UNCLASSIFIED

The Hon. Scott Morrison MP

Prime Minister

TRANSCRIPT
ADDRESS, LNP STATE COUNCIL
BRISBANE QLD
SATURDAY 13 JULY 2019
​E&OE…

PRIME MINISTER: ​How good is Queensland! I said that a few weeks ago down in Sydney
that got a great reception. I always knew I’d get a bigger one here though, let me tell you.
I've never seen people of New South Wales cheer for Queensland on 18 May like that one.

Michael thank you very much for that very warm introduction. And it's great to be here with
you and the LNP in Queensland. To you Deb and your whole team; party president and
executive and all who gathered here and come across from the great state of Queensland to
be here with us in Brisbane today.

I've come here with a very, very simple task. With all of my team who are here with me today
lead by Peter Dutton, our senior Member here out in Queensland. Give Peter a big round of
applause.

[Applause]

I've come here today to just simply say thank you. That's what we want to say to all of you. I
want to thank Queenslanders for believing. That's what I want to do. Queenslanders believe
in themselves and they believe in their future. They absolutely do. Queenslanders believe in
this state. They believe in our great country and they believe in all that it stands for.
Queenslanders believe that if you have a go you should get a go. Queenslanders believe
that you don't have to drag others down to lift others up. That's how the Queenslanders live.
That's what they live. Queenslanders believe in the power of aspiration, not only to change
their own lives and for those around them who they love and who they live with for the better.
But they know that that makes their state stronger, their community stronger, but most
importantly of all it makes our great country stronger. I want to thank Queenslanders, for
believing in me. And I want to thank Queenslanders for believing in my team. Thank you.

[Applause]

And I want to thank Queenslanders for believing in the Liberals and the Nationals and the
LNP. We are a party that is the custodian of values that I think to the core of this country's
DNA. No more, no more than especially here than in Queensland. And our party's founder
Robert Menzies said many, many years ago and this year we celebrated 75 years of our
Liberal party and he said this is about elections. He said it's not about winning something for
yourself, it's about winning for your country.

And that's what 18 May is all about. It wasn't about the Liberal Party. It wasn't about the
National Party. It wasn't about the LNP. It was about me or any of the people you see here in
front of us today. It was about the people outside of this room, right across the country. It
wasn't for us it was for them. It was for those Australians who were working hard quietly
going about their lives. Supporting their families making their communities strong, striving to
make life just that little bit better, for themselves and those around them. And the next
generation, my Government will keep the faith with those who believed.

Whether in Queensland or elsewhere around this country, as indeed we will keep the faith
with all Australians wherever they will be. And we'll keep faith with their decent and honest
and hardworking aspirations. That's what will guide us. That's what will continue to guide us.
That's what is set out in front of us and as we come together; as we did most recently in the
Parliament we talked about how we are going to govern for those who are outside of that
building. And that our focus will be on those outside that building. And as long as we kept
our eyes on them then our gaze on them, then our government would be true. And our
government would be strong and our government would always be able to serve the best
interests of our people. And we got on with it right from the get go.

Our focus on keeping our economy strong, for a very simple reason. And I said at first when
I was here in Brisbane at the start of the election campaign - why does in a strong economy
matter? Because people matter. Because without a strong economy you can't deliver all the
things that matter. Whether it's to Queenslanders or anyone else in the country. You can't
deliver on the pension, you can't deliver on the NDIS. You can't deliver on mental health
services. Whether they be in remote and regional parts of the country or they be in the
suburbs of our great cities. A strong economy matters because people matter and because
people matter and a strong economy matters; a fortnight ago we got together in Canberra.
There was a lot of ceremony of course but in the very brief time we had there we got straight
to work and we passed $158 billion dollars' worth of tax relief.

[Applause]

I just want to say to you, in one week we got that done. But that is just a start. But just as a
reminder to two million Queenslanders who will receive tax relief of up to $1080 for single
incomes $2160 for dual income families, once they launch their tax return. And over one
million Australians have already done that. Including 335,000 Queenslanders. But that
wasn't all, because on 1 July the instant asset write off was increased and expanded with up
to 675,000 small and medium sized businesses in Queensland benefitting from this.

And we've been working on many other fronts, since the election new PBS subsidies have
started for vital treatments for lung cancer, for depression, for severe cystic acne. Higher
general practice rebates under Medicare have been kicked in, making it cheaper to visit a
doctor. We banned exit fees on super. And we've capped fees on many low balance
accounts. We've lowered fees for aged care delivered in the home reducing fees by up to
$400 a year. We've taken action on power prices the default market offer. And references
price say is saving families in south east Queensland $663 a year. And very soon we'll be
also taking action on deeming rates I'm sure you'll be pleased to know.

