TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH ANNELISE NIELSEN, SKY NEWS LIVE, 1 August 2019
E&OE
Subjects: Farm Household Support Bill; Drought; Live Exports; Freedom of Speech;
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Nationals Michael McCormack, thank you for joining me.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Good morning Annelise.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
So a big focus for the Nationals this week is pushing through changes for the farm household subsidies and it's a change to the asset test that you were trying to push through.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Indeed, it is and look we want to make sure that farmers and farming families and indeed, regional communities entirely have that dignity, that hope for the future and so by putting through the Farm Household Support Bill it's going to be so important for those farmers, for those regional communities so that they can look forward and prepare and plan for the future. They need that financial security and we're giving them that.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
What are the practical changes? How is this going to be different from what we have now?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well it's going to give them more support, so it's going to enable them to have more assets so that when they say- release their stock, when they have to sell their stock because they're forced to because they can't feed those animals, well the profit actually doesn't then account against them. And so if they put that into farm management deposits and that sort of thing, they don't have that counted against them. So the other thing too that we’re really, really big on is making sure that they have that financial counselling support, that they have the counselling support. So we've got people who are experts in those fields helping them through because mental stress is a big thing in this drought. The drought will break. It will rain again. But we want to make sure that we give those farmers that dignity, that financial support and that hope whilst they're struggling through this dry period.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
Because that's one of the things we heard it come up, especially during the drought forum hosted by The Daily Telegraph that you attended, that there really needs to be long term solutions for the country. Is this a stop-gap solution that's just going to help people get through to the next year or is this going to be-?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
No it's ongoing. So- and of course we're standing shoulder to shoulder with our farmers and so if the drought continues for even an extended period from what the Bureau of Meteorology are perhaps suggesting, then we'll know readdress those issues. We'll go back and we'll reassess what we're doing. So we've so far provided $2 billion of support, not- also we've also given the $5 billion Future Drought Fund. Now it’s 3.9 at the moment, growing to 5 billion and then of course, we're going to be drawing down $100 million dollars each and every year because there's always part of Australia in drought. So, so far the measures have amounted to more than $7 billion and of course, that support, if it's going to need to be extended, it will be extended. There's absolutely no question that this Government is serious about addressing drought issues for the here and now, but also for the future.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
So the criticism that's been coming from Labor and the Greens on drought response is that there hasn't been enough focus on climate change, which they say is feeding the drought. Do you agree with that?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well of course the climate is changing, but the fact is also we need to be able to support those farmers in a practical way. We need to support our communities in a practical way. What the Greens would have us do is de-industrialise Australia; what the Greens would have us do is, you know, make sure that farmers change all their ways and means. I mean, essentially they don't want animals- cattle being bred because that's causing emissions according to the Greens. The fact is we want to make sure we have that practical support, community by community, but of course, right across Australia and we're doing that. We don't want to have our farmers paying exorbitant power bills and so we're bringing in legislation to bring down, reduce power costs. The Greens, well they’d have us stop doing everything, they’d have us returning to the case. That's the Greens way.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
One thing the Greens would like you to stop doing and it seems under threat - at least one WA exporter, is live sheep exports. Is the fact that this licence of a WA sheep exporter is under threat, a sign that their trade might be under threat entirely? That-
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well successive agriculture ministers have put in very much place measures to make sure that animal welfare is front and centre and we've always had that Export Supply Chain Assurance Scheme in place to make sure that animal welfare is front and centre of everything that we do. And we've changed those laws, we've tweaked those laws in recent times to give sheep more room to move around in the pens, we've put inspectors on ships, we've put- we've made sure that we've actually put cameras on ships. And so- and there's a far more stringent reporting measure. So the onus is on those exporters to do the right thing. It always has been there, but it's even more stringent now and we'll continue to make sure compliance is met; we’ll ensure that integrity is met and we'll make sure that that export which provides so much economic benefit to Western Australia, particularly regional West Australian farmers continues.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
And on the point of inspectors, there's going to be one announced for the Murray-Darling Basin as well. That's something that some people might be surprised didn't already exist, that there was someone checking that what was said was being done is actually being done. Why is this being implemented now?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well it's a good move by David Littleproud the Water Resources Minister and Mick Keelty has been the Northern Basin Commissioner - he's done a good job, the former AFP Commissioner. And so we want to bring even more integrity and more transparency into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan so that the Murray-Darling Basin Plan can be effected with confidence and so that people, whether they're in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria or South Australia, know that the measures that we've put into place and the plan that has been agreed to on bipartisan support is being implemented correctly and water measures are being adhered to.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
And just for the last bit of legislation you guys are focusing on for this sitting fortnight - are we going to see these protections for farmers against activists targeting their farms come through?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well it's been introduced and it will be debated in the House of Representatives today, and I hope that that goes through in a bipartisan way. It absolutely should because we can't have animal activists, criminals indeed invading our farms. We want to make sure that our farmers who are the very best environmentalists and land carers in the world and they put animal welfare front and centre, they're protected. And we'll be doing just that. And those people who put up websites that encourage people to break the law, well they'll be treated in the same way that the New South Wales and other state governments have put in place measures to stop those who actually invade the farms. So- and they should go to jail, there's no question.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
[Indistinct] those who do invade the farms, they're already subject to criminal trespass-
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Under state laws, of course.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
Exactly and so there has been criticism that the federal legislation is encroaching, not only in state territory, but using that idea of banning a carriage service, could actually impact things like freedom of speech, journalists organising things online, other peaceful protests being organised online.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
It’s sensible practical measures. It dovetails in with what the states are doing; it's correct and proper.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
So you have no concerns about impacting any kind of freedom of speech?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
No I don’t. It's correct it's proper and it's necessary.
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
And just finally - we've seen the Coalition today also introducing these tough new laws to prohibit anyone who's committed a terrorist offence being released from prison after the end of their sentence, if they're still at a risk to the community. Some in the legal community might be concerned that it is edging into indefinite detention. Do you accept that criticism?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Some in the legal community who would be the first to complain if they were let out too early and then did the same thing again. So I'm sure the measures are yes, as you say, tough, but they're right, they're proper, they're correct and they're going to be introduced and they're going to be passed
ANNELISE NIELSEN:
Well there you go. Michael McCormack thank you for your time.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Thank you very much.