TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON SOUNDS OF THE MOUNTAINS RADIO, 26 March 2020
E&OE
Subjects: Coronavirus;
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Time to have a chat to the Deputy Prime Minister, of course, the Hon. Michael McCormack joins us live on the line this morning. Minister, thank you very much for your time this morning.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Good morning, David.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
On this beautiful Autumn day, Michael, look, we've got a lot of things happening but if we can look out the window and see the picture we see around this fantastic region, which we live.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Best time of year around the Riverina and Snowy Mountains, David is autumn, it's just magnificent. Any time of year, of course, is nice because it's the best area in the world in which to live.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Isn't that the truth? We've got to appreciate these things, Mr McCormack, as we head through with COVID 19 and we've seen you on television and heard you on the stations around the region and of course, our very, very overworked Prime Minister speaking all the time. It's a really busy time and there's a lot of things happening, Mr McCormack. What's the latest?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, I heard you just mention that you've got your real estate update in a short while and of course, real estate auctions and open house inspections are one of those things which are going to be affected by the new rules. Private appointments for inspections are still allowed but real estate auctions, like a whole other lot of events that we sort of take for granted, they're out. They cannot be held and I know our real estate agents are mindful because they're great community players. But these necessary moves have been put into place to ensure that, you know, we get people, as many people across and through the other side from this coronavirus situation as best we can.
We need to keep Australians safe and that's what we're doing and that's why there's a whole number of new restrictions on our day to day lives that have been put into place and of course, pubs and registered and licensed clubs are closed, apart from the bottle shops, and people know that cinemas and gyms and restaurants and cafes are all shut, apart from, of course, the take away service and home delivery for those restaurants and cafes.
So it's a whole new arrangement that life is going to be for the next few months and potentially up to six months or even longer, but who knows? But we need to, as much as we can, keep Australians safe and with 458,000 global cases, 20,000 deaths now is the latest figure and of course, in Australia we've had another death. That's unfortunate. But it's only been 79 days since the virus was discovered. We haven't had, you know, the number of cases or deaths that other countries had, only 2,400 cases in Australia, but we just need to minimise it as much as we can, David.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
There is no textbook, you can't turn to chapter four on how to deal with coronavirus, Mr McCormack.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
No, but you can turn to chapter one and it's entitled common sense and you can turn to chapter two and it says obey the rules and you can turn to chapter three and it says think of others because that's what's necessary in this dilemma. If you just make sure that you keep other Australians safe, as well as yourself, of course, we'll get through this.
You know, we've faced worse things than this before. We've faced invasions. The Spanish Flu of 1918, not that anyone would remember, but it claimed 12,000 Australian lives and it claimed anywhere between 50 and 100 million – the figures aren't known because figures weren't sort of kept. The world wasn't such a small place back then. But, you know, it was far worse and, of course, we got through that like we got through everything. We got through the bushfires, David, we got through we're getting through the drought and of course, those issues can't be forgotten either because I know that for those communities that you broadcast so brilliantly into, they are still recovering from the bushfires. Many of those areas, many of those farmers are still, you know, they're not out of the woods as far as the drought's concerned and we need to think of those issues as well.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
We certainly do and it's something that we've been talking about a lot. We have the visitation. There's a truck that's on loan from the Wagga Wagga City Council that's called the Charlie Truck travelling around the region again tomorrow and next week and there is so much focus being put on COVID 19 that we cannot forget that those people trying to rebuild their houses, rebuild their fences, rebuild their hay sheds, get their farms –
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Rebuild their lives.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Their lives, exactly, exactly, Mr McCormack. When we look at our region and the bushfire recovery process, we've been hit with a double whammy like other regions that were bushfire affected. We've got to focus on, particularly, the mental health issues that are around our region.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Absolutely. And even through this, we've put more mental health officers on to cope, particularly for rural and regional areas because there is that isolation. In one sense David, the isolation, when you're talking COVID 19, is perhaps a good thing but in another, it does, you know, because of that tyranny of distance and because, you know, not the sort of same at hand services that metropolitan areas take for granted, I think and enjoy, it does create its own set of issues.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
It certainly does and, again, this is where the local station steps in. I mean we're doing different things here with talking to people that are maybe self isolating at the moment and we have a few people around our region doing just that, taking the advice from the Government. But when you look at the options around the businesses that have temporarily and that word is in capital letters, temporarily close down, the Centrelink options around the country, things are getting better on that front, aren't they?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Look, they are and I would urge and encourage anybody who is needing assistance to go to Australia.gov.au. Click on the website, Australia.gov.au, or phone 1800 020 080. They are the website and the numbers to remember. When you talk support for business, there is opportunities there for boost in cash flow for employers, temporary relief for financially distressed businesses. We've increased the instant asset write off from $30,000 to $150,000.
