PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER, TO THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL, AND FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: I'm Patrick Gorman, and I have the honour of campaigning my heart out to continue to represent this wonderful piece of Western Australia in the Federal Parliament. It is an absolute delight to have the Prime Minister here in Western Australia to make some important announcements, but also for tomorrow's launch, federal Labor's campaign to continue to serve the people of Australia and build Australia's future. What we also have is our great partners here in WA, the Premier Roger Cook and Rita Saffioti, the Deputy Premier, and this incredible federal WA Labor team, across this state are working to build Western Australia's future from up in the north, where the Prime Minister was up with Karen Wheatland yesterday, down in the south, with Tabitha Dowding and a range of candidates across this incredible state.
 
And what we know is there's one person who has always backed jobs in WA and always backed the transport to get people to those jobs in Western Australia, and that's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He backs the airport line, he backed METRONET, and he's here to make an important announcement about backing more public transport for Western Australia. I'll hand it to him.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Patrick, and thanks everyone for joining us on this beautiful day here in Perth. In particular thanks to my friend Roger Cook, the Premier of Western Australia, who had such an extraordinary result the other day with his deputy, Rita Saffioti. 46 seats in a Parliament of 59. A deserved victory for a Government that gets things done and delivers for WA. And we want to partner with WA to deliver for the residents here in this growing, thriving state that is at the centre of our national economy, not just WA's economy. And that's what today is about.
 
We were able to travel on Trish the ferry, not named after Trish here, but named after an elephant that passed away here in WA, a famous icon. But we're able to travel from the Swan across to the electorate of Perth, because where you go around Perth at the moment, chances are you'll be in a Labor-held electorate. And that's because we understand that Australia isn't just Kirribilli House, isn't just the east coast, isn't just engaging in Canberra. There are some public servants here in WA who will lose their jobs if Peter Dutton is elected. We need to represent the whole of Australia and that means making sure that we back WA. And that's what my Government will continue to do.
 
Today I'm announcing $60 million to assist with the ferry network being expanded here in WA. The $50 million to go towards new terminals at Applecross and Matilda Bay as part of stage one of the network. Stage two of the network will look at a range of other stops, Maylands Point, Point Fraser, Burswood, Optus, Claisebrook, Belmont and Rivervale. And we will have $10 million for that. Importantly as well, as Rita told us on the way across here, the ferry that we've just been on was made in WA. Part of this Government's commitment, unlike some of the other ferries that were made overseas, state and territory Liberal governments have offshored manufacturing again and again and again. In my home city of Sydney, they brought in ferries along the Parramatta River that were designed for people to be able to stand on the top of them. Unfortunately, they'll be decapitated if they stand on the top as they go under the bridges on the Parramatta River. We need to make things here, and here in WA they're making rail carriages, they're making ferries, they're making things here in WA. And that's why when you look at the agenda that Roger took to the election, it's in sync with our agenda. He stood up for a future made in WA. We're about a future made in Australia. Making sure that jobs and manufacturing is kept here and that it grows here as well. WA will benefit from our investment in defence manufacturing here as well.
 
And what's happening in the south of Perth there is quite extraordinary. We're getting on with the work of the road and rail network, but also, of course, of the new port that will occur as well, the early works and planning taking place. For too long WA was taken for granted by Canberra Liberal governments. And our pledge to WA that we're committing to today will deliver 14 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics for WA, ensure record federal funding for hospitals, over $3.6 billion a year, investing in Medicare and investing in cheaper medicines. Protecting WA’s share of the GST that we've enshrined, whilst making sure as well that no state is worse off.
 
Backing mining and resources. I was in Karratha yet again yesterday backing the resources sector. Making free TAFE permanent. I've been to, I think, four TAFEs here in WA. We want public TAFE. We put it back at the centre of the vocational education and training system and it's making such an enormous difference here in WA. Importantly as well, everyone we met on the ferry, everyone we met here at Elizabeth Quay, walking across the bridge, is getting a tax cut under my Government, all 14 million of them. And the other mob are actually saying they will legislate to increase the income taxes for all 14 million Australians. And of course, backing METRONET.
 
