Transcript: Interview with ABC Wimmera's Rebecca Lowe, 13 May 2019

EO&E

LOWE:  
Now, we're six days away from the election. There have been a number of promises from the major parties they've elected. In the meantime, there have been a number of Ministers and elected members traveling over country making funding announcements and promises. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has made a number of visits to the Mallee but not Horsham or the Wimmera until now. The Deputy PM made $32 million announcement for the water pipeline project for stock and domestic use in Western Victoria. He's now in Horsham this morning to make another announcement, and he joins me this morning. Good morning, Mr. McCormack.

MCCORMACK:  
Good morning, Rebecca.

LOWE:  
And good to have you with us this morning. Just to revise that the announcement you made yesterday, $32 million for a water pipeline project. Why did the federal government decide to contribute to that project?

MCCORMACK:  
Because under the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, we want communities to be their best selves, we want to grow agriculture. When you add water, you grow agriculture. This has the potential for half a million additional hectares to have secure water supply. This is going to make such a difference. A local farmer there yesterday at Ararat, Jo Armstrong told me that this is a game changer. She said, "We thought we'd eventually get it in dribs and drabs but she said, "To get it now is just fantastic," and the local mayor Peter Beales, right behind her, we had a cast of thousands yesterday at the announcement, and when Dan Tehan made the announcement, there was significant applause, as well there should have been.

LOWE:  
It's only a week out to the election, why make the announcement now?

MCCORMACK:  
Because under the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund, we've been making these announcements just about every week or fortnight for several months, and we've put another $500 million into that fund. Just recently, I announced the National Water Grid, to take the politics out of where we build water infrastructure, because sometimes the states stall, and I want that process to be more streamlined. I want to be able to build dams, lengthen, heighten, strengthen weirs, to make sure that we put down pipelines, like East Grampians yesterday, but sometimes we get stymied by the states. We want to make sure that there's local input, but we also want to make sure that there's the best available science, and the National Water Grid will do just that.

LOWE:
Okay, now you're also in Horsham to make a significant announcement. Is it significant, this announcement you'll be making this morning?

MCCORMACK:  
Well, it is significant, because we want to make sure that the riverfront is the best possible place it could be. We want to make sure that we revitalize these sorts of areas, and I see where we've done other similar projects in other similar Victorian original centres, and it's been then a tourism Mecca. It's then been a destination point, and we want to make sure that Horsham, which is a great community, can realize its full potential.

LOWE:  
So you are funding the riverfront development, are you?

MCCORMACK:  
We might be. You'll just have to wait for an hour or so.

LOWE:  
How much money?

MCCORMACK:  
There's a significant amount of money. And look, these sorts of regional revitalization projects are important because as I say, they bring tourists, but they give locals a good feel about themselves, and I see my own area of Riverina in southwest New South Wales, how when you give a bit of a spruce up to a town, or indeed one of the regional capitals, it makes such a difference because people have a reason to go there, they have reason to stop there if they're traveling through, and that's what we want to do. We want to make sure that these regional communities can be their best selves and we're doing that by these announcements, by these commitments.

LOWE:  
Okay. With this announcement that you'll be giving money for the development of the riverfront, is that right?

MCCORMACK: 
Possibly.

LOWE: 
How much?

MCCORMACK: 
Look, we'll announce that in a few hours, but this wouldn't have happened without Anne Webster and the Nationals. This is what the Nationals do, we care about our regions, we get behind our regions, and we back jobs. It's all about backing jobs, and this will be a job construction process, of course, there's going to be jobs in the construction, but then the direct and indirect jobs that flow from that will be significant.

LOWE: 
Okay. Cohuna tomorrow, what are you announcing there?

MCCORMACK:  
You'll have to wait until Cohuna tomorrow too, but look, Cohuna's a great town and the trouble is with Cohuna, it's suffering through this drought, and I've been there before with dairy farmers, I know how much they're struggling and I know how much the drought is really biting in these regional communities. I live in a drought-stricken community myself, and I know we've put down money, million dollars to many, many councils, more than 100 of them, right throughout the Murray-Darling Basin, but we can and we will do more. I was very pleased to hear the Prime Minister again yesterday talking about the drought and what we can and will and must do, and of course during the coalition party lunch, I highlighted it and made sure that those people in Melbourne and elsewhere who probably perhaps think that a few half-decent showers, and I'm pretty sure that we've had 80 or so mils around Horsham and around parts of regional Victoria in recent times, but that's not enough to break a drought. We need significant follow on rain and we need a government which is going to provide the necessary assistance, and we will, and we are.

LOWE:  
It's drought-related funding?

MCCORMACK:  
Look, I'm not going to go into it. In fact, I'm actually going to Tasmania tonight, so I'm actually going down to Tasmania, so I'm not making any announcements in Cohuna tomorrow. Appreciate that there may well be, but that will be potentially another Minister. I'm off to Tasmania tonight and tomorrow I'm back in New South Wales and then up to Queensland, so we're getting out and about, we're making sure that regional people know that they're cared about, know they're supported, and a Coalition government, Nationals in government will always do that.

