ADDRESS, NSW LIBERAL PARTY STATE COUNCIL

PRIME MINISTER: It's good to be home. It's great to be home. Around the country, but it's always nice to be home. I was home in the Shire yesterday. Mark will know about that. And I'm looking forward to Sunday afternoon. Dom Perrottet's not here this afternoon, this morning, he's sizing up I think for Sunday afternoon. But it is great to be home. This is my home, New South Wales, and it's a great state led by great people.

 

I'll say a bit more about it in a sec but can I first acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, elders past and present and future. Can I acknowledge and say thank you for your service to all the men and women who are serving in our Australian Defence Forces and those who have served and are our veterans. We thank you for your great service to our country. Can I acknowledge all of my colleagues who are here today, but particularly our New South Wales Federal team which is led by Senator Marise Payne the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women. Joined by Angus Taylor, and Paul Fletcher, and Sussan Ley who joins me in the Cabinet and Alex Hawke in the Ministry. It's a wonderful team that I'm supported by in New South Wales and I'm so proud of what our New South Wales Members contribute to our Federal Parliament,  can I, and I'll speak a bit more about my team in a second, but before I go further than that- you know it's 75 years, this year, since our great Party was founded. And at no time during those 75 years has the Liberal Party won an election at a state and a federal level in the same year. What a way to celebrate 75 years. And there were two people more responsible than any here in New South Wales that led the Party organisation here in New South Wales. And that's our President Phil Ruddock and our State Director Chris Stone. That's how you win elections. There are so many elements to it. But without the strong leadership of the Party organisation then it's simply not possible. Gladys talked about being a daughter of the Liberal Party and I know she and I would agree on this, there are many, there are many reasons why we both look to the great advice and instruction and the example set by John Howard, our greatest ever Prime Minister. But the thing I always admire most about John, whether it's in private or in public. The thing he is always most thankful for is the opportunity that was given to him not just by the Liberal Party in Australia but his home division of New South Wales, and I feel the same way. I feel the same way. This is a wonderful and magnificent Party and it's one that we all own together and it's one that we have to nurture and we have to cherish. It's one that we have to build and we have to strengthen if we really, really believe and I know we do. Because that was on display this year. So I want to thank all the members from one end of the state to the other and particularly here in New South Wales for the way you believed. I said on election night that I believed in miracles and it's true I do. I absolutely do. But you know for miracles to happen you have to believe, and that's what you did, when plenty of others wouldn't, didn't, walked away. And frankly on occasion had good reason to. You didn't, and you believed, and so by believing together as a great political movement, this country's greatest and most successful political movement, seven out of the last nine. I'll take that, any day of the week. Particularly I wish I had seven out of the last nine for the Sharks. To be in the top 4, not fighting for the last spot in the top 8 tomorrow. But that's the sort of success that comes from belief, and conviction, and values that absolutely accord with where the people of New South Wales are at and where the people of Australia are at.

 

