Thank you everyone for being here, but the biggest thank you obviously goes to our guests today. I'd like to thank you all for making the time for coming out here. What's happened out in our region is significant. And from the event that's happened here in Clermont this week, not only will we recover, but we will grow stronger for that. And we'll grow stronger because that's just who we are out here in the regions. We're resilient, we work hard, we look after each other, and that's exactly what you would have seen driving around in the streets here in Clermont. Here we are people that feed power, and we build communities here and all across the globe. We do it with our traditional industries in the Ag sector. We have been mining for metallurgical coal, energy producing coal for a while, and we are at the forefront of a renewables boom. There are people out here every day putting their boots on the ground, making sure that we deliver for Australia and for Queensland, and that's how our regions work. So, it's really significant today to have the Prime Minister and the Minister out here to acknowledge not just what's occurred, but just how important these communities are. We couldn't be more grateful for anyone that comes out here to not just show their support, but really show it in a meaningful way - and that's what we're seeing out here today. And on behalf of the Isaac region, on behalf of all of our communities that are being affected right now, on behalf of all of the landholders that have still got their cattle under pressure in Lotus Creek and Clarke Creek, our communities in Dysart that have been cut off, and everyone who has volunteered to ensure the safety of our community members and to ensure that we've come through this event, everyone safe, accounted for, as we continue to deal with these weather events. Living out here isn't easy, but we love it. And what we do makes us who we are, and we're really proud of that. And we're here to look out for each other, but we do need the support of every level of government. We've seen the Premier out here early, but we've got the Prime Minister here today to talk to us about what support he can give to the people of these communities, because this is the time when we need it most. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce the Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much, Kelly, and thank you for your leadership of the Isaac region here. And this is an important region. It's one of the driving forces behind our national economy, whether it be agriculture or the resources sector. And the people here are resilient, but they've been doing it tough over recent days. And we're here to say that the Federal Government has got your back. We're working hand in hand as well with the Queensland government, and I spoke with David Crisafulli yesterday again, and I'll see him back in Brisbane later today as well to discuss what more we can do to provide assistance to people on the ground here. There are no politics here, just governments at different levels, Commonwealth, State and local government, as well as amazing organisations like the Clermont Bears here where we are. Where the volunteers have been out there helping people, helping literally to save people, but also helping people to fix up their homes to provide assistance. We've heard stories today about the bears providing accommodation for their friends and neighbours as well. It's what Australians do. At the toughest of times, you see the best of the Australian character and here in regional Queensland, you see it in spades. Regional Queenslanders helping each other out in this local community. And I want to give a shout out to all of the volunteers, not just the Bears, but the others as well. I met earlier on with the SES volunteers, people who've come from Dysart, from Mackay, from right around the region, to provide assistance to people here in this local community - and it's extraordinary efforts that are taking place. As well as the police and emergency services, the fire services, all of the people who are providing assistance, as well as the Commonwealth support that's here on the ground from the National Emergency Management Agency that's made such a difference for coordinating the effort at a national level as well. They're dealing with bushfires in Victoria at the same time as we're dealing with floods here in Queensland. And our thoughts are with those communities who've already suffered, who are under pressure in North West Queensland as well as we speak, with the potential for further rainfall and further events there. They're already doing it tough with massive losses of cattle, and for those communities around places like Julia Creek, our thoughts are with you. I spoke with the Mayor there just a couple of days ago and I visited Cloncurry and Mount Isa with the Minister and Treasurer Chalmers just a week ago. So this is a difficult period that we are going through. Australia is experiencing more extreme weather events and they're occurring more often and with greater intensity. So it is something that we are having to deal with, but Australians are showing how resilient they are. Can I say that today we have a further announcement, an additional $26 million of support in partnership with the Queensland government that brings the support for this region up to $66 million. That support is for Primary Producer Support Package for the extraordinary Disaster Recovery Assistance, grants of up to $25,000 for small businesses, $4 million of additional support for mental health recovery program, as well as a million dollars for the regional council here to help with immediate recovery needs. One of the things that we find at times like this, it is local government that is best positioned to really provide that immediate assistance. And Kelly and her team who we've been with here today, certainly are doing that on the ground. Every level of government will be working together, not just over coming days or weeks, but in the months ahead to make sure that this community can recover. And the Minister, Minister Kristy McBain, is back here in this community and I'll ask her to make some comments, then we'll be happy to take some questions.
