TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON SKY NEWS SATURDAY, 3 October 2020

10.06AM

E&OE

Subjects: Donald Trump coronavirus diagnosis; trans-Tasman travel bubble; state border closures; regional jobs; NSW Nationals.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Obviously, the story is unbelievable, developing. One of the United States at the moment, the president of coronavirus. What are your thoughts on this obviously this.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, absolutely. And I think the presidential candidate, Joe Biden, summed it up when he said it's a stark reminder to everybody that they can't get this virus. So we're certainly not out of the woods yet as far as this virus, getting on top of it, certainly in America, where there's any number of cases, much more so than here in Australia where we've done very, very well to minimise the case rates and the mortality rate.

Of course, we're in the midst of an American election, a very important, a generational American election. And I know the Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reached out and messaged President Trump and First Lady Melania to wish them all the best, to wish them a speedy recovery. I think all people would do that. But it is, as I say, again, very clear and stark reminder that we can't be complacent, that we need to do everything to that the health officials are telling us as far as social distancing, self-isolation if need be, quarantine - all those things if we're in areas that are hotspots - wear a face mask, do the right thing.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

It does feel surreal at the moment though doesn't it today. A month out from the biggest election potentially that we've ever seen, so much pressure mounting on that particular election - as you said it’s a generational one. How strange is it to have this occurring and I guess we just spoke there to our correspondent in the US, to be campaigning, to be trying to do those things amid a pandemic??

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, I know when we campaigned in the by-election here in Eden-Monaro it was a little bit strange to the fact that there wasn't the normal door knocking, there wasn't the normal forum that you have during the election campaign and it was very much low-key. It was very much a social media type style campaigning effort. And I appreciated that here in Canberra, we're not far away from an election, of course, there's one in Queensland -- they're very different circumstances under which everybody's campaigning and that's why it's important to get the message out clearly and articulately. I appreciate that second, American presidential debate might not go ahead … but if it does via Zoom it might be a little bit more conciliatory, a little less chaotic.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Yeah, I think, to say the least it was certainly chaotic but it doesn't seem to be simmering down over there, things only seem to be getting crazier day by day over there in that election campaign. Deputy Prime Minister, a big anticipated trans-Tasman travel bubble is now up and running and in a few weeks we'll see those first flights taking off, no doubt, it will boost tourism down the line but this decision was more of a logistical one to free up space in hotel quarantine. Is that right?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Yes and no. It certainly will free up space to the tune of 325 places in Sydney, and elsewhere, of course, when it does become more and more widespread. I appreciate overnight the ACT signed on and they’ve come to an arrangement, too, by which from October 16 -- just like the Northern Territory, just like New South Wales -- they’ll accept New Zealanders too and that's great news. We need these planes in the air internationally and, you know, I'm really excited by this prospect. Tasmania, of course, too. They've also shown a willingness and an inclination, as has South Australia to see what they can do as far as getting part of this arrangement.

The case rates have been very low in New Zealand - just like Australia, because New Zealanders and Australians have largely done the right thing and we've been very much cognisant of the best medical advice, all the way through. Of course, back in June we put into place those aviation protocols that had a lot to do with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee with Professor Paul Kelly, the acting Chief Medical Officer -- and the airlines to make sure that everything was as it should be for domestic travel. We've put on the table more than $1.3 billion of support for domestic and regional airline services, but we need to open up our borders. We need to make sure that international travel, of course, is also possible, and this is the first step along the way to getting international travel into Australia to boost, as you say, our tourism, and, indeed, perhaps even prop up our workforce, certainly in agriculture.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

And we'll get to the agricultural workforce in a moment but you did touch there on borders. The Queensland premier Anastasia Palaszczuk announced yesterday that the border would be [reopened] to New South Wales. The New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian was very quick to throw cold water on that he said it really wasn't an announcement, it was just that same 28 days without community transmission that she had always said. Now that first of November date, it is conditional on the fact that New South Wales cannot record a single case of community transmission between now and then. Do you think that that's realistic, because the premier of New South Wales and said consistently that that benchmark is too high?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, Gladys Berejiklian was a little blindsided by that announcement because she heard it via the media. Appreciate that Queensland has an election on October 31 and lo and behold, opening the borders the very next day. Some might say that's not a coincidence. It is a political decision taken by Annastasia Palaszczuk. I mean I come from Wagga Wagga and I can't travel and we haven't had a coronavirus case for some time. In many cases, regional New South Wales haven't had a coronavirus case at all and yet, those people are banned from going to Queensland unless they've, of course, been staying in the ACT or somewhere where it isn't considered a hotspot for two weeks prior to travel.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Do you think it's unrealistic that New South Wales can last 28 days?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, let's hope that New South Wales can last 28 days but it's a big, big ask. You look at tourism in Cairns there. Now, Brisbane to Cairns, it's further than Brisbane to Melbourne. And, you know they haven't had a case in Cairns and surrounds for a long, long time and in some cases in regional Northern Queensland at all. And yet they are being unfairly prevented from having tourism, at a time when it's so critical for those businesses to be opening up not only domestically, but now to New Zealanders.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Yeah, I was actually one of the very lucky few that got from Sydney to Cairns in that three-week window where I could have had a nice holiday but I feel very sorry for the people …

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Oh, it’s a beautiful place (inaudible) everyone in Australia wishes to visit. Yeah everyone needs to go there, particularly southern staters.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

