: From a grassroots campaign of 127,000 parents whose fervent wish was that somebody would do something, we are now at the UN showing our world leading laws and helping other countries who have great interest in taking up this same mission. We are so grateful to parents like Emma Mason and Let Them Be Kids and the 36 Months campaign who brought those 127,000 parents to Parliament and allowed the Prime Minister to pass these world leading laws. We want kids to know who they are, before platforms assume who they are, and these laws give an integral buffer that allows kids to do just that. They will save lives, because while we can't control the ocean, we can release the sharks, and these laws from 10 December will save the lives of Australian kids.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Anika, and I do want to thank the Let Them Be Kids campaign, 36 Months, all of the grassroots organisations. Particularly to give a shout out to Emma, I thought her contribution there was moving and powerful and the epitome of the discussions I've had face to face with parents who lost their loved ones. We in Government occasionally have the opportunity to really do something that makes a difference. And when I stood at the courtyard last year and announced this reform, and then brought forward the legislation to pass it, so that it then had that 12-month lead in till the 10th of December to come into effect, there were some who saw it as somehow being out of step with where the world was heading. Because technology is ubiquitous, has such an impact on our lives. The truth is that our legislation is where the world is going, and the fact that we have Ursula von der Leyen and other leaders here, including Prime Minister Mitsotakis, gave a powerful speech as well about the experience of Greece. I look forward to welcome Prime Minister Mitsotakis to Australia in early next year as an official guest of the government. And I'm sure while he is there, we will engage further on that issue, is the fact that this isn't an issue that's confined just to Australia. Parents, wherever they are, are concerned about what is happening with their kids. They want them to have a childhood, and we're calling time on social media not taking responsibility for the social impact and social harm that is being caused. Our legislation is world leading, but it's not something that's over the top, and it's not something that we haven't spent the last year through the eSafety Commissioner as well, are doing the work and engaging to make sure that we get it right. Inevitably, as we've said, we don't pretend that this won't have some gaps, that kids won't find a way occasionally to get around. But that's not a reason why you just say 'it's all too hard'. We don't do that in other areas. What we do is, Governments have a responsibility to set a framework, the laws in which society is indicating what society thinks is right, and in this case, what we think is right is that parents need to be empowered and children need to have a childhood. That's what this is about. I think that this morning's event, which was so well attended, I was overwhelmed by the attendance when I walked into that room shows how much this is a global issue, not just an issue for Australia, but we'll do our part. And other countries have said they will be watching and learning from our experience and acting as well.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, maybe for you Minister, just thinking about next steps. Long as you talk about algorithms and damage they do to kids, but for adults as well. Some other countries are looking at opt out, the right to opt out from giving the algorithm in your social media feed is that something that you would consider?
PRIME MINISTER: Look these things, and I'll ask the Communications Minister, but these things are, of course, complex and difficult. We need to as technology changes, and particularly the impact of artificial intelligence is something that we're all grappling with. I think Cabinets right around the world are looking at that, just as businesses are looking at what the impact of robotics and other technological changes are. Technological change is a part of the way that our society develops and moves forward. It can be liberating, but it also needs to be examined to make sure that unintended consequences don't overwhelm the benefits. So, we will continue to examine and work those issues through, I will see if the Minister wants to make some comments.
MINISTER WELLS: We tabled the rules with the parents, who some of who joined us today with Emma in the parliament, in July, we handed down our regulatory guidance. The eSafety Commission and I together last week in Australia, and obviously this will come in on 10 December, the next step from there is for the Government to respond to the review of the Online Safety Act, and I think in this space in particular, it is about instilling a digital duty of care, which is putting the onus on platforms to provide a duty of care for their users in Australia, that will capture much more of that nebulous harm that you're seeing out there, and that will not be captured by a 13 to 15 year old social media age restriction.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we saw your selfie with President Trump. What did you say to him when you met him last night?