Only Labor has a plan for building Australia's future. Only Labor has a plan for delivering for every part of this country. And I'm so proud that I will be able to continue to work, if we're successful, with a bloke who I've known for over 40 years. Showing our age here a bit there. But it's just a fact that we met in 1984 and ever since then we have been friends. And it's amazing if we were having a beer there at a conference at UNSW back in 1984, I reckon there would have been pretty good odds that we would have been breath tested if they had said we'd be here today as Prime Minister and Premier. But here we are, working together with that sense of trust that comes from building relationships as well over a long period of time. Just like Rita and I worked so closely together as the respective Infrastructure Ministers, delivering projects like Gateway WA, the largest ever road investment from the Commonwealth here in WA. So, I’ll hand to the Premier and then we're happy to take some questions.
 
ROGER COOK, PREMIER OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Thank you, Prime Minister. It's great to have a local back here in WA in Anthony Albanese. It's wonderful to welcome him back to Western Australia. Albo gets WA and it's always great to welcome him back to talk about how we can continue to work together on great plans for Western Australia. And our METRONET-on-Swan is an important vision that we have for WA to activate the Swan River to make sure that it's used by more people as part of their daily commute of moving and living inside the city.
 
The partnership that we have with the Albanese Labor Government will help bring this vision alive. And I know the Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport Rita Saffioti has been working tirelessly on the plans of how we can continue to make METRONET on Swan a reality. Western Australia is benefiting from the strong working relationship that we have with the Albanese Labor Government and we hope to continue to build on that relationship as we diversify Western Australia's economy. And we continue to drive our made in WA plan. My Government has a proven track record when it comes to manufacturing. We want to make more things here.
 
There's no better example than METRONET. In the 1990s the Liberals killed rail car manufacture in WA. They killed it and we are bringing it back to life. We're already starting to produce our METRONET railcars, our C series, which are now ploughing up and down the length and breadth of the METRONET Network. We've just travelled across on Tricia the ferry which was made in WA. And of course, just a week before last, we celebrated the rolling off the production line, the first iron ore rail car manufacturing processing facility here out at Gemco in Forrestfield. And our bold, new, exciting vision for METRONET on Swan is to see ferries manufactured here in Western Australia. We can do this stuff. We're proving it time and time again.
 
And we're excited about the partnership with the Albanese Labor Government to continue to drive more jobs in Western Australia through a great manufacturing partnership with the Federal Government. Just like our METRONET trains, we'll have electric ferries as part of the METRONET on Swan project. They will continue to connect people between Mends Street here at Elizabeth Quay, Applecross and Matilda Bay. And every Western Australian knows how important it is that we continue to make sure that we invest in these great public transport initiatives so we can continue to make Perth a more sustainable city, a more liveable city and a more exciting city. As part of our METRONET-on-Swan project, with the Albanese Labor Government, $10 million will be invested into the plans for the extension of the network, looking to take it up to Maylands, across to Burswood, continuing to investigate how we can make ferry services a normal part of Western Australian life.
 
The WA economy is the engine room of the national economy and we need a strong partner in Canberra to continue to make sure that Western Australia's economy continues to grow and that we're continuing to make and create great WA jobs here in WA. And with the Anthony Albanese Labor government, we know that we have a trusted partner, a Government that we can work with to continue to create, to maintain Western Australia's strong economy and WA jobs. I'll now hand you back to the Prime Minister.
 
JOURNALIST: You talk about the relationship with the WA Government and every time you mention, every time Nature Positive laws are mentioned, you make life harder for Roger Cook in WA. Why are those laws still on the table and what will they look like? Will you seek a mandate for those laws at the election?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we had was legislation before the Parliament that didn't have a majority support in the Senate. We've said that they're off the table. They're not on the table, they're off the table. We do need a national EPA, as was identified by the review that was commissioned by the former Liberal government. We'll get it right. We'll sit down as I have already had discussions with the Chamber, I had discussions with industry and we've had discussion with conservation groups to make sure that we get it right –
 
JOURNALIST: What powers will it have?
 