I want to thank in particular those who achieved in the success that marked the election and Melissa McIntosh here the new member for Lindsay, has brought Lindsay home. Lindsay holds a special place I think within the Australian political pantheon. And at every election everybody has their eyes on Lindsay. And in Melissa we had an outstanding candidate, we worked to give them a wonderful local team. And it was wonderful to see Lindsay come back home. Can I also congratulate Dr. Fiona Martin on her tremendous result in Reid. She didn't have seven months, she had seven weeks. It was a sprint - five weeks. That was a sprint. She's the best political sprinter in the business. I think she's just demonstrated that in spades. Dave Sharma the new, the returned member for Wentworth. Now I'm a bit jealous of Dave, it's not just because he's good looking, and the smartest bloke in the room, you know a lot of people say they're the smartest people in the room, there's a very good chance Dave is, on most occasions if not all. But on election night we're there, and the results are coming in and I said to my dad I said, look I think we might have this and he was pretty happy about that, but when I told him we'd won Wentworth he was over the moon. As a lifelong member and sorry, resident of Wentworth, to see Wentworth come back to the fold. It was tremendous Dave. And you didn't just stump up once, you stumped up twice and I think that says a lot about your grit, and your determination. And to Holly, Jim Molan and Andrew Brag who joins us in the Senate. We welcome you and it's great to have you as part of the team. To those members who fought and held. Lucy Wicks up there in Roberson. They won our encouragement, not just to me but all of their colleagues showing them how it’s done on the ground day in, day out. And David Coleman down there in Banks. An extraordinary result. You know, it was the same at the state election, wasn't it Gladys? The many different communities that make up Australia, the many different ethnic communities, faith communities, that span our great state- and our state and our nation. They supported us in both elections, and it wasn't because of the politics of patronage or anything like that. It's because the great ethnic communities of this country, people who've come to this country to have a go and get a go, they know and they've seen it, that it's the Liberal and National Parties who enable them to fulfil their vision for this country. Their believe in this country, and the values that brought them here and the values that ensure that such a great success they know, is underpinned by the political philosophy of the Liberal Parties and again, that's true. And Dave Coleman's success in Banks, Geoff knows this out in Parramatta, and wherever it was, it was that and Phillip had been on this issue for his entire political life. He's been the champion of these values in these communities. And this is why we were so successful there, amongst many other reasons. And to Sussan Ley down in Farrer she was up against it she had a tough fight. And Sussan has, I remember her first election back in 2001 I was the (inaudible) director. And it's what happens when you work all of your term, not in just the little bits before elections. That's what Sussan's done time and time again. And the challenges that are faced in the seat of Farrer and particularly the challenges that are faced with drought, and water infrastructure and all of those very difficult issues. Sussan could stand with her community, and she could be trusted on all of those issues. And I want to commend you Sussan for the strength that you showed, but also the great compassion and connection you have with the people of rural New South Wales. And to JA, well you know, JA just keeps serving it up. And it's aces every time isn't it JA? Every time. And mate, you're a wonderful member of the team, it's great to have you as part of the team. To though, again, to those who were- who almost got there. Sarah Richards out in Macquarie, so close. So close. She campaigned so well.  And we're looking forward to seeing Sarah joining colleagues here at State Councils in the future as a member of my team and can we also say to Fiona Kotvojs, out there in Eden-Monaro, she fought hard. As did Jilly Pilon up there in Dobell, she did great. Allan Green out in Greenway. Warren Mundine down in Gilmore. We thank Warren for standing up for the Liberal cause. To Tony Abbott, you know it's six years ago today, the Abbott Government was elected. Six years ago today. That would never have happened were it not for the strong leadership of Tony Abbott to bring our Party back from opposition, to Government. And here we are, six years later honouring what we took to the people six years ago and implementing and delivering even still now. And so I want to thank Tony for his tremendous service to our country, but in particular I want to thank him here amongst our home division. He's a member of this home division, for his great service to the Liberal Party over a political lifetime that has shown a tremendous contribution, and he will be forever remembered as the leader that brought us back and put us back into government and has set up this time of government where we are really changing Australia for the better. Thank you Tony. And finally, and I think Arthur Sinodinos, this will be his last State Council here. And as a political operative, as a political member, as a member of our parliamentary team. He's served our party in so many different ways, he's served Liberal governments in so many different ways and he was a natural choice to take on what is one of the most important jobs for our country over the next five years. And that is to serve as our ambassador to the United States, I know Arthur is going to do an extraordinary job. And I know everyone over there is looking forward to seeing you coming in and taking up that role. He's going to succeed another great son of this division, in Joe Hockey who has done an extraordinary job as our ambassador to Washington. I'll be with Joe in a couple of week’s time before the White House dinner with the President. And this is a function of his great work in the relationship that has been built between our- these two great nations, in ourselves and the United States. So we wish you well in that role Arthur and the family and we thank you for your tremendous service to our nation. So forgive me those indulgences. Forgive me those indulgences.

