Tony Abbott 'determined to do better' after spill motion defeated – politics live

I missed his rather discordant phrase – just quickly back because we need it.

Abbott:

Fundamentally, this is going to be a government which socialises decisions before they are finalised. Later on this afternoon, I will be having a discussion with all of the backbench committee chairs, to take to them about the new approach which will be at least once every two months, a cabinet discussion with the backbench committee chairs at least every month – and there will be a discussion of the full ministry because I want to harness all the creativity, not just cabinet ministers’ creativity, not just public service creativity, I want to harness all of the creativity and insights that this part room has to offer.

Q: Do you have a secret deal with Shinzo Abe for Japan to supply the hull or major parts of the submarine, because people within industry are wondering whether this is why, rather than talking about open tender, you are now talking about a competitive evaluation process which is quite different?

Abbott:

Well, there are no secret deals. Obviously we want to get the best possible submarines at the best possible price.

There will be an international partner. When the Collins-class subs were built there was an international partner there. We are talking, not just to the Japanese, although we certainly are talking to them, we are talking to the French, we are talking to the Germans, that’s what you would expect.

Q: Do you retain competence in your senior ministers including the treasurer, Joe Hockey?

Abbott ducks that question entirely.

The point I make is that this has been a very chastening experience.

Q: Your chief of staff has obviously been a centre of controversy. Has she at any stage offered to resign in the cause of unity – and will she be staying on and will her role, if she is staying on, be changed?

Look, all of us have had to have a good, long hard look at ourselves over the last few weeks. I mean, obviously, yes, it’s been a difficult time for our country, but it’s been a particularly difficult time for the government, particularly with the, I suppose, nightmarish result that the LNP got in Queensland, so we have all had a good, long, hard look at ourselves – and all of us are resolved to be different and better in the future than we have been in the past and that’s true at every level.

Me, my cabinet colleagues, my ministerial colleagues, my senior staff, we are all resolved to be and do better.

Q: Have you spoken to Malcolm Turnbull?

I haven’t had a lengthy discussion with any of my colleagues since the vote, because, as you know, it’s been a very busy day in and around this building already. The point that I make to you and which I have been making to all of my colleagues over the last few weeks is that my door is open, my phone is there, I answer my phone, I listen to my messages, and I certainly want to build on the kind of dialogue that I have been having with my colleagues over recent weeks.

What’s going to change?

Abbott:

Every day is a test for the government. And the prime minister and I accept that every day I’m being tested. That’s the way it is.

I am determined to do better in these tests in the next few months than I have in the last couple of months, but I’m also very confident that this is a party room which believes in the marrow of its bones that we are a government that has good answers for the people of Australia.

First question is on the GP copayment. Abbott says it is important that the government maintain the support of the medical profession.

It was a bold and ambitious budget last year. With the wisdom of hindsight it was perhaps too bold and too ambitious. We did, with the wisdom of hindsight, bite off more than we could chew, but I have listened, I have learnt, and I have changed and the government will change with me. We will not buy fights with the Senate that we can’t win, unless we are absolutely determined that they are the fights that we really, really do need to have.

The prime minister minister thinks this has been a difficult time.

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Tony Abbott:

Obviously I accept that the last few weeks have been difficult weeks for the government. But there have also been difficult weeks for the Australian people, because the people expect and deserve a government which is getting on with the job. I am confident that have we have put this time behind us and I am confident that as of today, we are back at work for the people of Australia. I am confident that what we have shown the Australian people is that we have looked over the precipice and we have decided we are not going to go down the Labor party path of a damaged, misguided and dysfunctional government.

By 1990, no child shall live without a submarine.

Sorry, that was a bit random, that reference.

The Australian Medical Association is making it very clear that it wants the government to dump its budget policies and start over again. Why not? The prime minister is clearly open for business right now. Weak leadership. Get your bids in, folks. Particularly when there’s a big push on internally to dump the copayment.

The prime minister has relocated his broadcast position from the bunker to the courtyard. Journalists have been invited to join him there at 1.30pm. That’s the perfect window – can’t have too many questions because question time beckons. Funny, I’ve been in that courtyard every year since 1996. Seen a lot of press conferences there. But for me, it will now always be the courtyard where Kevin Rudd cried in 2010.