Topics: 2019 Federal Election result
Speakers: Minister Andrews, Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert, Member for Forde Bert van Manen and incoming member for Moncrieff Angie Bell.
E&OE:
Karen Andrews: Last night, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “How good is Queensland?” Today I'm saying, “How good is the Gold Coast?”
Stuart Robert: Absolutely.
Karen Andrews: So we have returned LNP members to every single seat on the Gold Coast, and as you can see today is day one after the election and we are already back at work fighting for the Gold Coast as we have done for years. The LNP federally has always shown an absolute commitment to the Gold Coast. We have been supported by everyone here on the Gold Coast who has voted for the LNP to return us, because we have shown such a strong record of support for the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is a town, a city now, that has been built on tourism, construction and the building sector. We are committed to small business, to growing the small business sector here the lifeblood of the Gold Coast, for Queensland and the Australian economy. We have backed in by residents and businesses who know that a re-elected Morrison government is going to deliver for them what they need to be able to grow their businesses, to strengthen our economy and to employ more people, and that's what we're looking for here on the Gold Coast. A big thank you to all of the Gold Coasters, in my seat of McPherson, I am so proud to have had the support of the McPherson residents for a fourth term, to be re-elected as the Member for McPherson. Thank you so much to the Gold Coast for recognizing that the LNP will always be in there, fighting for the Gold Coast.
Stuart Robert: Yeah, well said. Look, thanks Karen. Great to be here with my great friend Karen Andrews, the Minister for Industry. Of course, Bert van Manen, the slayer in Forde, the Government Whip. And of course, Angie Bell, who has romped home in Moncrieff. It's a great Gold Coast team, with swings right across the board in support of the LNP, in support of the plan we took to the election, which is a plan that is all about developing our city. It's a plan that's all about the Gold Coast. So we're looking forward now to three years of strong delivery, delivering on our promise of $1.7 billion on the M1, delivering on our promise on light rail, delivering on our promise of getting commuters home quickly, of busting congestion in traffic. We're looking forward to a great three years of delivery with the Morrison government. Let me hand over to the Government Whip, Bertie, who's had a great result in Forde.
Bert van Manen: Well, thank you Stuart and Karen, Angie. Congratulations to all of you. What a terrific day for the Gold Coast, and once again this shows that when you put positive economic plans and positive plans for your local community in place, you get rewarded by the electorate. What we have seen yesterday is the electorate of Forde, and the electorates on the Gold Coast represented here today, put their trust in the Morrison government for the future of this country, and that is incredibly important, because it's through that trust and through that confidence that we engender in the local community that our businesses can grow and they can prosper. Because if our businesses grow and prosper, we get employment, and that's what we want. We want to see people on the Gold Coast employed, whether it's in tourism, whether it's employed in manufacturing, in the numerous small businesses across the Coast. This will be a shot in the arm for those businesses and we can see our economy and our community continue to grow and prosper. Locally, we've seen the delivery of health services on the northern end of the Gold Coast which they've never had before, a new Headspace at Upper Coomera, a fully Medicare-funded MRI license at Upper Coomera. These vital services for the fastest growing part of the Gold Coast will see that community supported well into the future, and I'm proud to say it'll be a Morrison government that will deliver those services along with, as Stuart mentioned, the M1 and a number of other upgrades on exit 41 and 49. That is the focus for this term, delivering on the commitments that we have made to our communities across the Gold Coast, and as the Prime Minister said the other day, he's also focused on ensuring we do that across the nation. I'd like to welcome Angie Bell, the new Member for Moncrieff. Congratulations.
Angie Bell: Thank you very much, Bert, and it's wonderful to be here with Karen and Stuart. Wonderful to be here today on the Gold Coast, and I would like to extend my warm thanks to the people of Moncrieff for voting for me, and hopefully, I'll be soon to be a colleague of these wonderful ministers and government. So very proud and very pleased to be here today.
Stuart Robert: Tremendous.
Karen Andrews: And how good is Angie?
Stuart Robert: Yeah, rockstar.
Karen Andrews: So happy to take some questions.
Journalist: Bert, how nervous were you about all this?
Bert van Manen: Its been a marginal seat since I've since I first got elected in 2010. So, I always felt it was tight and never took anything for granted. The Prime Minister recognized how important the seat was as well with the number of visits. We got the result last night we got was surprising and certainly not what I expected.
Journalist: Why were you so surprised with the swing of these votes?
Bert van Manen: Because it has always been a tight marginal seat. We've done a lot of work but certainly there was no indication from pre-poll or yesterday I was visiting the booth and that would be the outcome. Yes, we've got plenty of positive comments and positive feedback but I wasn't expecting that result.
