Doorstop in Bennelong

E&OE…

SUBJECTS: Jobs; defence industry; Bennelong campaign; Labor failure;

PRIME MINISTER:

Well John , Christopher and I are so proud to be here with you today, here at Raytheon, it’s part of Macquarie Park.

This must be one of the biggest, if not the biggest technology and science precincts in Australia.

JOHN ALEXANDER OAM:

Well I always refer to it as the innovation capital of Australia. I think we’re now becoming the leader. This is really inspirational, what these people are doing.

PRIME MINISTER:

Yeah, well it is. This all about good, high-tech local jobs here in Bennelong. Fifty more local jobs in Bennelong. John has been such a powerful advocate for this precinct and of course, we were just here the other day, not far from here, with Gladys announcing that new transport interchange.

JOHN ALEXANDER OAM:

Well, that’s vital. Because one of the big issues is congestion in this area, which was a largely brought about by the previous Labor Government not investing in the North West Metro where most of our congestion comes from. Yesterday, we celebrated the $100 million investment of AstraZeneca – more investment, more jobs, more foreign income. Again today, the investment here in the defence of our country. The collateral benefit is, again, more jobs and more foreign income.

PRIME MINISTER:

Well that’s what it’s all about and Christopher, with the defence industry plan you’re creating jobs right around the country but thousands of jobs right herein Bennelong – local jobs, in the nation’s service. This is at the very cutting edge of technology.

These are the jobs of the future. These are the 21st technology jobs and that gives them a security and an importance, great importance to Bennelong, but of course, so important in keeping Australia safe. John, it's great to be here with you; Australia's champion, Bennelong's champion.

We're here supporting you in this important by-election. Any questions?

JOURNALIST:

Prime Minister, the Chinese media in Australia has said you're at the frontline of anti-Chinese sentiment. Polling from the Chinese community shows Mr Alexander's rival, Kristina Keneally, ahead at 66%. How damaging have your attacks on Sam Dastayri been?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well, we are the most welcoming country in the world, the most successful multicultural society in the world. You could not imagine modern Australia without the contribution of one million Australians of Chinese ancestry, one of whom of course is our granddaughter. Chinese investment is readily available in Australia. We have the strongest, economic, family, social relationships with China and with Chinese people.

But all Australians, whatever their background, expect their leaders to put Australia first. That's what I do. As Prime Minister, I'm always putting Australia's interest first. Just as this is about Australia's sovereignty, everything we do is preserving and enhancing our sovereignty.

JOURNALIST:

John, yesterday Kristina Keneally said she anticipated the Liberal team would turn “nasty” ahead of the by-election with its campaigning. Yesterday, Kristina Keneally said she anticipated the Liberal team would turn “nasty” ahead of the by-election. Is this new advertising campaign this morning proof of that?

JOHN ALEXANDER OAM:

I think what is nasty is that my opponent has been unable to tell the truth on any number of issues that she has raised.

Whether it was claiming that she had spent an hour on the phone trying to get through to Medicare, whether it was our Government that closed the Medicare centre in Eastwood, whether it was our reducing investment in education, or not funding TAFE – all of those things are lies.

Her lie yesterday regarding that I didn't accept an invitation from St Charles' School to go there, absolutely untrue. I have been there several times every year for seven years. I've even taken my son there to participate in the table tennis programme. That is such a difficult thing for me to accept in

a competition where there should be some rules and some standards for her untruthfulness to just be rolled out day after day.

JOURNALIST:

Prime Minister, the Liberal Party has today bought the domain name kristinakeneally.com and is running a smear campaign on that site. Is that appropriate? Is that fair campaigning?

PRIME MINISTER:

Well, I was asked – I think what you're referring to is the fact that the Labor powerbroker, Eddie Obeid that put Kristina Keneally in as Premier, and Kristina Keneally then put into the Cabinet, together with Ian MacDonald, who she also put into the Cabinet – they're both in jail.

Now, apparently Labor objects to us referring to that fact. Well, it's a fact, it's a historical fact. Her two first picks for Cabinet, Obeid and MacDonald, are now in jail. That is a very relevant fact about her political career.

She let down the people of Bennelong.

She cancelled the North West Metro. That's not a piece of political rhetoric, it's a fact. And by the way, spent half a billion dollars of New South Wales taxpayers' money for the privilege of not building a Metro that was clearly required.

Now it's a Liberal State Government, led by Gladys Berejiklian, that is building it together with my Government.

Thanks to John's advocacy, we're going to build the transport interchange at Macquarie Park that will dramatically reduce congestion there as part of the Metro plan.

Kristina Keneally failed the people of New South Wales and she cannot object to the facts of her record being raised.

I mean, if she wants to explain why she put Eddie Obeid and Ian MacDonald into the Cabinet and why they're in jail and how she reconciles all that, that's for her to explain.

She has to live with her history, her political history.

We cannot let her do to Bennelong what she did to New South Wales.

In terms of her leader, Bill Shorten, let's not forget this: we're here talking about local jobs in Bennelong. We have created, over the last year nationally, about a thousand jobs a day. Part of that is because we're supporting – and there is no fiercer supporter than John Alexander for these policies – we're supporting small and medium family-owned businesses with tax cuts. Small business tax cuts. There are 17,500 businesses in this electorate that benefit from that. What are they doing? Well, they're investing more and they're employing more.

Labor wants to put all of those taxes up.

They want to increase company tax.

They want to introduce business tax.

They want to increase personal income tax.

They have no plan for investment and jobs.

So, just as Keneally failed New South Wales, Shorten would be a catastrophe for Australia.

You're right, it's a very tight contest. It's a very, very tight contest. So there is a big risk here. If John Alexander were to lose this seat, then Bill Shorten would be one step closer to being Prime Minister and one step closer to being able to fully engage what he has described as his ‘war on business’, the class war that he proudly says is good politics. Well, that's up to him to do the political analysis. Let me tell you, it would be a catastrophe for Australia.

It would be destroy jobs, destroy investment, destroy our children and grandchildren's future prosperity.

Thank you all very much.

[ENDS]