: It is such an exciting day to be welcoming both the Prime Minister of Australia, the New South Wales Premier, our respective Ministers of TAFE and Skills from the Federal and State. All of my Hunter colleagues are present here – both State and Federal – because we all know just how important it is to be having, to be hosting a TAFE Centre of Excellence around net zero manufacturing here in the Newcastle-Hunter region. We’ve got a lot at stake. Of course, we are the centre of skills and training ordinarily, but we’re absolutely determined that we’re going to be at the forefront of training for those jobs into the future. Investing into skills and training is a critical part of investing into a Future Made in Australia. On that note, I want to hand across to the Prime Minister who’s going to make the announcement first, I understand. Welcome, Prime Minister.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, thanks very much, Sharon, and it says something about how important this announcement is that you have the Premier and members of his team. You have the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, and you have members of my team in Meryl and Sharon, Dan and Andrew Giles as the Minister for Skills and Training. And of course, Chris will introduce Steve Whan and the members of his team. Because there’s nothing more important than job creation, and there’s nothing more important than having a plan for where the economy is going and making sure that we invest in new industries and that we invest in the capacity of workers to be able to fill jobs in those industries. Now, it’s just a week ago that we passed one million new jobs being created since my Government was elected. There’s nothing more important to dealing with cost of living than making sure that people have employment and that people have good wages and conditions, and this project here is absolutely central to that. What will happen with this Centre of Excellence is a concentration on the renewable energy jobs of the future and making sure that we have the investment which we’re receiving at places like the Liddell site, but making sure that workers can fill those jobs, and in particular, by having the Centre of Excellence here, the people who we met – who are working here as apprentices – all of them are locals. They’re all from the Hunter Valley or the Central Coast, and we want to make sure that those opportunities are available, which is why my Government have invested in Fee-Free TAFE. There have been over 500,000 Australians have participated in Fee-Free TAFE in areas of skill shortage. Making sure that they can go on to have good, secure, well paid jobs, but also making a contribution to our national economy. And that’s why this Centre of Excellence in manufacturing, focusing on renewable energy is so important. This investment here is through both of our combined contribution of $61 million over the next four years for the Net Zero Centre of Excellence. And we’ll be announcing very soon next week, the members of the Net Zero Economy Authority as well, that will look at the transition, will look at how we make sure that we get those plans in place, working with the private sector, working with TAFE, working across the different levels of government to make sure that the Hunter continues to be a powerhouse of not just the New South Wales economy, but of the national economy as well. So I’m very proud to be working with Chris. We work so closely together between the Commonwealth and State Governments on this Centre. The Premier will speak. Then we’ll be happy to take local questions, and then we’ll take questions on anything else you desire.
CHRIS MINNS, PREMIER OF NEW SOUTH WALES: Thanks, Albo. Thanks so much to Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister, for being in Newcastle today for this exciting announcement. I’d also like to acknowledge Yasmin Catley, Steve Whan, Tim Crakanthorp from my team in State Parliament. The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Ross who’s here – recently elected. It’s great that you could be with us. Leigh Shears, the Secretary of the Trades Hall up here, and Brad Pidgeon, the Secretary of the AMWU. This is exciting. This is an investment in the future of the next generation of young Australians. We don’t regard spending on TAFE and vocational education as a drag or a line item on the Budget. We believe it’s an investment in the future. And the truth of the matter is, when you look at the exciting opportunities for the world’s economy and Australia’s place within it, there’s been a disconnect between where we’re heading and where we’ve been. We know that we’ve got a changing economy. We know that there’s real pressure on coal exports in the years ahead, but we have got an amazing opportunity to say to the next generation – particularly here in the Hunter – that there’s an exciting future for you in this industrial workforce. Green steel is just one of those examples. If you look at InfraBuild just across the water right here in Newcastle, they’re looking at massive expansion to take advantage of green steel quotas in the European Union. Australia is uniquely placed to grab that export market and ensure that we make money deep into the future, giving massive opportunities for young people. But where the disconnect has been is the next generation coming through the workforce, making sure they’ve got the skills and education that they need to participate in that new economy. When we got to office in March of 2023 there’d been a 50 per cent reduction in the number of experienced TAFE teachers educating the next generation, and apprenticeships and traineeships had dropped by one third. Now, you can’t expect to be competitive in a global economy if you’ve reduced the amount of apprentices by one third. That puts pressure on the construction sector, on the housing sector, on export trades like steel, on a whole range of exciting and emerging economies that we want Australia to be at the forefront of, and that requires an investment from the State and the Federal Government. So, hats off to the Commonwealth here. This has traditionally been a state responsibility, but Anthony personally has led an investment in vocational education because he doesn’t want to leave this generation behind, and we all see an exciting opportunity for the next generation right here in Newcastle. So, this is just the beginning. $28 million from the State and the Federal Government coming together for a Centre of Excellence, but you can expect more of this – not less of it – in the years ahead. We’re not going to leave anyone behind in terms of this economic renewal, this revolution in our economy. There is a spot for everybody. If you speak to the young people here, not one of them said – whether they were in their second or third year of their apprenticeships – that they regret it. In fact, the opposite is true. Their whole life is in front of them. Back to you Albo.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, just on the net zero centre coming to fruition. So how do we have net zero manufacturing if we don’t have an energy supply?