PRIME MINISTER: We had a very warm and engaging chat. I tend not to broadcast private discussion, but it was very warm, and we look forward to a further discussion in a few weeks' time.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the French President Emanuel Macron said that he was willing for France to be involved in a stabilisation, a peacekeeping force in Gaza after the war ends. Will Australia be a part of that?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll give consideration to that at an appropriate time. What we want to see is a ceasefire, is the hostages released, is aid being allowed to go into Gaza unimpeded. And we also want to deal with, whilst we're dealing with those immediate issues, deal with the long-term solution that's required there. And quite clearly, Australia has a position that's in line with the majority of the world, which is to support a two-state solution, and we see that the people of Israel have a right to peace and security, but the people of Palestine have a right, a right to see their legitimate aspirations for their own state to be realised.
JOURNALIST: There have been calls from Pro Palestinian groups in Australia to broaden sanctions. Can you explain a little about why the government's chosen to go with the Magnitsky approach at this point, not with that broader approach?
PRIME MINISTER: Look we. It's always, it's always vague these questions. And if you ask something specific, then you'll get a specific answer. But the people, including those there are some who will continue to regardless of what is put forward or said in saying something different or being critical of what the Government puts forward, we don't send arms to Israel, and we put appropriate sanctions on due to the legitimate concerns which are there about the involvement, including the two ministers in the Israeli Government.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister as the Government moves into next year and you want to revamp the National Defence Strategy. How seriously are you considering making a sovereign decision to increase Australian defence spending?
PRIME MINISTER: We made a decision last Sunday, paying attention, and we do regularly. What we do is we invest in the capability that Australia needs, and we have increased our spending now by around about $70 billion compared to what we inherited. $70 billion this is substantially increased investment. And we'll continue to monitor and examine what capability Australia needs, but also to invest in our relationships. And part of coming to the UN here is engaging in our relationships, investing in our capability is precisely what we did in Henderson. That is about building Australians capacity to have continuous naval shipbuilding.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, great to see so many members of the Pacific here at your event. But closer to home, there is trouble in Vanuatu, they have signed a policing agreement with China. What moves is your Government taking to try and reverse that or combat that or counter it?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they signed, they've had a policing agreement with China for some time. What we continue to do is to engage with all of our neighbours in the Pacific, including Vanuatu. I had constructive discussion not just with the Prime Minister, but with the Council of Ministers when I was there in Vanuatu just a couple of weeks ago, we continue to engage with our Pacific neighbours.
JOURNALIST: So why isn't that working? Because when the Opposition, now Opposition was in government and this happened with the Solomons, the Government was very critical. Is this not a failure of your diplomacy or is this just recognition that the Coalition couldn't compete against China either.
PRIME MINISTER: That happened under the former Government, as you're aware, very publicly. We engaged constructively with the Pacific, and we have very warm relationships with our neighbours. I've attended as Prime Minister every meeting in the Pacific Island Forum. That hasn't always been the case, and we've engaged as well, with unprecedented contact between myself and my ministers with our Pacific neighbours.
JOURNALIST: So why isn't all your engagement transforming into concrete security arrangements?
PRIME MINISTER: Our Pacific family is relating to concrete steps forward, including the Pacific Policing Initiative in which Vanuatu and others are a part. That's a $400 million program, and what that's about is we've established now the centre at Pinkenba in Brisbane, but we're also establishing centres in three other locations in the Pacific. What that is doing is training police, that increases the interoperability of those police actions. It means that the culture that Australian policing have is being spread throughout the region as well. It's been warmly received. It was the major outcome of the Pacific Island Forum meeting last year, and it was built on at this year's forum.
