TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON THE TODAY SHOW, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020
8:42AM
E&OE
Subjects: Trans-Tasman Bubble, Coronavirus, Port Botany Dispute, Agricultural workforce incentives, Regional Recovery Partnerships;
ALLISON LANGDON
Joining us now is Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. Minister, thank you so much for your time this morning.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Pleasure, Karl. Pleasure, Ali.
ALLISON LANGDON
Well, we had Jacinda Ardern on the show earlier - she’s keen. The New South Wales Premier is keen. When’s it going to happen?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, we’re all keen and of course, we will take advice from the medical experts when we can do that. Of course, there’s still some things needed to be sorted out. I know Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand Prime Minister, have had very productive discussions. It’s looking good to have that New Zealand bubble, that Trans-Tasman bubble. It’s going to be so important too. There’s many New Zealand workers who want to come here, not least of which of course, are the shearers – our wool clip – there’s always work to be done in shearing sheds in Australia. We don’t have enough Australian shearers to be able to do the whole job and so we’d welcome that. There’s plenty of work in regional Australia. I love that last story, a couple of brewers up from Melbourne, taking advantage of the sunshine in Queensland, Rockhampton. That’s a great story about people moving out of capital cities and moving to regional Australia.
KARL STEFANOVIC
You like a spiced rum, or are you happy with the Bundaberg straight up?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Bundy’s pretty good.
KARL STEFANOVIC
Yes, it is pretty good, well said. What about home quarantine? It’s looking at being re-introduced. Can you give us an idea on how that might happen? There’s a lot of, I guess, formalities to get through in regard to that for it to happen. But can it be possible in the next four, five months?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Yes, look there is and again, we’re looking at it and we’ll listen and take advice and heed the best medical advice, whether it’s Professor Paul Kelly, Professor Brendan Murphy. I know that situation has worked well with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee – it’s a bit of a mouthful – but it’s done such a good job in making sure that we’ve kept our case rates low, kept our mortality rate low compared to the rest of the world. New Zealand has done the same and that’s why these Trans-Tasman bubbles, that’s why we’re looking at easing restrictions. I appreciate that some areas of northern New South Wales will be open now to be able to go to Queensland. I appreciate that the Victorian school system is getting back to somewhere where it needs to be. I’ve got a daughter who’s a school teacher in Melbourne, Georgina, she wants to be able to teach kids face to face again. All these little things, but we need to keep the case rates down, so Australians still need to exercise the social distancing, they need to follow the rules. I heard Premier Berejiklian talking about 40,000 at the NRL Grand Final – go Parramatta! – but I have to say that when they do go to those big stadiums with lots of people, stick to the rules. Stay in your seats. It’s so important that we continue to be vigilant when it comes to these sorts of things.
ALLISON LANGDON
Well, I mean you make the point there that we can’t afford another outbreak. But when it comes to home quarantining, how will you police it and are you relying on people – 100 per cent of people – to do the right thing?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, we would like to think that they would. I mean, the option is an ICU bed and perhaps palliative care. So, I mean, let’s be serious about yourselves, about your family, about people you may never have met. But it’s really important. And I know that some of my colleagues, my ministerial colleague Keith Pitt for instance, when he was self-isolating at home, let me tell you he had a few knocks on the door by the Queensland Police. He had some calls from the Queensland health authorities. That’s what needs to happen. We need to ensure – and, of course, Keith was doing the right thing as all people should do the right thing. And we just need to make sure that we’ve got the tracking, we’ve got the tracing. We’ll get the vaccine. We’ll get through this.
KARL STEFANOVIC
Three quick ones for you. I note in the news that the Maritime Union of Australia has a peace offering on the table for Patricks in those negotiations, the negotiations that have been causing a great deal of concern right across Australia. Your thoughts on that being done today, hopefully?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Fingers crossed, 38 ships, 100,000 containers. I mean, you ask any farmer who’s finally getting value for their crops, value for their hard work, they don’t want to see their food and fibre held up in Port Botany or any port. They want to be able to get on with the job of producing the world’s best food and fibre and have it exported to the world for trade. And for Roger Fletcher who processes seven and a half thousand sheep a day in his Dubbo abattoir, he doesn’t want to have those containers operating on site, he wants to get them out and to the markets. So, it’s time that this was resolved. I’m really disappointed Anthony Albanese hasn’t called out the maritime union, really disappointing. But what else would you expect?
ALLISON LANGDON
Well, huge news in the Government – the Budget, I should say, that I want to talk to you about too. Visas to help the Agriculture sector. Can you outline the changes and will that now mean you have enough workers?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
It won’t mean that we have enough workers, but if every person who is unemployed in Australia who had the opportunity to do so went to regional Australia and took up one of those jobs, we’d be right. But what we’re doing is we’re extending visas by up to 12 months. So, for some of those backpackers, some of those holiday workers, who are in the country and facing the fact that their visa is running out, well, they can stay for another 12 months. They can stay with the one employer for longer. For Australians, indeed there’s a tax-free threshold of up to $300. So, there’s money to be made. It’s money that people wouldn’t have otherwise had, so I say if you’re lounging around with your surfboard up the coast and you want to make some money, want to make new friends, want to get those Instagram moments, get on board. Get to an orchard.
KARL STEFANOVIC
Okay, okay.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
You know the deal.
KARL STEFANOVIC
You had me at the start of it, but there’s no way you’re going to get any kind of surfer to move from the coast to pick fruit.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, they should come. They could make good money.
KARL STEFANOVIC
I know, I know, you’ve got no argument from me and, by the way, I think those visa changes are good. You’ve still going to have shortages of workers and you’re still going to have to open the gates at some point for workers to come in from the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, you know –
MICHAEL McCORMACK
And that’s part of the process too, Karl. So, we want those Pacific labourers, because for them it’s good money they can then take home and improve their own families’ lot in life and we know how valuable they are and how hardworking they are.
ALLISON LANGDON
And just quickly before you go, $135 million devoted to regional Australia. Where will that money go?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, it will go to such places as Kangaroo Island, south west region of Western Australia, it will go to such places as Gippsland, Mackay, Whitsundays, hit so hard by bushfires, by COVID, by drought, by the downturn in their tourism economy. Good money. $30 million also on the table for better connectivity for those areas outside the NBN footprint and as well, $5 million to build resilient leaders in these communities. So a good announcement, $135 million. We’re backing regional Australia as Liberals and Nationals in the federal government. We back it all the way.
KARL STEFANOVIC
That’s what you’re there for as Nationals leader, to look after regional Australia. You had lots of energy today, Deputy PM. Did you have a Bundy and coke before you came on?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
No, I’ve just had one coffee. I haven’t even had breakfast yet, but I’m looking forward to breakfast produced by a farmer near you who needs your help.
KARL STEFANOVIC
Good stuff.
ALLISON LANGDON
Good stuff, Deputy Prime Minister, thanks for joining us.
ENDS 8:49AM