Subjects: Beirut explosion, COVID-19, multicultural engagement, citizenship, temporary visa holders.

ALAN TUDGE: First up, let me make some comments in relation to Beirut. As everybody knows, yesterday we woke up to the shocking and very sad news about a huge blast in Beirut, which dozens of people have been killed. The Prime Minister confirmed that one Australian has been tragically killed in that accident. My thoughts and prayers and that of the Government go out to the people of Lebanon and also the very strong Australian-Lebanese community here. There's more than 230,000 Australians which have Lebanese heritage in Australia. They've made a tremendous contribution to this country for decades now. I know this tragedy will particularly affect members of the Lebanese-Australian community as they are concerned about their loved ones, family members and relatives over in Lebanon.

I can inform you that the Australian Government has already provided $2 million in direct humanitarian assistance to Lebanon to help with recovery from the devastating explosions. That will consist of a million dollars to each of the trusted aid partners, being the World Food Program and the Red Cross movement, to help ensure food, medical care and essential items are provided to those affected by this tragedy. We're also looking at what other support may be able to be provided to those in Beirut.

The Australian Embassy, as you may be aware, has been damaged quite significantly by the explosion. Some embassy staff received some injuries, however all are safe and accounted for. They're working hard, those who help Australians affected and continue to seek urgent advice from local authorities in relation to Australians in Lebanon. Those who are in Australia who were concerned about friends and family in Lebanon, there is a number for you to call where you can get information. That is 1300 555 135.

The second point I just want to make was in relation to the ongoing pandemic, and particularly here in Victoria. As you know, it's deeply concerning the spread of the virus here in Victoria. I want to reassure you that the Federal Government is doing absolutely everything we possibly can to support the State Government in their efforts to get control of the virus here in Melbourne and across this state.

I encourage everybody to stay aware and informed of the changing situation, and you can do so through the Victorian Government site: vic.gov.au/coronavirus or indeed the Australia.gov.au website as well. It has the latest information on it. It also has the latest information translated into 63 different languages. We've been doing this for many months now as a way to ensure that absolutely everybody in Australia has the ability to get that information if their English is not particularly strong. Of course, anyone who has COVID-19 related symptoms should be tested immediately. If you've got those symptoms, don't leave your home except to get tested and then return home until your results come back to you. That is the very clear advice which is provided.

I want to thank all the multicultural communities for the work which they have done, not only in adhering to the restrictions, but particularly so in terms of the leadership of those multicultural communities, for supporting the government's efforts to get the messages out, both in terms of what the restrictions are but also what support is available. We work closely with community leaders in this regard, as I know the Victorian Government does as well. We've made particular efforts over the last few months to very proactively engage with community leaders to get the messages out about the restrictions, about the support which is available. In fact, we've had over 6000 engagements from my department alone to community groups since the pandemic began, well over 1000 in Victoria alone. And that's a 500 per cent increase on what we were doing at this stage last year.

As I mentioned, we've translated fact sheets of key information to 63 different languages. That's an expensive exercise. We've invested more than $1 million to do that and we'll continue to do those translations. There's been 1.1 million unique page views of the centralised COVID-19 information in languages. And we've also translated the COVIDSafe app into Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Greek, and Italian, which are the larger language - other than English - groups here in Australia.

So we've made an enormous effort to reach out to community leaders and through those leaders to the broader community at large. I thank those leaders for their cooperation. I've just been at a number of meetings this morning even, with a further 60 to 100 community leaders here in Melbourne and Sydney, and I'll continue to have that engagement directly myself along with other ministers and officials. But can I also thank the multicultural media for getting that information out in various different languages as well to help with that effort. We're all in this together. We will only get on top of it if we all do the right thing.

Adhere to the restrictions and that way we will get back on top of this virus once again here in Victoria.

I want to mention, of course, that in Victoria, pandemic leave is now available, and that means that if you have to quarantine for two weeks, you don't have any other leave mechanisms, you can get $1500 in pandemic leave, and that applies to temporary visa holders also. So, a very important measure which we just announced previously.