Journalist: What would be the deciding factor was for the Gold Coast?
Bert van Manen: I think the deciding factor was that they looked at the two options they had – a government led by Scott Morrison that has been delivering on the things that my community needs. Whether it be the combined health services, record funding for our schools, that ultimately, against proposals by those opposite of higher taxes and the risk to the economy that that would engender. People said no, that is not what we want. Several comments were made to me at polling both yesterday where people said to me “this is the time when the silent majority is going to stand up and make our voice heard.” And that is what they did yesterday and not just in my electorate of Forde, but right across Queensland and right across the country.
Journalist: *Inaudible*
Bert van Manen: Absolutely because our communities are aspiration. They want to grow and prosper and achieve their dreams and goals. And they didn't see how they could do that under what was proposed by Bill Shorten and the Labor party. We are given them as a Coalition the opportunity to do that. And that is the best way forth for our country is give people the freedom to chase their dreams and goals and achieve those.
Journalist: Karen, we obviously had in recent years, we've had plenty of discussion of what the government is doing for the Gold Coast in terms of Light Rails, in terms of the M1. Are we going to see, now that you guys have been reelected, what move are we going to see on issues such as building the tourism industry? Are we going to see any push to bring a tourism department to the Gold Coast?
Karen Andrews: So tourism is clearly a key for us here on the Gold Coast and we have all worked long and hard to make sure that the gold coast continues to be a premier tourism destination here on the Gold Coast. I am already reached out to Trade Minister Simon Birmingham about tourism here on the Gold Coast. I will continue to work with him. We know that when we have visitors coming to the Gold Coast we need to them stay here for about 7 to 10 days. So, what we need to look at is how we are going to attract more conferences and events through to here. Attract more of our domestic tourism and clearly tap into the Asian market and bring Asian tourists here to the Gold Coast. But we need them to stay 7 to 10 days. We need them to increase their spend while they are here. We have fantastic tourist destination here we have great features, we have theme parks, we have the Hinterland everywhere here. We have something for people on the Gold Coast. I'm calling on all Australians to come to the Gold Coast. You won't be disappointed.
Journalist: So tourism will be a more specific focus in the new term?
Karen Andrews: Tourism has always been a key focus and I will be out there fighting for every single tourist to comes to the Gold Coast.
Journalist: *inaudible*
Karen Andrews: Well we are absolutely committed to the Gold Coast. What we do know about the election that was held yesterday is that polling can in fact be widely inaccurate. So the result that was achieved yesterday was not what was predicted. We have a very solid base here on the Gold Coast, it is a changing demographic here on the Gold Coast and we recognize that. That means that there are more opportunities for us to engage with people we have never lived here on the Gold Coast before. To show them what we can offer to them through the Liberal National Government.
Journalist: How much do you owe to Clive Palmer.
Karen Andrews: Nothing.
Journalist: *Inaudible*
Karen Andrews: The cabinet decision will be made by the Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Journalist: Stuart as Assistant Treasury you’ve obviously got a strong, or close eye on every line in the budget and going forward. Are we going to see any further money coming from the federal government for Light Rail?
Stuart Robert: Well Light Rail budget is $112 Billion dollars of course matched by Labor with their fully costed proposals. And that is the only money on the table. I haven't seen any money on the table from the state government yet. So I will be looking very carefully in the state budget coming up for them to make their commitments and put them on the table. It’s not good enough for this Labor State Government to sit there and whinge and complain about everyone else before they make their own funding commitments.This federal government was the first out of the blocks with funding for the Gold Coast. We don't take the Gold Coast for granted because Labor esterday that didn't man their booths, it was Labor yesterday that didn't turn up to fight this election out. It is Labor that is missing in this town so I am looking forward state budget outlining what they are going to terms of Light Rail of funding. So let's go from there.
Journalist: So no single further dollar?
Stuart Robert: The only dollars on the table right now are those from the federal government. I am not seeing any state money and I want to see that in this budget from the state government.
Journalist: So I want to know a bit more, will there be a situation where you might actually give more with the budget?
Stuart Robert: This government likes to work on what ifs and hypotheticals at the state level. They are famous for it. I want this state government, the State Labor Government to move away from what ifs and hypotheticals and blaming everyone and I want them to get real about servicing the Gold Coast and not taking our city for granted. We are stepping up here at the Liberal National Federal team. We're coming through with big swings across the Liberal Nationals here on the Gold Coast because we are prepared to step up and deliver for our city. We're passionate for our city. As Minister Andrews said “How good is the Gold Coast?” in line with what the prime minister said “How good is Australia?” I want this Labor State Government to have the same passion and the same commitment for our city as this team does. Excellent. Thank You for your time.
Karen Andrews: Thank You.
[ENDS]