Doorstop, Nowra

SUBJECTS: 15 per cent pay increase for early education and care workers; Paid Parental Leave; UOW; Vuvale Union and Ocean of Peace Alliance; China Missile Test-Firing; Gambling Reform; Prime Minister’s Apology; Chopper On A Stick; Sanctuary Point Library

FIONA PHILLIPS, MEMBER FOR GILMORE: Fiona Phillips, the federal member for Gilmore, and I'm delighted to be here with Richard Marles, the Acting Prime Minister, and of course we are at this beautiful Early Learning Centre, ECTARC Clipper Road Early Education and Care Centre. It's really important, so I'm really thankful that Richard has come today. It's really important that we support our early education and care sector educators, because we know how important it is for young people and for families, and right across our region. So really glad that Richard's had that opportunity. We've also today been out to the University of Wollongong Shoalhaven campus, which has a thriving nursing program there, and so we've got to talk with some nurses and some really interactive sessions there, and they are so crucial, especially for our region, which relies so heavily on health workers into the future, and we met some medical students as well, and fantastic to see so many rural end-to-end training places available there, which is turning out more doctors, and of course, more GPs, which is so needed in our area. So, I'll hand over Richard. But thank you.

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Thank you. Well, it's great to be here at the Clipper Road Early Childhood and Care Service. This is a fantastic centre, and it's great to be here, of course, with Fiona Phillips, our wonderful member for Gilmore. Early Childhood Care is so important for Australian families, and we really need to have people working in them, and that's why, as a government, we have been very proud to support increases in wages for those working in the sector. We announced in June that we would be increasing the wages of those working in centres such as this by 15% and what that means is that for an early childhood educator it's more than $250 a week more than what people were earning two years ago. For an early childhood teacher, it's more than $400. That's a massive increase, and it's making a big difference in terms of attracting people to the sector, but also keeping those who are in the sector working in this really important sector, and some of that increase, of course, was received last week on the first of July, as we saw increases in award wages and increases in the minimum wage. What we also saw last week was an increase in paid parental leave to six months, to 26 weeks, as well as an increase in the rate, and what that means is that for people in receipt of the paid parental leave, they will be receiving around $30,000 during the course of that period of time, and this is making a real difference in terms of families dealing with the challenge of the cost of living that is being experienced right now. That is very much the focus of our government. Finally, as Fiona said, we were really pleased to visit the Shoalhaven campus of the University of Wollongong, and to see both nursing and medical students there, it's making a real difference to contributing to medicine and GPs who are graduating, but also growing into regional Australia. The University of Wollongong has one of the highest rates of medicine students from the regions, but also one of the highest rates of students who then go on and practice in the regions, and what we know is that medical schools, which are located in regional Australia, produce doctors which end up doing their careers in regional Australia, where we really need those doctors, as we need, of course, those nurses, and it was great to see those people there today.

JOURNALIST: From Canberra, they ask, there are reports that China is preparing to test-fire a nuclear capable missile with a dummy warhead in the South Pacific in the next 24 hours. Has Australia been informed of those plans, and do you see it as a retaliation to the new Australia-Fiji military alliance?

MARLES: No is the answer to the last part of that question, but we were informed by China today of its intention to do this test. This is a long-range missile test, and we are very concerned about any actions which undermine the stability, the peace, and security of the Pacific. We are completely committed to the Oceans Of Peace declaration that was made by the Pacific Island Forum last year, and our primary focus, our primary concern is on maintaining the peace and security of the Pacific.

JOURNALIST: China has responded with unease to similar pacts in the past. What sort of response are you expecting to the Australia Fiji Pact?

MARLES: Well, what we have announced today with Fiji is an enormous step forward in the relationship that we have with Fiji. This is just our fourth alliance in our country's history, but what is at the heart of this is a defensive alliance. This is about promoting the collective peace and security of the region in which we live, the collective peace and security of the Pacific. That's where we are absolutely focused, and where Fiji is focused in taking forward the VuvaleUnion. We are really excited about what this represents in terms of the bilateral relationship, but this is Fiji and Australia making its commitment to the collective peace and security of the Pacific entirely consistent with the Oceans of Peace declaration, which was made by the Pacific Island Forum last year.