The final couple of points. Perhaps most importantly, I want to make a comment in relation to mental health and ensuring that people are getting the support they need. The Prime Minister has just announced further support today for mental health services. That's additional money for organisations like Headspace, Kids Helpline, Lifeline and for Beyond Blue. We've already announced that if you need assistance, you can now get 20 counselling sessions which are for free or heavily subsidised. Previously it was 10 - it's now been extended to 20. So please take advantage of that, please reach out to the support which is available to you.

But it's also a call out to all members of the Australian community, and that is that, particularly in Victoria, reach out to your loved ones, to your friends, to members of your community who you know may be doing it tough. Particularly those who are living alone, and particularly to the elderly who are living alone they may not have the benefit of the technology which younger people may use to stay connected to others. I think that's as important as anything else to ensure that people know that there are others who are thinking about, and caring for them, and getting them through these particularly strong restrictions that we have at the moment in Victoria.

Let me finish there. Oh sorry, there was one final point which I wanted to make, and that was in relation to citizenship, which is something that you have asked me previously in the past - what is happening with citizenship ceremonies? I know that's of interest to many of your viewers and readers. We've made enormous efforts this year, despite the COVID restrictions, to try to address what was becoming a longer waiting period for many people before they could become citizens. Now, when COVID hit, it meant that we couldn't do the usual face-to-face citizenship ceremonies that have been part of Australian life for a great many years now. Instead, we instituted some online citizenship ceremonies and ensured that we still had the same integrity levels in those citizenship ceremonies that we have in the face-to-face. I am pleased to announce that this week, we hit 70,000 people who have now been made a citizen in an online ceremony. And so they are now proudly Australian as much as a person who was born here 80 years ago. So we welcome those people into the Australian fraternity. On top of that, over the last 12 months, there's been 204,000 people who have become Australian citizens, which is a 60 per cent increase on the previous year. Now that means that we are almost back to regular citizenship wait times that we were used to before the last couple of years. My expectation is that by the end of this year, we certainly will be back to those regular wait times, which is then in the vicinity of six to 12 months rather than some occasions going out to 18 or so months. So, I think that's obviously great news for those 200,000-odd people who have become citizens, but also should be reassuring for those others who want to become citizens. That can be done in a swifter time period now that these other things are in place. Happy to take any questions from you.

QUESTION: [Indistinct] I am from Indus Age Newspaper [indistinct]. We have been very active now because of this current Victorian [indistinct]. In recently, Jenny Mikakos, Health Minister, she's being answerable and accountable for Victorians, which is Liberal member leaders, [indistinct]. Everyone asking questions through the members, and independent members but she is saying, repeating answer that "I will give you writing tomorrow", but it means that exhaust that in the video, which is from Australian social media accounts, it shows that when the British left India, they give up power to the Government. But the Queen country, our country is ruled by Queen before. What Victoria Government's role, number one? And number two, when the Victorian State Health Minister failed to perform that duty, why can't the Federal Health Minister can take up the power in the interest of Australian nation, and in particular the disaster in Victoria now. Why can't the Federal Health Minister can take that power, rather than dissolving the Victorian Labor Government or dissolve the health minister?

So what is on your thought on number one? Number two, that as a small business migrant community and migrant businessman, they are going in the stress level, and families, and everything. So this impacted to relieve mental stress, and mental stress lead to suicidal thoughts. So this is where now the current Victorian state is heading. And third number - my personal view, I feel that we came, all migrants, from the democratic country, and Australia being a very great nation, democratic nation. But there is no, any, public - like what does it mean by COVID-19 positive, what is negative? [indistinct] So having said this, either we have to choose to move the state from Victoria to some other neighbouring state. Even myself as a businessman, [indistinct]. So even myself is - I'm having a mental stress going through. So, I have a capacity – not suicidal thought - but I have a never give up policy. Like I'm in Salvation Army, so I have a never give up policy. So that is not the case for everyone. So what is your thought on that? Thank you.