 

Let me say a bit about what's going on. First of all can I say to all of those who are struggling with the fires that we've seen up around Tamworth in the last 24 hours, and the fires that are up there in Queensland.  And wherever you are in Australia today, I know that you're standing with those who are facing that adversity, in, in what is still a very tense situation, and to all those who are out there volunteering today and supporting those in desperate need and fighting those fires. As always we say thank you to you and you'll get every support that you would expect to get whether it's from the Commonwealth Government or from the State Government, whether it's Queensland or New South Wales. You'll be getting that support.

 

On the 18th of May, Australians quietly going about their lives, they voted for the Party, for the leader and for the member, candidate that they thought was going to best bring stability and certainty in times of great instability and uncertainty. And since that election on the 18th of May I think they've been proven right in their choice. And I believe that they believe, that they have been proven right in their choice. From our Government you have seen certainty, you have seen stability. You've seen a plan, and a plan that we took to the Australian people, a plan that we put in our Budget, a plan that foresaw the challenges that Australia was going to face, and a Government that's just steadfastly getting on with implementing that plan. A plan that is based on beliefs, and on values that are known and that are trusted, and that are proven. That doesn't mean everybody will always agree in this country with the decisions my Government will make, but they won't be surprised. Because we are a dependable, known quantity to the Australian people. Our plans and our policies are a function of our beliefs and our values. And that's what the Australian people saw at the election. We reconnected again with the beliefs that underpinned what we were about as a Party. And when people know what you believe, they can have confidence in the future because they know how you'll respond, they'll know how you react. And they can have confidence in the decisions that you'll make. That’s what stability is about. That's what certainty is about. That's what enables Australians who just basically want to get on with their lives. And they get on and make decisions because they know what we're going to do, and they know we're not going to flip flop, and faff about. They know you're going to just make decisions in accordance with your plans. And that's how you enable Australians to plan for their future, with confidence, and you know that's the most important goal we have in Government. To let Australians plan for their future. To let Australians decide. To let Australians keep more of what they earn. To let Australians look to their own future, imagine it, and then create it. That's what we're about. And if you're sure about what you believe. If you're sure about the direction you're taking, and you're sure about the principles and the foundations upon which you stand. Then you can provide that and that's what our Government is doing. And that's what NSW does. You know the Labor Party, chaos, confusion, and even the allegations of corruption, here in New South Wales. We've got walkouts in Western Australia such is the factional infighting within the West Australian branch of the Labor Party. We've got a John Setka sit-in in Victoria. That's going on. Who knows what's going on up in Queensland. And here in New South Wales, when I said that I was keen to see the recycling of plastics! Memo to Albo, that's not what I had in mind. You know what. Labor is reaping what they have sown. None of us in this room are surprised with what came out of ICAC. None of us are surprised about the culture that we know has been ingrained in the Labour Party, particularly in this state. It works its way out eventually and it looks like Sam Dastyari riding a bicycle around Domain, keeping his phone ringing. It's where it ends up, if you start with a bad culture. If you start about, it's not about knowing whether you've crossed the line, in the Labor Party they don't even know there is a line. And it doesn't take long to get to where they have got to. Kristina Keneally thinks they just need to change where they have lunch, to change their culture. They still don't get it. They still don't get it. That's why they're not fit to lead New South Wales, and they're not- certainly fit to lead Australia. They are a Party of chaos, confusion. They don't know who they are anymore. They don't know where they're going. That 'whatever it takes' attitude has met its inevitable end, in what we've seen unravelling here whether it's in New South Wales or whether it's in Queensland or other places. This is a party that's rotting from the centre. In Labor. And it's not for us to be complacent. It's for us to double down. And to be reminded that you must continue to invest in the culture and the values and the beliefs of our Party that keeps it strong. That keeps its integrity. That enables it to go to elections and offer, whether to the people of New South Wales or the people of Australia, hope. Because that's the business we're in. We're in the business of enabling people to have real hope. Where they can see a future and they can go and achieve it. And for that to happen, we always have to stay up to the mark. Let Labor fall. Let Labor decay. But let us always get stronger, let us always reinforce the things that we believe in so we can make our Party strong for the future which means a stronger Australia, and a stronger New South Wales. 