PRIME MINISTER: We'll make sure we get it right. To make sure that we deliver two things. One, we deliver sustainability, but we also deliver more efficient delivery for industry as well –
 
JOURNALIST: When you say they're off the table, Prime Minister, when you say they're off the table, does that mean they're going to need a total rewrite? Is this a start from scratch on nature positive?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Of course, I've said that a number of times. Nothing newsy in that. I've said it completely. I said it when we took it off the table in the Parliament earlier this year.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, it's well known that WA, you know, delivered a majority government in 2022. You've been here for a few days and before. I mean, what's your, what's your feel? Why are you confident that you will hang on to those seats that you won from the Liberals last time?
 
PRIME MINISTER: You know what. Sam. Where’s Sam? Tania Lawrence has had a health issue, but she'll be around tomorrow. Zaneta, who else we got, Tracey, they're guns. What I have done is make sure around this country, one of the distinctions in this election campaign, is I've gone around – I met this woman here, Trish Cook. We had a meeting, we had a long chat. Nothing says WA like a nurse who used to work on the offshore oil and gas sector. She is a fantastic candidate. In Bullwinkel, I have been with Karen Wheatland now in Kununurra, in Karratha yesterday, we have the right candidates in the right seats. The people who won those four seats that we won are all absolutely outstanding.
 
And this week, if we look at the seats that we are hoping to be successful in, they include Leichhardt with Matt Smith and you compare it with the other mob. I mean, they've got candidates, they've got a candidate for the Senate here who's connected up with Illuminati rubbish. I mean, that is who they are running in seats. They got a bloke in Queensland, in Leichhardt, in a held-LNP seat who's a cooker who blames feminists for US election results. What is he saying? Women shouldn't vote? I mean, these people have selected shockers. They had to get rid of their candidate in Whitlam because he came out with all sorts of theories about women not being allowed to be in combat forces.
 
But they got a fellow in Canning who is their Shadow Defence Minister who has said the same thing. Where is he? Where is the Member for Canning during this campaign? He is a Shadow Defence Minister at a time where Peter Dutton has actually said, there have been a number of interesting things said by Mr Dutton over the past couple of weeks, but none more dangerous and none more irresponsible than linking tariffs with our defence policy. And then yesterday calling into question at a time where the world is uncertain, what we need is certainty, what we need is bipartisanship on issues of defence policy, not this nonsense that he has tried to peddle there yesterday in saying that AUKUS will be under some cloud if my Government is re-elected.
 
It's my Government that have put the detail into what was a positive idea that we backed. Compare the way that I responded as Opposition Leader when Mr Morrison asked me to come to Canberra for a briefing. Within 24 hours, I'd held a Shadow Cabinet meeting, I'd held a full Caucus meeting. I took it to the ALP National Conference and backed it in because we back in good ideas. What he backs in is division and playing politics with everything. And I think that the comments he has made on defence show him to be irresponsible. And the fact that Mr Hastie has gone missing during this campaign says a lot as well.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we've seen Josh Burns in Macnamara choose to run an open preference ticket, breaking from the usual practice of suggesting voters put the Greens second. This is of course due to the intricacies of that electorate. Considering the Greens’ divisive views, for example, on the CFMEU, will Labor run open tickets in other electorates, including in Griffith or perhaps across all electorates in the country?
 
PRIME MINISTER: You know what the Labor Party wants? We want a number one next to the name of all these people. That's my concern. That's my concern. If people put a number one next to Labor and we finish first or second, all the rest doesn't matter. I want it to be formal. I want people to vote number one for the Labor Party.
 
JOURNALIST: Can I ask your candidate Trish Cook question, please?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
 
JOURNALIST: Ms Cook, given what we've just heard, Josh Burns is running an open ticket and given the Greens view on issues important to WA, like mining, will you be directing voters to preference the Greens ahead of other candidates in your electorate?
 
TRISH COOK, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR BULLWINKEL: Well, that is a matter for the party, but a how to vote card will come out very shortly.
 