ALAN TUDGE: So, many questions there. I mean let's deal with the first ones with there. I can appreciate the passion in relation to the issues that you've raised.

Firstly, in relation to the State Government here. I don't intend to be a commentator on the State Government here. Others will do that job, and the State Opposition will properly hold the State Government accountable as they are doing.

Second point, can the Federal Health Minister simply take over the responsibilities of the State Government? The answer is no. I mean our constitution basically outlines responsibilities for the Commonwealth Government and the responsibilities of the State Government. And each level of government has to do their role to the best of their ability. Now, we at the Federal level are providing significant support to the State Government to assist them, particularly with their tracing efforts. In fact, there's more than 1500 Australian Defence Force personnel now who are based down here in Victoria, most of whom are assisting with that tracing effort and making a difference there. Of course, other mechanisms which we're supporting the Victorian Government with.

Finally, though, the substantive point you made towards the end in relation to mental health I think is a very real one. I think it's a very, very serious one. I know Professor Pat McGorry made some comments just overnight in relation to his concerns about the mental health implications of the restrictions, and it's one of the reasons that even today we're putting further additional money to organisations like Headspace which is geared towards younger people, to Lifeline, to Beyond Blue, and why we've extended the number of professional services that a person can be able to get under Medicare. But all of us can make a difference in this area too simply by reaching out and showing care and compassion to those who may be feeling it more than others. We're just at the beginning of these Stage 4 restrictions. We've got several weeks to go and it's going to feel like eternity. So, we need to steel our resolves and support those who need our support.

QUESTION: I've got a question. So I'm from Melbourne Today, Australia's largest Chinese media language. I'm wondering how is the investigation going on with social networking app WeChat? Because Australian Government have just announced it won't ban TikTok. What about WeChat? We all know it's a major communication tool the Chinese community use in Australia and during the pandemic, almost everyone uses to communicate with their families and relatives back in China. So is Australian Government considering banning WeChat or how's the investigation going now?

ALAN TUDGE: No, that's not part of our plans.

QUESTION: You're not going to ban it?

ALAN TUDGE: That's not part of that plans at all. So, I know that over 800,000 people in Australia use WeChat, and it has been an important tool for many people. I know that even the communities, which I'm a part, which have a high Australian-Chinese population, I've got a WeChat account…[indistinct]

QUESTION: [indistinct] Just - we talk about the mental health stress and the seriousness and the consequence will be very, very hard on the families. But there is one set of migrants here for example, the [indistinct] bridging visa. The community welcome the recent announcements about student visa changes. Everybody can apply, they can study offshore, the offshore qualification will be recognised. But the families on a bridging visa, like that couple, one is living overseas, they're stuck because of COVID-19. Do we have any plan?

They also have a pressure like how immigration is going to make announcement on the bridging visa status when they are offshore because this is expiring for three months. So do you have any plan to relieve their stress level as well?

ALAN TUDGE: Yes. Just let me get this clear the issue that you're concerned about is…

QUESTION: The bridging visas for those that are overseas, but their one partner or spouse member is in Australia.

ALAN TUDGE: And a spouse member not an Australian or a permanent resident?

QUESTION: Yes.

ALAN TUDGE: Yeah. I mean, the rules at the moment are that if you're an Australian or a permanent resident, then you of course are able to come back to Australia, but you have to do that two weeks of supervised quarantining. That applies to the close relatives as well of Australians and permanent residents. But that rule doesn't extend to a temporary visa holder whose partner may be overseas - at least at this stage. I appreciate that's difficult for those people, and we've got other people who have a loved one overseas who want to get them to Australia as well. Everybody has been impacted by this, but at the moment, we've got very strict numbers of people who are coming in through the borders. In fact, we've reduce that number just to ensure we stay on top of this pandemic. So, when we can open up that situation I don't know.