 

Our plan we are delivering on, whether it's on our economic plan. The first point of the plan is make sure that government lives within its means. We're going to keep this surplus. It's taken us 12 years, six of our own making. To get this back into surplus this year. And that's an important programme this [inaudible] We're only in our first surplus year, and Labor is already wanting to spend it all in an afternoon, flailing their hands about like they did last time when Australia went into difficult times. We're still paying off the knee-jerk reactions and the inability to exercise fiscal discipline and calmness in the face of difficult challenges. So we will maintain the course, we will stick to the plan. We're getting people off welfare and we're getting them into work. That's what our plans about. And next week, we will be pursuing two pieces of legislation designed to do that.  Over 330,000 jobs created in the last twelve months, 1.4 million in the last six years, and 95,000 jobs a year in New South Wales, in every year since we were elected. Now this hasn't happened by accident. It's not a matter of luck. It's a matter of good policy, (inaudible) planning - next week, two bills. The first one, is to extend the welfare, the cashless debit card. And this is important. 80 per cent of the cash welfare is quarantined to ensure that it is spent on the necessities of life. And isn't able to be drifted off in the areas of gambling and other things like this. 20 per cent remains in cash. Now we've been trialling this in communities around the country, and it's working. People are getting off welfare and into work. The rate at which people are coming off this welfare is twice the national average in where we're putting this into place. It's getting people off welfare and into work. And you know who opposed it? The Labor Party. The Greens. Well there's another test for them next week. I like to set them tests when we come back to Parliament. Because I'm just trying to help. I know they're struggling to work out who they are and what they're about so I just thought I should ask them a few questions every time we come to Parliament. Do you believe in getting people off welfare and into work? Well the Liberal Party does! And we've got a bill that's going to continue to achieve it. So the test is on them next week, whose side are they on when it comes to getting people off welfare and into work? And the other one, which we'll be introducing is drug testing when it comes to welfare recipients. I want to help people get off welfare and into work. And drugs and substance abuse is an obstacle to that. We all know that. We're not going to dress it up. And if you can help someone get off drugs then their chances of getting into a job are greatly increased. And one of the most important things I've learnt as a Minister and now as a Prime Minister is the Government has so many interactions with people. And if there's one interaction that we have with them where we know that they're struggling with an element in their lives with addiction,  to whether it's cocaine, or heroin, now to be included in the trial or ice or other substances, then we've got to do what we can to get them off. And so what the trial does is gets them on to, if they fail those tests, onto the cashless debit card so we can start to at least quarantine the money so their kids can get fed. And then it moves on to treatment programs and other things like this. The point is not, it is not to stop their payments. The only way I want to stop their payments is when they get a job. That's what it's about. And you know who opposed it? They certainly did last time, the Labor Party. And I hope they have a change of mind because this isn't about holding people down. This is about lifting people up and giving them the real hand they need, the real hand they need to get off drugs, to be able to turn around their lives, and for us to be able to support them in doing that. Tax relief we've delivered as you know. But I'll tell you what the Labor Party they seem pretty intent on holding onto these taxes. Chairman Swanny has been out and about. Swanny says no, no, no, no it wasn't $387 billion dollars worth of taxes and the Labor Party want to keep more of people's money was the reason why they lost the election, it was all just Bill, it was all just Bill. Believe me he played his part. But I can tell you as I moved around the country, no, it was what Labor were putting on the Australian people, saying they wanted to take back what people had worked hard to earn. And to involve themselves in their lives. You know they ran around the country saying give us all your money and I'll solve all your problems. Well that's only half right. They were certainly going to take all their money, but they weren't going to solve any of their problems. If Chairman Swanny had his way Steve Smith would have had to have given more than half of his century back, a century back! We think people should keep more of what they earn and that's what our plan does.

