TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON FIRST EDITION, SKY NEWS, 10 December 2020

7:50AM

E&OE

Subjects: Trade Relations, $398 million for the Safer Roads Program, Jobs in regional Australia;

PETER STEFANOVIC

We’ll go to Canberra now and we’re joined by the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. Michael, good to see you. Thanks for joining us this morning.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Thank you, Peter.

PETER STEFANOVIC

So, it’s cotton, it’s wheat, lamb, it’s all next in our trade war. Is there a feeling of helplessness on your part as more and more of our exports get pummelled?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Absolutely not and we will continue to work through the World Trade Organisation, we will continue to ensure that we look for other markets as well and remembering that since coming to Government in 2013 when our free trade arrangements covered 26 per cent of our exports, now it’s 70 per cent. So, we’ve very much diversified our trade, very much signed up new trade arrangements with recently Indonesia and of course, previous to that including South Korea, Japan and other nations  besides – the Trans-Pacific Partnership 11, a $13.3 trillion opportunity for Australian farmers.

So, we will continue to, of course, work through the WTO, work diplomatically and work in a very practical, pragmatic and perhaps most importantly, patient way Peter.

PETER STEFANOVIC

But at the moment the current approach when it comes to China’s just not working. So, it’s all talk.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, it is difficult. It is challenging. And you know, when you have these challenging times it requires sensible decisions. And that’s what we’re doing. There’s not a day goes by that the Prime Minister and I and others, of course, around the Cabinet table don’t discuss these issues and what we can do and how we can help our farmers. Our farmers produce the best food and fibre in all of the world and so I say this Christmas make sure people buy local, shop local and eat Australian.

PETER STEFANOVIC

Yeah, I mean, but look, $7 billion is the hit that China is currently hitting our agriculture sector at the moment. We’re just not going to get that in other markets, are we?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, we’ll certainly try. But, of course, the trade with China is $149.7 billion.

PETER STEFANOVIC

But that’s the thing though – trying, trying. The word “try”. It’s not working.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, we’ll certainly make our voices heard through the WTO arrangements. What we don’t want to see is our farmers being unfairly impinged upon. What we want to see is our abattoirs being able to continue to export to those markets they’ve always enjoyed and made good profits from in the past, because we do have the best sheep meat, we do have indeed, the best grain in all of the world. And I know China knows that. I know that other countries do too. And that’s why we will do everything we can, everything in our power, to make sure that those markets remain.

PETER STEFANOVIC

Okay. So, what are you going to do to help these farmers as well, these new farmers that now all of a sudden have found themselves trying to make some money elsewhere?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, what we’ve done is under the instant asset write-off, of course, they can build and buy silos and write them off automatically and indeed, they can store their grain. Now, I know there’s a couple of good silos – silo producers in my area – HE Silos at Forbes and Kotzur at Walla Walla. Now they’re good silo producers. I say to farmers: be patient, just like we are. This situation will resolve itself. But until those – and the market price for wheat is still very high. And of course, we’ve got a bumper harvest. That’s the travesty of it all – is that for the first time for a long time, Peter, we’ve got a bumper harvest. Our farmers haven’t actually had one of those for some time.

And I was talking to Mark Coulton the other day, the Member for Parkes, he’s got a farmer in his electorate, 100,000 tonnes of wheat he’s produced. Now, of course, he needs to do something with that. He can’t store it all. So we’ll continue to work and make sure that we perhaps can trade elsewhere.

PETER STEFANOVIC

Meanwhile, you’re getting some work done when it comes to roads, particularly in New South Wales. How did you determine or how did you come to the decision of where to spend the cash?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well the New South Wales Government has prioritised these roads. And I’ve worked very closely with the Regional Roads Minister, Paul Toole, to make sure that we identify black spots, to make sure that the roads, whether it’s the New England Highway, Princes Highway, wherever the case might be, the Newell, we put the money where it needs to go most. This is going to potentially save up to, the experts tell us, 590 lives. 950 jobs will be created through the construction. It’s a $398 million program and on top of the $2 billion that the Commonwealth is investing in safer, better roads through the Budget, this is a good announcement.

PETER STEFANOVIC

Llew O’Brien is back in the party room. Minister, is it awkward to have him back?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Not at all. And Llew shares the same values, the same ideals that each and every member of The National Party has and represents. And certainly, Llew will make a contribution. He wants to see more jobs in the bush. There are 54,000 jobs there for the taking at the moment and Llew knows that. He represents Wide Bay. It’s a great area of Queensland. He’s passionate about regional Australia, as am I, as are each and every one of the members of The National Party, of course. And each and every one of the Members of the Government and not just those who live in country areas but, indeed, each and every Member of the Coalition knows the importance of regional Australia. And we’ve seen that writ large during COVID-19 where agriculture and mining have continued to do well. And we want them to do even better.

PETER STEFANOVIC

Do you think he’s left the plotting to oust you behind him though?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

As Elton John once said, “I’m still standing”. I’m still the Leader, looking very much forward to leading The National Party to the next election. Great Party. We’ve got some great policies. We’ve got – we’re great partners with the Liberals in Government and we’re doing good things for Australia, certainly regional Australia.

PETER STEFANOVIC

I mean, this is something that’s kind of dogged you all year – leadership ambitions and stability within The Nationals Party. It’s been happening all year. How are you feeling about your position as you lead into Christmas and you lead into the New Year?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

It’s not about my job, it’s about the jobs of Australians. I’ve always said that. And each and every one of the Nats knows that it’s not about ourselves, it’s actually about representing the interests of the people we serve. We were sent to Canberra, we were sent to do a job and that certainly has been challenging and trying this year in the most difficult of years. But we’ve got regional Australia in a position where we’ve got a good harvest, mining has continued. Keith Pitt continues to remind me that mining has even grown as an industry through COVID-19. Of course, agriculture is now, ABARES said the other day, $65 billion. Well, David Littleproud and the rest of us in the Nats want to make it $100 billion by 2030. That’s what we’re focused on – not our jobs but, indeed the jobs of regional Australians.

And the Regional Australia Institute have identified 54,000 jobs available right now in the bush and they’re not just in mining and ag, they’re in all sorts of sectors, they’re in all sorts of industries. If you’re out there and you’re thinking of, you know, the fact that you’ve been cooped up for too long in the city and you’re sick of the congestion, come to the regions. Great place to live, work and invest and raise a family.

PETER STEFANOVIC

Michael McCormack, appreciate your time. Thanks for joining us. Talk soon.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Always a pleasure.

ENDS 7:57AM

Shane Manning