ANTHONY ALBANESE,PRIME MINISTER:It's fantastic to be here at the Royal Darwin, and to be here with Luke Gosling, with Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, with Lia Finocchiaro, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, and with the Northern Territory Health Minister as well. We've had an opportunity today to also meet some fantastic advocates, young mums who've been advocating for an upgrade of the centre here, so that babies could get the care that they need to benefit mums, to benefit the nurses, and everyone else who works at this wonderful hospital as well. This $10 million announcement will make an important difference. Welcoming a baby is such an important part of life, and we want to make sure that during that important time, Territory women can have their babies with the high quality healthcare that they deserve, close to home. I want to give credit to Luke Gosling for his strong advocacy, as well as the mums who've advocated here and run a campaign for this upgrade. This comes on top of the 30 per cent increase in health and hospital funding from the Commonwealth Government to the Northern Territory last year, and the almost $1 billion of record funding that we’ve provided as part of the Health and Hospitals Agreement that we agreed at National Cabinet earlier this year. There has never been so many dollars flowing to the Northern Territory as is flowing under my government. And we're really proud of making a difference, working with the Territory Government to make a difference on health and hospitals as well as in other areas. We have full and fair school funding here in the Territory for the first time as a result of the education agreement that we did, and we also have, of course, our $2 billion Homes Program. In addition to that, yesterday on the Tiwis, I want to thank the Traditional Owners there for the wonderful welcome that I received on the Tiwis yesterday morning, the first Prime Minister to visit for many decades. And there as well, they were benefiting from the Remote Jobs Program, where we're rolling out now, 1,350 of those here in the Territory as part of our doubling of the program that we put in the Budget. This $10 million is new money. It will be provided for in MYEFO at the end of this year, and will make an enormous difference. I'm really proud to be back in the Territory for my nineteenth visit to make this announcement today.

LUKE GOSLING, MEMBER FOR SOLOMON:Thanks, Prime Minister. And we really appreciate your nineteenth visit to the Northern Territory. Federal Labor has always got the Northern Territory's back, and the Territory always will do well with Federal Labor. The support coming from our colleagues is incredible, and we'll see more ministers in the coming weeks and months and years, coming to make sure that the Territory is set up for the future. Those investments helping throughout our economy, but when it comes to supporting health, as the Prime Minister just said, a billion dollars extra over the coming years, and this support today is important. $10 million for the maternity wing here at Royal Darwin Hospital will make sure that Territory families have got their support, the support that they need at the most precious time for families, and we want to see Territory families continue to grow and prosper, but to have the best start here with the fantastic staff at Royal Darwin Hospital. I want to thank all the hospital staff who do such a wonderful job, not only when they helped us get our family going – our two kids were born right here at Royal Darwin – but it was in need of a lift for the maternity wing. This $10 million from the Federal Labor Government allows that now to happen. We want to see that happen quickly, and we also want to make sure that there's choice for Territory families. So, we want to see those options for Territory families brought into place. And I want to thank Malarndirri McCarthy as well, a Territorian, a proud Territorian who fights for us down in Canberra and in Cabinet. But when you've got a Prime Minister like ours, he's always listening and the door is always open for the Territory, and that's what we need to grow, and for that, Prime Minister, thank you so much.

LIA FINOCCHIARO, CHIEF MINISTER OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY:Thank you, everyone. We really welcome this $10 million investment by the Federal Government. I thank the Prime Minister for coming to the Territory today with that funding. It's something we've been working collaboratively with the Federal Government on for 14 months, and it's clearly much needed funding that is going to deliver a range of upgrades here at Royal Darwin Hospital. This money will enable the Northern Territory Government to upgrade 16 birthing suites. Make sure we can move our bereavement space to somewhere much more appropriate. It will allow us to make sure that birthing suites have all of the facilities that women need for privacy, and it's going to provide much-needed investment into our neonatal intensive care unit, so we welcome this funding. It is really important that we invest in our health services and health systems. It comes on top of the $1 billion that the Prime Minister and I were able to negotiate earlier this year, and we welcome very much that increase in hospital funding. There's much more work to do, but we know that this $10 million will be spent well. Territory mums and bubs will be the beneficiaries of this important investment, and it's going to see widespread upgrades to our maternity services here in the Northern Territory. Thank you.

STEVE EDGINGTON, NORTHERN TERRITORY MINISTER FOR HEALTH:Thank you. I just want to thank the Prime Minister for bringing $10 million to the Northern Territory, the upgrade to the maternity ward has been spoken about for some time. The Northern Territory Government has advocated. We've worked closely with the Federal Government. I really want to thank the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, for working with us to ensure the $10 million is brought to the Northern Territory. Later this year, we'll see a 32-bed ward facility also come online, and a 24-bed, mental health beds also come online. So, this investment really will make a difference to the Royal Darwin Hospital, and we look forward to working together with the funding that we have. Today, it's also special for all mothers and babies in the Northern Territory. The improved facilities will provide better care, provide better services, and mothers will feel certainly a lot better with the surroundings that this money will deliver. So, thank you very much.

MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS:I think I'll just top it off by saying that absolutely, talking to patients who come in as well from around the Top End, around the communities, it matters. We have so many mums from everywhere and all walks of life, and it's just beautiful to see, and I think great teamwork and well done to Luke in particular. I think his passionate advocacy here with the mums and bubs has been absolutely awesome, and certainly with Steve Edgington and Mark Butler as our health ministers. So, thank you.

JOURNALIST:Prime Minister, the NT Government first asked for this money last year. Why the delay?

