Can I thank the Prime Minister and his team here today for their efforts their effort to make this project about. We also acknowledge the support that we received from the Japanese, the US Government, Sojitz Corporation, and then also from the West Australian Premier, Roger Cook and his team. This opportunity will see us as Alcoa to further value add from the bauxite that Alcoa already mine, to further use alumina here, and then also into aluminum, by then further extracting the gallium that actually is naturally found in the bauxite deposits. This project represents our shared commitment to continue to add value in Australia. Over to you.
MADELEINE KING, MINISTER FOR RESOURCES: Thanks. Thanks so much Elsabe. Thanks to all the workers here that have accommodated our visit, and thanks of course to the Prime Minister for coming again to Perth. We have just been in the south west. I know you were in Busselton last night, Prime Minister. And we had a full ministry meeting in Bunbury earlier today. It's a real honour to be here at a place like Wagerup and this really remarkable facility that already exists and has been running for some time. Employs about 1500 workers, and Alcoa employs another 1,000 in Pinjarra, not far from here as well, which is a really, very important part of the community here in the south west that provides really good jobs, stable jobs, for a community of workers that live nearby and live in these communities. And this is just an extension on that, but a really important one. So the gallium refinery that's going to be built where we're we stand here today is, as Elsabe said, a really a remarkable confluence of worlds coming together, where we have Sojitz working with Alcoa, also with the Australian Clinical Mineral Facility, and also with interest from US Export-Import Bank to make sure that this project gets off the ground. So I'll let Prime Minister talk about it a bit more. But thank you so much for coming, it's a real vote of confidence in Australia's mining sector, but also how we can add value here in Western Australia. So thank you very much for coming. Prime Minister, over to you.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much. Well, firstly, thank you to Elsabe and her team for welcoming us here at Alcoa. And of course, I'm joined by Madeleine King, I'm joined by Tim Ayres, who is the Minister for Industry. Both Madeline and Tim travelled to the United States for the agreement that we made just a few weeks ago. And we're also joined by Senator Ellie Whiteaker and also by Andrew Charlton, who has responsibility as Cabinet Secretary, but also as Assistant Minister for Science and Assistant Minister helping out the work that Tim Ayres is doing in this important portfolio. Well, this is what a future made in Australia looks like. Right here, right now. This exciting project will make an enormous difference. Something like 200 jobs in construction in the lead up to next year, and then ongoing jobs, a couple of dozen jobs, ongoing here in this region, making sure that we do have a future made in Australia, but also that we take advantage of the critical minerals that we have, and rare earths. WA in particular, stands to benefit. Which is why this agreement that we've done with the United States is so important for Western Australia. And earlier today, I had the full ministry meeting, the sixth time that I brought my Cabinet to Western Australia as Prime Minister as part of my 38th visit to Western Australia since I became Prime Minister just three and a half years ago. This is a game changing project for Australia and for the United States. Australia is rich in critical minerals, and we're going to reap the benefits for all Australians. The Critical Minerals Framework that I signed with President Trump in Washington DC, will see us break new ground together. The agreement will see more investment in Australia and provide critical minerals required for defence and other advanced technologies to the United States and also to our strategic partners. It represents a significant new chapter in our engagement with the United States and this project here was one of the ones that we identified as part of the pipeline of projects going forward. The $8.5 billion that we've already identified up front. We have combined $3 billion that we said we'd commit to that pipeline, Australia and the United States. This gallium project here at Alcoa is one of the first projects, and it will produce ten per cent of the world's gallium. Ten per cent just at this project here. And there's a potential for, of course, for it to be upgraded because of the amount of bauxite that's available at this facility here. Creating good, well paid jobs, and this project being underway by 2026, the end of next year. This isn't something that is obscure or something that's in the future. It is happening right here, right now, and we are committing $200 million to this project in concessional equity finance, an example of us investing that will produce a return to government, but also, of course, a return to the nation as well as we sell the products that are produced right here. This is an exciting time for Australia if we seize the opportunities that are right before us. We have what the world needs as it shifts to clean energy, as it shifts the nature of the way that economies function in this century, everything under the ground as well as in the sky, making enormous difference for Australia. Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: The CSIRO, Prime Minister, hundreds of jobs are being cut from the CSIRO today. There were jobs cut last year as well. Which research teams last year does the government want to see cut?
