TRANSCRIPT: PRIME 7 NEWS INTERVIEW, 2 April 2020
E&OE
Subjects: Meals on Wheels, Coronavirus, Support for the Regions;
JOURNALIST:
Thank you Michael. Ok well first of all, obviously the nearly $60 million for the meal services. I guess how will it support services like Meals on Wheels support vulnerable Australians through this pandemic?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, of course, many Australians are now faced with the prospect of having to stay at home and Meals on Wheels has provided a dedicated service for many, many decades, to not just Wagga Wagga and Riverina people, but many residents right across our nation and the Federal Government has put $59.3 million of necessary funds towards this wonderful service to ensure that tens of thousands of Australians can receive a staple diet during this COVID-19 … and I say shutdown because we're asking people over 70 to stay at home, to self-isolate for the period of COVID-19 because they are the most vulnerable group when it comes to infection and what we want to do is make sure that they come out the other side. What we want to do is make sure that they are healthy and by staying healthy they should stay inside, but they also should be able to have the availability of meals and so Meals on Wheels is going to hopefully provide that shortfall that, otherwise for some of them they wouldn't be able to meet because they wouldn't be able to either get to supermarkets or they don't have loved ones close at hand that they can easily call up to provide meals for them. So, it's a good initiative.I welcome the initiative. It’s going to support services right throughout the Riverina and Central West and the rest of the nation.
JOURNALIST:
Do we have any idea how the funding will be broken down? Julie was saying obviously it will be to help support more Australians access the meals but also to help cover an increasing cost for the staff doing lots of overtime and also for the part-time employees they’re also bringing on. Is that how the breakdown will be?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, the breakdown is specifically for meals to people who are now locked inside their homes and wanting to know the fact that there will be meals available for them and I appreciate that for this service, if they do have a downturn of course and the ATO will use discretion. As far as the job keeper payment is concerned, we are investing $1500 a fortnight to workers, to businesses and to not-for-profits that find themselves having a downturn. Now, obviously Meals on Wheels, probably not going to be having a downturn but there will discretionary payments made by the Australian Taxation Office and Meals on Wheels I would encourage them as an outlet and as an organisation to apply to the ATO and to make enquiries so that they can avail themselves of that service.
JOURNALIST:
Okay. Well, you've seen the letter from Michelle Rowland calling for help for regional news services. Can regional news be saved under this $1 billion Regional Communities Fund?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, we want as many businesses to come out the other side of COVID-19 as possible and that's why we've put in place the JobKeeper payments. That's why we've back-ended business and supported business to the tune of billions of dollars. Indeed, our overall package of spending is now $320 billion and $130 billion of that is through the JobKeeper payments that we've put in place to make sure that businesses that have had a 30 per cent downturn in their revenue, in their turnover, can avail themselves of that. And I appreciate that for many regional newspapers, indeed radio and television, there would be a significant downturn in their revenue because of course, with businesses closed, they won't be needing to advertise.
And of course, we all know that media thrives and operates and functions on advertising revenue. And so we'll be certainly looking at that. I've had discussions with the Communications Minister, Paul Fletcher, as recently as last night to see what we can do. But I would urge and encourage those regional media outlets to register and I know many hundreds of thousands of businesses already have for the JobKeeper payments. So they need to go onto the Australian Taxation Office website, register their interest and intent. And of course, for those workers that are on their books from March 1, they'll be eligible for that $1500 a fortnight. Yes, they're tough times for regional media and I appreciate that for many of these businesses, certainly the newspapers they are very much the parish pump of their smaller communities, they've been there in some cases for 100 years-plus and we want to see as many of them come out the other side.
