Deputy Prime Minister - Transcript - Doorstop - Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Breakfast, Brisbane, QLD - 22 August 2019
TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Breakfast, Brisbane, QLD 22 August 2019
E&OE
JOURNALIST
So do you concede your comments about Pacific Islanders being able to survive climate change because they can get fruit picking jobs in Australia could be received, by Islanders, as insulting?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well look if any insult was taken I sincerely apologise, the fact is, we will always be great friends of the Pacific Islands and certainly, we rely on the Pacific Islands, we rely on them largely. I come from an electorate where there is a strong horticultural sector for which couldn’t operate without the labour force that is provided by the Pacific Islands that we value, that we treasure, that we encourage that and we want to continue and indeed it will continue because of the great relationship Australia has with the Pacific Islands and I know that when the Pacific Islands are strong we want to be there to make them even stronger and when they’re hurting we want to make sure that we are there to support them all the time as we always have in the past and we always will.
JOURNALIST
At best could you say your comments were clumsy?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well look, I made the comments on the back of being asked about the resources sector and the Pacific Islands view on that and we need a strong resources sector, we need a strong resources sector to support Australian jobs, to support Australian energy, to support Australian exports but also to continue to be able to support the Pacific Islands and we will continue to support the Pacific Islands and we’ll continue to support the resources sector.
We are great friends with the Pacific Islands I know the Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made that abundantly clear and again I want to emphasise the fact that we need the Pacific Islands to help us.
We help them by ways of tourism, we’ve got strong values, shared values, we love our sport, we love our communities, we love our families and we will continue to be very much there for the Pacific Islands just as they will be there for us.
JOURNALIST
And a new ACCC report out today calls for more gas development to drive down prices and increase supply, would you like to see NSW and Victoria end moratoriums on gas exploration?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
In effect, yes I would. I think the states need to look at where they can explore those gas opportunities which are there but not just for energy supply, not just a push down power prices but indeed for job creation and I know that the New South Wales Government is looking at various fields, I know that they are looking at doing that, fact is, we need more supply of gas in the market we need to put downward pressure on power prices and anything they can do, that, I’m encouraging.
JOURNALIST
The Australian energy operator is warning today that 1 million households are at risk of blackouts this summer because power plants have not been repaired and there is a lack of investment in new power generation. How much responsibility does the government need to take for not having a coherent energy policy?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well it’s a shared responsibility with the states and that’s why we have a plan, we have a policy to indeed do just what you said, invest in new generation but also to make sure that generation that is there is being able to provide these ready supplies, is there able to supply the affordable energy needs of our nation. The states also need to take some responsibility as well and together with shared values we will work towards making sure that we don’t have blackouts that they forecast this summer.
JOURNALIST
Just quickly, critics of the government‘s decision to send personnel to the Middle East to help guard the Gulf say there should have been more Parliamentary discussion…
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Who, sorry?
JOURNALIST
Critics do.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well the critics would be the Greens, the critics will be those people who don’t regard what we’ve done for many years past in the Middle East as something being of value. We need to play a part in the international situation there, we are, we have given that support to the US, the UK has too and we will obviously continue to monitor the situation but we don’t do these things lightly, we do these things in the national interest but we also do them in the international interest.
JOURNALIST
And should Barnaby Joyce be kicked out of the party for abortion [inaudible]?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
No, he shouldn’t.
JOURNALIST
Some of his comments were pretty inflammatory and there’s been quite a bit of backlash…
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well, Barnaby’s free to speak his mind, he has been a freely and publicly elected official, whilst I appreciate this is very much a state issue and it’s going to be decided now by the State Legislative Council, I’m pleased that the State Premier Gladys Berejiklian has delayed it by some time to seek more consultation, to put it to a parliamentary committee. I think that’s really important and I think that’s what should’ve happened in the first place, it was done in way too much haste. Barnaby is free to speak his mind. He’s a backbench member of the Coalition Government and he is very passionate about this topic. Fact is, he’s speaking his mind as he sees fit. It’s a big call to ask him to not stand in the National Party anymore and I certainly wouldn’t do that. I think he is doing some very good things in the Federal seat of New England and I know concentrating on federal issues, Barnaby is going to make some good value and some good decisions in the future as well for us in the seat of New England in the Federal sphere.
JOURNALIST
Just the last one, does Australia risk being ignored by Pacific Island nations because of such a lack of sensitivity to their plight?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
I know that the Pacific Islands know the value of Australia as a partner as a friend and we share so many values, we share so much of the past, we share so much of the here now and we will share a lot in the future as well, thank you.
ENDS
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