PRIME MINISTER: There were also more jobs created before that occurred. But I'll ask Tim Ayres, the Minister, to respond.
TIM AYRES, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY & INNOVATION: Yes, there's going to be a process working through over the coming weeks and months, as the CSIRO focuses on making sure that it is, all of its effort is directed towards the research priorities of the CSIRO, and that includes focus on critical minerals, iron and steel production in Australia, making sure that all of our National Science Institute, that important institution, is directed towards those objectives. It is - this is a government that believes in science. We believe in investing in science, we will continue to invest in science, and this is the important part of the CSIRO making sure it is fit for purpose and that it has a modern, forward looking science agenda.
JOURNALIST: What teams are we talking about specifically that are going to go? Is it health and biosecurity, stuff related to the pandemic, which teams are going to go?
MINISTER AYRES: In that area the Centre for Disease Preparedness and the pandemic focused, for future pandemic focused resources of the CSIRO are being maintained and strengthened. Some other areas are being pulled back from. That is in the nature of a prioritisation exercise. I've watched the management and leadership of the CSIRO working through these issues with their staff. There's still more work to do. But they've come forward with that announcement. It is obviously a difficult time for the organisation, but with prioritisation, from a government that believes in their National Science Institution and its capacity to serve the national interests, that is a necessary process, and I support them working their way through those questions.
JOURNALIST: You say some areas are being pulled back. What areas are being pulled back?
MINISTER AYRES: There are some areas and it's been set out, I think, in Doug Hilton's, the CEO's announcement, in some areas, for example, in nutrition, where that, where that work has matured, or it's been undertaken by other scientific and research organisations in our university community, the CSIRO has resolved to pull back from some of that activity. That is, as I say, in the nature of addressing the priorities and making sure that we're in the strongest position for a future made in Australia, for our science and research priorities to drive our industrial and commercial priorities as a country.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks. Other questions?
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the Premier has raised the GST again I have no doubt -
PRIME MINISTER: No doubt.
JOURNALIST: Do you give WA your word -
PRIME MINISTER: He got the same answer.
JOURNALIST: You've repeatedly given WA your word, signed reporter's arms. Why does it seem Roger Cook doesn't trust you?
PRIME MINISTER: He certainly does. We're great mates and we've been mates for 40 years.
JOURNALIST: Is there a chance if other parts of the GST formula have to change -
PRIME MINISTER: No, there hasn't been -
JOURNALIST: WA has said that other parts of the formula should change. Could it end up in the Senate? And if so, can you guarantee that you can protect WA's GST?
PRIME MINISTER: We keep things away from the Senate wherever possible, let me tell you that. But our position on the WA GST is very clear. There's been no change to it.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, I want to draw your attention back to Bunbury. You're in the seat of Forrest, one that hasn't been held by Labor since 1969. Last year when Nola Merino stepped aside, was it a wasted opportunity to take a swing?
PRIME MINISTER: No. I think that we had a fantastic candidate in Tabitha Dowding, and she was, with her in Busselton last night. We engaged again this morning, chatting to people there. She did very well in that election. We think that there's a real opportunity in Forrest. We've had a new member who, of course, was a former Senator as well, who has been out there leading the charge saying that climate change isn't real, out there leading the charge to shift the Liberal Party further to the right. It's pretty extraordinary that the message that they have taken from the elections of 2022 and 2025 is that they weren't conservative enough. And in the local MP there, certainly last night, I had the opportunity as well to engage with the Chamber of Commerce on their annual general meeting. I got invited to go and have an informal chat with them. We'll continue to engage. We're engaged in Western Australia, and we did very well. I well remember the front page of The West saying that we would target the electorates of Moore in particular, as well as the new seat and people were saying that that was a bit ambitious. Well, that's precisely what we achieved, and Forrest we see is very winnable next time around.