PRIME MINISTER: We are very confident that you will see investment, and you are seeing it at the Liddell site across a range of areas. As Chris has said, when you look at the transition to net zero, there is no country you’d rather be than Australia, because of the resources that we have in the sky, with the best solar resources in the world and the resources that we have under the ground. So just as coal and fossil fuels drove our economy for a long period of time, was a driver of growth here in the Hunter Valley for the last century. And I was with the Mining and Energy Union last night talking with miners, including from the Hunter Valley. And they continue to make an extraordinary contribution to this local economy, but to the national economy as well. But with new industries emerging, I’m very confident that this is about positioning the Hunter so that it has the skilled workforce to fill those jobs of the future.
JOURNALIST: Has the target date for the manufacturing of solar panels at Liddell changed given the shakeup within Solar SunShot?
PRIME MINISTER: Well we’re continuing to work with the company, Chris Bowen, as the Energy Minister continues to engage there. The Liddell site, of course there is an alternative plan of Peter Dutton. Peter Dutton’s plan is for nuclear energy sometime in the 2040s. I’m not sure if he’s aware of the seismic nature of this community. I well remember the tragedy of the Newcastle earthquake and of course recently we had incidents as well. And at that site, what’s going on is investment, investment in manufacturing. And there’s a reason why Peter Dutton hasn’t been able to come up with any costings – because it simply doesn’t stack up. What he says is that sometime in the 2040s, I’m not quite sure what happens with the transition in the meantime in terms of the coal-fired power winding down, which is what is happening around Australia. And sometime in the 2040s we just cross fingers and hope for the best. Now that’s not a plan. What you need for a plan is to work out how the transition is happening, working, the Minns Government have made decisions about that that are entirely appropriate to make sure we have that security of energy, but to make sure as well that we have those jobs that can be filled by people.
JOURNALIST: In terms of this new Centre of Excellence here, what does that $60 million over 5 years go to? Are we upskilling more teachers? Are we bringing more teachers in? Are we seeing more courses on offer? What is involved?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I might ask Andrew and Steve to supplement this as well. But essentially it is growing the workforce to support the renewable energy industry through technology integrated learning. So it’s not just what happens on this site physically, the idea is as well that you will be able to have workshops and education from this site around NSW as well. But I might ask Steve or Andrew to jump in there as well.
STEVE WHAN, NSW MINISTER FOR SKILLS, TAFE & TERTIARY EDUCATION: This centre is going to be offering a range of courses from higher apprenticeships through to micro skills. So, we’re looking at the sort of skills which can take a person beyond a normal apprenticeship. We’re looking at things which are flexible to move with the growing net zero economy and also the manufacturing needs of this area. We’re looking on this site to be able to train around 250 additional people a year, but with courses and qualifications that we can actually teach right across Australia. And that’s part of the reason why we’re cooperating with the Federal Government on this. We want to have the sort of programs which we can teach right across Australia, but centring here at Tighes Hill.
JOURNALIST: To do that do you need more teachers or do they just need to be upskilled?
MINISTER WHAN: Yes, and part of this package is actually working to attract and train more teachers in this location. There’s also additional funding which has gone in recently into upskilling a number of teachers in areas which will help them to work in things like defence industries and the sort of skills we need there in the welding sector. And we’re also looking at areas like electrotechnology, the boiler making and all those sort of areas.
JOURNALIST: How many teaching staff will be employed at the Centre of Excellence?
MINISTER WHAN: There’s already a number of teaching staff here. We’ll be continuing to try and recruit, we’ve got a program in place, Earn and Learn, and that’s a part of this package as well to try and bring in additional teachers.
JOURNALIST: Have you got a target on the number of apprentices you hope to –
MINISTER WHAN: As I said, there’s been about 250 students undertaking work here in a year. That’ll be a mix of people doing apprenticeships. We’ve already got a lot of people doing traditional apprenticeships in this space, so we’ll be looking at boosting that with the higher apprenticeships. And then there’ll be a range of short course options, things like microskills. So, if you’re already in the industry, if you’re an electrician and you want to upskill to work in some of these net zero areas, there’s probably a micro skill or an additional credential which we’ll be able to offer you here. Our TAFE staff will be working very closely with industry to design those skills.