JOURNALIST: And will it preference the Greens above other parties? Can I ask the same question to Viktor?
 
PRIME MINISTER: No, you've asked once. Thanks. With respect, the party decides preferences and the party will do that. Thanks.
 
JOURNALIST: Kate Chaney recently copped a bit of blowback when she said that the seat of Curtin wasn't a win at all costs for her. You've said in many interviews that when you got into politics, you didn't have the design of being Prime Minister. How badly do you want to be PM after May 3rd?
 
PRIME MINISTER: What do you reckon? You've been with us the last couple of weeks. Make your own assessments. I'm working, but I've worked each and every day. Look, it's an incredible privilege to be Prime Minister of Australia. It isn't something, when I went into politics, if you grow up like I did in public housing with a single mum, you hope to be able to get ahead in life. That's what the Labor Party stands for. We stand for no one left behind. We look after the vulnerable. But no one held back. We're the party of aspiration. I've lived that experience. Education is the key to it. That's why the education deal that myself and Roger signed here in WA, and I pay tribute to him. He was the first, this was the first state to sign up to better and fairer funding for schools. And that will make an enormous difference.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister on integrity, you mentioned in your opening remarks public servants. Both sides of politics want a more efficient public service. That's what we're told. The independent National Audit Office is being starved of funds and the Albanese Government is on track to produce, under the Albanese Government there should be less reports than the Morrison Government, fewer reports. David Littleproud on Thursday described the Audit Office as a bunch of Canberra bureaucrats who don't understand the regions. WA regions would be part of that. Will you back the National Audit Office? Will you restore proper funding for that body?
 
PRIME MINISTER: We've restored proper funding for Australia's public service, across the board. We stand for giving respect to public servants. I noticed that in the slush funds that the Nats have announced where they're going to, we’re going to, someone needs to go back to school. They've announced that any bonuses from revenue will not go into paying down debt, will go into creating funds that will of course create more debt. I mean it's an extraordinary thing. And then they've said that the grants that are created in these funds won't be competitive grants. They'll be handed out. It'll be back to the old pork barrelling, back to the old colour coded spreadsheets. Back to the old handing out for their mates. That is what they've announced. We respect the public service and we're funding them properly –
 
JOURNALIST: But the Audit Office found the colour coded spreadsheets. Shouldn't it be properly funded?
 
PRIME MINISTER: And they did a good job. The public service should be properly funded.
 
JOURNALIST: You said just before you will go back to the drawing board on Nature Positive. When you put it to Parliament next time will you not split the EPA off from the rule changes, given that that has given you limited bargaining power in the past time?
 
PRIME MINISTER: I said what we'll do is we'll sit down with industry.
 
JOURNALIST: You’ll do it all in one tranche?
 
PRIME MINISTER: We'll sit down with the industry and we'll sit down with environmental groups. That's what I've said. We have something to work from, everyone who you meet with, including, encourage you to talk to the locals here, Rebecca who runs the local Chamber here, I've had discussions with her and others. People want a national EPA because the Howard Government's legislation is not fit for purpose. We'll get it right.
 
JOURNALIST: While you were in the Pilbara yesterday union organisers were also up there. They're trying to set up EBAs with Rio, with BHP. The mining sector worries that your changes are going to re-unionise the Pilbara. Why shouldn't the mining sector fear your changes?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Trade unions exist. They’ve existed for quite some time. It's why we don't have kids working in mines. That's why we don't have it. That's just a fact. And so, I'm not sure what the basis of the question is. People do have a right to join unions. Unions should be responsible in everything that they do as well. I think that there are common interests between unions and employers. Common interests and I want to see those common interests work in the interests of the nation.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you're entering, you're approaching week three as the clear frontrunner in this election campaign. The Opposition says you've become cocky. Are you cocky or confident ahead of the Labor launch?
 