JOURNALIST: You talk about engaging. But today - are you willing to engage with your critics? Today, for example, you're talking up critical minerals -
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the media are here. Not all, not always, our cheer squad.
JOURNALIST: Not meant to be either.
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: They're two things that are very much in partnership with Donald Trump. There were a couple of people wearing MAGA hats at the café in Bunbury this morning. It appeared you very deliberately avoided them. They said their main concerns are migration and housing. Are you willing to engage with your critics?
PRIME MINISTER: I engage with people all the time. And I engaged with a whole bunch of people who weren't there with any political agenda, people who were just walking about that beautiful foreshore at Busselton, I assure you, there wasn't a check before I went and had discussions with them. Nor was there at the brewery last night, that fantastic brewery on the foreshore there. I was engaged with them. Nor was there while I was having breakfast this morning. I was engaging with them. Very constructively. And I must say, I received a very warm welcome, as we did in Bunbury, where we stopped off at the coffee shop, engaged with a whole bunch of people, many of whom were just there, not to make a political point. They were there, funnily enough, in the coffee shop to have some coffee, and it was a great opportunity to say hi. And one of the things I find about Australians is that it's a great thing that in this country you can just get about as I do, and engage and just talk with people. When I was last in this seat of Canning, it was during the election campaign, we stopped off on the way up to the pre-poll booth at Macca's. And I assure you, people weren't checked at the Macca's that we stopped off on the way as well. So I engage. I'm pretty open to that engagement. There are security issues these days, of course, that we have to deal with.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, why is your government buying fishing boats for people smugglers found in our waters?
PRIME MINISTER: My government engaged in Operation Sovereign Borders because we said we would.
JOURNALIST: How much has that operation it cost you over the past [inaudible] years buying those fishing boats?
PRIME MINISTER: We engage in Operation Sovereign Borders. We make no apologies for that. We engage. I said we would. I said that people wouldn't be allowed to come here unauthorised. That's precisely what we're doing.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister are you subsidising people smugglers and illegal fishers [inaudible] boats?
PRIME MINISTER: What we're doing is making sure that we deliver.
JOURNALIST: Is it hard to convince Australians that you are doing all you can on housing, migration, when Border Force is handing over perfectly good fishing vessels to the people you're trying to stop?
PRIME MINISTER: No. The truth is that there were a range of operations were put in place, including under the former government, ones that it's up to them if they want to talk about that, they can. But this isn't anything new to the government that I lead.
JOURNALIST: Can you see why this operation would come under fire though, because Australia is paying for boats for people smugglers who could come back for more and better boats?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: Have you any update on the COP hosting bid? And how much might that potentially cost Australian taxpayers?
PRIME MINISTER: I do. Well, my government, of course, supports global action on climate change as well as action here at home. We have put forward, in good faith, the bid to host COP31 with our friends in the Pacific, and that's about promoting the interests of the Pacific. Now we've worked hard on this. We've run our bid all the way to the Belém conference that's taking place at the moment. We think that there is substantial support for the bid by Australia and the Pacific. But the way that the system works is that if there is not agreement and there's more than one candidate, it goes to Bonn. There is considerable concern, not just from the Pacific, but internationally as well, that that will not send a good signal about the unity that's needed for the world to act on climate. And if Australia is not chosen, if Türkiye is chosen, we wouldn't seek to veto that. What we would seek to do is to ensure that the Pacific benefited from that, through measures, potentially like a leaders meeting to be held in the Pacific, by support for the financing, joining Australia with financing the Pacific Resilience Facility that's so important, by any COP wherever it's held, making sure that they look at financing as well for the island nations that are particularly under threat, not just in the Pacific, but in other countries as well. So we'll work through those issues. We will prioritise making sure that the Pacific's interests are looked after. But this is a difficult situation because of the rules and the way that they operate. And at this stage, there's still, of course, two countries in the field, Australia, and Türkiye. They're both being put forward with good faith, and we're trying to work through those issues.
