Press conference - Sydney

JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much for coming along. The Prime Minister and the Premier spoke to the media earlier this morning about the horrific and sickening attack on the child care centre at Maroubra overnight. Obviously, the top priority is catching the criminals responsible for this, but I just want to use this opportunity to give a bit of an update from an education portfolio perspective on the actions that my department, the Commonwealth Department of Education, is taking on this matter. 
In particular, to help the Centre and to help the families that have children at the Centre, like we do when there's a natural disaster, a bushfire or a flood or something like that, today, my department has declared a child care subsidy period of emergency for this Centre.
Now, what this means in basic terms is this. It means that the Centre will continue to get Commonwealth Government funding while it's out of operation to make sure that the workers will continue to get paid. And for parents, what this means is that we'll waive the gap fee that many parents pay, which means that they don't get slugged for a service that they're unable to use. And both of those measures will be in place for as long as it takes. 
This morning I spoke to the Chief Executive Officer of Only About Children, Anna Learmonth, about this. Obviously, she's shocked and horrified, as is the whole country about what's happened overnight. And I've also been in discussions with Prue Car, the Deputy Premier of NSW, and the Education Minister, and work is being done by the Centre, by the owners of this Centre, as well as by the NSW Government to find alternative spots for parents for their children at other centres in the local area. 
And I can also inform you that, in addition, any costs to rebuild the Centre that aren't covered by insurance will be covered on a 50/50 basis by the Australian Government and the NSW Government. I want to thank the NSW Government for their support and assistance. Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: How long do you believe the child care centre will be out of action for?

CLARE: It's too early to say. In my discussions with the Chief Executive this morning, she made the point that she was there on site but can't get in yet to inspect the damage. The damage, we think, is extensive, but obviously at the moment it's emergency services and police that are on site to make it safe. This is a crime scene, remember, we want to make sure that we catch the scumbags that are responsible for this and so that's priority number one. Once the Chief Executive and her team can get in there, we'll get a better idea about how long it's going to take to rebuild.

JOURNALIST: The level of violence used in this incident was particularly brazen. How concerning is it that it was a child care centre that was targeted?

CLARE: What sort of scumbag would attack a child care centre? You've really got to ask yourself that question. There is no place in this country for the poison of antisemitism. In the lifetime of my grandparents, we've seen the pure evil that it can wreak and there is no place for it in this country or, to be frank, anywhere else.

JOURNALIST: Is it simply because of the location of the centre do you think?

CLARE: I think it's because of what was written on the wall. It's pretty clear that this was an act of antisemitism.

JOURNALIST: Obviously, Jewish schools have a lot of security, I guess. Does this need to be extended to schools and child care centres that are near places of worship?

CLARE: In a sense it already is. The Government has allocated a bit over $57 million to help provide extra security for places of worship, but also schools and preschools. And so the funding is there to provide that sort of security wherever we think that it's needed.

JOURNALIST: How much does that sort of sadden you that we're talking about security measures for schools? Like that's not a great state of affairs for the country.

CLARE: It's terrible. We can't let what's happening on the other side of the world tear us apart here. We're the best country in the world. And a big part of that is because we're a country made up of people from all around the world, all different backgrounds and religions and cultures living here in harmony. This is the absolute opposite of that.

JOURNALIST: The PM has called a National Cabinet. Why was it not called earlier?

CLARE: We are in constant contact. The Prime Minister is in constant contact with state and territory leaders around the country. Last week he convened a meeting with the Acting Premier of NSW as well as the Premier of Victoria, to look at the actions that states are taking and that we can take working together.
The NSW Premier this morning made the point that about nine people, I think have been arrested for antisemitic attacks over the course of the last few weeks. Also, in that meeting with the Prime Minister last week, a lot of lot of the focus of that was on greater collaboration between federal agencies and state agencies and the sharing of information. At the meeting that will be held this evening at around about 5pm, I think the AFP Commissioner will be in a position to brief premiers and Chief Ministers on what further actions we can take working together.

JOURNALIST: But the incidents are happening quicker than people are actually being arrested. I mean, what do you hope that a National Cabinet can practically achieve? Particularly, it's also retrospective action as well. I mean, people I spoke to this morning at Maroubra said that there needs to be more proactive work happening in the community.

CLARE: And if the Premier of NSW was here, he'd make the point that that action's happening right now, is being taken right now. The nine people that have been arrested in the last few weeks are evidence of that. But the work of government never stops. And so, yes, there's been a lot of action by NSW Police, Victorian police and the AFP working together. But at the meeting tonight, and I don't want to preempt that meeting, the AFP Commissioner will talk about what further action can be taken.

JOURNALIST: Do Muslim leaders need to take a bigger role? Do Muslim leaders need to take a bigger role in stopping this antisemitism crisis?

CLARE: Muslim leaders have called out these horrendous acts of antisemitism, just like any thinking Australian would.

JOURNALIST: Is the Government aware of any coordinated, any coordination with these attacks?

CLARE: Not that I'm aware of and I'm the Minister for Education, so it's probably a question best put to someone else.

JOURNALIST: What about the other states, then? Are there concerns in some other states as well at the moment?

CLARE: Again, probably a question best put to another member of the Cabinet.

JOURNALIST: Are you concerned there might be now copycat attacks with other childcare centres or even schools during operating hours when children are there?

CLARE: We don't have that kind of information provided to my department by security agencies, but my department is in constant contact with the federal police and security agencies.

JOURNALIST: I was just going to ask on a different topic, obviously schools are going back in a couple of weeks and there's been a fair bit of chat about the financial pressures, family things like getting uniforms, other equipment for school and whatnot. What can the Federal Government do in that sense in terms of providing some extra support for those families getting their children back to school?

CLARE: Yeah. And look, I don't want to take this press conference in a different direction because my focus, as you would expect it, is purely and simply on this horrific attack that happened at a child care centre overnight. Just in passing, I'd make the point. The tax cut changes that we passed through the Parliament last year provide significant financial support for every Australian. More than 13 million Australians, that would provide a lot of support for Australians, particularly those Australians that are doing it tough. Okay, thanks very much.