JOURNALIST: Debate on tougher gambling restrictions seems likely at Labor's national conference. Is that something the government would take into consideration with its own bill, and are you open to tougher measures?

MARLES: Well, firstly, I'm not going to pre-empt what will happen at the national conference in a few weeks' time, but the measures that the government have taken here in relation to gambling reform are the most significant that have been taken by any government ever, we are about trying to ensure that our children are safe, that in terms of gambling advertising, that's occurring not at a time when kids might be listening and watching, that we strike the right balance here, but these are the most significant reforms to gambling advertising that our country has seen, and that stands testament to the government's commitment in respect of reform.

JOURNALIST: Given the record number of losses that people are experiencing through gambling, is what government's doing enough? We're losing billions of dollars annually to gambling.

MARLES: Well, that's why we've taken the measures that we have, and as I said, this is the biggest set of reforms to gambling advertising that has ever occurred, and that's the starting point here, and it is a matter of getting the balance right here, but we absolutely understand that there is a need for reform, which is why we've taken such a significant step

JOURNALIST: And Mr Marles, are you worried the Prime Minister's comments on Kylie Minogue blew down into the government's standing with female voters?

MARLES: Well, look, the Prime Minister has made his apology here, let's just remember Anthony Albanese's government is the first government in Australian history to have an equal number of men and women in the cabinet. His is the first government in Australian history to have a majority of women in the caucus in the government party room. His is a government which has overseen the smallest gender pay gap in Australia's history, ours is a government which is absolutely committed to elevating the place of women within our society, and I know that the Prime Minister is equally completely committed to that.

JOURNALIST: Was his apology warranted?

MARLES: Well, the Prime Minister has made an apology, but the point I would also make is that his is a government which has made significant steps forward, which has actually been ground-breaking in terms of gender relations, but in terms of elevating the place of women within our society

JOURNALIST: Fiona, if I may, you said that you visited UOW in the Shoalhaven today. You noticed a tonal shift on campus, given that the university is before the corruption watchdog at the moment.

PHILLIPS: Well, what we saw today was absolutely wonderful in talking with nursing students and medical students, and I think we should be really proud of our nursing, not only our nursing and our medical students, but all our students. The Shoalhaven campus provides the most wonderful rural education opportunities. It's somewhere I've had the opportunity to work many years ago now, but for a number of years. And as I said, they train our nurses, they train our doctors and our GPs that stay across our region and also across regional Australia. So that's what I see when I go and visit, and I'm really, really impressed with the quality of teaching and the students coming out of there.

JOURNALIST: Just an update on the whereabouts of the chopper, even though we know which helicopter is going to be returned to the stick?

MARLES: Well, firstly, it's really good that we have seen an outcome in a community consultation in the poll to see the Seahawk Romeo chosen, and I think it's a really great choice, because this is the platform that operates from HMAS Albatross. It's at the heart of the operations of the Royal Australian Navy. It's really the platform where there is a day-to-day connection with the people of Nowra. So, now that we have that in place, we'll be working with Shoalhaven Council in respect of an appropriate site, we're putting this out to tender in terms of the construction of the replica, but we're really keen to have this in place as soon as possible.

JOURNALIST: Is there like a year or a deadline your working on?

MARLES: Well, we're doing this as soon as we possibly can, and we know that this was the Iroquois, was an iconic part of Nowra. It's really exciting that what is going to replace it is going to be a Seahawk Romeo, and we're really committed to having that in place as quick as we can.

JOURNALIST: I'm interested, though, is there like a unique kind of contractor that you need to get for this unique kind of job?

MARLES: Yes, there is. There are not many, so it won't take long in terms of tendering to market, but this will be a unique job for whoever ultimately does it. But they'll also be constructing something which is going to look fantastic, but will be as iconic in this community, I'm sure, as what the Iroquois has been in the past, and you only need to look at the affection that this community had for the Iroquois in the past to understand how important this artefact is going to be going forward. So, it'll be a very special job for whoever ultimately does it.

