Transcript: Doorstop, Stanage Bay Road Announcement
EO&E
LANDRY:
... Capricornia. Right you go, and just straight ahead.
JOURNALIST:
Yep. [crosstalk]
LANDRY:
Yep, excellent. Look, I'm very pleased to be in Rockhampton today with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack to make a very exciting announcement. Today we're announcing 21.6 million dollars towards upgrades to the Stanage Bay Road. Now, this is something that I have fought for for a long time and the residents of around the Stanage Bay area will be very pleased with this. From the farmers to the fishermen to the people that have the Defence travelling out there quite regularly. So, very, very pleased that we could make this announcement. It's something that I've discussed long and hard with Defence and with Michael and I was very pleased when he rang me last week with the great news that we've put the 21.6 million on the table. Thank you.
MCCORMACK:
Well, the announcement this morning is another example, another fine example of Michelle Landry delivering, delivering for Capricornia, delivering for Central Queensland, delivering for people who count on her to make sure that they get the infrastructure in the right places. This is going to lead to jobs, obviously in the construction phase, and being someone who comes from an area where Defence is so important, where training is so important, from Wagga Wagga where everyone who goes through the army as a recruit does their basic training.
I know how important it is to have the right infrastructure in and around Defence bases, and Shoalwater Bay is one of Australia's most integral, most important, and most critical training bases. This 4,500 square kilometre area is not only important to Australia's defence, it's also important to our partners. Our neighbouring partners such as Singapore, because so many people come to Shoalwater Bay to do their training, to make sure that they can be their very best when in uniform, so it just makes good sense to contribute this 21.6 million dollars for the Stanage Bay Road upgrade. It's going to make sure that the road, where it is, needing of critical upgrades gets that bitumen, gets that upgrade.
And I know this is important because Michelle Landry told me so. I know it's important because Michelle Landry, when she says something she means it, and certainly for Capricornia, for the people who live in and around this great central Queensland electorate. They're getting a lot of delivery from Michelle Landry. Look at the 176.1 million dollars that we've contributed, that we've put on the table, for Rookwood Weir. We're appreciating too that that's an important part of the Flynn electorate, but this is going to mean irrigated agriculture, this is going to mean flood mitigation, this is going to mean jobs. For Keppel Bay Sailing Club, just the other day, 20 million dollars on the table thanks to Michelle Landry's advocacy to make sure that we get the right convention centre in the right place. It's going to improve Yeppoon, improve the destination attraction of this area.
MCCORMACK:
Michelle Landry is all about jobs. She's all about delivery. And she's all about getting things done. Others can talk about it, she gets on and she does the job.
JOURNALIST:
Mayor Ludwig has been calling on the federal government to rule out compulsory land acquisitions in that area. Can you do that?
MCCORMACK:
Well, the fact is if land becomes available and the army sees that it's of strategic importance to them, I'm sure that the landholders there would want all number of buyers to be able to bid on their properties. The fact is we're not going to make sure that we restrict Defence's ability to do its job in any way, shape, or form. And if there needs to be land acquisitions, whether it's Defence or whether it's other areas of critical importance to Australia, such as building rail, such as building ports, sometimes rightly or wrongly we sometimes need to acquire land compulsorily.
But we always do it with stakeholders in mind, we always do it with communities in mind, and we always do it with local engagement. We'll always consult, unlike Labor. We will always as LNP members of Parliament. As an LNP Government, we will always make sure that we consult local owners and stakeholders and councils and people who are concerned, and we'll go through that process fully and in the right way under the right processes and using the right protocols.
JOURNALIST:
What does it say about the Coalition's election prospects when the Prime Minister feels the need to visit a regional seat with a margin of 20%?
MCCORMACK:
Well, the Prime Minister is visiting a regional seat with a margin of 20% because he's announcing our wonderful regional policies today. And I think you're referring to the electorate of Farrer, and Sussan Ley's doing an outstanding job, not only as the member for Farrer, but also as the Assistant Minister for Regional Development. And today, we are announcing our regional policy right across the nation.
