E&OE

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, the Prime Minister has repeatedly told us that we're living in the most uncertain times, the most dangerous times since the Second World War, and in that context, the US alliance is more important than ever. It has underpinned our security around the world, in our region, since the Second World War and so in that context, it's incredibly important that the alliance be strengthened, we do everything we can to make sure it's at its very best. We're seeing authoritarian regimes across the globe flexing their muscles. We've seen it in Iran. We've seen it, of course, with Russia, and we're seeing it in the military build-up with the Chinese Communist Party. So in that context, Penny Wong had a very clear job this week, which was to get over to the United States and to strengthen that alliance, focusing on three key issues, on getting exemptions to US trade barriers, on making sure that the AUKUS review was clear, that we understood what was going on with that review and thirdly, to get a time set for a meeting between the President of the United States and the Prime Minister. Penny Wong will come home empty handed. On AUKUS, no real progress. On tariff barriers, no progress. On setting up a meeting. It's anyone's guess as to when that's going to happen. We need a real focus on this alliance. It's crucial to our prosperity, to our security as a country. On AUKUS. It's absolutely essential we understand where this review is going, and we understand what is expected of us and the Americans fully understand the importance of AUKUS for them as well. On trade barriers, we need to make sure that we get the very best outcome for Australia we possibly can. We're seeing other countries now getting exemptions. We should be seeking exactly the same and of course, alliances and relationships are built on personal relationships, and it's absolutely crucial, despite their differences, that the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Australia are able to sit down and work through these crucial issues. We still don't have a time for a meeting. It seems that this government and this Prime Minister is better able to and is more interested in getting a meeting with the President of China than the President of the United States. It's time to get serious about this. As I said, Penny Wong will come home empty handed. That's not what we needed right now. Happy to take questions.

 

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, Penny Wong says that Marco Rubio didn't raise the issue of defence spending in their meeting. Is that a surprise? Is this perhaps less of an issue than many have suggested?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well I think Pete Hegseth has raised the issue and with absolute clarity. They're expecting to see, the Americans are expecting to see their allies doing their fair share and we, of course, expect the United States to do its fair share in the AUKUS agreement as well and I mean, this is how alliances work. So Pete Hegseth has been very clear about this. There's no ambiguity.

 

JOURNALIST:

In terms of doing its fair share, Fiji's Prime Minister has just told the Press Club that the decision to cut US aid from the Pacific will mean Fiji and other Pacific nations will keep working with non-cutting non, you know, funding-reducing partners, which, of course, includes China. So should America commit to increasing its aid spending if you know, we're all supposed to be working on security in the Indo Pacific?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I'm not going to get into giving the Americans advice on their aid spending budgets.

 

JOURNALIST:

But does that not reduce the security of the region? I mean …

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well I tell you what reduces the security of the region. It's when our Prime Minister is not able to sit down and work through critical issues with the President of the United States. It's when we have an AUKUS agreement where there's a review going on, where we don't even know where this review is heading. We've got an Australian Government that is not serious about spending because it's not even spending enough to meet the recommendations of its own Defence Strategic Review. I mean, there's a whole series of areas of defence that are clearly underfunded and under budgeted. We see that time and time again, whether we're looking at drone and counter drone strategy, whether we look at the investment required at Henderson for the subs, whether, in fact, it's just the shortage of people we've got in the ADF right now. It's clear that there's just not the commitment that's needed to defend our part of the world.

 

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, is it a problem for the Prime Minister, if only in optics, that he's going to Beijing before he sits down with President Trump and is it fair for you to continue to criticise the Prime Minister for not getting a meeting with President Trump when it was Trump who cancelled the meeting with Albanese recently?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, it's been 239 days. 239 days. I think it's about time to get a meeting with one of our very most important, perhaps our most important, ally. Let's just get on with it. That's what's needed right now. It is very clear. There's a lot to work through. We've got to work through the tariffs issue. We see the UK getting exemptions. We've got to work through the AUKUS review. What is it that America, the Americans, expect of us, and what, what is the full potential of the AUKUS agreement? Because that's what we want to see …

 

JOURNALIST:

And going to China?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I have got no problem with having meetings with the President of China. My problem is with the failure to get a meeting with the President of the United States.

 

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, you said Senator Wong is coming home empty handed. So do you think it's up to the Foreign Minister to line up a meeting between the President and the Prime Minister?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I think it's up to the Foreign Minister to make progress on critical issues in the US alliance, and that's where she's failed. And I've, I've outlined a number of those critical issues. Obviously, tariffs. We're seeing other countries making progress on exemptions, not Australia. Obviously the AUKUS review. We're still no clearer about where this AUKUS review is heading, and what's expected of us, and indeed how we jointly make the very most of the AUKUS arrangements. So we're not seeing progress. If there is progress, we're sure not seeing it.