For retirees, those same retirees that we know the Labor Party have had in their sights. Well
for us our gaze on them is in a very different way. To enable and to support and to
acknowledge and we'll be making a decision- we've made a decision on that. We'll be
announcing that very, very soon, following the recent rate cuts that were announced by the
Reserve Bank. We've signed new agreements with both Queensland and Victoria on the
National Disability Insurance, Minister Stuart Robert telling the cabinet has been able to do.
This is just the first six to seven weeks and we're off to a cracking start. There's a lot to do
and there's a lot of work to be done and we're getting it about in very short order.

Now we couldn't have done all of this from opposition. You can't do anything from opposition.
You've got to do it from government. And the reason we're in government is because of so
much of the hard work by people who are in this room today, and I want to acknowledge
that, thank you. All of the LNP members right across Queensland and I particularly want to
thank them for the way that they rallied the state. When our government party was under
such pressure.

I remember when I came up through Queensland last year and the encouragement I
received; whether I was there with Bert and his team or with Andrew Wallace. I remember
being up there at the RSL club there on the Bowling Club I think it was on the foreshore, on
the river. And just the response we were getting in the encouragement. You know when I
became Prime Minister the first place on with Mike and we went up to Quilpie and we saw
the cost. That put very much the drought in the centre of my mind and our governments
mind and it remains so to this very day. But right from the start I've been there [inaudible]
and sitting down and talking to people about the terrible impact it was at that point had been
a six-year drought and its been even longer now since then. During the course of the
campaign half of it was spent here in Queensland. We moved the campaign headquarters
here for the first time and that proved to be a pretty smart decision.

[Applause]

And of course Queensland didn't let us down - 58.4 per cent of the two party preferred vote;
the highest in Australia. All the seats we held in Queensland had a 4.49 per cent swing to us.
In Labor held seats we received an average swing the same and this compares to a national
average swing the Coalition of just over 1 per cent. The swings across north Queensland
were absolutely phenomenal. And I can see the North Queensland posse here. George and
Michelle and Keith and Lou down the in Queensland and of course Ken, who can forget Ken,
a tremendous result. And I want to particularly thank Matt Canavan.

[Applause]
Queensland all the way up to Northern Queensland. But in Capricornia where I went on
several times with Michelle. It's become a favourite spot there Rocky. A margin of 1,111
votes. That was margin that she can be very proud of. That was what it was in 2016. In 2019
the margin is 21,000.

[Applause]

I'll be back at Rocky I can assure you. But it wasn't just there. The seats we won in
Queensland; you heard it with Philip Thompson and Terry Young. Absolutely outstanding.
But it was these wonderful men who have come into our ranks which you've already heard
Phil, in his maiden speech to the Parliament was absolutely moving. You could have heard a
pin drop on the carpet. It's one of the finest maiden speeches I've ever heard in the
Parliament. Phil, you should be very proud. We're very proud of you. And as we are with
Terry when he gets to his fee when we return in a little while. But bringing a young man who
served our country and has dealt with the challenges of life and so many veterans face when
they return from their service. Or in Terry someone who knows small business because he
has run one; he's lived it has Luke has and so many of our team.

That's who brings the values of our community and to see two members coming in with that
experience just warmed all of our hearts. I particularly also want to thank Andrew Hirst, the
state director Michael O'Dwyer and the campaign director that we follow here in Queensland
for the great work they did.

[Applause]

As I mentioned Stuart has joined the cabinet, with our other four cabinet ministers led by
Peter from Queensland, Karen Andrews and David Littleproud. And of course Matt Canavan
who I've already acknowledged. Trevor Evans and Luke Howard have joined the ranks of the
executive and well-earned promotions joining Scotty Buchholz and Michelle Landry. And of
course Bert van Manen has taken over the job of chief whip. And I can't recall a time in the
Parliamentary party when we have been such a united, such a strong, and such a focused
team. And Bert has a great responsibility working with the entire parliamentary team to
ensure we remain faith and focused on those who were called to serve. And I can think of no
one better to do that because Bert - the original Beattie beater from years ago - has
continued to follow that tradition in an outstanding result in his own electorate as was Luke's
and Trevor's and others.
So why do we do so well in Queensland? I'd say there are three reasons. I've already
mentioned that you chose great candidates deeply connected to the community. 23
candidates had small business backgrounds like Terry and six candidates had AFP or ADF
backgrounds like Phil. I think that says a lot about who we are as a party and as a
movement. But more than that this reflected I think the values that the LNP as they reached
out and I think this will be very important and will be demonstrated in the upcoming state
election next year by Deb and her team, that you deeply - and we deeply understand and
respect Queenslanders.