QUESTION: Next question I got, the recent announcement about the offshore visa application approval for the student visa sector. Is there any sector specific approach from the Government like only supporting the universities, higher education or also the VET sector as well?

ALAN TUDGE: Sorry. Just in relation to the visas you're talking about?

QUESTION: Yes.

ALAN TUDGE: So, the decisions which we made were in relation to the tertiary visas to come and apply and study at a tertiary institution. So it relates to the visa classes as such rather than a particular institution.

QUESTION: Hi. Okay. Now, in regards to… you said that citizenship is being sped up. Does the same apply for appeals and for the granting of permanent residence?

ALAN TUDGE: To get your permanent residency is, as you probably know, it's typically three or four years once you've been in Australia. Some people do get a permanent residency visa offshore and then come in as an Australian, but that's the minority compared to people who are here, have to be here three or four years before you apply for your permanent residence visa. I don't think, from memory - and I'll have to get facts for you on these and I can get back to you - that we've had issues in relation to that. Whereas I do know that the wait time for citizenship had extended out a little bit in part because the numbers of applications and also because we had done additional security checks on a particular cohort which were coming in, particularly on a lot of boat arrivals actually which were coming now through the system.

QUESTION: Okay. And you had said that you would suggest that nobody get off of the pathway towards permanent residency even if they're unemployed or if they go abroad. Has that been - has that progressed at all?

ALAN TUDGE: That hasn't. In terms of putting in place those mechanics, we have not done that. We've made obviously our policy intent cleared. It's a little bit moot at this stage because the borders are still closed. Once we start having regular border crossings again, then we'll obviously have to ensure that those mechanisms are in place and in time for that.

QUESTION: And what's happening with COVIDSafe in different languages? Is that successful? Has that been working? Have multicultural communities been downloading it?

ALAN TUDGE: I don't know the statistics for that. Obviously there's 6 million people across the board who have downloaded it - more than 6 million now who have downloaded the COVIDsafe app. And if you've downloaded it yourself - and if you have not I encourage you to do so - it doesn't collect that information. It collects a name which you can put in, just your first name if you want to, we encourage you to put your full name, your telephone number and your post code. And that's all. So we've done collect multicultural background.

We can obviously look at the data in terms of how many people say from - have downloaded the Arabic COVIDsafe app. But I don't have that at my disposal at the moment, again I could probably get that data for you. I think it's only been - these have only been available for the last month or two from memory. And so I wouldn't expect the numbers to be enormous but they'll hopefully make a difference. Indeed, they have made a difference as we know in terms of the COVIDsafe app particularly in New South Wales which has identified a lot of cases including tracking down and identifying new individuals who actually had the virus who previously did not know it. So it's an important tool.

QUESTION: My question, last question [indistinct]. Like every migrant community they are very grateful to our nation and wants to get their citizenship and they're doing that enormous and hard work to this country - nation. Having said this, the Trade Minister Martin Pakula and the Small Business Minister, they all [indistinct] there is no any statement from them to other Victorians and small business community and business community. And having said this Daniel Andrews always he says, I, I, I. In every day he says I, I, I. It means [indistinct] so he learn from China that I, I, I means there is no any Victorian level government, there is no team at all to discuss and say that he is not saying himself, that we decide it. We all decide it. We are [indistinct] this thing. So what can think on that that, I, I, I can you see that he meant I, I, I, I. So what does mean that?

ALAN TUDGE: Again, I don't want to be a commentator on the State Government. I don't think that serves anyone's interests. I mean, I work very closely with counterparts at the state level. We are doing everything we can to support the State Government to get on top of this virus.

QUESTION: That's why I decided to join Liberal Party and to, there is no option for me to join a [indistinct]. There is no choice whether Labor or Liberal, there is only two party here. So for the people for the choice is the Labor Party. That's the only answer.

ALAN TUDGE: I mean if people are choosing which party to join I would certainly encourage them to join the Liberal Party rather than an alternative one. That's my opinion. Just the last one.