KRISTY MCBAIN, MINISTER FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: Thank you, Prime Minister. Can I start by acknowledging the emergency service workers that are working tirelessly across our nation at this point in time. Obviously we've got a bushfire that's impacting a large chunk of Victoria, we've had ongoing monsoonal rains and floods in Queensland, and obviously this region has just been impacted following ex-tropical cyclone Koji. So a big thank you to all our emergency service workers, to all of the volunteers, the community members that come out in support and you've heard the Prime Minister talk about some of those community members today. But I want to acknowledge the emergency service workers because a lot of these people, they leave their homes and they leave their families not knowing what they are going to encounter and their families are at home not knowing whether they will see their loved one come back. So a big shout out to all those emergency service workers. As the Prime Minister just said, we met with local SES as well as a range of visiting SES here on the ground. And a shout out to Liz, the group captain for Clermont, who's done a tremendous job in the work that she's done here locally. In small regional communities, we don't function unless people put their hand up and volunteer, so a big thank you to all those emergency service workers. Our gratitude is not enough but we do want to say a big thank you to you all. Look, we acknowledge at the moment across Australia, there are a large range of events and I think it's really important that the Albanese Government has shown swift leadership in making sure supports are put in place as quickly as possible. As the Prime Minister said, our support packages in Queensland now total $66 million. Just announced today, $26.6 million of new support packages, including $11.32 million for primary producer supports, including a wraparound support service. We know that feral pest and locust management is going to become more important as these floods go on, so this will go towards that. There's also small business support because we know small businesses are doing it tough, particularly when our primary producers aren't producing to their full scale. So an additional $9.98 million to support small businesses in particular. We know that people have been hit by a number of disasters, so we're announcing today $4.26 million, which is a mental health support package. We want people to feel like they can reach out when they need to, particularly after they've been hit multiple times with flooding events. So this mental health support package is incredibly important for this region and as the Prime Minister said, a million dollars to Isaac Regional Council. It is a tough job as a local council working in local communities after a disaster and we don't want council to have to choose between their business as usual and cleaning up in local communities. So this fund will help council get underway a range of their programs that they've got in place. And I've been with Mayor Kelly Vea Vea today, toured around this particular area. I've seen some of that infrastructure damage and what this will allow is them to get on with their planning and preparation for how they proceed with the next step of making sure infrastructure is more resilient come the next natural disaster. I do want to make really clear that there are a range of things we still don't know from this flood event, including what the impacts are going to be on livestock in this particular area. So, we will continue to work with the local council, with our embedded National Emergency Management Agency officials here, and if there are additional supports required, the Albanese Government stands ready to assist the Queensland Government and Local Council with what additional supports may be required into the future. But just again, to make clear, the Albanese government is acting swiftly to make sure Queenslanders know that we have their back and will continue to be here for that recovery in the long term.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks, Kristy. We're happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: With the river gauge situation, particularly in northwest Queensland, do you think that Bureau of Meteorology should have control of all river gauges and automatic river gauges?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we have is a substantial amount of funds, some $236 million we've allocated over ten years to upgrade flood warning infrastructure and upgrade things like rain gauges, rain towers, warning signs and cameras. The operational questions are best directed to the Bureau. But at the moment, local councils and state government agencies own the majority of flood gauges. They're responsible for their own infrastructure, but that's why we have established this fund.
JOURNALIST: The Carpentaria Mayor said that even though their gauges were serviced eight weeks ago, they just didn't cope with the amount of water and they failed. Does more need to be done to actually improve the quality of the infrastructure?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course, this has been an event that has been extraordinary. What we heard today from the local community here was that there was notice around the middle of the day and it took just five hours for the river to peak. And we crossed over and saw the extraordinary impact that water can have.
JOURNALIST: The Queensland Premier has said that it is really up to the Federal Government to up the investment. Is that your view? Are you looking at expediting that funding over the $236 million?
PRIME MINISTER: The Queensland Premier is responsible for Queensland infrastructure.
JOURNALIST: Do you think we should put more funding towards it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we are putting $236 million we have on the table over ten years.