Labor should take heed of this regional policy, because they don't have one. Labor should listen long and hard when we announce the regional policy because they could learn a new word. It's called region. Fact is we're announcing a policy today. We're building on our already one thousand base stations for mobile connectivity right across the nation, and we're expanding it by an area roughly the size of South Australia. Everybody knows how big South Australia is and we are going to make sure than an area of that size is now black spot free. We've already built or constructed or promised 1,047 base stations to improve mobile connectivity across the nation and we're building on that. We're making sure that all country students, country tertiary students, that they have the best possible option to study, but to stay in their own local communities with a 15 million dollar new community education hub announcement today. We're making sure that we inspire young people to be their best selves as far as education is concerned.
So, we're investing in health, we're investing in education, we're investing in mobile phone connectivity. And we're not telling farmers, unlike Labor, we're not telling farmers what they can farm, where they can farm, how they can farm. We're getting on with the job of building a better regional Australia with such things as the National Water Grid. With such things as the 500 million dollars that we've put down on the table for the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund. And I know how important this is for the electorate of Capricornia. How important it is for the very dry Murray-Darling basin.
So, we're getting on with the job of building a better region, regional areas, because we know that when the regions are strong, so too is our nation. Labor have yet to ever understand or appreciate that.
JOURNALIST:
Mr. McCormack, no doubt Mayor Ludwig will be very pleased with this announcement today about Stanage Bay Road, which he's lobbied furiously for in Canberra. That's one thing and the Keppel Bay Convention Centre is another that's on his wish list. But there's one thing missing from that, and that was the money for the GKI trunk infrastructure for power and water that has been touted to pump 80 million dollars into the economy, hundreds of jobs, and whatnot. Is that on your radar? Would something like that be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks maybe?
LANDRY:
Okay, well, as I continuously say about the great Keppel Island project, you know, I lived out in the coast. I want that to go ahead. But, one day the Labor State government actually give us the figures of how much that costs. I want to know what the cost figure is of that. They seem to be very, very good at sharing their information with the Federal Labor, but I get none of this information. What I want to know is how much it's going to cost. I know that State Labor's put 30 million dollars on the table to it.
LANDRY:
Federal Labor has committed, but I've got people coming up to me saying, "Michelle, we want to know is this going to be a one hundred million dollar project, a 150 million dollar project”. Before we go putting money under the ocean for power and water, we need to know that. And we hear Labor going on so much about renewable energy, why aren't they looking at that over the island? Why aren't they looking at solar power over the island? Wind power? Wave power? You know, 100 million dollars plus is a lot of money to be buried under the ocean.
LANDRY:
And I'd also just like to comment on the land acquisitions up at Shoalwater Bay. I spoke to the Assistant Defence Minister last week, and he assured me, and Bill had asked me about this, that there would be no compulsory land acquisition up at Shoalwater Bay. This is something that several years ago I went into battle with with Barnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull and we had it put on the table then that no land would be compulsorily applied, acquired up there, and that still sits on the table. So, if people want to sell their land, that's fine. But we won't be going in there, taking land off people. This is another scare campaign by a very frightened Federal Labor.
MCCORMACK:
Yeah, don't argue with Michelle.
LANDRY:
No.
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible] voters here say jobs and unemployment here is the number one issue for them. The CWA yesterday come out and said it supports raising the Newstart rate. Would you support that?
LANDRY:
Look, I believe that Newstart, there is there to help people. But what I want to see is people in jobs, and that is why every single project that I push in this region is about local jobs. We have put billions of dollars into projects in this area to get people in the workforce. For someone to get up in the morning and go to work, it's the best thing. Newstart there is an assistance to help people when they haven't got work, but I'm pushing so hard for jobs in this region. Jobs and cost of living is so important for everyone, right across this nation, particularly here in Capricornia and that's what I continue to push.
JOURNALIST:
Could you live on $40 a day?
LANDRY:
I've done it. I've been a single mother. I have done it, and it's bloody hard. And I shouldn't be swearing, sorry. No, look, and I have done this. And it is very difficult, but we want people to be in the workforce. You know, Newstart is something that is a temporary measure for people. That is why we have programs there to help people get into the workforce. That is why when we've got this massive Defence spend in Capricornia, that we got the Defence Minister to come out and say 80% of that has to be local contracts, local jobs. That is what this is about. The best support that we can give people is a permanent job and that is what I fight for every day.