We're backing business investment and we're supporting apprentices and trades. We want employers, bosses, businesses, to as much as they can, try to keep the doors open if they're allowed under the new arrangements but also to keep as many employees in work and if in work means then enabling them to work from home, then so be it. But we want as many people to remain in their jobs as we can and that's why there are many incentives and for those people who sadly have lost their jobs or indeed perhaps will lose their employment for the time being, go to that website, see what you're eligible for. Don't be too proud to take what's on offer and I appreciate for many, this will be the first time that they've ever had to go to Centrelink to access those sorts of benefits but do so, get through the other side and we will be stronger for it.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Of course, as our Prime Minister said only a day or two ago, what's an essential worker? Anyone who remains with a job. I thought …
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Anyone who has a job, that’s right.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Isn’t that the best statement?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
The poor PM, he's been working many, many hours. I know, I've been beside him for much of it. He's showing great leadership and we need people to follow the directions of particularly those from the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Brendan Murphy who, like the PM and so many others, have worked so hard. Of course, I know a lot of ordinary everyday Australians are putting in incredible efforts and we see the best of Australians in the worst of times, David, as you know.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Yes, isn't that true. Look, we've had that – as we said, with the bushfires we've had a bit of a grounding in this preparedness for what we are facing at the moment. But as the Deputy Prime Minister, what do you see in the next few weeks, Mr McCormack? What's your thoughts?
MICHAEL MCORMACK:
Well, the virus has unfortunately reached the Murrumbidgee Local Health District and we've got a few cases. So those people, if they are showing symptoms, if those people are in fact infected, they do need to self isolate if they're not already in hospital. We need, as best we can, to minimise and contain this virus because if those people don't do the right thing and it does spread, it has that nasty, awful habit of spreading throughout the community and of course, the most vulnerable are our aged people and we want to make sure that we get them through as best we can and of course, there are visitations, very strict visitation responsibilities when it comes to aged care and residential nursing homes, those sorts of things.
So we need to make sure that we think of others. We need to make sure we do that when we're shopping at the supermarkets. The incidents there, are very controlled and contrived and organised and orchestrated the other day where every item on every shelf at both Batlow and Tumbarumba supermarkets was raided by those from metropolitan areas, I'm told. They were trying to ship it back to whence they came or where their families are overseas. Well that's stopped. I know the supermarkets have put restrictions on taking too many items, as well as asking people where they are from and they're asking them to show their licence details.
But such things as what were being taken the other day – they took everything but such things as nappy wipes and nappies, indeed and powdered milk and toilet paper and all those things, they do become contraband and they have been stopped at the border and that contraband will then be redistributed to and I've made sure that regional areas will get some of that back, if in fact this trend continues elsewhere and Peter Dutton has been very aware that the number of items trying to be sent through Australia Post and the number of items in containers the other day spiked after these regional supermarkets were raided. That's not going to happen. We're not going to allow that.
But people need to be their best selves when they are shopping and think of others. You don't need rolls and rolls of toilet paper. You don't need to stock up on frozen dinners and all those sort of things, all the fruit and veggies. I heard one incident where a woman went out of a Tumbarumba supermarket with two trolley loads of potatoes. You can only eat so many potatoes, David, as you know.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
That's very true.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
They're very good. Think of others.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Isn't that the truth. Final question for today, because you've got a massive schedule there and a question that I'm seeing and this is one of the big problems. We're seeing a lot of stuff, call it stuff, on social media, on the Facebook feeds, on Twitter, a lot of misinformation but there's also a lot of very good information. But one of the big questions is, will we see further isolation or further lockdown procedures enforced, do you think, in the next few days and weeks ahead?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
The short answer to that is I think that's inevitable. This is such a flexible, fluid situation. I know that it's changing by the hour, not just by the day these times and so yes, I think we will see further restrictions. We're already seeing in many areas where they're shutting down regions, they're shutting down States, they shut down the country to begin with in some areas and now they're going to be shutting down regions, or they are in some countries, and we may well follow suit.
And just a bit of humour, because we all need a bit of light relief during these tough times. Official advice out of the Northern Territory, David, is that panic is only useful if you're going for a swim and a shark or a crocodile tries to eat you. The adrenaline will allow you to swim faster and escape. The current situation will be remedied over the next couple of months. Heightened panic for that will affect your immune system and make you more susceptible to illness. So there's no need to panic. There's nothing to fear but fear itself. If you are asked to self isolate, please self isolate but do not panic. There is no need to panic. Everything will be okay. We will get through this because we are Australians and we're strong and we will be better for it.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Of course, and focus on the things that we can control. Some good advice there.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
And Australia.gov.au, I can't emphasise it again, David. I know you're going to broadcast that during your show this morning and tomorrow morning and whenever else, Australia.gov.au, it's all there, health and economic and if you are out of a job or if you are a business seeking support or anybody at all, go to it, have a look at what's available and access it.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
Minister McCormack, thank you very much for your time joining us on the station today. Appreciate the busy schedules and we'll certainly be touching base again as we head through over the next weeks and months.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Stay well.
DAVID EISENHAUER:
You too. Thank you very much.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Bye now.