JOURNALIST: So would you be supportive if Türkiye agrees to host with the Pacific instead of hosting with Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: No, what we're doing is continuing to engage with not just with Türkiye, but other countries as well to make sure that the interests of the Pacific are looked after.
JOURNALIST: On health, the letter that you wrote to state ministers and territories, are you back tracking on that?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: The state health ministers are meeting tomorrow morning. Is the federal funding enough for hospital coverage?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, state premiers - it's not surprising. Hold the hold the front page of every paper in the country. Premiers want more money. That is something that goes on. But the truth is, if you look at what we're doing, and Jacinta Allen, I was standing next to the Premier of Victoria yesterday when she got asked this question, and she spoke about the pressures that are on the health system, but that's one of the reasons why we're delivering Urgent Care Clinics that directly take pressure off the public hospital system. There's one in Bunbury, where I was just a couple of hours ago, one of the ones in WA, but of course, we're rolling out additional funds as well. In addition to that, we put in $8.5 billion of additional funds for the tripling of the bulk billing incentive. What that's already seen even before it came in on November 1, is more than 1,000 GPs sign up to fully bulk bill all of their patients. So the Commonwealth has responsibility for primary health care. What we're doing is working through those issues with the states and territories. We'll work them through constructively, and that is the way that we engage.
JOURNALIST: You're failing on your responsibility for aged care, and that's why the state's hospital costs are blowing out.
PRIME MINISTER: No. Well, that's not right, with respect. There was a Royal Commission into Aged Care, where the interim report summarised in one word, neglect. Neglect. Because there weren't enough aged care beds. Now the new system of aged care came in less than a month ago. That is aimed at making sure there are proper incentives for additional aged care beds to be built. You can't go from a system of neglect that had been in place under the former government with underfunding, with the chronic issues of nutrition, where you didn't have nurses being available in aged care facilities. Now, we made a range of commitments, and we've been rolling them out. We said we'd put nurses back in the nursing homes. They're in nursing homes 99 per cent of the time we're providing substantial wage increases for aged care workers. Now that was an issue where aged care facilities were in danger of collapsing because you can't have aged care residents in facilities if there's no workforce. That was the system that we inherited. We've put substantial funds in. There is time it takes to build an aged care facility. Now that we have these reforms in place, you will see that change take place. So we're doing aged care reform, biggest reform this century. We're doing Urgent Care Clinics. We're doing the increase in primary health through the tripling of the bulk billing incentive. That's making a difference, and we'll work through with state and territory governments, the hospital funding arrangements. We put in place a one year extension last year that was substantial of something in the order of $1.7 billion. And we'll continue to work with states and territories. We'll work constructively.
JOURNALIST: But in the meantime, while the fixing of aged care takes time, the number of older people in hospital beds in WA waiting to be discharged, has increased from about 200 at the start of the year to about 300 now. So in the meantime, while it takes time to fix that, don't the states need that extra funding for hospitals?
PRIME MINISTER: We have extra funding on the table for the states and territories. We have additional funding on. We won't negotiate dollar amounts at a press conference. What we'll do is engage constructively. But I do say, with respect to states and territories, there's a few fundamental jobs that they have. One is the public hospital system. Second is the public school system. My government has put additional money into public hospitals and has delivered the full funding for public schools that was talked about under the Gonski reforms, delivered under my government.
JOURNALIST: So is Roger Cook wrong when he said today that the Commonwealth is not honouring the agreement to match the growth 50/50? And did he raise this with you today?
