Doorstop Adelaide

29 Nov 2015 Transcipt

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
Doorstop Interview
29 November 2015

Subjects: Commonwealth disaster recovery allowance and payments for bushfires in Pinery, South Australia; climate change announcements; child care reforms; innovation in SA

Christopher Pyne: Good morning and thank you for coming this morning. The Commonwealth Government is announcing today further relief to the victims of the bushfires of Pinery in the Mid North. Michael Keenan, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Natural Disasters, has activated the Disaster Recovery Allowance and the Disaster Recovery Payment provisions from the Commonwealth. That’s in addition to what the Premier and I announced on Friday in Angaston. Its $1,000 for an adult and $400 for a child direct payment under the Disaster Recovery Payment, paid to those people immediately who have been affected by the fires. And the Disaster Recovery Allowance is an income support for up to 13 weeks, paid as a Newstart Allowance to those employees, small business owners, farmers, and others whose incomes have been dramatically affected by the fires. This is only appropriate in the circumstances of what we saw on Friday in the Mid North and will come as a welcome relief to those people who have been affected. Of course it won’t bring back the homes and the sheds and the livestock, and of course the two lives of those who died in the fires, but it’s what the Commonwealth can do to continue to support South Australians in this very difficult time.

Question: How many people do you expect this to help?

Christopher Pyne: Well, that will depend on how many apply. I would say it would run into the thousands of people in the Mid North who’ve been affected one way or another. As you saw on Friday the cars on the side of the road, the burnt out vehicles; the fire was a vast fire, over 80,000 hectares- acres were destroyed by the fire, and as I saw on one side of the road crops are still in place, on the other side of the road they’re entirely burnt out. The problem with fires is that they’re very random but I would have thought there’ll be many people who come forward in the Mid North, and it’s the least the Commonwealth can do to support South Australians at this time.

Question: Is it just the start? Are you expecting more money to be rolled out at later stages as well?

Christopher Pyne: Well, there’s the- we announced on Friday support with the State Government; two payments, $280 for adults, $140 for children and for families a maximum of $700. There is of course accommodation, emergency accommodation, although I think the community’s so pulled together in the Mid North that I think most people are accommodated. And of course these payments that we’re announcing today. But if we get further requests for assistance we will look at it. The State Government will continue to do its work in terms of roads and trees and clearing away damage and debris and we will support them in any way can, but this is so far the sum total of the Commonwealth’s responsibilities.

Question: Have you estimated a total cost?

Christopher Pyne: No, because there’s not real cost we can put on the damage that’s been done to the lives and the families that have been affected. I was listening to a radio on- yesterday in fact, hearing one of the people from Wasley’s who has been affected, whose both- her parents had died in previous- over the last few years, and there was a terrible story here. So we’re not putting a price on it, the value will be the support we can give to the community, and I’m sure the Commonwealth can afford it.

Question: As we move forward would you be putting a strong message out to insurers to fast-track any payments necessary to people who have lost everything?

Christopher Pyne: Well I’ve been pleased to see a couple of the insurers have announced fast-tracking of claims by people affected. I won’t name them because the other insurers who haven’t been- come to the party might be offended, but I heard at least a couple of the insurers are acting quickly and I would have thought they’ll all come to the party eventually.

Question: The State Government has put out their climate change strategy today, and there are still maybe more events like this into the future. Is the Commonwealth Government calculating these events, future possible events, into their budget?


Christopher Pyne: Well catastrophic fires and floods are a feature of living in Australia, and they have been for millennia. And some people at times like this do try and make politics out of climate change, but most of the experts say that these events will continue to happen into the future, but no one can point to any evidence that it’s because of climate change, and I think trying to make it a political issue around climate change is not really appropriate. We’re used to in Australia living in this climate and this land that has produced us such wonderful things and also can produce such disastrous things. And we’ve become used to that. What the State Government wants to say about climate change is a matter for them. The Commonwealth’s getting on with our response to climate change and carbon emissions and happily will reach our targets, in fact exceed them by 2020, and we have a target by 2030 which is comparable to most other countries like Australia and by 2030 we’ll have reduced our carbon emissions per capita more than any other country in the world. So we are certainly doing the right thing by the climate and by the environment.

Question: The announcements’ more about Paris though isn’t it, not what’s happened in the last few days?

