Queensland and the Northern Territory as to where they stand on the gun buyback scheme?
DAVID CRISAFULLI, PREMIER OF QUEENSLAND: Sure. You know my views on that, and I've spoken about that. But I hope you've seen today that we can work together on issues where we have commonality. And in terms of this deal, which is a significant deal, if you're asking me whether or not I would've liked to have seen more, of course. And if you're asking whether or not we're going to fight for more in the future, you bet. But we've taken a really big step forward today, a really big step forward. And one of the things that the Prime Minister has spoken about is aged care. And this isn't something that's emerged in the last two minutes, it's been there a long, long time. Now, we've got to get that right. Right now in Queensland we've got 1,250 patients staring at a roof who should be given the dignity of that care in aged care. And that's really important to us. And that's not about dollars, that's about dignity. And the willingness to work on that and the willingness for the federal government to say that is an important issue, combined with the extra funding today, shows a willingness to work together. So, my position is I'll always do what's right for my state, and that's what we've done today.
LIA FINOCCHIARO, CHIEF MINISTER OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY: We've been really clear. We welcome the Federal Government to have a gun buyback scheme, but Territorians won't be the ones footing the bill. I've been very upfront and honest about that from day one. And we obviously respect the decisions other states have been making around gun reform. With respect to today, this is a really pivotal moment for the Territory. We are a very small population with a very significant land mass, with huge vulnerability and need. And so we really thank the Federal Government for working with us, particularly around being a smaller jurisdiction. And this is going to go a long way. I certainly share with Queensland, you could always have more and we'll continue to put up a really good fight on behalf of the Territory, but today is significant and it's something to celebrate.
JOURNALIST: Just for the New South Wales Premier, your government is currently offering deals for both the nurses and the doctors in terms of new pay deals. What does this funding deal mean for those disputes, and was the potential for billions more in public hospital wages a hold-up at all in these negotiations?
PREMIER MINNS: Look, I mean, there's always going to be pressures on the wages bill. It's the biggest proportion of state spending on any area of government spending, particularly for health. We've got an independent system in New South Wales. Both sides have put that case. It's currently before the justices, but in any iteration, any agreement that we struck with the Commonwealth is going to cost a lot of money, lots of money for the New South Wales government and from the Commonwealth. And it's not limitless. I mean, ultimately, we do have to look at costs. We'd love to be able to not worry about it, but we do. And as a result, we'll wait for the Industrial Relations Commission to make their decision. But it's not limitless.
PRIME MINISTER: Thank you everyone. Great day.