TRANSCRIPT: Doorstop at Canberra Airport, 23 February 2020
E&EO
Subjects: Parliamentary sitting week, emissions targets
JOURNALIST:
Are you expecting a quieter week for The Nationals this week?
McCORMACK:
Every week is a busy week. I’m looking forward to a busy and productive week for The Nationals. It’s never a quiet week. We have a job to do for regional Australians. They’re our focus. Always are. They have to be. The drought continues. That’s what we will be talking about and focusing on. The bushfires have been terrible. I’ve just come from the Bushfire Memorial Service in Sydney. 25 people lost in that State. That’s so tragic. It was a moving service. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke very well. So did Premier Gladys Berejiklian and New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons who always speaks movingly. It was sombre and sobering to see the widow of firefighter Samuel McPaul due to have their baby in May. She is so brave. Her mother-in-law, his mother, Christine. They are remarkable women. Their thoughts are with others when they have lost so much. It goes to show what Australians are really like in tones of such tragedy.
JOURNALIST:
What about Labor’s net zero emissions by 2050?
McCORMACK:
Net zero emissions by 2050 equals net zero jobs growth by 2050. Labor needs to explain how it is going to do that and still protect jobs. It cannot. I don’t think you can have net zero emissions and have jobs increases.
JOURNALIST:
But moderate Liberals are arguing for net zero emissions ...
McCORMACK:
I’m not in the Liberal party. I’m in The Nationals. Our job is to protect the interests of regional Australians. We’re doing that. Regional Australia is doing its fair share – more than its fair share – to ensure Australia not only meets but beats its international emissions obligations.
JOURNALIST:
About zero emissions ...
McCORMACK:
We're going down this ideological path which is not going to decrease the temperature of the Earth by one iota. What we won’t do is send jobs offshore. That’s what a zero emissions target would do. The Nationals will always stand up for farmers who are the best at looking after country, looking after rivers. They are responsible environmental managers. What we don’t want to do and won’t do are policies which will send manufacturing jobs offshore and ensure our food is imported. We will always stick up for manufacturing jobs here and our farmers. Thank you very much.