There were not convoys that came up from south from the Liberal Party in the way that those
of our opponents did and came up to Queensland. We know that you don't have to choose
between jobs and the environment. You don't. There will be those who tell us you do and to
turn this into some sort of binary decision. But we know you can do both and we are doing
both. We do have a plan for a cleaner environment for the region. Warren Entsch is taking
on that job of a special envoy for the reef. No one I think better understands that than
Warren. Than the need to balance the unique environmental qualities and scientific qualities
of the reef. Together with the fact that is our livelihood and has been the livelihood of
Queenslanders. For as long as anyone can remember. It always has been. These things are
kept in balance and I don't to commend Warren on the job he's doing. There's $1.2 billion for
investing in the health of the reef from water quality, dealing with Crown of Thorns, cleaning
up parts of litter search. The Reef 2050 plan has been endorsed by the World Heritage
Committee and praised by the OECD. So we have much to be proud about and our
stewardship of the environment and Trevor Evans coming in as Assistant Minister. During
the election Trevor completed 500 community mobile offices - he brings people with him.
Australians create 67 million tonnes of waste each year – about 2.5 tonnes a person.
Investing $167 million in an Australian Recycling Investment Plan. We are working with
industry to deliver more sustainable packaging. Backing industry-led targets of 100 per cent
of all Australian packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 or earlier. 70
per cent of Australia’s plastic packaging will be recycled or composted by 2025. 30 per cent
average recycled content will be included across all packaging by 2025. Unnecessary single
use plastic packaging to be phased out through design, innovation, introduction of
alternatives. And we will meet our international environmental commitments, without
sacrificing the economy.

We have a ten year $100 billion infrastructure pipeline with close to half of that being
invested over the forward estimates, and quarter of it spent here in Queensland. Since we
were first elected, this government has spent more than $9 billion in transport infrastructure
projects in Queensland. To date 84 projects have been completed and a further 94 are
underway or in planning. We have $16 billion in funding in our forward pipeline for
Queensland.

We’ve already supported the Brisbane Metro and the Gold Coast Light Rail – and we are
supporting the establishment of fast rail with funding for the business cases – Brisbane to
the Gold Coast, and Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast. And we are building the roads
Queenslanders need. The $10 billion upgrade to the Bruce Highway. $1.7 billion for M1
upgrades between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. $1.6 billion to upgrade the Gateway
Motorway. $1.1 billion for the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing. And $888 million for the
Warrego Highway Upgrade program. From our $4 billion Urban Congestion Fund we are
providing almost $600 million in the upgrades needed to get Queensland moving, including
$60 million for commuter park upgrades. And we are making major investments in inland rail
– so that we can have the freight connection link between Brisbane and Melbourne that
everyone has talked about but no one has delivered. And city and regional deals in
Townsville, South-East Queensland and Hinkler are about laying the foundations for jobs,
infrastructure and economic development that involve all three levels of government signing
up to the same plan. We are going to give this state the infrastructure it needs to grow and
succeed. We want to back Queensland – so it’s a place for jobs, a place for investment, and
a place where you aren’t stuck in traffic or worried about dangerous roads.
That’s why I am backing a Queensland bid for the 2032 Olympic Games, centres here in
Brisbane and South East Queensland. Brisbane and Queensland is capable of achieving
anything. The 2000 Olympics transformed Sydney. More than an international sporting and
cultural event, it became the focal point of undertaking a city wide transformation. During the
election campaign, we committed up to $10 million for a much-needed partnership between
all levels of Government to help prepare a South East Queensland bid for the 2032 Olympic
Games. And I am pleased to announce today that Ted O’Brien will be the Commonwealth
representative tasked to build this bid with all levels of government​. The International
Olympic Committee recently changed its rules around bids. Planning is beginning much
earlier. So time is of the essence. The Australian Government is backing in this bid –
because we believe in Queensland. It ’s time for the Queensland Government to believe and
back the bid. Let’s be clear, a successful Queensland Bid can’t happen without the
Queensland Government. I want them to back the team. I want them to back Queensland.
And I want them to work with Ted O’Brien so we can deliver this for Queensland.

David Littleproud is doing a great job. The North Queensland Flood recovery progress,
standing up for rural communities. That’s why we have legislation that will stop activists
invading farms, and terrorising families in their homes. If you have a problem with a law, take
the problem up with me. Don’t threaten or terrorise a family in an isolated location all
because you want to be a Facebook warrior. It’s not on. We will not just ban it, we will
criminalise it.

[Applause]

And we will legislate the $3.9 billion Future Drought Fund that Labor opposed in the last
Parliament. And Labor need to tell where they stand. Maybe that vital funding will be like the
tax cuts. They’ll be against it, unless there’s a majority for it. And if there’s a majority for it,
they’ll vote for it, but reserve the right to later vote against it and repeal it if they ever get in.
In tax, infrastructure, waste reduction, the Olympics and a range of fronts.

We are back at work – working for you. Putting more back in your pocket – so you can
decide how to spend your money. Delivering the stronger economy that we need – with
more jobs and better wages. Delivering the infrastructure that will keep our suburbs moving
– and keep our regional centres growing. Delivering the secure Australia – to keep you and
your family safe. And delivering the cleaner environment that we want. There is so much to
do – and I am grateful that I will be joined in this work by the LNP. Thank you for believing
Queensland.

[Applause]

[ENDS]