TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH NEIL BREEN ON 4BC BRISBANE RADIO, 28 SEPTEMBER 2020
8:07AM
E&OE
Subjects: Budget Support for Aviation, Queensland Election;
NEIL BREEN
The aviation sector, it's a train wreck. It's an absolute train wreck and passengers are skeptical. There's cancelled flights, refund delays, passenger frustration, there's all sorts of issues in aviation at the moment. I've got the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, on the line. Deputy Prime Minister Good morning. So you're announcing the extension of support to maintain major domestic routes and the continuation of Air Services to regional and remote communities, it's an important area.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
It's a vital area and aviation was hit hardest when COVID came to Australia, and we acknowledge the disruption caused by the current border arrangements. It's made life very difficult as you've just said in the aviation sector - cancelled flights, refund and passenger frustration. That's why we're extending the domestic aviation network support until the end of January, next year under the regional aviation network support - so vital to many of those remote far flung communities in Queensland - until the 28th of March, but indeed right across Australia. Those network supports that we've put in place have kept planes in the air and we know that planes in the air, means jobs on the ground. And that's why we're urging, encouraging, imploring those premiers to lift those border restrictions because it's hurting tourism, it's hurting hospitality, it's hurting particularly those regional communities. I know my colleagues in North Queensland who haven't seen a COVID case for some time, their communities are just crying out for the southern tourists. You mentioned earlier that it's cold out here with a winter blast through Ballarat, through part of southern Australia. But let me tell you those southerners ...
NEIL BREEN
They'd like to come to Queensland!
MICHAEL McCORMACK
People do feel they want to fly to Queensland. Where else would you want to be than sunny Queensland and, you know, and as we head towards Christmas with so many people wanting to be reunited with their loved ones, if we've still got these border restrictions in place around Christmas time. I hate to think what people might do to breach and flout those rules because they want to get back with their loved ones, they want to get back to you know to reunite with their family members.
NEIL BREEN
People aren’t stupid, they watch the news and they say there was zero cases of COVID in New South Wales yesterday and there are seven and a half million people. The federal government's doing this initiative. Regional air travel in Queensland is so important, such an important state. We've got a second runway here now that's not being used properly because of COVID-19, we've got to be ready to press the button when it goes, has the Queensland Government helped at all – the plan to keep regional air and that and the plan that you that you're talking about the support for the aviation sector?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Most of the heavy lifting has been done by the federal government, there have been some states - WA has done a little bit, New South Wales has a bit, but we haven't seen too much from the Palaszczuk government. I mean we see today that a $12 billion black hole in Queensland infrastructure spending if you compared to other states. We see that, you know, you know Anastasia Palaszczuk has closed the borders. I appreciate that premiers wanted to keep the case rate low and the mortality rate at zero. I understand that that has been the objective of all premiers, of all Chief Ministers, of the Prime Minister, of everybody in the nation, wanting you know we wanted to make sure that we did our best as far as COVID is concerned. And we have done that reasonably well apart from Melbourne. But the time has come and, you know, medical experts say lift these border restrictions. They're harming the economy, they are harming people's lives, they're harming people's mental health, and most of the heavy lifting -$314 billion - actually has been done by the federal government and, you know, we're happy to continue to provide the assistance to make sure that we get the health and economic outcomes. And of course, next week's budget is going to be a jobs and infrastructure budget, but by gee Queensland could be doing a whole lot more.
But I'll tell you who does have a plan and vision for Queensland and, that's Deb Frecklington --- building more dams, for getting the Bruce highway to what it needs to be. And what we've seen in recent weeks with those border closures in Queensland and some of the outcomes, some of the dreadful outcomes we've seen, you know with northern New South Wales who regard Queensland as the is home for health etc, they've been heartbreaking and we just need to be sensible about this. Yes, the medical experts tell us that interstate border restrictions they don't provide the health outcomes that you need. They're no good reason so obviously got the tracking and tracing and, and New South Wales has been the gold standard, as far as that's concerned. As long as you've got that tracking and tracing in place. And you do that digitally, as long as we know we've got international travelers returning, you've got the quarantine, what it needs to be, the integrity of that. Then there's no reason why we need to continue with these border closures for as long as we, as they are expected to be
NEIL BREEN
Qantas has put its headquarters up for grabs and to go to the highest bidder. Should Queensland be having a big crack at getting Qantas here.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, it'll be a matter for Qantas, that'll be a matter for Alan Joyce and his board. And I know they've made some tough decisions, as has Virgin, as has other airlines through this. We've provided $1.31 billion of support for the aviation sector as we've needed to, as it's been required and we will continue with making more announcements of course today in that regard. But, you know, the Qantas headquarters - that's very much a matter for Qantas. And I appreciate that Queensland wants to make sure that it gets its fair share of the aviation sector. It could be getting its fair share of interstate travel if it just lifts its border restrictions.
NEIL BREEN
Last question for you. Yesterday the news came out that there might be travel between New Zealand and Australia. New South Wales jumped at it, but the Queensland premier Anastacia Palaszczuk said it hasn't really been spoken about. Why is Queensland always on the backfoot with this stuff.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well it easily on the backfoot when it comes to the state of Origin and the need to exercise a little bit more of that, perhaps, maroon mentality when it comes to these sorts of things. I know there've been productive discussions between the Prime Minister Morrison and the Prime Minister Ardern. As far as making sure that the trans-Tasman bubble is put in place, and if the medical experts say that it's fine to be traveling between New Zealand and Australia. And then well and good if it's for New Zealand and New South Wales. Then New South Wales will reap the benefits of the enormous opportunity. You know, New Zealanders love to travel just like us and if we can get that trans-Tasman bubble happening, then there's no reason why we can't get across the Ditch and they can't can come here.
ENDS 8:15AM