REBECCA WHITE, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR LYONS: Thanks all for coming here today to the Boyer site at Norske Skog. As the local candidate I’m really excited to welcome the Prime Minister, Minister Katy Gallagher, Minister Julie Collins and Secretary of the AMWU Jacob Batt. I’m also very pleased to be standing here with General Manager of the site Pat Dooley, because it is through his hard work and representation that Boyer has made, and I’ve been really proud to stand with them to advocate for support from a re-elected Albanese Labor Government. Boyer has a proud history here in the Derwent Valley, we are standing alongside has been operating for a very long time. Generations of families have been employed at this site and currently there are 330 people who are directly employed here at Boyer Mill. We are also on a site that has recently returned to Australian ownership, producing paper here in Australia, which is the only place in Australia doing so. I've been working really closely with Boyer Mill to make sure that we can continue to support this iconic operator to remain here in Tassie in Australian ownership so we can support these jobs in regional Tasmania. And I'm excited that the Prime Minister is joining us today to make a really exciting announcement.
 
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks so much Bec and it's fantastic to be back in Tasmania and to be with Rebecca, our fantastic candidate for Lyons, with Julie Collins who is such a champion for Tasmania and sits in the Cabinet as such a strong advocate for the needs, for jobs here in Tasmania and make sure that we never forget the south island as well as the north island when we're considering Australia's national interests. We're joined also by Katy Gallagher, our Finance Minister, by Pat Dooley who's the General Manager of this plant and Jacob Batt who's the secretary of the AMWU, for what is a really exciting announcement.
 
Now the Boyer Paper Mill is an iconic part of Tasmania's manufacturing story. It was the first and is now the last and only newsprint producer in Australia. You've heard me speak a lot over the last three years about a Future Made in Australia. We need to be more resilient as an economy. We need to produce essential items and one of those is of course newsprint, which is why not just the survival of this plant but the thriving of this plant as it transitions, which is what we're announcing today will be about, is so important. This plan supports directly 310 local jobs, but there are many other jobs including the jobs of some of the people in our media contingent here who are dependent upon this plant continuing to operate, which is why it is so important. This also of course shores up manufacturing here and forestry supply chains. This is what our Future Made in Australia is all about.
 
This plant recently returned to Australian ownership and I think that's a great thing and we back this industry. This paper mill was indeed constructed during World War Two by Australian Newsprint Mills, such an important iconic institution. My Government today is announcing up to $24 million to help Boyer prepare for a low emissions future and to secure the future of the mill. $9 million of that over the next two years will be to ensure its financial viability as this transition occurs, up front, so that they can decarbonise and to diversify its production. We'll also provide up to $15 million to match the company's own investments in electrification that are occurring. And so what the company and Pat will go through a bit more about what they are doing in the transition to using clean energy, moving away from coal fired power here is in order to reduce their bills, reduce emissions and ensure the viability of this mill as it goes forward.
 
As I said, there's about 1,000 indirect jobs can be directly related to what happens at this plant. It's so important. So, this is about new industrial opportunities. It's consistent with our Future Made in Australia agenda. And I'm so pleased to be here back in Tasmania to make this announcement. We'll hear from Pat, we'll hear from Jacob, we'll hear from Julie. Then we're happy to take a few questions. Tasmanians first, we'll give you the first crack, local people, and then we'll ask a couple of others.
 
PATRICK DOOLEY, GENERAL MANAGER BOYER MILL: Prime Minister, Minister Katy Gallagher, Minister Julie Collins, Rebecca White and other guests. Welcome to the Boyer Mill. Thank you Prime Minister for your strong sign of support today. I'm pleased to advise that as of today our mill is once again Australian owned. So, your support is for Australian owned, Australian manufacturing and Australian jobs. As Australia's sole remaining publication paper manufacturing facility, these commitments reinforce Australia's sovereign manufacturing capability.
 
Today's announcement will assist in achieving our vision for the Boyer Mill, respecting our history while transitioning from a single use site to a sustainable multiple use facility that can include developments in the production of a diverse range of paper grades, education and training facilities, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy and sustainable housing initiatives. The Boyer Mill has a proud history as one of Tasmania's largest employers and has operated continuously for 84 years. We're looking forward to the next chapter of our long history as one of Tasmania's cornerstone industries and major employers.
 