JOURNALIST: Climate change is a big focus for you today. You've got a couple of events and no doubt you will cover it in your speech here at the UN. How concerned are you frankly about the US under Donald Trump abandoning action on climate change and what that means for the world?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we're doing, of course, is engaging in Australia's position. We have been working hard. We said that Australia is impacted, particularly by climate change. We're vulnerable due to our geography, due to our climate conditions, and we've seen the impact, whether it be the algal bloom in South Australia. That's a direct result of fact that you have flooding in Queensland and New South Wales at the top of the Murray Darling Basin system, going through an area that's been impacted by drought in South Australia as well, picking up additional nutrients and going into the water which is two degrees hotter than it should have been normally at this time of the year. That is just one example. And whilst we can't say that any particular weather event is just because of climate change, what we can do is acknowledge the science that says that there will be more extreme weather events, and they'd be more intense. So, we're acting. Our target has been very well received, that we announced of 62 to 70 per cent by 2035 I'll be speaking at a New York Times forum in a short period of time after I have bilaterals that I'll go to after this meeting. I will continue to engage. But the other thing is, of course, there's a range of states and indeed city governments as well in the United States here continuing to act, there's continuing to be investment. What we saw yesterday from the investment meeting that we had hosted by Macquarie was significant players in the United States, but also some of the other meetings that I have had while I've been here, meetings with the CEO of major US companies that we've had private meetings with, have seen demand for investment. They want, they see Australia as a great destination for that.
JOURNALIST: It's been almost a year since the Government announced any military assistance for Ukraine. Are you going to donate more and does this show that Australia is losing interest in the war, that it's been so long since any new support?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we continue to provide support for Ukraine. When you make an announcement, it then takes time to deliver the asset. And due to the fact, in part, just logistics of where it is. If you're moving heavy vehicles and military equipment, it takes time to be there, and I had a really warm discussion with President Zelenskyy yesterday on the floor of the UN, a pull aside. He is assured of our continued support. We continue to participate in the Coalition of the Willing meetings. I've said very clearly that if there is a process there, Australia will consider any proposal to be a part. That's been welcomed by President Zelenskyy, who's participated in all of those meetings. I think I've been, I might have missed one, but I think I've been in every meeting that certainly I could have been. And that's meant, of course, because of where we are, sometimes they've been in the early hours of the morning, I've got to say, but it's something that the struggle of the people of Ukraine should be an inspiration. They're fighting for their national sovereignty. They're fighting for the international rule of law as well. So therefore, they're fighting for all of us.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you mentioned some of your meetings here in New York. Gavin Newsom is also attending the New York Times conference that you're going to today. Do you plan on catching up with him later? If so, what are you going to say?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm speaking at the New York Times event myself, so I've got a pretty full card today. I've met Mr. Newsom before in San Francisco.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minster, what was inspiring about 36 Months and the Let Them be Kids campaigns?
PRIME MINISTER: The inspiration comes from the people who've taken what is the most personal of traumas. I think that any parent thinks about how they would feel if they lost their child. You know, I'm incredibly protective of my son, who's no longer a child, although most parents would understand that a 25 year old, he'll stay as my child forever, is the way that you think about them. And to take that personal trauma and channel that into trying to make a difference for other children, is brave, is courageous and is inspirational, and I think it has had a severe, a real impact in this campaign, and they deserve every accolade possible.
You know, if I, as Australian Prime Minister, could pluck out AOs as I walk around, which might be a reform, that might be a petition to start, I tell you what, I would have walked up on stage here and given Emma one on the spot because, you know, we give praise to people who are politicians and business leaders. You know this, this is a mum, and she's fantastic.
JOURNALIST: Just on Matthew's question, you pointed out the long lead times for Ukraine, isn't that imperative of why we should be announcing something more? And what does the future of our support look like apart from the Coalition of the Willing?
PRIME MINISTER: It continues to be, we monitor what assistance we can give, we engage and I engage directly with President Zelenskyy yesterday about that.
JOURNALIST: What did he ask for? [INAUDIBLE].
PRIME MINISTER: We engage directly with leaders rather than through the media is what we do, and that is what you would expect. Thanks very much.
