TRANSCRIPT: Interview - 1089 3WM Radio Horsham, 13 May 2019

EO&E

PRESENTER:        
Okay. Well, it's very packed in the studio this morning. We have some guests with us today. We have a candidate for the Nationals' Mallee, Anne Webster, and of course Deputy PM, Michael McCormack. Thank you for joining us in the studio today. Michael, we'll have to welcome you to the Wimmera once again. You've been here a couple of times before. How have you found it this time around?

MCCORMACK:  
People are always friendly, and you always find these areas of regional Victoria absolutely great to visit in. It's like anywhere in regional Australia. People are always very hospitable, very friendly, and very warm. Great areas to visit.

PRESENTER:       
You've come at a good time. We've had a little bit of rain in some parts. Some parts have received 60 to 80 mills, other parts a little bit less, but it's starting to green up a bit. So, everyone's probably in a little bit better spirits.

MCCORMACK: 
It's been a bit of a green drought though. A few showers aren't going to break the drought. It's enough to give farmers confidence and hope if they're in the dry zone, but the fact is we need follow-up rains and lots of them. This is almost exactly what happened last year. We had a few showers just prior to Anzac Day, and then virtually nothing after that. Look, the government has already provided and the Nationals' then governor certainly fought for it, more than $7 billion of assistance. We stand ready to provide continued assistance and hope for these farmers, but not just farmers, for small businesses too.
All too often, people forget that small businesses struggle too. The farmers aren't coming to town and spending their money when they don't have the money to spend. Small business does it really tough as well.

PRESENTER:       
Absolutely. It is a domino effect. Now, onto announcements. Yesterday, a $32 million announcement was made to co-fund the East Grampians Water Supply Project. Tell us a little bit about this.

MCCORMACK: 
Well, 1,600 kilometres of pipeline. This is going to potentially open up half a million hectares of additional water security prospects. This is going to be such a game changer. It's part of the $500 billion National Water Infrastructure Development Fund. We've increased that, as a side, by half a billion dollars taking it up to $1.3 billion. I want to make sure that if there's pipelines, if there's weirs, if there's water infrastructure projects including dams that we can build across this nation, we're going to do just that.
In times of drought, you need to be able to utilize the water that you've stored when it did rain. For far too long in this country, we've argued between states and commonwealth. I'm just delighted that I've got willing partners. I know Emma Kerley, she's all for dams, she's all for water infrastructure, she's all for those pipelines that are going to add water security. As is, of course, Anne Webster, our fantastic Nationals' candidate from Mallee.

PRESENTER:        
Absolutely. I'll throw this one open to both of you. Can we expect any more announcements to the agriculture sector in the next few days leading up getting closer to the election?

MCCORMACK: 
Well, look, yes and no. Yes and no.

PRESENTER:       
Yes, but I can't tell you.

MCCORMACK: 
Well, that's exactly right. You've absolutely nailed it. Look, I'm off to Tasmania this afternoon and back in New South Wales tomorrow and then up to Queensland. So, I'm sure there could well be another big one or two.

PRESENTER:       
So, maybe Anne could answer this one.

MCCORMACK: 
Maybe Anne could.

WEBSTER:           
Well, I'll certainly be traveling tomorrow. I think we'll just wait and see what happens.

PRESENTER:        
Thanks. That was great. I've got no exclusive.

WEBSTER:           
Tells you nothing. So sorry, Emma.

PRESENTER:        
That's all right. Now, Minister for Water and fellow National, David Littleproud, as well as Liberal, Susan Ley, both said they would consider splitting the Murray-Darling Basin Authority to two organisations. One, to manage the plant, and a separate organisation as a regulator. How committed are you to doing this?

MCCORMACK: 
Well, let's see what happens after the election, and let's see the make up of the Parliament. One thing that we ... it's really difficult with water policy. As I much as I know, there's a lot of the independents out there calling for the plan to be scrapped, the plan to be paused. One of the great difficulties is that depending on the nature and the numbers in the lower house, and indeed the upper house of the Federal Parliament, if you go blowing the plan up now, irrigators, and I'm in an irrigation community myself, may end up with a far worse outcome than what they've got now.