PRIME MINISTER:Why the delay? We're here for an announcement. It's a very strange question. We're here for an announcement. $10 million on top of what we had was the billion dollars of additional hospital funding that was negotiated out through the National Cabinet process. We had a five-year agreement, that is in place. This $10 million is on top of that.

JOURNALIST:They asked for $35 million initially. Why, why the 10?

PRIME MINISTER:No, they're happy with $10 million. You just heard the announcement. This is enough, and what's required for the full upgrade is consistent as well with $10 million was provided to the Central Coast in New South Wales for the upgrade of two facilities, and $6 million to Hobart for maternity services as well.

JOURNALIST:Given we have no private maternity services here now, shouldn't we be getting something closer to the $35 million that the NT Government –

PRIME MINISTER:You’re getting record funding. 30 per cent increase last year in hospital funding, year on year –

JOURNALIST:And we have record needs. We have record needs. Do we not have record needs?

PRIME MINISTER:I don’t know what the Sky News budget is, I don’t know what the Sky News budget is, but I reckon, I reckon, a 30 per cent increase in any budget in one year is substantial, and the billion dollars the Northern Territory, credit to the NT Government and the way that we've worked these things through, the Northern Territory received overwhelmingly much greater increase than any other state or territory in the country. It's part of the Health and Hospitals Agreement, that, in part was a recognition, of course, of need, and that's why we're providing this record funding, a billion dollars almost, over five years.

JOURNALIST:This hospital's literally falling apart. Would you be open to funding a new hospital in Darwin?

PRIME MINISTER:We're here today to announce $10 million funding for upgrade of maternity services. I think that is a good announcement. And let me say this: that the mums and bubs I just met were very pleased with this announcement, and know that it will make an enormous difference.

JOURNALIST:So you're not open to funding for a new hospital?

PRIME MINISTER:I'm here to announce $10 million for maternity services, is why I'm here.

JOURNALIST:You're also launching Pitch Black today. Is that exercise –

PRIME MINISTER:We'll do that there.

JOURNALIST:You're not doing a press conference there, though, as far as I'm aware?

PRIME MINISTER:We'll do some grabs there.

JOURNALIST:Pauline Hanson says she loves the idea of mass deportations from Australia for those who are here illegally. What do you make of that?

PRIME MINISTER:Pauline Hanson. Yeah, what I note. I don't know if she's back in Australia at the moment? I assume not. That's a question, you’re the one –

PRIME MINISTER:Yeah. Well, one of the things, I repeat what I said yesterday. When I travel overseas, and I'm sure when Premiers or Chief Ministers of whatever political persuasion travel overseas, what they do is we talk Australia up as representatives. I find it astonishing that Pauline Hanson has travelled overseas in order to denigrate and talk down Australia. What we need to do as public representatives is take our responsibility seriously. We live in the best country on earth, and we are the envy of the world for the society that we have built together, with the services that we have, including Medicare, I'm very proud of. We have a health and hospital system that is the envy of the world, and I talk that up. And when I'm overseas, I talk Australia up. Pauline Hanson has travelled overseas to engage in various activities with fringe people, and to talk Australia down. I don't think that's appropriate.

JOURNALIST:Economists this week said that for the NT to make the most of its opportunities, it needs to be more competitive. Will you consider establishing a special economic zone with the NT?

PRIME MINISTER:Look, I'm here to announce what we're doing today, those questions have been kicked around for a while, you know, we're not here to announce a special economic zone.

JOURNALIST:Given the flaws in Pauline Hanson that you just outlined, how and why do you think that One Nation is sitting at 30 per cent primary vote, the same as the ALP. Is that, is that an indication of flaws in your government?

PRIME MINISTER:Look, I'm not a commentator. That's up for other people to, that's your job. My job is to make a difference to people's lives and to deal with cost-of-living pressures and the quality of life that people have. I just met a woman who, in part of her labour, was spent not in a ward, but in an inappropriate location in this hospital because they didn't have the services. What I'm doing today is an example of what my government’s done. Whether it's a Remote Jobs Program about employment, giving people real jobs with real wages, whether it's the proper schools funding, whether it's the record health and hospitals funding here in the Northern Territory, all of these cost of living measures, the tax cuts that came in on July 1, all of these measures were opposed by One Nation. They continue to oppose every cost-of-living measure which is put forward. They oppose any increase in wages, including people who work in the care sector, in aged care, and in early learning. What my government will continue to do is focus on the real needs of Australians.

JOURNALIST:But does it concern you that the latest Newspoll shows Labor dipping to equal, its equal lowest point since 2022. Why do you think voters are looking elsewhere?

PRIME MINISTER:You're the commentator, so I'll leave the commentators to commentate. Polls come and go. The one that counts, of course, is polling day, and last time round, I reckon we did okay.

JOURNALIST:When's the Darwin Port going to be back in Australian hands?

PRIME MINISTER:What we're doing is continuing to argue the case. We didn't, and I was the Infrastructure Shadow Minister. I opposed the sale of Darwin Port. I opposed the Commonwealth Government giving an incentive to the NT Government to sell the Darwin Port through its asset recycling program. I think that was a mistake, and I'm determined that it will come back into Australian hands, and we're negotiating those issues through.

JOURNALIST:Luke Gosling went to the last election saying that you'd promised him an assistant ministerial position. What happened to that?

PRIME MINISTER:He's an Envoy, and he's –

JOURNALIST:He said, he went to the electorate before the election, and said that he'd been promised that position by you, and it didn't eventuate. So, what happened?

PRIME MINISTER:Luke Gosling is an Envoy and is doing a fantastic job as the Member for Solomon, and is delivering for the people of Solomon. He's delivering, and this delivery here today is an example of what a strong local representative he is, just like his advocacy for the Port of Darwin to come back into Australian hands. Thanks very much.