Transcript:
Doorstop Interview: 4 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
5 January 2012
SUBJECTS: Emergency response system; Australian Labor Party; Warren Rodwell
BRENDAN O'CONNOR: Thanks very much for coming. This is a very important initiative today. This is a new initiative by the Gillard Government to have Point of Presence - the mobile technology, effectively mobile offices that can respond to any emergency. Last summer we of course had some very devastating natural disasters. We had indeed awful floods in Queensland and we had floods in Victoria and Western Australia. This country deals with floods and cyclones and bush fires every year and therefore it's critical that we have mobile response. We have the capacity to use technology in a way that will allow us to provide immediate relief to victims of disasters. And that's why this Point of Presence technology is so important. This will allow the Commonwealth to respond to disasters very quickly. It will ensure that we process payments.
Over the last year we had almost 800,000 claims for payments. Almost $1 billion went to people in need of resources because they were victims of natural disasters and this technology will ensure that wherever a disaster occurs across this huge country that we're able to respond quicker than every before. And so working with state and territory governments, the Gillard Government will ensure the victims of natural disasters are able to receive payments that they're entitled to if they are indeed in need.
To ensure that it's done quickly is critical because there's no point providing money well after the event. In many cases people are left homeless, they are left without clothes, without food, without their own resources and they need to be provided payments as quickly as possible. And I'm glad to say as a result of the review we had over the course of this year, particularly during the winter period, we've come up with an enhanced capacity to respond quickly. We've doubled the mobile offices from 15 to 30 and it's very important of course in this summer season . I'm happy to take any questions - if there are any.
QUESTION: We have questions on just another matter on –
O'CONNOR: Are there any questions on this matter first? Natural disasters?
QUESTION: Can I just ask –
O'CONNOR: Sure.
QUESTION: Was there a major hold up during the natural disasters that we had last summer with the floods and also before that with the bush fires?
O'CONNOR: Look as you know the bush fires of Victoria were quite devastating some years ago and indeed the floods in Queensland and other parts of the country, including Victoria and Western Australia were quite devastating to communities. And this is a new approach with a quicker response. It's using technology to ensure that people receive payments as quickly as possible.
That's not to say what happened in the past wasn't done as quickly as possible but this is using technology in a manner that we haven't used before, it's doubling the mobile offices from 15 to 30, it's ensuring that the Gillard Government can respond as quickly as possible to victims of natural disasters and for that reason this is a very important initiative and indeed a very timely one.
QUESTION: How quickly could this be set up in say a bush fire area or a flood area?
O'CONNOR: Look, it depends of course on the location of the disaster but I'm told in some cases within hours and on other occasions within a very few days. That will mean that people that are entitled to emergency payments are provided those payments as quickly as possible because the processing of those payments will be made quickly.
Now I was Acting Attorney last summer and indeed I was in recovery centres in Rockhampton and I thought things were done very, very well but this will just enhance the capability of the Gillard Government to respond to the victims of disasters and that's a very good thing.
QUESTION: Can it work from remote areas?
O'CONNOR: It can indeed using satellite technology, using 3G technology, we're able to process claims in that situation. We literally have now a mobile unit that can run off a battery, that can use satellite or 3G technology to ensure that processing of claims are made expeditiously which will mean that money is in people's banks immediately or very soon after.
Thank you any other questions?
QUESTION: Minister how concerned are you that damage is being done to the Prime Minister's reputation by comments like Bob Hawke made about union influence and also the ongoing speculation?
O'CONNOR: Well I didn't read that into the comments made by the former Prime Minister. The former Prime Minister of course was a great Prime Minister and he was a great trade union leader and I know he thinks the trade union movement is a very important institution in this country. It's the trade union movement that ensured that we have better health care because they fought for it, they fought for superannuation. Without the trade union movement campaigning for retirement savings there would not be the superannuation scheme in this country.
So I know that the former Prime Minister and the Prime Minister Gillard agree on one thing, that is the trade union movement is essential to a modern democracy and indeed have every reason to claim credit for many important social reforms.
As to the comments made by the former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, of course he has the right to make those comments but I think he would agree that the trade union movement is always a part of the labour movement and will always be part of the Labor wing of modern politics. That won't change.
