TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON SUNRISE WITH SAM ARMYTAGE, 28 SEPTEMBER 2020
7:20AM
E&OE
Subjects: Aviation subsidies, border restrictions, federal budget and jobs;
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
Now the busiest city capital city routes will be supported until the end of January next year, while the routes to regional locations across the country will be subsidized until the end of March and the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack joins us now, Michael Good morning to you. Welcome. How does this work, how do you keep these hundreds of routes operational when some of the borders are still closed, we've got people having to quarantine going one way, not the other how is this going to work?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Very difficult but that's why we want those premiers of those states who’ve still got very tight lockdowns, to ease those restrictions because what we need to have are planes back in the air. Planes in the air, means jobs on the ground. People want to travel, particularly as we approach these warmer months where people want to go on holidays, they want to catch up with their loved ones over Christmas. Not good enough that we've got tight lockdowns, border restrictions that are preventing many people from traveling where they want to be around this great nation. We want people to travel interstate, that's why we're subsidising these routes for many of those places, particularly in remote Australia, Sam. But for this subsidisation, they wouldn't be able to get planes into there. And, of course, whether you're in Bathurst Island or Broome or Kununarra, wherever the case might be, top end of Queensland, these, these routes are so important that we get planes on them. And certainly intrastate travel, it's very important, but we need these borders to be open again so that we get more interstate travel.
SAM ARMYTAGE
Okay, so what is this going to mean for the average traveler? You and I both know that traveling to the regions can be really expensive, far more than two capital cities so for someone traveling to Wagga from Sydney, what does it mean for a ticket for the average traveler?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well it means that the government is subsidising the route, so that the airline can fly on those routes and so for the non-viable routes which is making it very difficult there's not many passengers, we can put those planes on as we've done for many, many months now. And we can get those key frontline medical personnel, that personal protection equipment, the respiratory devices, the face masks we can get those. And we can get people who want to travel to those routes from Sydney, to those various routes from Perth, of course, you know, so for the domestic air network services that will continue until the end of January. As you say, for those regional routes, particularly those very far flung regional and remote routes, they can still be serviced with a government subsidy albeit until the end of March and many of those areas haven't seen a case of COVID so they'll be looking to move around the place.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
Now, the key message of the budget has been around jobs and getting Australians back to work. Let's have a look at the Prime Minister talking exclusively with, with seven news last night about the challenges ahead.
SCOTT MORRISON
These are quite unprecedented times and of course this budget has been cast to reflect that the budget will have new measures and the different measures I think that will keep the support in the economy and move us from not just job keeping but job making.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
Okay, so for those people watching right now where are those new jobs being created what industries, should we be looking at.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, it's 45,600 jobs in regional Australia identified by the Regional Australia Institute just last week, so there are jobs out there. I know that we've been working very hard through the Minister for Industry, Karen Andrews, on a blueprint for manufacturing. I know how hard we've been working to build agriculture to the $100 billion industry sector that it needs to be. David Littleproud and I have been working very hard to make that happen. Certainly there are jobs in the resource sector but in regional Australia, Sam, as you would well know coming from regional Australia, there are so many jobs at the moment, not just in agriculture, not just in the resource sector, but so many jobs that are available right now. So if anybody's listening or watching in a capital city, have a look. There are many, many jobs available in regional Australia, good-paying jobs, just have to take that opportunity, take that tree change.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
We have to get these people to these places fast because I know harvest has already started so yes they are farmers a desperate DPP and Michael McCormick thanks for your time. We appreciate it.
ENDS 7:25AM