As stated, our mill is the only producer of publication paper in Australia, produced from fully certified sustainable softwood plantations and as such it plays an important role in supplying newsprint, catalogues and magazine grades to Australia's publishers and printers. We also export paper. Our mill provides over 300 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs and is a major contributor to Tasmanian and Australian economies. Our local expenditure is over $180 million per annum which is very significant in a regional economy. We're delighted to host you here today.
 
One quick final acknowledgement, on behalf of more than 2,000 Tasmanian producers and manufacturers who ship across Bass Strait to mainland and overseas markets each year. I thank you and also the Federal Opposition for bipartisan support of the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme. This scheme is critical to our business and the commitments provided during the election campaign are most appreciated. In this regard I thank all Tasmanian federal members and election candidates for your advocacy on behalf of Tasmania. In conclusion, today's announcement marks today as a significant date in our history and represents the launch of the Boyer Mill into a sustainable future.
 
JACOB BATT, AMWU TASMANIA STATE SECRETARY: Thank you. My name is Jacob Batt. I'm the State Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union. This is a fantastic announcement today. I think what this really shows is that manufacturing, well paid, good jobs in the regions is back under an Anthony Albanese Labor Federal Government. And that's why we're here today.
 
We're here today because the Labor Party is standing up for regional jobs, regional communities. They've secured the current 300 jobs here. But this announcement goes further. It actually looks to the future. It looks to be ensuring that manufacturing continues here, but it thrives. There's more industry, more opportunity for Australians and for Tasmanians. We couldn't be prouder to be here today to have the Prime Minister of Australia to be here to meet with our members, to meet with the workers here. And this is a fantastic announcement, a fantastic opportunity. I just want to commend the Prime Minister and the Government on this. Thank you so much.
 
JULIE COLLINS, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY, AND SMALL BUSINESS: It's terrific to be here with our terrific candidate Rebecca White and of course the Prime Minister and Minister Gallagher. What this investment here means, as we've heard repeatedly, is securing regional jobs in Tasmania. But importantly, these are sustainable jobs. This is plantation forestry going into paper with paper made here in an Australian-owned company. And it's being done in a way that is reducing emissions. It shows that we can have jobs here in Tasmania that are sustainable and we can protect the environment. We can do both and this shows that we're doing both, under the Albanese Labor government.
 
If we're re elected, the investment in this mill will support jobs here in Tasmania, in regional Tasmania. These jobs are critically important to the local community. But as we've heard from Pat, the investment that this mill also makes repeatedly into the Tasmanian economy is very substantial. If this mill weren't here, the impact on the Tasmanian economy would be brutal. So, this investment is much needed, much wanted and of course has been advocated for by Rebecca and the Federal Labor team. And I want to say a big thank you to the team here at Boyer Mill for their advocacy, for their support in terms of supporting jobs here in regional Tasmania. It's terrific to be here.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks Jules. Happy to take questions, but Tasmanians first.
 
JOURNALIST: Well, I wanted to go straight to the issue of salmon. Some recent polling is showing that Julie Collins is ahead in the polls compared to some of her anti-fish farm candidates in Franklin. Will you commit to reinstating Julie as the Fisheries Minister if you are re-elected and do you think that any debate over salmon is existing in a vacuum in Tasmania?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Look, Julie Collins is a fantastic Cabinet Minister, but we're not getting ahead of ourselves. We're not getting ahead of ourselves. We're focused on May the 3rd. Julie Collins will always have my support because she's a fantastic Minister and she's a great representative for Tasmania. But I tell you what we’re focused on, May the 3rd. May the 4th, I look forward to watching Star Wars at night, but apart from that, that is my focus each and every day. We've got a mountain to climb. It's really hard to win elections and to be re-elected as Prime Minister. If it was easy, maybe someone would have done it sometime between 2004 and 2025. But it hasn't happened. So, our sole focus is on the election. We're not getting ahead of ourselves.
 
JOURNALIST: The Tasmanian Government is going to legislate the Macquarie Point Stadium into existence without any planning process. As a former Infrastructure Minister, is that the best way to do town planning? And especially if it involves $240 million of Commonwealth funding.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Gee whiz. We provided $50 million in the 2012 Budget for planning and for work. We forwarded it to the Tasmanian Government. It's been sitting in the Budget there for all of that time from Macquarie Point. Mac Point has been an eyesore. It should be a jewel in the crown. All of our capital cities have got much better at connecting up the CBD with the waterfront. And Hobart is such a stunning, beautiful city. And this is an urban development redevelopment project. I want to see urban redevelopment occur in Hobart. I want to see a Tasmanian AFL team, the Tassie Devils, which has had an amazing number of people sign up for it, not surprisingly.
 