QUESTION: There is a one advice, which I think that talking point about the translation. Sometimes the translation got very big mistakes which personally I revert back to the relevant authorities which we got from, like some time it translate and the meaning of the whole sentence is totally different what government trying to deliver. So if you can go back to that experts and say you know they can pull up their socks. Then the second one is: do you think in the coming time we can give a relief factor to the bridging visa holders - those who are stuck overseas - like their visa will be extended or they can apply another bridging visa while staying overseas?

ALAN TUDGE: I mean there's different types of bridging visas as you know. And it depends on which visa you're applying for. So, some visas which are bridging visas will be in place until the person has gone through their appeals, they'll appeal to the high courts all the way and that bridging visa will be in place until that time. In relation to the translations. I mean, we do get expert assistance for those translations to SBS. And it's publically known we use SBS's translating service and they're typically very good and very professional, if there are errors please let us know so that they can be corrected.

QUESTION: Can I just ask a question as well about that?

ALAN TUDGE: Yep.

QUESTION: A lot of the elderly people in our communities will not go online to access a translation. So, you say you've been door-knocking. How many people have been on the ground and how effective has that been and in which languages have you been door knocking?

ALAN TUDGE: Yeah. Again that door-knocking is being managed by the State Government rather than the Federal government. It's supported by the Australian Defence Force. But managed by the State Government. I mean I would say that while the fact sheets and the key information is translated and is online, it's why we've made particular efforts to reach out to community leaders as well, through the thousands of people that we have on our network and ask them to also disseminate it broadly within their own communities. And where possible to put in place short videos for example that they might do over the top on their social media platforms. And of course to reach out more generally to others who might have had social media. So that's also very important mechanism as well.

QUESTION: Has this been done in the Greek language as well.

ALAN TUDGE: I'm almost certain that Greek is one of those 63 languages. I'd be very, very surprised if it wasn't. Whitney is saying it absolutely is.

QUESTION: And with your thousands of meetings with different community groups 1000 in Victoria. So specifically for Victoria, what concerns have they raised? What have been their challenges?

ALAN TUDGE: All sorts of different things. All sorts different things to be honest. Even today, I had groups from here in Melbourne as well as in Sydney - very specific questions in relation to visas, some issues in relation to restrictions, what economic supports there are, where migration might sort of restart, relationship with China. What else; business support, international students. You know, the full gamut of questions that have been asked. They're actually pretty common across many of the groups. Sometimes they are more specific to a particular group obviously in relation to the - say a large Chinese group I was speaking to today - The Chinese Australian Group - they might have more issues of interest in relation to the Australian-Chinese relationship and how it affects us here.

QUESTION: Can you share some information regarding the new permanent residency visa being given out for the Hong Kong protesters. As you mentioned the last two months there is a new visa being developed for those people who are applying for the refugee of a country visa.

ALAN TUDGE: That's not quite correct, in terms of how you stated it. So, anybody can apply for a protection visa no matter which country you're from but you have to prove that you face persecution in your home country. So that could apply for a person from Hong Kong from mainland China from any country in the world.

Second point though - what we announced was that we would create further incentives for skilled migrants and international students from Hong Kong to come to Australia. Those further incentives were an extension of the visa from four years to five years, for a skilled visa, and the extension of the post-study work rights for students from what is typically two years out to five years and then with both of them with a pathway to permanent residency and in some respects that's with the knowledge that we know that many Hong Kong talented individuals and many businesses even there might be looking for other countries to reside in. We want to make sure Australia is attractive for those people to consider us just as we've always done.

My parents came out in the 60s when we targeted particular groups across Europe and we're offering discounted tickets, a ship ticket in this instance to come out to Australia if you had skills. We're not offering that but we are offering a five-year visa if you've got skills, with a pathway to permanent residency. We hope we get some great talent as a result which is in Australia's interest.

Thanks everybody.