The Murray-Darling Basin Plan is not perfect. I'm the first to admit that. It is an environmental plan, and I'm the first to admit that. The fact is, we are in a prolonged dry spell. The fact is, we've now got a plan to build more water infrastructure with the National Water Grid to take the politics out of it. So, I want to work with willing states. I'm hoping that even the later states come on board with the National Water Grid. I'm hoping that the future water storage infrastructure needs are met by the National Water Grid putting the science and local stakeholders before the petty politics.

We want to build more water infrastructure. We have to as a nation. Water is our most valuable resource, always has been, is now, always will be. We want to grow agriculture from a $60 billion sector to $100 billion sector and let farmers be their best selves. We can't do it without good water storage infrastructure. That's why yesterday's announcement was so good.

PRESENTER:        
Absolutely. If you retain government, will you reform the management of the Northern Basin, do you think?

MCCORMACK: 
Well, again, I say let's see how the numbers fall. I know David Littleproud is committed to making sure that we have workable water policy, and I am too and the Nationals certainly are. We need to discuss water in a reasonable way with our people on the opposite side of Parliament so that they understand and realize where our agriculture, where our food and fibre comes from and let farmers get on with the job that they've always done.

Our farmers are the best environmentalists. Around the Horsham District, around the Wimmera, they are amazing, amazing environmentalists. They're our caretakers of country and of rivers, because they have to be. They're whole livelihoods depend on it. Put in place the water infrastructure, whether it's pipelines, weirs, dams, whatever the case might be. Give them the water security. Give them the reliability, and let's just get on with the job of making sure that agriculture can grow and expand and meet those growing market demands in Asia and elsewhere.

PRESENTER:       
What do you think of speculators in the water market who don't own any land making profits from water trading?

MCCORMACK: 
Well, this is always going to happen when you separate water and land. We did that some years ago. You can't now put the egg back together having scrambled it. The fact is, as I say again, let's see what the numbers are in the Parliament after May 18. Let's put more Nationals in government, because they understand and they care about regional communities. Let's get on with the job of allowing farmers to do what they've always done, to grow the best food and fibre in all of the world.

PRESENTER:       
One for you, Anne. It's a critical time for Nationals. I spoke to you last week, and I attended the Mallee Candidates Forum on Thursday evening. Rusted on National voters are now, some of them, are looking to Independents. How confident are you of holding the National seat?

WEBSTER:           
I've never had an attitude that this is a shoe-in by any stretch of the imagination. My commitment is to work really hard, and I've been doing that for five months now going around and meeting as many people as possible, hearing the concerns and the issues that people have. Obviously a lot of that has related to water. So, I've spent a five month in-depth period trying to understand our complex water systems so that I can hear and respond to their concerns of those in Mallee.

I have in the pre-polls that I've been at for the last couple of weeks, we've had three weeks of pre-polls, we're about to be in the third week of pre-polls in Mildura, the sentiment I think is generally quite warm. I find people are generally really very warm and very welcoming. I think that's fantastic. We'll just wait and see what happens.

MCCORMACK: 
The Nationals have got a good record of delivering in the Mallee.

PRESENTER:       
Absolutely. As we've heard about the funding announcements that you mentioned at the Candidates Forum on Thursday night, definitely have a fantastic track record. Before we finish up, is there anything either of you wanted to add or say to voters who still haven't made their mind up?

MCCORMACK: 
I could be really cheeky and just say think local, vote Nationals. But if you want delivery, if you want outcomes and if you want somebody who's going to be in there with an ear to Ministers who have the vital portfolios, transport, infrastructure, regional development, agriculture, water resources. The choice is obvious. Vote one, Nationals. Look for Anne Webster's name on the ballot paper and put a 1 beside it. Then of course, you've got to fill out every other box to make your vote count.

PRESENTER:       
Exactly right. Anne, Michael, thank you so much for joining us.

MCCORMACK: 
Thanks very much.

WEBSTER:           
Thank you, Emma.

PRESENTER:        
Perfect. Thank you so much.