 

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, Anthony Albanese has said in recent days that summit season is coming up. He'll surely have a meeting with Trump. Is a poolside on the side of Summit Season enough or should he be getting an invitation to the White House?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, the objective of the whole exercise is to make progress on the US alliance, and that means it's making progress on the economic issues, making sure we get exemptions to the tariffs that are being imposed, exemptions that we're seeing other countries get, and making sure that we fully understand the AUKUS review, where it's going, and what we have to do to make the very most of the AUKUS arrangements. So look, it's clear what's needed here. The Prime Minister needs to get serious about it. He needs to get serious about the US alliance.

 

JOURNALIST:

Mr Taylor, just away from defence. On housing, the latest data shows housing approvals are up, but still well short of the 1.2 million target. What needs to be done and what can be done to get, firstly approvals done quicker and then secondly, houses built?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, first of all, Charles, you're right in pointing out that the key here is to get more supply into the market. If we're to have young Australians owning a home, we need more homes being built. It's pretty simple stuff, and they're not being built. The 1.2 million target, Labor’s targets, clearly they’re not going to achieve those and we see numbers out today saying 55,000 short for the year. It's just … it's not enough and the result of that is the great Australian dream of being able to get a job, build a business where you make an income, you buy a home, you pay off the mortgage over time, that dream is slipping away from so many Australians. So the key to that is getting more supply into the market. That does mean making approvals easier. That means avoiding unnecessary red tape. The National Construction Code, Labor soon after getting into government, just layered it on. $30 to $50,000 extra in building a house. You know, this is the stuff … it's not complicated. It's pretty simple. Make it easier to build a home, and you'll get more homes built. There's no sign of progress yet.

 

JOURNALIST:

Just on another issue, New South Wales is currently debating the quota issue. It's something that you said you're not in favour of. Will you actively campaign against introducing quotas in NSW?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I will actively campaign on sensible policies in line with Liberal values to get more women and other great people into the Liberal Party in New South Wales and in other states. I am a huge believer in the Liberal Party being a grassroots political movement that attracts people to it because it is a great political movement. Right now we're not achieving that. It's broader than just gender. It includes gender, but it's a whole range of issues where the party has been letting itself down and needs to get better. That's why we're having a review, and I'll strongly support initiatives that ensure that we get to where we need to be, to be that grassroots political movement that stands up for so many Australians that own and run small businesses, that are working hard and trying to get ahead, that are trying to buy a home. That's what the Liberal Party should stand for. It's not seen that way. It needs to be, and that means we need to be a grassroots, bottom-up democratic political movement.

 

JOURNALIST:

If quotas were introduced, though, would you then support that?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

You’ve had your quotas question. We'll keep moving around.

 

JOURNALIST:

Just on critical minerals. It was discussed at the QUAD summit overnight. Is it the bargaining chip that Australia needs to get a deal on tariffs and what could a deal possibly look like?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, you know, we're seeing other countries get deals. So we're seeing the UK get exemptions, of course. So you know, it's clear that the US is open to this, but the first thing you've got to do is get in the door and start having the discussions and we're not seeing that. I mean, this is the tragedy of the US alliance right now. The Prime Minister and the President haven't even met. I mean, I would have thought that's the first prerequisite to making progress on this all important issue, and it's not just an economic issue, it's also a security issue on the AUKUS subs.

 

JOURNALIST:

While the US might want an increase in Australia's military spending, are we necessarily sure that what Australians want? We saw when NATO increased their spending budgets to 5% of GDP, huge protests across all of Europe. I guess … what would you … Is that something that Australians really want, or are we just bound to US demands?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, this is not about what the US wants. I mean, we took to the last election, well before the US was asking for an increase in defence spending, because it's the right thing to achieve peace through deterrence in our region. That's the key. Now the government's own Defence Strategic Review has laid out the imperatives for our Australian Defence Force, and it is clear they are underfunded. ASPI has told us that only a few weeks ago, and they've said there's a risk of us having a paper ADF. We're not spending on the strategy, the plan of this government, as is required. So that needs to be addressed, and it needs to be addressed quickly.

 

JOURNALIST:

Back to Sarah's point around investing in relations in the Pacific. In recent days, Vanuatu has said that it won't sign a strategic pact with Australia. Has the Australian Government been doing enough there and do you think that Australia should put more investment into its Pacific partners?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well it's incredibly important that we have good relations with our Pacific partners. It's an important part of the world to us, obviously. They are important allies of ours and partners to ours and we do understand that the Chinese Communist Party is seeking increased influence in that part of the world and so it's incredibly important we continue to build those relations. Make sure we're investing in those relationships, and we'll always support that. Thank you very much.

 

ENDS.