JOURNALIST: What about young people who might be working in the mining sector in Muswellbrook or further up the valley towards Tamworth, Gunnedah, Narrabri? Are they going to have to come down here to transition their skills?
MINISTER WHAN: There’s actually a range of options. Part of this funding, again includes a mobile training unit. There’s a number of these training options which will be able to be done at home or online or in a nearby TAFE, and then we’ll have mobile training units which can go out to help people. So what we’re trying to do is assist people in the locations they’re in. So the people in the Upper Hunter Valley working in the mining industry can undertake training close to home with some limited visits into TAFE. But we’re also looking at the renewable energy zones across NSW. So areas like the Central West, the south of the state and the north of the state, where we need to be training people in their local areas and the sort of skills and courses that we’re going to be developing for this Centre are going to assist us to do that as well.
JOURNALIST: Maybe one for the Premier. When we talk about manufacturing, obviously the State Government is one of the biggest buyers of things like transport – so, trains, ferries. They’ve, in recent years, been imported. Is that going to change if we have the skill set?
PREMIER MINNS: It’s going to change. We’re bringing domestic train manufacturing back to NSW and we want to do that. We want to do that not just because it makes a lot of sense to give jobs and opportunities to a place like Newcastle. We also believe it’s great value for money for the NSW taxpayer. We have seen cost escalations and times blow out as a result of buying these trains and transport infrastructure from every other place in the world other than right here in NSW, which, by the way, we’ve been doing for over 100 years. So we believe in it, we think it’s an exciting opportunity and where, I think, most taxpayers in the state would expect it of us as well.
JOURNALIST: Premier, are you confident that the Hunter Transmission Project will be up and running by 2028, given that the EIS hasn’t been put in?
PREMIER MINNS: Yeah, we’ve got challenges there, I’m not going to beat around the bush, but the infrastructure is absolutely necessary. We’ve got to transition to over 20 terawatts of electricity a year from renewable means rather than from fossil fuels. And the Hunter Transmission Line is front and centre there. But I’m not going to muck around. We’ve had challenges with the planning system in getting these major infrastructure projects over the line. I know the Planning Minister is working on it. We’ve got to do better. I have to take the knock on that because every day that we lose adds to the pressures that we’ve got to convert renewable energy and turn it on in the state.
JOURNALIST: The energy transition is going to be front and centre at the Newcastle Harbour blockade next month. An estimated 10,000 people are going to be in Newcastle blockading the harbour in protest against exported coal. Do you have any message for the people who are going to participate in it?
PREMIER MINNS: Well, look, I don’t have a specific message for them. I don’t want to be antagonistic about it other than to say that if you block that Port and you put obstacles in the way of industry taking shape, it prevents and hurts our ability to transition the economy to get the kind of revenue we need to invest in vocational centres like this one and ensure that the economy’s got a tomorrow. So I know that a lot of people are going to do that. I think police have rejected a Form One because it will put serious delays on the Port. It’s a multi-day protest. I can’t apologise for that. At the end of the day my responsibility is still to the NSW economy and ensuring that the Hunter and Newcastle have a future. The state’s biggest export as of today is still coal. I know people don’t like saying that and they don’t like hearing it, but that’s the truth. And until we get other industries up and running and pumping in the Hunter, that is going to be a key source of revenue to transition that economy. And I’m not switching it off tomorrow.
JOURNALIST: Some other questions for the Prime Minister, if that’s okay. This is regarding the conversation that’s happening in Canberra at the moment. Do you think it was appropriate for you to solicit flight upgrades from the Qantas CEO for international, personal and family travel when you were Transport Minister and Shadow Transport Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well let’s be clear about this, I’ve been completely transparent about this. All of my flights have been declared in an appropriate way, just as Peter Dutton declared his flights or some of his flights. There is a difference between both of us. My flights were commercial with Qantas or Virgin or Emirates. They were all declared in the appropriate way. I didn’t have to declare any flights on private jets owned by billionaires like Gina Rinehart, because I haven’t engaged in it, as simple as that. And it’s up to Mr Dutton to explain how those flights were organised to private parties. Some of the things that have been mentioned, I’ll name just one. A flight to London, return that I took. The first flight from Perth to London, the first direct flight non-stop taken from the Australian continent to Europe. Steven Ciobo, the Tourism Minister, was on that flight. I was on that flight as the Shadow Minister. So was Mark McGowan, the Premier of WA. So was Paul Papalia, the Tourism Minister. So I assume was the Shadow Tourism Minister in WA. All of that was declared. When we arrived in London promoting Australia, Alexander Downer, as the High Commissioner, hosted an event at the High Commission. It was a very good event and Alexander Downer did a very good job of that. Now, I’ve declared everything. I just make this point and I just make the point as well. That the person who is trying to sell a book, and fair enough – I don’t see declarations that he’s a former Liberal Party staffer for a number of senior members of the Liberal Party, including Joe Hockey and Bruce Baird. I don’t see declarations that he’s a former Qantas employee. I don’t see declarations that in June, just a few months ago, he was a guest, him and John Howard, at a Liberal Party fundraiser in the electorate of Wentworth. So, my activity is all out there in a transparent fashion. I note that I’m far from being the most frequent person of being upgraded. Paul Fletcher has been upgraded at least 69 times that he’s declared, 69. He’s been in Parliament for less time than I’ve been in. And, you know, if people, I think, you know, what you need to do is to make sure you stick to the rules. I’ve done that at all times.