JOURNALIST:
Have you worked on compensation? Some sort of a plan for the Livingston Council on giving the money back for the rate payers that they're going to lose?
LANDRY:
With regards to rates, places like Central Queensland University, they don't pay rates. The churches, the schools don't pay rates. I have put a lot of major infrastructure on the Capricorn coast and this will build things in that area. This will put money into the economy on the Capricorn coast and in Rockhampton. That is why everything is about local.
LANDRY:
So, there's a lot of organisations that are run by the state and federal governments that do not pay rates, and obviously Defence is one of those.
JOURNALIST:
But they'll lose 35 million dollars from rate payers from these land acquisitions.
LANDRY:
Well, I'm not quite sure if that figure is correct. But, as I said, I am putting a lot of infrastructure into the area and we're putting 21 million dollars today into a road in Livingston, to a local council road, so I mean that's an enormous cost saving and also the fact that Defence compensates Livingston Council every year for maintenance on those roads as well.
JOURNALIST:
Mr McCormack, just a question for you on climate change. There’s been new research released recently they're actually holding a press conference with some researchers and graziers in Rockhampton this morning. They're predicting that-
MCCORMACK:
That's the Australian Institute?
JOURNALIST:
That's correct.
MCCORMACK:
Yeah.
JOURNALIST:
They are predicting that if emissions continue to rise by 2070, the electorate of Capricornia would experience heat waves up to 35 days, 130% increase in the frequency of droughts and floods, 30% increase of evaporation, and up to 50% reduction in rainfall. I guess the suggestion of some of those environmentalist groups is that the coalition isn't doing enough to address climate change. What would be your response?
MCCORMACK:
Well, it's all about balance. We need to make sure that we have a balanced environmental policy, and we have. We want to make sure that we do things at a practical, pragmatic level, and we are. We want to make sure that we invest in our rivers, invest in our care for country, and we're doing that. Electorate by electorate, town by town, farm by farm, district by district, we're getting on and we're going that.
MCCORMACK:
But, what we also don't want to do is make sure that we de-industrialise Australia. We don't want to make sure that power is so unreliable and so unaffordable that we actually can't get the power when we turn on the switch. And it's not just for households, it's not just for pensioners who need heat in winter and cool in summer, like we all do, it's for families, it's for businesses, it's for factories, it's for manufacturing. What we want to make sure is that we've got the power supply when those factories, aluminium smelters, cement makers, are able to be at full throttle, full production, that they can have that reliable, affordable power. And our policies do that.
MCCORMACK:
The Bill Shorten way, he can't admit, and he's already been asked 68 times during this campaign how much his climate policies are going to cost the nation. He can't and he won't admit it, because he knows it's going to de-industrialise Australia. He knows that a 45% emissions reduction target and 50% renewables is going to force a lot of farmers off the land. It's going to force a lot of factories to close, because quite frankly, they just won't be able to continue their operations. There won't be the energy supply, there won't be the affordability factor. We want to make sure that we do things in a balanced, practical way, and that's what our policies do.
JOURNALIST:
So Labor obviously has announced some pretty drastic measures. Do you think that potentially one day you could look back with regret that maybe you didn't do enough to tackle climate change when you had the chance?
MCCORMACK:
Well, Labor and drastic, they're two words that go very much together. I agree with you. They can't and they won't admit what their costs are. We have policies in place that are balanced, that meet the right balance. So, for our climate to do what we need to do, for the Great Barrier Reef, for our farmers, for our factories, and for every day ordinary Australians who need to be able to turn on the power when and where they need it. That's our balanced approach. We're caring for the environment, we've got the right policies, we don't want to de-industrialise Australia.
JOURNALIST:
Mr. McCormack, today there was an announcement from labor about money towards Gracemere to bust the congestion on Lawrie Street. 20 million dollars. Has Mr. O'Dowd been in contact with you about this issue and would you look at matching Labor's funding for this?