It does feel like we are finally getting on top of the second wave collectively as a nation, and they are starting to open up again. But Deputy Prime Minister we could have a third, a fourth a fifth, a sixth wave. We don't know how long coronavirus will be around for. What can the federal government do to stop the borders of the states going up and down, consistently for the next 18 months to two years or however long COVID lasts?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, it's not just the federal government, it's everybody it's every person in Australia that needs to be responsible, to do the right thing, to look out for one another, to follow the best medical advice, to download the COVIDSafe app. And, of course, the tracking and tracing is so important by the states to make sure that they do follow the right procedures and if there are little breaks here and there that they get on top of it, track down these people and make sure that they go into quarantine or isolation.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

If we have those little flare ups. Do you think I mean Queensland has already shut its borders twice. Do you think that it's likely we'll see that happening every time there's a flare up … that's simply not realistic, it's not feasible for the states or the federal economy?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

It's not, so let's hope that we don’t. Let's hope that a vaccine is available soon. I know that the federal government spent a lot of money and we've promised that once that vaccine becomes available -- and that every developmental test etc is done and it is right to use and use widely -- then every Australian that'll be freely available to them and our Pacific Island friends as well. We’ve made that commitment as a responsible neighbour, as a friendly nation, we've done that. We've made sure that all the way through we've followed best medical advice by Brendan Murphy, by Paul Kelly by the AHPPC so we'll continue to do that. But we can't keep closing up our borders, we can't keep making sure that you know one or two outbreaks in one city, in one state, they're going to shut down that entire state. Regional areas have been very good and we do thank, again, those people, particularly those regional Australians who, by and large have done the right thing and that's why they have remained relatively free.

We need agriculture to be its best self. We need our resources industry to help us through this. We need infrastructure and construction, which has gone on at a pace, but we need it to continue. Next week's budget will be a jobs and infrastructure budget, and we need to be able to get those workers on the ground. We can't do it if they’re locked down, we can't do it if they’re shut down under very draconian rules because there's one or two cases and premiers aren't willing to open up their states to the rest of the nation.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

There's a huge push at the moment we have an unemployment rate that is increasing, and we still have jobs that aren't being filled in regional Australia, it's basically that you've been pushing. Very much so at the past few weeks and as of others. How will the job be done if people don't move there? How are we going to actually be able to do that labour on these farms that needs to be done. If we can incentivise people to move there, and is this indicative that perhaps the pay needs to be increased because I know fruit picking, for example, there’s been a lot of discussion about that ..

MICHAEL McCORMACK

It’s hard work, it’s hard work - there's no question. But there's also mutual obligations by people who are collecting the welfare check. If there is a job then they need to be able to take up that job, particularly in a locality, which is very accessible to them. I say again there are 45,600 jobs identified by the Regional Australia Institute in regional Australia right now. They're not just fruit picking jobs. They're not just in the resource industry. They're good, well paying jobs right across the broad spectrum of life in general, and they're available right now.

Best form of welfare is a job. And so for those people on the coast who may be thinking that the surf might be more appealing, if they are collecting a welfare check then they should think, they should do the right thing, not just by the nation, not just by our primary industries, but by themselves. Because going into the hinterland, going into a regional area and indeed another coastal area and doing a bit of work, doing a hard day's labour, they’ll get good pay for it. They’ll meet new friends. And they might even meet the love of their life!

Just have a look at the Sunday papers tomorrow. There are many examples of people who found their love fruit picking. Go and try to pick a peach and you might end up as a pair!

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Deputy Prime Minister one other topic that I did want to get your opinion on the New South Wales Government was almost plunged into a minority with some of your National party colleagues, threatening to move to the crossbench over this very controversial koala Protection Policy that has gone on for weeks now. The Deputy Premier John Barilaro survived a vote of no confidence in Parliament. He then took four weeks of mental health leave now, in his absence the coalition came to an agreement ahead of the cabinet meeting which is taking place on Tuesday. Do you think the National Party will have a new leader by Christmas?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

John's on leave at the moment and I think we should give him that space. I don't think we should be pre-empting anything that may or may not happen within the Nationals party room at a New South Wales level. Let’s give John the space to recover. Let's give him the support and care and love that he needs to get through this situation. And, I know the New South Wales Nationals will always fight hard for farmers’ interests and have done so for 100 years, they've done in this case certainly. Pleased that a resolution has been brought about in this particular dispute and, you know, let's get on with doing what the New South Wales government has done very, very well - taken care of NSW. They've certainly been the gold standard as far as the global pandemic health outcomes that needed to be done. And they’ve built a better state . I know,living regionally, is how the health services were in such a dire situation after 16 years of Labor. Well you know, the New South Wales Nationals fought hard and made sure that they lobbied for more than 50 health services and hospitals. I know in my own city of Wagga Wagga how great the Wagga Wagga base hospital is and that came about because of a coalition government in Macquarie Street, Liberals and Nationals working together.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Do you think it could have been handled better?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

No question it could have been handled better, but it is what it is. The situation has apparently been sorted out ahead of a Cabinet meeting. That’s sensible, that’s wise. People want to know that their politicians are talking about the issues that care to them, the bread and butter issues around the dinner table, not fighting publicly about one particular issue or another, certainly when they're in a coalition government. And they are and they've moved on. I know Gladys Berejiklian has led that state very, very well, and she's going to continue to do that. She will do it in conjunction with a very strong New South Wales National Party.

CHARLOTTE MORTLOCK

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, thank you for your time.

ENDS 10:20AM

Shane Manning