LOWE:  
Is this the only three announcements for this area, for the Wimmera?

MCCORMACK:  
Potentially, yes. I've got the announcement today, and glad to be here with Anne Webster, my Nationals colleague. I know that Anne Webster and the National party intend to continue the strong representation of the Mallee.

LOWE:  
Okay. Let's talk a little bit about your visit. This is the fourth or fifth visit to the Mallee itself. Why are there so many visits around election time?

MCCORMACK:  
That's what I do all the time. I'm out and about, and I get accused of this when I go to central Queensland. I get accused of this when I'm out and about in New South Wales, indeed, I was in the Northern Territory on the weekend, and they said, "My goodness, you come up here a lot. Because I travel a lot because we've got a lot of places and a lot of candidates. We've also got a lot of members and we want to make sure that people in those seats know that we care, and whether they're Senate candidates or whether they're lower house candidates or indeed, encumbered members. I want to get out and hear what people in those electorates are saying, but not just our electorates, others, too.

You know, I've visited a number of Labor electorates since I've become the deputy Prime Minister, and as the Small Business Minister, I conducted 80 forums right throughout Australia listening to people, and I was really pleased as the small business Minister to be able to lower the tax rate to its lowest level since 1940, but I did that. And the instant asset right off was extended. While I was the Small Business Minister, not just for Liberal or Nationals electorates, but indeed, for all Australians, all small business, because that's what you have when you have a caring government that listens to the people and then acts accordingly.

LOWE:  
Okay, so when it comes to funding announcements like these, is this real money?

MCCORMACK:  
This is a commitment if we are re-elected.

LOWE:  
So if you're not re-elected on Saturday, these aren't guaranteed, this funding will come through.

MCCORMACK:  
Well, nothing's guaranteed under a Labor government, but I always want to talk about our positive plan, but as I say, nothing's guaranteed under a Labor government, and we don't make promises that we expect Labor to keep, just like I'm sure some of their funding announcements, if we get back into government, we're not going to meet them. That's the nature of politics, that's the nature of a campaign, but people have to decide which side is going to best suit their needs, and I'm sure that when they get into that ballot box and they see Anne Webster's name, they'll put a '1' beside it. Because they know that the Nationals turn up, they know that we care, and they know that we deliver.

LOWE:  
Is it a matter of saying, then, that you'll get your riverfront development if you vote for us on Saturday?

MCCORMACK:  
That's pretty much that. And look, I put it out there to Labor to get a regional policy plan. I put it out there to have a bit more of a say on regional Australia, because when the regions are strong, so, too, is our Nation. Unfortunately, we don't always see that from the other side of politics. But we've got a positive plan. The Nationals in government have delivered, and we've delivered jobs, we've delivered water security, we've delivered hope for people who live in regional Australia, and we'll keep doing that.

LOWE:  
Let's talk about your candidate, a first-timer and a woman in the Nationals, which has traditionally been very much a boys' club in the past, hopefully not in the future, how-

MCCORMACK:  
Well, Bridget McKenzie and Michelle Landry would probably have something to say about that, but yes, they're doing - well, and we've got 15 outstanding female candidates right across the nation, upper house, lower house, I'm delighted, I was with three of them in the Northern Territory on the weekend. They are real goers, and I know Anne Webster also is such a dynamic person, she's made such a difference in the lives of those people for whom, her women's shelters and those sorts of things, getting women back into the workforce after situations that have been unfortunate in some circumstances, but women who want to improve their lot in life, who want to realize their potential, she's been there for them. I had dinner with her and her husband Philip last night, wonderful people, caring, family people, but also understanding business, understanding the health needs of the Mallee. They're the sort of people, she's the sort of candidate that we need to be the next member for Mallee.

LOWE:  
It's a very interesting time, though, 13 candidates, a big push from the independence at the moment.

MCCORMACK:  
Yeah, you often get that, though, when you're transitioning a seat, and I know when I stood back in the Riverina for the first time in 2010 and even in 2013. I had big fields against me, and I'm sure that people would be able to find the Nationals candidate's name on the ballot paper and think, "Well, you know what, they've delivered. They've delivered for decades. I want that delivery to continue. I'm going to vote 1 Nationals."

LOWE:  
Okay, so hypothetically the change wins out, after 71 years, an independent does get elected for the Mallee, what changes will the National party have to go away and think about and make in the future?

MCCORMACK: 
It’s a big if, I'm not thinking about the hypotheticals, I'm just looking forward to serving in the next parliament with Anne Webster alongside me in my term.

LOWE:  
Mr. McCormack, thank you so much for your time this morning, appreciate it.

McCORMACK:   
Thanks, Rebecca.