MCCORMACK:
Well, we're always looking at projects that are going to reduce congestion. That's why we've got a fund specific for congestion, both in urban areas, but also we've replaced a lot of the bottlenecks and we upgraded a lot of those congestion areas in our regional cities, in our regional towns and communities. And that's why we're getting on with the job of rolling out a record 100 billion dollars worth of infrastructure right across the nation and the electorate of Flynn has benefited largely from that.
MCCORMACK:
I'm always happy to look at projects. I'm always happy to look at ideas and ways and means of making sure that traffic flows smoother, traffic flows more even. The fact is, Labor is promising a lot. How are they going to afford it? I mean, Bill Shorten's bill is already up to 60 billion dollars this election campaign alone. How is he ever going to be able to afford all the promises? Don't believe what Bill Shorten says. Don't believe what Zac Beers says. Make sure that you see what they do if they ever get into power, and I hope they don't. Because quite frankly, the Labor government is the bill Australia can't afford.
JOURNALIST:
But has Ken talked to you about this? Is this on your radar?
MCCORMACK:
Ken talks to me about a lot of projects, and Ken delivers a lot of projects as well. Whether it's the intermodal out at Emerald, whether it's whatever highway that needs to be upgraded, in his electorate, the highways, the byways, Ken is always talking to me about these roads, these projects. Whether it's Gracemere, whether it's Gladstone, Ken's getting on with the job of delivering.
JOURNALIST:
This is a question for Michelle Landry. We saw today Russell Robertson announced 16.5 million dollars to upgrade Serena Hospital Would you match that contribution?
LANDRY:
Look ...
MCCORMACK:
Another truck driving on another road we're upgrading thanks to our 100 million dollar [inaudible].
LANDRY:
That's it. Look, the Mackay Hospital Board did speak to me about this several months ago and I haven't received any further information. Once again, this is State Labor doing deals with Federal Labor and I have none of the information. So, in saying that, the Federal Coalition Government up in the Mackay region has put 92% extra into the budget to Mackay health around here in Central Queensland, 94%.
LANDRY:
So what I want to know is what is State Labor doing with the money towards these hospitals and to the health system. We see on the weekend that there was an announcement made that Yeppoon Hospital is being run by fly-in, fly-out doctors and nurses because they can't get the staff there. We see right around Central Queensland that they're closing down maternity services. Well, what is Labor doing with this money?
LANDRY:
They are getting an enormous amount of money from the Federal Government. They are getting an enormous amount of money from the Central Queensland mining sector from coal royalties, and they never seem to have enough money. Oh, that's right, we haven't got the cross river rail here, have we? Where they put five billion dollars into that. Perhaps they should be spending that doing upgrades to the hospitals up here without saying and telling lies constantly that we have cut funding when we have not.
JOURNALIST:
Do you think Serena Hospitals, it's time for an upgrade there? Do you think it needs a bit of an upgrade?
LANDRY:
Oh, look. It certainly needs an upgrade and I'm asking what's Queensland government doing about that? Once again, as I said, we put 92% extra funding into the Mackay health up there and they have don't nothing and I have seen no costings for this so no one's talked to me about it basically.
JOURNALIST:
Just on tackling youth crime, I've seen that the Katter Australia party candidate has announced that he wants to fit juvenile offenders with ankle bracelets and send them to work camps on remote properties [inaudible].
LANDRY:
Look, you know, youth crime certainly is a state matter and I don't agree with doing that. But, the youth crime in this area has become quite significant lately and I believe that the state government should bring in stronger penalties and there should be ways for these young people to be brought out of this cycle of crime and as the Assistant Minister for Children and Families, I've travelled this country and looked at a lot of areas, particularly up in the Northern Territory, where there is extremely high youth crime up there and there's a lot of great organisations out there that are actually helping.
But, once again, I think that we need to encourage our children to work hard at school and get themselves a job. That's the best form of anything of keeping these young ones out of mischief. Usually it's out of boredom, but a lot of it's out of family circumstances, so we're passionate about helping families as much as we can and encouraging people to have a bright future for themselves and not being misled by a few troublemakers into a life of crime.