JOURNALIST: Just on that question, are you comfortable with the process that's been used? Effectively bypassing –
 
PRIME MINISTER: The process is a Tasmanian Government process. What I want to see is for urban redevelopment. I went to that site prior to us making the announcement in 2012 and you go around that site and what you see is a whole lot of dirt. You see a space that is prime waterfront land that's prime for residential, commercial, recreational, should lift up this state and lift up the city of Tasmania. I have not had discussions with the Premier about the specifics of the proposal. That's a matter for Tasmania. What I do say, what I do say is that there has been a need to do something with that site for a long period of time.
 
JOURNALIST: Just on the Boyer Mill here, have you got a timeline in mind for when you would like to see the electrification of this site start to progress from start to finish? And given that this site produces around about 80,000 tonnes of emissions a year, how confident are you that the investment that you put forward will start to make a difference in chipping away at that [inaudible]?
 
PRIME MINISTER: You bet it'll make a difference. You bet it will make a difference because they're transitioning like so many industries are. There's this debate sometimes in the Parliament or a debate, should I say, within the Coalition Party Room, about whether emissions intensive industry is changing. When I go around businesses, whether it's Tomago in Newcastle, which is the major energy user in NSW, or this, which is a major energy user here, or in Western Australia, where I was just a couple of days ago, or in Gladstone in Queensland, what I see is that for reasons of one, reducing emissions, good for the environment, but also reducing costs is what this is about, bringing in greater efficiencies. And that's why we'll work with Boyer on this. That's why the $9 million is important up front. But they want to transition because it makes them much more efficient going forward.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, three years ago you said that you felt the weight of removing the Morrison Government. This time around you don't have the Morrison factor working in Labor's favour. What weighs you down now and why aren't you - why is Peter Dutton still so competitive with you?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what weighs me down is that the Morrison Government, I think was a bad government. I think the fact that they replaced Tony Abbott with Malcolm Turnbull and then replaced Malcolm Turnbull with Tony Abbott and then wanted to replace Morrison with Josh Frydenberg says a lot about the wasted 10 years. Ten years where they had 23 different energy policies and didn't deliver one. Didn't deliver one. And so, you had that uncertainty for business. What weighs me down now is I feel a responsibility to ensure that we're able to continue to govern, that you continue to have the investment that we're seeing from companies like this, that you have a government that strengthens Medicare, that looks after people, doesn't leave people behind and that creates opportunity. I want that to continue to occur. And what we're left with now is the leftovers of the Morrison Government. Some of the best people have all gone. They've left. And the remaining moderates, one by one, Karen Andrews, you have Paul Fletcher, you have had Senator Birmingham. Christopher Pyne's gone. You're now left with a more and more right-wing rump in the Liberal Party. And when you look at their candidates, some of the views that they have are just not consistent, you know, not consistent with Australian values that we have, that we hold dear here. We look after each other in Australia. We don't have a dog-eat-dog attitude towards the economy. We look after people. We make sure that we have a culture here of the fair go. That's what my Government represents and that's what I want to continue with.
 
JOURNALIST: The polling says that the vast majority of Labor voters want to see an end to native forest logging. Why won't you do that here in the state of Tasmania?
 
PRIME MINISTER: We have no change to our native forestry policy.
 
JOURNALIST: Why not? Why not?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Because we don't.
 
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, isn't it a risky idea to put $24 million into a business whose fortunes are so closely intertwined with a sunset industry like newspaper distribution?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Wow. Any newspaper reps here?
 
JOURNALIST: Myself.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Where do you work?
 
JOURNALIST: Financial Review.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Good luck. Good luck on Monday explaining that. I love picking up a paper, I love holding it, I love reading it. So, do many Australians and you know what? I think it's important that it continue to exist. I think it's important that magazines continue to exist. I think it's important that manufacturing in Australia continue to exist and that's why I back it.
 
JOURNALIST: May I ask you on housing, please.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Sure.
 