Christopher Pyne: Well, I haven’t seen what they’ve announced, but I’m sure whatever it is, is trying to head in the right direction. Of course with Labor Governments and Oppositions you always have to be careful how they’re going to pay for things.

Question: With the child care changes, how will this help the average family do you think?

Christopher Pyne: Well, we’ve been trying to reform child care over the last few months, with little support from the Labor Party. Simon Birmingham I think will give a more comprehensive statement about the changes that we are announcing to our package today, but they will mean that high income families will reach the cap between $250,000 and $302,000 and taper off and eventually receive no support over $302,000. That gives us the money to remove grandparents who are caring for grandchildren from the reforms and continue to support them with the Family Tax Benefit, and I think this is a very fair compromise.

Question: So, a much fairer system. I mean is it too generous with the $250,000. Should it be a bit less?

Christopher Pyne: No, I don’t think it’s too generous at all. I mean families paying for child care have a very significant cost, they’re also working or studying, but largely working, and the Government want to support them. But of course the cost of childcare is estimated to be rising to $40 billion of the Commonwealth budget over the years ahead, so it’s become a very substantial commitment from the Commonwealth Government and therefore we have to put proper parameters around it, and I think families on $302,000 can probably pay for their own child care after that, but we also want to support them before that, and I think all families deserve support. But this measure is designed to support low and middle income families, so we shouldn’t focus on the high end of the announcement. In fact, this is a measure that would support and reform child care so that low and middle income families can get more support from the Commonwealth Government and return to work and make a contribution in the way they wish to make a contribution.

Question: And what on the stay-at-home mums who will now have to pay more unless they work more, are they being punished by the system?

Christopher Pyne: Look, I’m not the Minister for Child Care, so these detailed questions you really need to ask Simon Birmingham. I’m sure you’ll get the chance to do that.

Question: Just another issue on the Sydney Morning Herald story today about the Wind Farm Commissioner receiving $600,000 over, was it three years? Is the Turnbull Government being saddled by these policies of the Abbott Government in this case?

Christopher Pyne: I haven’t seen that story, so it would be unwise to comment on it.

Question: Are you prepared to take on notice? I mean, if he is being paid $200,000 a year, is this being saddled by a- is the Government being saddled by a policy that obviously is implemented by the Abbott Government?

Christopher Pyne: Well, I haven’t seen the story, so it would be unwise for me to comment on it. Anything else?

Question: Heading into the final sitting week, what will the Government’s priorities be in terms of getting legislation through?

Christopher Pyne: Well, we’ll be introducing these child care reforms on Wednesday this week, and obviously they won’t be able to pass before the end of the year, but we’ll introduce them and start discussing them with the Senate. We will pass this week the Australian citizenship laws, that remove people’s citizenship if they are fighting with the terrorist organizations overseas if they are dual citizens. That’s an important priority. I think most of the attention this week will be on the Senate because we are trying to get a few bills through by the end of the year around corporate law, et cetera, And then we will have the innovation statement not long after the parliament rises, which I am responsible for, which will end the year on a very positive and economic note.

Question: Will there be much in that for South Australia?

Christopher Pyne: Well of course. South Australia is part of Australia.

Question: Do you want to tell us what’s in it for South Australia.

Christopher Pyne: So I would have thought the National Innovation and Science agenda as a National Statement will be good for South Australia because it will be good for Australia. But there’s not a grants aspect to it that is state by state or local council by local council. It’s an enormous change to the entire structure or eco-system around innovation, science, research, commercialisation of research, the raising of capital, talents and skills and the Government’s own activities as an exemplar. But there isn’t a grant for a particular state in it no.

Question: Is it particularly important though, this statement, in South Australia with industries like manufacturing starting to drop off?

Christopher Pyne: Well, it’s particularly important for South Australia because we have some of the foundations needed for a new economy, like three excellent universities, like SAHMRI and potentially in the future SAHMRI Two, like incubators and accelerators, the technology parts that we’ve building up in place like Mawson Lakes, obviously the defense industry, the automotive industry, and these are all moving into advanced manufacturing and high-tech areas of the economy. So South Australia stands to gain a great deal from a more modern economy and of course old ways of creating wealth for our community are moving into new ways and that’s why South Australia will benefit, as will Victoria, because of advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing becoming the focus of the new economy.