MCCORMACK:
Can I just make a few comments, and I know that Peter Frazer from the Sarah Group, Safer Australian Roads and Highways, is in the area today talking about road safety. It's part of National Road Safety Week. I want to make sure that everyone knows that road safety is of paramount importance, and whether you are driving or you are indeed a passenger in a vehicle, if you see the driver doing something wrong and if you are that driver that's doing something wrong, please obey the road rules. Make sure that you don't get distracted by a mobile phone. Make sure that you don't speed. Make sure that you don't take any illicit substances or drink before you get behind the wheel of a car. And make sure you think of others when you are behind the road, the wheel of a car on the road.
MCCORMACK:
Peter Frazer is a wonderful Australian. He wears a yellow ribbon with great pride, but with also great sadness, because his daughter, Sarah, was tragically killed. As was the tow truck driver when she pulled over, she called for assistance, she was on her way to Wagga Wagga to university, and sadly she was run over and killed, as was the tow truck driver, by a distracted driver.
MCCORMACK:
So, today, and everyday, but particularly during National Road Safety Week, think of others on the road. Obey the road rules and make sure that you get home safe and sound. I know I say that not just on behalf of the Government, but on behalf of every parliamentarian, every Australian. And I know too, in the spirit of bipartisanship, that those views are echoed by Anthony Albanese, who is of course the shadow spokesman for transport and for infrastructure, and I know that he too, like me, shares that view about our roads. We want everybody to get home or to where they need to be sooner and safer. And that's why we want to make sure that everybody obeys the rules. We don't want to have empty chairs around the dinner table, especially at Christmas time, when families come together. You share those times with loved ones. We want to make sure that people follow the rules and get home safe and sound.
LANDRY:
Now we've just got some representatives here from, a grazier, Lawson Geddes and were you [crosstalk]. Alright, awesome.
So, [inaudible] Lawson's a grazier from up Stanage Bay Road. You might need to get a bit closer to those microphones.
JOURNALIST:
Could we just get a name and spelling first.
GEDDES
Lawson Geddes, L-A-W-S-O-N G-E-D-D-E-S. Yeah. I'd just like to thank the government for their support and for their money to help upgrade the road. It'll do a lot of good. It'll mean we can get trucks out of the road, up and down the road during wet weather. I'd also like to thank Agforce for everything they've done. I know they've been liaising with the government to help make this possible. So, yeah, thank you.
JOURNALIST:
How far down the road do you live?
GEDDES
We're 66 kilometres.
JOURNALIST:
How long has this been a problem for you?
GEDDES
My whole life.
MCCORMACK
He's not a young fellow.
[laughter]
GEDDES
I'm 39 years old. But, yeah. My family they’ve had trouble with the road all the time. The amount of traffic on it there, yeah, it's getting beyond a joke.
JOURNALIST:
So what generation are you?
GEDDES
I'm fourth generation.
JOURNALIST:
Fourth generation. And how many head of cattle do you run?
GEDDES
We run probably two and a half thousand.
JOURNALIST:
Yeah. Is there a lot of damage that gets done to your vehicles on the road at the moment?
Lawson Geddes:
It is, yeah. Yeah, it probably turns ... well, in our trucks, if we're traveling down the road in our truck, it probably turns a 60 K trip, which usually take an hour, it turns it into two and a half hour trip when its bad. So that takes a lot out of your day going back and forth.
JOURNALIST:
So, it'll be a worth a lot to you then just in time saved-
GEDDES
Absolutely.
JOURNALIST:
... as well as vehicle maintenance.
GEDDES
Yeah. Absolutely.
JOURNALIST:
Has it ever been a risk to your safety?
GEDDES
Not so much the locals, because we know what it's like and we just take it steady. It's probably more of a risk to the local fisherman who travel up and down the road or tourists who go up and down the road. They've had a few bumps here and there.
JOURNALIST:
People in Rockhampton yesterday were saying that they feel sorry for farmers around here because of all the red tape. What do you think about that?
GEDDES
Well there's red tape in everything, isn't there? You just got to learn to put up with it, less is better. But, yeah, you just got to do what you got to do
.
JOURNALIST:
Very good.
GEDDES
Thanks.