JOURNALIST: The Liberal policy, the Coalition's policy, the tax deductible mortgages that was announced yesterday. I'm not sure if you got a question on this this morning. Could I get your response to that? Would you support, would you better that, would you not go for that? And if I ask as well just to be a cheeky one the Liberals rap diss track. Have you heard it? Do you have any response?
 
PRIME MINISTER: I did - it was drawn to my attention, on the latter question. Look, the Liberal Party can explain their own campaign. For me, some of it's way beyond my comprehension, some of the things they're doing in this campaign, I've got to say. There's lots of really good Australian music around. We heard one of those at my campaign launch yesterday, “Sounds of Then” by the great GANGgajang. We can all sing, “this is Australia.” We are a different country. I'm running as an Australian Prime Minister on Australian values. I'll leave it to others to see why they consistently just borrow cultures and ideas and policies from other places as well. On housing. Can I say that, you know, this is a policy that was in the Fin Review I read today in the paper. I read the analysis. I read the paper, which is much preferable from my perspective maybe showing my age perhaps. But the analysis speaking about how even that policy was abandoned under the Trump Administration the first time around. This is a policy that has never been supported, wasn't supported by them the entire time that they were in government. They did nothing about housing, they helped create the problem for a decade. And you saw the people who created the problem all lined up at Peter Dutton's launch yesterday, all clapping, someone saying, ‘we need to do something about housing’ but nothing about housing supply. If you don't do something about housing supply, you're not serious and they're not serious.
 
JOURNALIST: Back to Labor’s proposed [inaudible], is it dangerous or is it a risk that people have a weaker ability to service a mortgage, are coming into the market when we could be heading into a global recession. Is that a risk?
 
PRIME MINISTER: No, no it's not. And I'll explain why. There's 150,000 people have already been through that system. You know how many defaults there been? See if you can guess. Anyone? Three. Out of 150,000. So, all of the same conditions to get your borrowing still apply. The only difference is that the government effectively is guarantor for 15% of the loan. So, we're very confident.
 
JOURNALIST: Will the houses built under that scheme be offered at rates lower than the market rate in the cities at which they are being built? And if not, how will it do anything to help people on lower incomes into homes, particularly in places like Sydney where the average price of a house is upwards of $1 million?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Depending upon which scheme you're talking about? Because there's a few.
 
JOURNALIST: The build to build scheme that you mentioned before.
 
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, yeah, well, they won't be competing with investors, simple as that. They won't be competing with investors.
 
JOURNALIST: It will still be a market rate?
 
PRIME MINISTER: They won't be competing with investors. I can't explain it more simply than that. If you're going along next to this guy, this guy's an investor, you're not all of a sudden, all of a sudden, if you speak to young people about what is happening in auctions right around, if you exclude investors and keep things just for people who are first home buyers, it's a game changer.
 
JOURNALIST: You said how important it is that this industry continues. Can it continue though, without government support? $20 million today, how much more in the future and how are you going to find the money to pay for that, if this is a long-term thing?
 
PRIME MINISTER: This is a very specific investment. There was a previous investment by the former Labor Government many years ago that allowed an upgrade of this facility. And you know what? Those 310 people who work here and the more than thousand people whose jobs depend upon this, they pay taxes, they contribute to the economy, they create jobs in this local economy as well. This is about supporting our manufacturing. And I tell you what, if manufacturing just leaves, like the former government told the car industry to bugger off, that's what happened, and as a direct result, that had a multiplier effect as well, because when you have manufacturing, skills are learned off each other, there's a flow on effect both for the technology and also the skills.
 
JOURNALIST: I’m disappointed we’re not going to get to hear your diss track –
 
PRIME MINISTER: You can look at my music choices on Spotify, my DJ sets, some of them are up there and if not I'm happy to go on the on the bus with the media and play it through the sound system if you have one.
 
JOURNALIST: On support for workers, your standard tax deduction, it doesn't start for 27 months. Why can't it start at the end of the 25/26 year?
 
PRIME MINISTER: Because what we did was we consulted the ATO and it's a matter of making sure it can be got ready. It's simple as that.
 
JOURNALIST: You point out the headline about Peter Dutton's policy being abandoned by Donald Trump, but doesn't that actually prove that Peter Dutton is not the Trump lookalike that you and your Ministers have been trying to paint him as this entire campaign?
 
PRIME MINISTER: People will make their own conclusion, but people can have a look at the caps that my team wear and the caps that the other team wear and draw their own conclusions. Thanks very much.
 
ENDS