TRANSCRIPT: ABC NEWS BREAKFAST INTERVIEW, 19 October 2020

7:51AM

E&OE

Subjects: Coronavirus, Trans-Tasman Travel Bubble, Western Sydney Airport;

MICHAEL ROWLAND

Front and centre this morning is these claims and counter-claims over the New Zealanders popping up now in not just Victoria but Western Australia and Tasmania. None of those states signed up to the so-called Trans-Tasman bubble, so why should they accept New Zealanders from arriving in Sydney airport?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, the bottom line is, Michael, they are healthy New Zealanders, so they’re coming from areas where –

MICHAEL ROWLAND

That’s not the point, Mr McCormack. They haven’t signed up to the travel bubble. They might be healthy or unhealthy. It’s not just Victoria – WA and Tasmania haven’t signed up to the bubble. Why are they getting these New Zealanders coming down?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, they can still and they are putting, as I understand, the New Zealanders into quarantine and they at the end of the day, have the jurisdictional responsibilities for their own state borders. But they are also available to see the manifests of airlines. And they are and have been since October 16. Those manifests, those passenger logs, have been able available to governments, to Health Ministers, to health protocol officers in the various states. And it has been discussed at National Cabinet ad nauseam. And so –

MICHAEL ROWLAND

Well, Daniel Andrews for one has insisted he has told the Prime Minister personally that Victoria does not want to be part of the travel bubble.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

And look at the Melbourne situation at the moment. I mean, I’m going to always take the best health advice from the Chief Medical Officer in this country. So Professor Paul Kelly, Professor Brendan Murphy, they’ve stated quite clearly that it’s a 14-day rolling average of fewer than 10 cases. Victoria is following almost an eradication policy. So, let’s be a little bit sensible here and let’s look at just the job figures in September, 170,000 jobs created in states and territories other than Victoria. 70,000 job losses in Victoria. Melbournians are so frustrated. They want to resume their life. They’ve seen the case rates now very low, mortality rates, of course, that’s very, very sad, but with those numbers of deaths more than 800 in Victoria of the around about 900 across the country. But the case and mortality rates in recent days have been to a level which, according to the national Chief Medical Officer, should be sufficient to start opening up, to start easing some of those restrictions.

MICHAEL ROWLAND

And that’s exactly what we’re seeing today with that travel limit scrapped and people can go to hairdressers and the like. And as early as next week, if these numbers stay low, businesses reopen. So Victoria’s done a pretty good job on that front.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

But every week we’re losing hundreds and hundreds of jobs and many businesses are looking at the prospect of not reopening and every week is another delay –

MICHAEL ROWLAND

And we are concerned about the businesses, but as the health officials in Victoria say, open too early and the businesses will be shut down by a third wave and not just the ones we’re talking about.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, Victoria needs to also understand that Victorians need to get back to work. They need to get back to some sort of normality in their lives. And if you look at the 14-day rolling average – fewer than 10 cases – that’s been set by the Chief Medical Officer in the land, then, they’ve met that. They’ve more than met that.

MICHAEL ROWLAND

And Victoria’s doing better than New South Wales on that front. But the Victorian Government, as the New South Wales government –

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I don’t think Victoria is doing better than New South Wales overall. That’s nowhere near accurate, I’m sorry, Michael. That is nowhere near accurate. New South Wales has actually been the gold standard bearer when it comes to the –

MICHAEL ROWLAND

But on the latest numbers in the last week or two, that is the case.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, we are in the middle of a global pandemic as well and so, there are going to be cases. There are going to be unfortunately people who come down with COVID-19. But the Trans-Tasman Bubble is the first in what we need to do to reopen our nation. Of course, we’re repatriating Australians as well. We need to get Australians back. We need to have Australians travelling as well and going overseas and so the Trans-Tasman bubble is the first step along that path.

MICHAEL ROWLAND

Just before you go, another issue, the AFP announced last week that it’s launching an investigation into possible criminal activity involving the sale by the Federal Government – or the purchase by the Federal Government of that land where the Western Sydney Airport is – $30 million, 10 times what it’s worth. Do you still believe that will be seen as a bargain by people?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

What I stated quite clearly was the fact that when we are putting new runways in, when we are putting new infrastructure in – and that may well be 2050 – the price then will be way over the odds of what has been paid now if that land was still in private hands in decades’ time. Yes, it was well over the odds now and that is why the Secretary and the Auditor-General have both referred this matter to the Australian Federal Police.

So, it has been the Secretary of the Department as well as the Auditor-General who have referred that. Of course, there’s an independent investigation going on now into the sale. And of course, we’ve got Senate Estimates which will thoroughly look at the matter as well. So there’s a number of reviews and inquiries. Yes, way too much was paid for that land. No question. No question whatsoever. But I suppose at least it is now in Commonwealth hands and when there is future expansion of Western Sydney Airport – which is creating tens of thousands of jobs and that is a good thing as Western Sydney’s first airport, not necessarily Sydney’s second airport – this is going to regenerate Western Sydney and revitalise that area like nothing else could. So the project is good. It’s going on and it’s actually helping boost the New South Wales economy in this time of crisis. But let’s let those reviews take place and see what comes of them –

MICHAEL ROWLAND

And see what the AFP come up with, Michael McCormack, thank you.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Thanks, Michael. All the best.

ENDS 7:57AM

Shane Manning