 

Infrastructure, there are 310 cranes on the Sydney skyline Gladys, How good's that? Western Sydney International Airport, the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, is being built by this Government. Together with the state government, the aero-tropolis; West Connex; North Connex, you can't move in New South Wales with all the earth moving machinery, and the roads that are being built here. And that's because there's a State and Federal Government working together to build stuff here in New South Wales which is making our economy strong. We're investing in skills. Investing in skills. We're expanding our trade borders. We're supporting all industries to go forward. Whether it's our agricultural industries, facing real difficulties in times of drought, or believing in our resources industries wherever they are across the country. We know mining creates jobs and those jobs are not under threat from the Liberal and National Government and we certainly know that Labor presents a threat whether you're living in Newcastle, or up in the Hunter or other parts of the state, Labor is not your friend when it comes to your job if you work in the resources industry. And finally can I say this because I've gone on a bit today, but indulge me kindly...

 

CROWD: More! More! 

 

PRIME MINISTER: We also said we're going to keep Australians safe, and we do have the biggest investment in building up our defence capability since the Second World War. That was one of Tony's promises back in 2013 and we are delivering on that and we will deliver on it ahead of schedule. And it's a it's a magnificent program. It's creating jobs, but importantly it's keeping Australians safe. And we're keeping our borders secure. And you know on that issue I know the matter regarding the Tamil family is a very sensitive one. I've been active in this area of policy for a very long period of time as Philip is also, who instructed me so much in how we put together these plans and programmes. The most compassionate thing you can always do is just make sure your borders are strong. No one is surprised by the decision to [inaudible]. Because it's born of experience. It's born of the success of our policies, and the family, when they return should that be the decision of the courts, to Sri Lanka. Then they are very welcome to make an application to come to Australia, the same way that everyone else does. There'll be no special favours or special treatment. Nor should there be. There are thousands, there are hundreds of thousands of people who want to come and make their life here in Australia. And so many millions have and that's why we're the wonderful multicultural, most successful immigrant country in the world today because of immigration policies that were championed whether it was by Philip Ruddock or so many others over the course of our political history that has always understood that Australia's migration success is built on people who come to Australia to make a contribution, not take a contribution. And that's what our immigration policy's about. And anyone who wants to come to do that the right way? They'll get a go in Australia. And so we'll deal with this issue the way we deal with all of these issues, according to our law, according to our policies, and on that, can I particularly acknowledge the work many years ago that I did with Jim Molan. I think Jim's here. All those years ago when we put Operation Sovereign Borders together. Jim made an outstanding contribution in that area of policy as he did in the Senate when he joined us for that period and Jim I want to thank you for that opportunity and I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours. So we're getting on with the job, few murmurs there, we're getting on with the job. And here in the New South Wales division I need you to get on with the job that you have, to build for the next election at the state, and the federal will come up first. And that means ensuring that we've got the best candidates ready to go at that election. It means that our Party remains strong in its beliefs and its values and remains focussed on the things that build our country and our state. And doesn't get distracted by the things that can within any political organisation. To not become complacent, to always remain humble. I want to see at the next election I want to see more women in our Parliament. And I want to see the New South Wales division work with me and my team, to deliver that. On merit. On merit. That's the key. But we've got to deliver it. No point in having targets when you don't have a plan to meet them. We've got a target for growing jobs in this country but we've also got a plan for creating those jobs. I come from the Party organization. I respect a viable Party organisation. It's not for me or my parliamentary colleagues or Gladys or her parliamentary colleagues to be telling you, the members of the New South Wales division how those issues should run in terms of how you select candidates and do all those sort of- that's up to you. But we need to lift that representation. And that's your job. That's your job. That's your part of this, this great adventure, this great exercise that we're embarked on. And so I'm trusting you to ensure that we can deliver on those things. It's important, bring people in, encourage them, train them, recruit them, ensure we're grounded in the important values of the Party. That enables them to go forward. That's the Liberal way. And we'll get on with the job of delivering a stronger Australia, Australia that is stronger, in its prime. Australia that continues to guarantee the services Australians rely on, because we know how to manage money. Australia that is safe, safe. Not just overseas, on our borders, but in our homes, in our communities, an Australia where we can all come together and we can all say together, that Australia is the greatest place in the world to live and raise a family and I've got a special preference for New South Wales and the Shire.