Now, in the Riverina and Central West, we've been fortunate so far that no mastheads have actually closed or said that they were going to go into hibernation. I know that the Sunraysia Daily has gone into hibernation for who knows how long and I was speaking to the Country Press Association President, Bruce Ellen last night. I've been speaking to many newspaper proprietors across regional Australia as well as Antony Catalano who has got vast media interests throughout New South Wales and Victoria and elsewhere. We want to see these regional media outlets come through the other side. Regional journalism is what makes our communities tick in many regards. And I want to see, being a former newspaper journalist here in Wagga Wagga, a former newspaper editor, I want to see, of course, as many of these outlets come through the other side because we need to get our news from local sources. We want local people reporting on local things just like Stephanie Muir is doing right here right now. I want to see these people in jobs. I want to see these cameras, these radio stations and these newspapers survive and not only survive but when you get out the other side of COVID-19 indeed thrive into the future.
JOURNALIST:
Michael, from the Prime office, three regional television companies have had a proposal to Government for 15 months for a self-funded restructure to save the industry. Why hasn't the Government done anything?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, we've been in constant discussions with media outlets about what we can do and how we can do it but of course, the Government isn't just there to fund every single organisation which is having restructuring issues. We do as best we can to make sure that we promote business, that we support business. That's why we've put in place measures such as the lowest tax rate since 1940. That's why we've increased the instant asset write-off. When we came into Government, it was around $20,000. We've increased that now to $150,000 as part of the stimulus for the COVID-19. And of course, we've backed workers with personal income tax and that's how we support businesses.
We can't just go in there and support one sector or another just over other sectors or another all of the time. But, indeed, during the COVID-19 crisis we're supporting all industry, all sectors and I'm happy to have those discussions. I know Paul Fletcher, as the Minister responsible for communications and the media, has been having those discussions with television networks, not only television but of course other media outlets and we've actually made some changes which have helped media proprietors. We have made some substantial changes from the way that operations were conducted in the 1980s and we'll continue to look at that. We'll continue to monitor that and we'll continue to work closely with media outlets to get the best outcomes, not only for their industry but for the workers they employ.
JOURNALIST:
So, our best hope is the $1 billion Regional Communities Fund in Michelle's letter but also the JobKeeper payment, you say?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, we will look at – we will look at what we can do as part of that $1 billion fund. We'll look at, of course, making sure that the JobKeeper initiative helps as many businesses as possible. But it's up to business, of course. It's up to employers to go on the ATO website and register. It's a good initiative. It's a $130 billion outlay. It's the biggest outlay since Federation. We're back-ending business. We're back-ending industry and communities of course, through this initiative. By that, we're doing what we need to do as far as workers are concerned. It's going to benefit six million workers right across Australia. If you look at what other initiatives are being done in other countries, well Australia's leading the way. And with this COVID-19 crisis, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else other than Australia right now. We've got a very good health system. We're getting on top as best we can of this health crisis. But as well as this economic crisis. And what I do also want to add is that whilst I appreciate that visiting a regional area is something that a lot of people do over the Easter period, I do want to discourage people from capital cities making regional Australia a destination point this Easter. Stay home. Please. Not just for your sake but for the sake of regional communities.
These regional communities are very vulnerable. If COVID-19 takes hold, our health systems aren't always exactly what's in place in capital cities and certainly the isolation and the remoteness of distance is a factor in regional Australia. We've already had our first death at Orange Base Hospital sadly, from somebody who came back on a cruise liner, for our first regional death as part of this crisis, this pandemic. We don't want to see any more. Whilst we're very forward leaning in regional areas as far as making sure that we've got the right number of face masks and personal protection equipment and the ICU beds in place, we cannot – cannot – endure an outbreak in any of our communities. And so I urge and encourage and implore and plead and beg people in capital cities, please this Easter stay home.
Stay home. Visit us after the pandemic is over. It will pass. We know it will. But at this stage please stay out of regional Australia. Stay home. Do the right thing. Think of others and of course, for all people, whether they're in regional Australia or whether they're in capital cities, make sure, if you have to be in self-isolation, make sure you follow the rules. It's pretty easy and you know, we'll all get through this to the other side.
JOURNALIST:
That's all from me, thanks Michael. Thanks team.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Okay. All the best.