E&OE….
Topics: Georges River Green Army project, success of the Green Army across the country, Australia’s emissions reduction targets, global financial markets, crocodile hunting
GREG HUNT:
I'm delighted to be here with Craig Kelly and the team from the Georges River Green Army project. They're doing a fabulous job. This is local people and local projects, we have 370 projects either completed or in the field, we're well ahead of schedule.
And some of the things that have been said to me – Zach was talking about how proud he was; Johnny was talking about the work giving him a sense of real satisfaction.
And so you get these two outcomes: you get young people in the field, doing things for the community and for the country, and then you get young people giving themselves an opportunity. Some will hopefully go on to work with councils, some may work with landscape gardeners or with parks services.
And so this is a great example of young people of whom the community can be proud. They're doing a tremendous job in their own right, and it's part of a broader Georges River plan which Craig Kelly helped oversee and put together.
There are 13 projects set aside for the Georges River over the coming years, and so this is really about taking a good waterway and making it a great waterway, and the people who are doing it are Dan and his team. And guys, you're doing a fabulous job, and you should be really, really proud of yourselves. Craig?
CRAIG KELLY:
This is a really fantastic project for our local community to get involved in. Where we're standing here, about 200 years ago, Governor Macquarie came down, and he commented in his journal how clean and sweet the water was in the river. We've made a bit of a mess of it in those 200 years, but this is doing something really practical to restoring the health of the Georges River, one of the many projects we're doing. So I'm proud that this is in my electorate, and I'm really proud of this local team.
GREG HUNT:
Alright, very good. So happy to take any questions, either about the project or other matters.
JOURNALIST:
Just the project – there are a few of these Green Army projects happening around, have they all been as successful and you believe this one is?
GREG HUNT:
Yeah, look the outcome of the Green Army has been far more successful than we'd ever hoped. One of the things which has been a really positive outcome is many people who might not have had work previously, or others who might have had adjustment issues, and hadn't been able to work because of emotional concerns or anxiety, feel confident in the Green Army.
And so what we're finding from the service providers around the country, and what I found from my own discussions is that a lot of young people who wouldn't ever have thought they could get into work are finding their way not just into the Green Army, but building the confidence through the Green Army to be then able to work on a permanent basis.
And that’s a social dividend which was above and beyond what we'd ever hoped, as well as of course the environmental outcomes.
JOURNALIST:
Can I just go to an issue in the top end. Safari style crocodile hunting, is that soon going to be allowed in the Northern Territory?
GREG HUNT:
Well I have already rejected one application, and I don't have any plans to change my position.
JOURNALIST:
Your Cabinet colleague Nigel Scullion is quite keen on this, and he's out there, he's Indigenous Minister, and there's talk that it could really help remote Indigenous communities. Is it something that you'll consider?
GREG HUNT:
Look, at a Federal level I've made a decision, and I don't have any plans to change my decision.
JOURNALIST:
Okay, the Climate Council report's out today, and it says that Australia needs to cut our emissions more quickly and more deeply. Are you taking notice of this report?
GREG HUNT:
Well no country is doing more on a per capita basis than Australia. We're moving from minus 5 per cent under Labor to minus 26 – 28 per cent under the Coalition. On a per capita basis, Australia is the leading major economy, the leading developed economy, in terms of reducing emissions.
So what we're doing is setting an example for the world. And I hope that other countries will, on a per capita basis, try and do what we're doing. It's a tough ask, but it's an important one. The interesting thing is we're doing it without a massive hike in electricity prices, without a massive electricity tax.
And I would respectfully say to the Labor Party – we know that your plan is a $633 billion plan. When are you going to release the details, and when are you going to be honest about how much electricity prices will rise?
JOURNALIST:
This report actually says that Australia needs to do more. Those two things, do it more quickly and make the cuts more deeply, to do its fair share globally. So what do you say to that?
GREG HUNT:
Well again, the material which has just been released, when we move from Labor's minus 5 per cent to our minus 26 – 28 per cent, shows that on a per capita basis Australia will be reducing emissions, cutting emissions, more than any other developed world economy, more than any other major economy anywhere in the world.
So that's an extraordinary step forward for Australia, and that's a major contribution to the world. So I think it's very important to understand that of all countries, anywhere in the world, on a per capita basis, Australia is doing more than any other comparable nation.
JOURNALIST:
So what do you say then, when this report is saying that Australia is out of step with the rest of developed nations in tackling climate change?
GREG HUNT:
Look, I'll let them speak for themselves. I speak for Australia. And for Australia, we should be very proud. We're one of the few nations to have met and beaten our first round of Kyoto targets.
We know from the latest quarterly figures released last week that we will meet and beat our second round of Kyoto targets to 2012.
And now we've set an ambitious but achievable target without a massive electricity tax, and we will meet and beat our third round of Kyoto targets out to 2030. And Australians should be proud of that.
JOURNALIST:
So you're happy to keep going on the path and with the cuts and the levels that you've set?
GREG HUNT:
Well China is set for an increase of up to 150 per cent. Korea, minus 4 per cent. Japan, minus 25 per cent. The US' target on a slightly different timeframe is minus 26 – 28 per cent, and Australia is minus 26 – 28 per cent.
So an ambitious target, achievable, but something which on a per capita basis is the most significant of any major country in the developed world and any comparable economy anywhere in the world.
JOURNALIST:
Just on the global share market, do you believe that this is a crash, or the start of one?
GREG HUNT:
Oh look, the markets will find their own resting place. But as Joe Hockey said, sometimes these are very complex. This one is quite a clear source. Essentially the Chinese share market increased 150 per cent in basically 12 months. And the value, which was clearly overstated in that, is now being taken out and the Chinese market will find its natural resting place, and the rest of the world.
But for Australia, the fundamentals are strong. We are getting our national debt under control in a way where it was out of control. We've seen an enormous number of new jobs created, and what we've also seen is genuine development in the private sector.
So our fundamentals are strong. Our shares are not overly leveraged, they're responding to a bubble within the Chinese stock market. And I think that the world will come out of this in reasonable shape.
JOURNALIST:
So I take it that the Government's not overly concerned by what's happened?
GREG HUNT:
What is it that we can control? We can control the Federal Budget, the productivity settings to try and improve productivity, and we can give young people the opportunity to work.
And what this program is about is giving young people the opportunity to work. And what our national economic program is about is creating those opportunities, so as talented young people who are newly trained have work to which they can go.
JOURNALIST:
And just finally, a far North Queensland hotel says it’s been stiffed by the Department of Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's pulled out of a trip at the last minute and they say they're severely out of pocket, they're $50,000 out of pocket. Do you have any thoughts on what the Department should do in this situation?
GREG HUNT:
No, I apologise, I don't have any details on that issue. So it’s probably best for me not to try and provide commentary. Okay, thank you.
(ENDS)