And indeed, so far as the reforms are concerned, we have already started the reform process. That will always happen in National Conference and indeed if there's need for changes within the party, that's where it will happen.
QUESTION: In terms of the leadership speculation, the putting down of the Prime Minister is a worry?
O'CONNOR: No I didn't read anything into the comments made by the former Prime Minister –
QUESTION: Not by Bob Hawke but [indistinct] –
O'CONNOR: Well I didn't read anything. You know, as usual the media comment all they like but they don't seem to have anyone on the record. I have not read anything into what has been said, either by the commentariat or by politicians as to whether there's an issue about leadership speculation or not.
QUESTION: Regarding the situation in the Philippines, what's the Government doing to secure Mr Rodwell's release?
O'CONNOR: Look I'm advised that of course our Embassy's working with local authorities to do whatever they can to assist Mr Rodwell. We will deal with that in a manner that's professional and dedicated to his interests and we won't be of course discussing it in the media. But of course our concerns are for him and our thoughts are with his family and the Embassy will be doing everything they possibly can to ensure he's released.
QUESTION: But it's a very difficult situation though isn't it, you're really between a rock and a hard place on this.
O'CONNOR: Well as I say our focus is on ensuring we do everything we can for Mr Rodwell and his circumstances. The Embassy is working with local authorities and we should allow them to do that work and that's what will happen.
QUESTION: Should the ransom be paid?
O'CONNOR: Well, as I say, the Australian Government has a policy of not providing ransoms. But we are at this point working with the local authorities, our Embassy's working with those authorities in Manila and we will be working hard to ensure that Mr Rodwell is released.
QUESTION: It seems to be taking quite a long time, why is it taking [inaudible]?
O'CONNOR: Well as I say these are very difficult and delicate circumstances. Our focus is on ensuring the safety of Mr Rodwell and we should allow the authorities in Manila to do that work.
QUESTION: You say your thoughts are with the family, what's the Government doing to support the family?
O'CONNOR: Well our focus should be on what we can do to assist Mr Rodwell and I'm advised that the Embassy in Manila is doing just that and of course we'll be engaged with the family but our focus will be on the interests of Mr Rodwell and ensuring his release.
QUESTION: Do you think the Government's heeded the advice of the Senate Inquiry into the former hostage Nigel Brennan?
O'CONNOR: Well, as I say, these are separate circumstances and I think we have to deal with it the way our Embassy advises. I am advised that we are focusing on the interest of Mr Rodwell and we should allow that work to be done without really the matter being discussed broadly or in detail through the media.
QUESTION: Are there concerns about how this money is used by terrorist groups? Is this why the Government won't pay ransoms?
O'CONNOR: Well there's been a policy, a bipartisan policy of not paying ransoms for many, many years. Indeed our focus at the moment is really ensuring that we do everything we can to have Mr Rodwell released. That should be our focus, that is our focus and the Embassy's doing everything it possibly can to ensure that that happens.
QUESTION: One of the recommendations of that Senate Inquiry was that DFAT are more open with the media, why isn't this happening?
O'CONNOR: Well I think what we need to do as a Government is to put the interests of Mr Rodwell first. And we have the expert advice from people who have dealt with these matters before to work with the local authorities in the Philippines and to focus on the ultimate goal in ensuring the release of Mr Rodwell. That is our primary aim and that will be our focus.
QUESTION: But do you think it's important to be open in how that's being done?
O'CONNOR: We should do whatever we can to ensure the release of Mr Rodwell and we'll take advice from the experts on how to handle that. But the Australian Government is focused on his interests and ensuring the best possible circumstances are in place so he can be released.
QUESTION: So you won't be going into details about how that might be done?
O'CONNOR: No, I don't think it's in the interests in this case to be discussing this matter through the media. I think the focus should be on having our people on the ground in the Philippines, work with local authorities to ensure the release of Mr Rodwell.
QUESTION: Nigel Brennan spoke about using a private company, $35,000 a month to secure his release. Is that something that you would hope that the family wouldn't do?
O'CONNOR: We won't engage in these discussions through the media about what possible options there are. We will focus on the interests of Mr Rodwell which is ensuring we have those discussions with local authorities, take the advice of those experts, both ours in the embassy and indeed the authorities in Manila in the Philippines to ensure that we do everything we can to see the release of Mr Rodwell. That is our focus.