PRIME MINISTER: I take nothing for granted. We've had, there are a range of things they're trying to distract from their own campaign. The fact that we have gone through the first couple of weeks of a campaign without changing our policies, our key policies every day is a contrast which is there. They're trying to distract from everything but talking about what they need to cut for their $600 billion nuclear plan. They have a gas plan that is gaslighting the Australian public that actually doesn't deliver anything at all. On other policies, I mean who knows what their plan is on public servants, they’ve had four different positions during a two week campaign. On their policies across the board they make these assertions about things costing tens of billions of dollars without anything to back it up. Peter Dutton continues to be Peter Dutton. He's been that for three years.

People will have an opportunity to vote. Labor has been in government for less than one third of the time that we have been around since 1891. We take nothing for granted. Elections are really tough to win and no Prime Minister has been re-elected, having been elected by the people, since John Howard in 2004. So, it is more than two decades. So, we have a mountain to climb. We're walking up. We're nowhere near there yet. And I take absolutely nothing for granted. But we also are putting in place a clear strategy going forward, clear policies going forward. I'm back in Perth. I launched my campaign here in 2022. People said, ‘why are you doing that?’ I said, ‘because I want to represent the whole country and WA is really important.’ I'm back here again in WA because guess what? WA is not just still important, it's more important than ever, given the changes in the economy and the opportunity that is here in WA.
 
JOURNALIST: 50 countries, including the US participated in a Ukraine contact group meeting last night, talking about enduring peace in the future. Where's the ADF up to? And where are you up to in terms of a potential peacekeeping contingent being sent there?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's got to be peace to have a peacekeeping force, and that is what I have said. But Australia stands with Ukraine unequivocally. I mean, that's another change that has occurred. Peter Dutton used to say this was a bipartisan policy before he broke with it. Democratic nations around the world, I've participated personally in meetings with world leaders convened by Prime Minister Starmer and President Macron of France. We will continue to provide support for President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people because they're fighting not only for their national sovereignty and the rule of law there, they're fighting for that globally as well.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister with school holidays, ANZAC Day and Easter coming up, both election launches, sorry, both party launches are unusually early. What is your core message that you hope cuts through to distracted voters?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're doing our campaign launch exactly at the same time we did last time. And we think with early voting now, people will start voting in, I think, four working days time, four or five, on the Tuesday. So, it's important to get your message out there early. But we haven't waited for an election campaign. I went to Adelaide and announced the 20 per cent cut in student debt. I announced making free TAFE permanent in Adelaide in October. In December, I went to Brisbane and announced getting rid of the activity test for child care, making sure that people get more access to child care and a billion dollars for childcare infrastructure in January. In January, I went to the National Press Club with all of my friends here and I announced policies going forward as well. And then in Launceston, I announced our Medicare changes as well.
 
We've continued to roll out coherent policies based upon our vision. And our vision is for building Australia's future, dealing with the immediate issues that we need to put in place, providing further cost of living relief, whether it's the income tax cuts, the energy bill relief, the cheaper medicines of just $25 or $7.70 being frozen for concession card holders. Dealing with those issues, the pressures which are there, whilst anticipating and creating better future. So, a future made in Australia agenda is about that. The child care agenda is about that long term reform. The education deals that we have signed with every Premier and Chief Minister, the last one of which was the day before the Budget with Premier Crisafulli. Queensland coming on board, WA led that movement, but we got every state and territory to sign up to the reforms that were championed under the former government when David Gonski did his review more than a decade ago. We will now deliver better and fairer funding for every school so that every parent can be confident that regardless of whether their child goes to a public school or a private school, they'll get the funding they need.
 
JOURNALIST: Thanks PM, looking at the size of your Caucus here, it's a show of force. It's almost half the Caucus, it feels like. So, at a state level, Labor is almost a one party system here and you're huge in numbers. What is it about WA that makes Labor so strong here? What is unique? Is it the iron ore? Is it the leadership of Cook? What is it? And what do you ask Roger Cook for on leadership advice about how to extend this across the country where you're weaker?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, look, I'll give Roger a chance to have a swing at that as well, because I reckon I got some idea about what he might say. But we've had a plan for WA and I've always been passionate – if you go back and look at the former government that I served in as Infrastructure Minister, we did the Northbridge project. We united the City, the CBD with Northbridge, by sinking the railway line. That was a project in urban development that was one of a kind. The other mob would never have thought of doing any of that. In terms of rail funding, the Howard Government did not put $1 into one rail project over 12 long years. We did that. And we also, in terms of roads, Gateway WA, the largest project, the Swan Valley Bypass, they changed the name, but I'll stick with the Swan Valley Bypass, that we funded.
 