PRIME MINISTER: State governments will always ask -
JOURNALIST: Did he raise it today?
PRIME MINISTER: State governments will always ask for more money.
JOURNALIST: Did he raise it today?
PRIME MINISTER: State governments will always ask for more money. I have discussions with premiers, and you know what? I have it with them, rather than at a press conference.
JOURNALIST: Well, he's having the discussion with the media.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that's up to him. That's up to him. And with respect, what I do is get outcomes, and sometimes that can cause some frustration from the media who want this to take place in a forum where Roger Cook isn't here. So pretty hard to achieve an outcome.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how do you plan to solve the housing crisis in regional WA in the next two years?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, one of the things that WA is doing is pretty much almost meeting the target that they had for housing. They are doing well. We have a range of housing programs, everything from our Housing Australia Future Fund, our Build To Rent scheme that encourages private rentals, our Help to Buy scheme, that's based upon a WA Shared Equity scheme, that is now in place. Again, a lot of these schemes were delayed by the Noalition of the Greens and the Coalition. What we've done is to get that legislation through, and now it's making a difference. In addition to that, we of course have our five per cent deposits that are increasing the opportunity for young people to get into their first home.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, protestors were out today in Bunbury. How do you respond to their ongoing concerns, particularly on offshore wind farms and impacts on the environment such as bird migration?
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, look, we're in a democracy, people are entitled. I didn't see any of them myself.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER: Good on them. Good on them. They're entitled to express their views, but what we're doing is getting on with what's required. And one of the things about that part of the world, is that Collie, of course, the site of the Collie Power Station, something that's a Liberal free zone. I'll tell you what - they wouldn't be there protesting against Peter Dutton or Sussan Ley or any of the advocates of nuclear energy who said there'd be a nuclear power plant there, because they've been nowhere near there. I've been there twice, and when I went the first time, what we saw was the foundations for the big batteries that are being built there. The second time, you know, what we saw? The big batteries. The change is happening. It's happening, and part of that is renewable energy connected up to the grid because it's connecting up with the transmission lines which are there to power WA going forward. That's the transition that is occurring.
JOURNALIST: On Net Zero, WA doesn't have a legislated target, should it?
PRIME MINISTER: They don't really need one, because there's a national one. But it's legislated, and one of the things that is happening when it comes to energy is that we are dealing with - Collie is just like other power plants around Australia, where 24 out of 28 announced their closure or brought forward the date of their closure while the Coalition were in government. Now, they sat there while that was occurring. They had 23 policies, but nothing happened. None of them landed. And what is going on is that there is a 50 year transition. The power plants that were built a long time ago are just reaching the end of their life, and they did nothing about increasing supply. And that's why we are having to deal with the challenges which are there, but we're dealing with them constructively. And all of the energy operators say very clearly that the cheapest form of new energy is to have renewables, backed by gas, backed by hydro and backed by battery storage. That is what all of the experts say. And the Coalition, frankly, are just all over the shop. I mean, we have one policy, they have one pamphlet. It's a pamphlet with nothing underneath it. It's a pamphlet that is incoherent, that has contradictions throughout it, where they say today and last night on 7.30, and you have different positions about coal and whether there'll be an extension. Sussan Ley said very clearly last night, 'well, it doesn't stack up, so there won't be new investment in coal'. Well, that's the whole basis of their policy. That is the whole basis of what they are saying, is that they will subsidise coal which doesn't stack up, according to the person who launched the policy, who doesn't believe in it, but couldn't carry her party with her on the Net Zero journey. Net Zero was established by Scott Morrison as Prime Minister and by Angus Taylor as the Energy Minister. We signed up to the Paris Agreement under Tony Abbott. I mean, this is - you couldn't make this up if you tried. It is very, it is just extraordinary. And the Australian people deserve better than this mess, which what they are already doing is paying a price for the decade of incoherent lack of policy from the former Coalition. Thank you.
