PRIME MINISTER:

Mr President, welcome to Australia.

As we discussed you came here previously in 2012, but this is your first visit as President.

When you came in to the building, into my office just a few moments ago and signed the guest book, you paid tribute to the 42 Australians who paid the supreme sacrifice in freedom’s cause defending the freedom of Afghanistan and fighting, as have 18,500 Australians, to keep the world free from terrorism.

It has been an honour to welcome President Ashraf Ghani to Australia this week, the first sitting President of Afghanistan to visit our nation.

President Ghani’s visit has highlighted the strong and enduring links between the Afghan and Australian people, including through the service in Afghanistan of the men and women of the Australian Defence Force, diplomats and civilians.

I am pleased to welcome His Excellency the Honourable Baron Divavesi Waqa, President of the Republic of Nauru, and Madam Louisa Waqa to Australia from 5-9 April 2017.

This visit will provide a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the friendship between Australia and the Republic of Nauru, and will allow us to explore ways to strengthen the many links between our two nations.

ROSS GREENWOOD:

Many thanks for your time Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER:

Great to be with you Ross.

ROSS GREENWOOD:

Could I just say that over the past few days you have been to Queensland and New South Wales with the Queensland and New South Wales Premiers to witness firsthand what has taken place in the aftermath of the cyclone and also the flooding. What have you seen?

PRIME MINISTER:

The Turnbull Government will provide $730 million to secure the Mersey Community Hospital’s future, give certainty to 470 staff and deliver vital health services for the people of North-West Tasmania.

The Commonwealth and Tasmanian Governments have reached an agreement to ensure the Mersey Community Hospital, which has 100 beds, remains a key health service for Devonport and surrounding regions.

PRIME MINISTER:

It is a beautiful here in Latrobe and it is great to be here at the Mersey. A hospital that is at the heart of this community.

It has been part of the community for so many years and generations. Julie Duff, the head of nursing, acting General Manager, while Eric has got broader responsibilities – Julie’s worked here for 42 years and you came here to work with your mum – isn’t that right?

JULIE DUFF, ACTING-GENERAL MANAGER, MERSEY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL:

Yeah, that’s correct.

The Australian Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the chemical weapons attack against civilians, including children, at Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib Province, Syria on 4 April 2017.

The use of chemical weapons is illegal and abhorrent.

While the full facts are still to be determined, if the Assad regime is responsible for this attack those who approved and deployed these weapons must be held accountable.

BRIAN CARLTON:

Prime Minister good morning

PRIME MINISTER:

Yeah great to be with you.

BRIAN CARLTON:

Now was this a hard deal, a hard agreement to reach? And to what extent were you sort of pressured into it with the threat of having to actually physically run the hospital if you’d not agreed to this deal?

PRIME MINISTER:

JOHN ALEXANDER OAM MP, MEMBER FOR BENNELONG:

Welcome Prime Minister to Bennelong. Just shortly I’d like to say with the Prime Minister securing gas and with the Snowy Hydro 2.0 in place you’re now the most powerful and reliable Prime Minister we’ve ever had and with these tax cuts the most generous, welcome to Bennelong. 

7,000 businesses, more than 7000 businesses are going to benefit from the tax cuts, thank you very much. 

PRIME MINISTER:

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