JOURNALIST: So what you think it’s just infrastructure?
 
PRIME MINISTER: No but, schools, health, understanding –
 
JOURNALIST: But those things exist in other states – what is it about WA?
 
PRIME MINISTER: We have fantastic candidates who are delivering for their local communities, who are a part of the local community. You know, this bloke's a former WA Citizen of the Year. He's someone who speaks multiple languages. I've been in Tangney multiple times. And he's the right candidate for that seat. Josh Wilson is the right candidate for Freo. Zaneta is the right candidate for Swan. Trish is the right candidate for Bullwinkel. Getting it right, not taking people for granted. And the truth is that the WA Liberals used to have significant figures. Matthias Cormann, Julie Bishop, were significant figures. They're gone. And the factional disputes in WA mean that the WA Liberals are too busy fighting each other to fight for the people of WA. That is the problem that they have. But I'll ask Roger to make some comments.
 
COOK: Well, PM, you nailed it. Look, I think people are looking to their local governments and their national government for a plan. A plan to make sure that they will continue to keep the economy strong, that we'll have a plan for jobs. But not only jobs for now. Jobs for the future, jobs for their kids, jobs for their kids’ kids. And that's what the Western Australians were responding to in the last state election. They want a government which has a plan. And from the WA Liberals, there was no plan. There were no policies, there was no alternative. And that's the parallel you see in this election. Anthony Albanese is articulating a plan for the country to continue to grow jobs, to continue to make sure that we can adapt to a changing global environment. And that's what the people of Australia are responding to. That strong leadership.
 
Can I also make a couple of other observations. In Western Australia, you see the team behind us, a team which represents, reflects the communities that they seek to represent. They are people who are from all walks of life that represent the diversity of the Western Australian community and provide great leadership for the communities for which they are representatives. You see, the Liberals, they are a bunch of people who are riddled with division, with factional divides and preselecting people with extreme views, with views that are quite frankly out of step with mainstream Western Australia and mainstream Australia.
 
So, the sort of issues you see playing out in the federal election are the same issues that you saw in the state election. You need strong leadership. You need a focus on economy and on jobs. You need a team which is representing the people of the communities that you're seeking to represent and you need policies from the other side. And that's not what you have. You have no plan from the Liberals. They are a mess and quite frankly they're not fit for government.
 
JOURNALIST: PM can I ask about some Liberal candidates?
 
PRIME MINISTER: There's a queue, there's a queue. Riles is going to bring it home, well, you are so persistent, and persistence should be rewarded.
 
JOURNALIST: Thanks PM. You've raised a number of Liberal candidates across the country whilst you're here. You mentioned the fact they had to dump a candidate in Whitlam over his views on the ADF. The candidate in Leichardt too. And there was a candidate in Sydney that sparked complaint amongst parents for handing chocolate out to kids straight outside a primary school. One, can I get your thoughts on that? But two, are you confident that all of the candidates that you have running for seats across the country will still be endorsed by the Labor Party when you get to polling day?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Can I make this point about that? The bloke who's running in Bennelong for the Liberal Party has been in trouble for non-declaration of donations. He's the bloke who Peter Dutton went to a fundraiser for and made a suggestion about what's colloquially been referred to as the ‘golden ticket visas’ or ‘cash for visas’, some people have called it. So, if you have enough money in Australia to come to Australia, you can pay for a visa and get in. That was at the fundraiser, you might recall. No big policy announcement, no press release, just a caught on camera moment from Peter Dutton.
 