JOURNALIST: Did you ring Alan Joyce personally for any of these flight upgrades? Did you call Alan Joyce personally for these upgrades?
PRIME MINISTER: The idea, Qantas have a number in terms of bookings that are private bookings. And in terms of the only discussions that I can recall with Alan Joyce, certainly we discussed, not through calls, we discussed the first flight from Australia to Dubai on an A380. I might note as well that the Today Show, Sunrise, it was full of media, these were not commercial flights. They were all recording and doing interviews on the way. Kerri-Anne Kennerley was there in Dubai, along with other people from The Project and for all of these TV shows. It was about an arrangement between Australia and the UAE that was held in Dubai, returned. Every other flight I paid for. Every other flight. These were two non-commercial flights that were declared in which Transport Ministers and Shadow Ministers travelled as well. It’s as simple as that. It’s very transparent out there. I’ve declared everything in accordance with all of the rules. And I note that, you know, there are others who I’m aware of have not necessarily declared all of the flights that they’ve taken. I note the Shadow Transport Minister was out there saying she hadn’t declared, she hadn’t received any upgrades and then had to put out a media release saying, well, actually she had, as well as getting other flights. You know, I have at all times, at all times acted in a transparent and appropriate way. And what I’m concerned about here is that Peter Dutton seems to be obsessed with making attacks on myself, my family, and to try to engage in this obsession. My obsession is with helping Australians every day, every day. And that’s why last night I was with the Mining and Energy Union talking about Same Job, Same Pay. I met Danielle there, Danielle a miner from this area. And there are miners I met from this area as well who, because of Same Job, Same Pay, the legislation that will begin this Friday, Danielle’s pay has increased by $33,000. That’s what motivates me every day. $33,000 additional money in her pocket. Now that is, that is what my focus is on. Peter Dutton seems to be determined to just be arrogant and nasty every day. That’s up to him. But I’ll continue to do my job. I was in Queensland this morning. Now I’m here in NSW. I’ll be in Victoria at another event connected with renewable energy after this.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, can I please ask, did you ever call Alan Joyce directly for these upgrades? And if you did, do you think that’s appropriate given you had a position –
PRIME MINISTER: Well you can’t just – there’s no accusation being made with any specifics at all about any of this. None. None.
JOURNALIST: I’m asking a specific question.
PRIME MINISTER: People are, Peter Dutton is making this statement. If there is a suggestion to be made, let it be made specifically and I’ll answer it. But I have said – I have said very clearly that I recall direct discussions with Alan Joyce over the flights, the Emirates or Qantas flight to Dubai and of course the first flight to Perth. They’re the only times that I was on a plane with Alan Joyce. Of the 22 flights, 10 of them were during the leadership ballot between myself and Bill Shorten in 2013 over a one month period where both Qantas and Virgin provided upgrades for flights that were paid for by the Australian Labor Party to make sure that there wasn’t any cost to taxpayers for what was internal business. Now in terms of transparency, Bridget McKenzie can answer questions herself about things. Peter Dutton can answer questions about his flights. I assume, his flights, upgrades are the same circumstances that I am in. With the exception that I don’t have access to a private jet on call, which has happened with Mr. Dutton, and it’s up to him to explain that. Just like all of my financial arrangements are completely transparent. I don’t have a trust, I don’t have a family trust, I don’t have any shares. I’ve never had any shares in any company. I have always acted in an open and transparent way. And it’s up to others to say why it is that they have trusts, why it is that we don’t know what they own, what they invest in, what income they have all hidden away. I have not done that. And in my time in public life, I have acted with integrity. I have acted in a way that is entirely appropriate and I have declared, in accordance with the rules, even – I read today, I declared a cookbook today. Because I declare things even when there’s no obligation to do so. I’ve always erred on the side of caution. Thanks very much.