JOURNALIST: Would you not just go to Sikorsky and say, 'Hey, build us a shell with nothing in it?'

MARLES: I think we will do this in in the best possible way, and but we also want to get this done as quickly as possible.

JOURNALIST: Perhaps just the funding. How is that divvied up between yourself and council?

MARLES: Well, I mean, we've made a commitment to doing this. We'll obviously talk with council, but we want to absolutely see that this project is completed as soon as possible. I mean, from a Defence's point of view, we deeply appreciate the Nowra community. I mean, we have a very significant base here. This is a Defence town. We understand the social license that is needed to operate here, and we greatly appreciate it, and in a way, the ‘Chopper On A Stick’ is part of that. I mean, that we've had Iroquois here for many, many years. It was an important statement, I think, about where Nowra stood in terms of the Australian Defence Force and its commitment to it, and so from Defence’s point of view, this is this is part of giving back, but making sure that we continue to hold the social license, which is so important for the broader operations, which are undertaken here, both in terms of HMAS Albatross, but also Creswell.

JOURNALIST: Fiona, which is going to come first, Europe, the new helicopter, or the Sanctuary Point Library?

PHILLIPS: Both hopefully as quickly as possible, but yeah, so yeah, the top is going on, the chopper on a stick is going through that process that needs to go through now, in terms of the site selection, and you know, going through all of that, and of course the Sanctuary Point Library ball is in councils court pretty much.

JOURNALIST: They seem to put a delay in for another year on the whole process. You have a few things to say about that?

PHILLIPS: I've said, council needs to be in contact with the federal department and go through that sort of if they want to change the scope of the project, then they need to contact the federal department.

JOURNALIST: If you've written to the local government minister concerned about council delivering important community projects, should they perhaps still be involved in the delivery of the chopper on the stick?

PHILLIPS: Well, I mean, the chopper on the stick council is pivotal in terms of that, in terms of a location, it's primarily a defence-driven and funded project, but council, of course, plays a part in that, but in terms of the Sanctuary Point Library, they just need to get on with presenting that plan to the federal department.

JOURNALIST: You worked hard to get funding for it?

PHILLIPS: For the library?

JOURNALIST: For the library, is that always going to be available regardless of what they do? Or is that?

PHILLIPS: That funding was delivered in a 2022 federal budget, and here we are over four years later, and council is changing the plan again, so they need to be in contact with the department to see, you know, I guess if they can change the scope on that, but that funding is due to end on the 30th of June 2027. Yeah, so I mean it can't go on forever, but as I said, the council needs to get in contact with the department, and I have been working with the minister's office on that as well.

JOURNALIST: So, the money is still stuck to the project, no matter of the design, is what you're saying?

PHILLIPS: The funding is there for the original two-storey one, but council can apply to have that changed. Yeah, so yeah, we don’t know, the issue is, we do know the latest from the Tuesday night's extraordinary meeting, but those latest plans haven't been put forward.

JOURNALIST: If they don't do it in time, and the money disappears. Can you sort of shut it [inaudible]? I'm sure I can find lots of things to do with it?

PHILLIPS: Well, it's allocated to that in the budget.

JOURNALIST: So council was correct then by taking out a loan because they were told the federal funds were not applicable to the one-storey design

PHILLIPS: I think what council did, it's a little bit complicated, but what council did, they did try to change the scope, but what they actually did, it looked like they didn't really want to build the library at all, so they weren't able to change the scope based on that, so what council did, and I think it's good, like council have now indicated that they're willing to take out a loan, so now it looks like there's more of an intention that they do want to do the Sanctuary Point Library. So, what I'm saying to council is that they need to go back to the department with their plan for the sanctuary point library.

JOURNALIST: Which department is that?

PHILLIPS: Federal Department of Infrastructure.

[ADDITIONAL COMMENT]

MARLES: China notified us of its intentions in respect of the missile test today. We have expressed our concerns to China about this test, both in Canberra and Beijing.

ENDS