And then this guy, who doesn't know that you can't hand sweets to children who are not yours outside of school? Who doesn't know that? Does anyone here not know that that's not what you do? And no wonder, no wonder the principal at that school in Lane Cove put in a complaint to the Liberal Party. But how is it that doesn't – he didn't rock up there by himself. That was a campaign event. How is it that is someone who is a candidate which on the pendulum is held by the Liberal Party, Jerome Laxale, our fantastic MP there, has to get a swing to the Labor Party to be re-elected as a member for Bennelong, and the campaign team against him sit around and go, ‘I know, we'll go hand out chocolates to little kids outside of school?’
 
You know, these people are just – across the country, there are incidents like this. And it compares with what I've done as the Labor leader in key seats, following the best example, possibly is Kristy McBain in the Eden-Monaro by-election. But there's someone here as well in Tracey Roberts. Now, without giving up Tracey's political history, Tracey Roberts, I don't think, had been to too many branch meetings because she wasn't in the Labor Party. I met Tracey Roberts when she was an amazing local Mayor and a champion of her local community. I rang her up, said, ‘Trace, I got a job for you.’ And Tracey Roberts agreed. And you know what? She's nailing it as the Member each and every day. And that's what not waiting for an election campaign and then going, ‘oh, we're going to have some policies.’ I mean, I think, is the Liberal Party policy committee meeting still going on? Like, what is going on with their campaign? That is the difference with this campaign. We are orderly, we are orderly, we are organised, we are coherent, we're cohesive, we're united and that is what we are moving forward.
 
JOURNALIST: Well, about the campaign, Prime Minister, a variation of a question I asked Peter Dutton yesterday. Probably not a shock to you, but people aren't exactly captivated by this election campaign. They'll probably engage in the last two or three weeks because they're going to have to vote. I'm just wondering what you'll have to say to them tomorrow in your launch that might inspire Australian voters about their future?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks for the question. And your question goes to why this election has a long time to go and why we take absolutely nothing for granted. And we'll work each and every day. I won't clock off, I'm not even going to the Bunnies this afternoon. We're working, which is, you know, Roger is actually representing me this afternoon at the Souths event this afternoon and will proudly do, and I'm going to give him the Bunnies cap because I got a few to spare. But we don't take it for granted. You're quite right in identifying that people will, a lot of people will clock on, because for many people, politics is not what they think of when they wake up in the morning.
 
We understand that, and that's why our offer is threefold. The offer of what we have done, wages down, wages up. Inflation down to 2.4 per cent. Unemployment low with more than a million jobs created, interest rates starting to fall, they started to rise before the election. We'll talk about that. What we've done in cheaper child care, cheaper medicines, the delivery that we've put in place, restoring Australia's place in the world. But that's not enough. Our offer, and you'll see more of the offer tomorrow, but we've already put substantial amounts out, we've put out substantial investment in Medicare, in education, in housing, in jobs and a future made in Australia. We'll have some more announcements at our campaign launch tomorrow. But we will also, as people focus before the election day on May 3rd.
 
I think people will ask themselves, after less than three years since the Morrison Government lost office, where some of the most competent people in the Morrison Government have left, where small-L Liberals like Simon Birmingham, Christopher Pyne went a while ago, Paul Fletcher, will the last moderate in the Liberal Party turn the lights off when they leave? They are becoming more extreme, less capable of putting forward a competent, orderly process. And in uncertain times, which is what we live in, what my Government offers is stability, is certainty, is competence, is a team that has been unlike any other first term government, certainly in my memory, there have been no scandals, no resignations, people in the same job, not a rotation every year of Defence Ministers and other ministers in and out. Not 23 energy policies, just one. Just one that we're delivering. And that I think is what is needed in Australia. Further reform. The reform, is never done. Further progress, not protest through the minor parties because they can't form government. I want a majority government. That's what we'll be working on each and every day.
 
And that is one of the reasons why I'll be back in WA over the next few weeks as well and continue to campaign to make sure that our Caucus becomes even bigger, the contingent from WA, in the future. Thank you very much and I'll see everyone at the campaign launch tomorrow.
 
ENDS