JOURNALIST: The Federal Opposition Leader has said today that the current reforms to the gun situation is unsalvageable. Does that mean that they've dealt themselves out in negotiations?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I find the Opposition Leader's comments quite extraordinary. The Opposition Leader said that Parliament should be brought back prior to Christmas, literally in the days after the antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, immediately called for action, called for the Parliament to be brought back and for there to be legislation. What we have done is work through these issues in an orderly way, in a consultative way. We have released draft legislation in good faith, asking for comments to come forward. I said in doing that we were open to amendments from across the Parliament or suggestions that were made as part of that process. We agreed to a Committee of Inquiry at the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security to undertake that. They've been holding public meetings and now the Leader of the Opposition is saying that it is being done too quickly. So, they have gone from saying things needed to be done immediately prior to Christmas and legislation to be carried, to now saying legislation should be deferred until 2027, is one suggestion, after the Royal Commission will report, and that there shouldn't be legislative change, that it goes too far, some have said. Others are saying it hasn't gone far enough. What I say is that this is a moment for national unity. This is a moment where people should be coming forward in good faith and putting forward suggestions, engaging constructively. I have met with Sussan Ley on Monday. I met with her the previous Monday. We have had two weeks notice that Parliament would be being brought back to the Opposition. One week to examine this legislation. And it is extraordinary that they are now saying it is being rushed when they were demanding, demanding and the front pages of newspapers were demanding that it be done prior to Christmas.
JOURNALIST: Are you prepared to fight with Liberal State and Territory Governments who rejected the proposal for the National Gun Buyback Scheme? Would it work without unanimous support?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they're accountable for their own actions. What I want to do is fight for our national interest and fight for our national unity. That's my priority. That's what I've been focused on. I think others will judge people who during what is national tragedy, occurred on December 14th. I have, throughout the period since then, attempted to engage constructively. I have engaged constructively. I haven't commented back on some of the things that have been said about me and my government. I have been constructive, orderly, considered, and that is what characterises the way that my government operates. We have been consultative. I've engaged constructively with Senator Waters over the last two days. We've had two discussions. I've exchanged again today with Allegra Spender, the Member for Wentworth. And we're up for engaging constructively with the Opposition. But people have dismissed this legislation that they called for without even reading it, and have made comments that are just not right. Let's be clear about what the guns situation would do as well. A Gun Buyback is in partnership with the states. It's similar to the system that was put in place after the Port Arthur massacre. That was something in which John Howard, Tim Fisher and Kim Beazley, as the Labor Leader then, engaged constructively in the national interest. And people will have a look at what's going on and scratch their head and say, 'how is it that after calling for Parliament to be brought back, they're now saying, what's the rush? Parliament can wait into the never, never before we act on these important issues'.
JOURNALIST: Would you consider overriding it?
PRIME MINISTER: No, it's - well, there are constitutional issues here and we will behave constitutionally. That's why we had to take the time to get the proper advice about the proper legislation. And that is what we have put forward. And the Attorney-General's Department have worked very hard to get this legislation in order so it could be released on January 12th. That is not normal procedure for Commonwealth Departments. They have done that. We've released it. Parliament will sit next Monday for the Condolence Motion and then we'll deal with the legislation that is before the Parliament that the Coalition asked to be brought before the Parliament a month ago. They can't now say that it should be delayed even further without people scratching their heads and saying, 'what is going on here? Who speaks on behalf of the Coalition? Because people like Andrew Hastie have already said they will vote against the legislation and it should be, any legislation should be deferred until at least 2027'. I think this should be a moment of national unity. The Parliament should come together, there should be unanimous decisions of the Parliament is what I am seeking in good faith. And I call upon all members and senators to engage constructively, which is what the Executive Council of Australian Jewry have called for today.
JOURNALIST: Just briefly on the flooding situation again. Are you satisfied with the way flood infrastructure has actually operated? Sorry - are you actually satisfied with how flood infrastructure has operated in northwest Queensland in practice?
PRIME MINISTER: After any event, what you do is you examine what can be improved, what can be done, where there are shortfalls, and you do that constructively. But as I said, local councils and state government agencies own the majority of flood gauges and are responsible for their own infrastructure. That is just a fact. We do have three levels of government in Australia. We deal with that constructively. We deal with that cooperatively. I have a good working relationship with the Premier David Crisafulli. I don't seek to politicise any of these issues. We will work constructively, just like today we're announcing working constructively with Kelly and the Isaac Regional Council as well.
JOURNALIST: How concerned are you about escalating tensions between Iran and the United States? And would you support a US intervention?
PRIME MINISTER: My statement on Iran is very clear, which is that my concern is that the Iranian regime have been an oppressive regime on human rights for its own population, and they've also interfered in Australia's domestic affairs, which is why I intervened and we expelled the Iranian Ambassador to Australia. The first time that any government has intervened to expel an ambassador from our nation since the Second World War. That shows how seriously we take the Iranian regime's behaviour, whether it be towards its own people or in international affairs. Thanks.
