TRANSCRIPT: SKY NEWS AFTERNOON AGENDA INTERVIEW, 1 May 2020

E&OE

Subjects: Coronavirus, National Rugby League, Virgin Australia, Eden-Monaro by-election;

LAURA JAYES

Let's go live now to the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Thank you for your time.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

It’s a pleasure, Laura.

LAURA JAYES

We just heard from the National Cabinet, apparently Australians are all getting a little bit of an early mark when it comes to restrictions. What will it mean for the regions in particular? And are you concerned about perhaps, a second wave if people start to go into the regions?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Yes, I am concerned if people do descend upon the regions en masse. We could potentially see another outbreak. The regions have been very good and that's why the Prime Minister was quite clearly articulating the fact that people are going to get an early mark. Those restrictions that are going to be eased will be announced next Friday after the National Cabinet meets again next week. This is really important, not only for the psychology of the regions but for the economy of the regions. But we'll wait and see next Friday as to what exemptions – what restrictions will be made and what will be lifted. This is going to be important for our regions which, as you know Laura, have been hard-hit by bushfires and now COVID-19 has really made a downturn to or regional economies but what we don't want to see is a second wave or second outbreak. What we don't want to see is our ICU beds in the regions which aren’t what they are in the capital cities – by number. What we don’t want to see is our very great, professional health frontline staff, overwhelmed by an outbreak in country areas.

LAURA JAYES

What are your constituents telling you about what they want back about normal life? In particular, do they want to see tourists come back so they can open up shops? Do they want to see community sport, is there something that's always top of the list?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Yes, all of that. Opening the pubs would be a great start and I'm really impressed by the Restaurant and Catering Association, producing a code of guidelines where they talk about table service. Where they talk about condiments perhaps not being, sort of, a public service type of thing but being just in sachets – that sort of thing. It's really important that we get people back to pubs. It helps the psychology of the area, regional sport too. Community sport is important, whether it’s netball, Aussie rules, rugby league, whatever the case might be, you get people back to sport. Even if it's without crowds initially, even if it's just the participants, that's going to be making such a difference to regional areas because in country areas sport’s a big thing. I come from Wagga Wagga, I’m in Wagga Wagga at the moment, we've got the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup being run this afternoon at 4:20pm. And for the first time since it was initially running in 1873, Laura, it doesn't have a crowd. Now I know, there's going to be a lot of people, perhaps betting on the race and following the race online or on television on Sky Racing no doubt, but they won’t be able to attend the Cup. And that really hurts the economy, it hurts the fashion economy, the hospitality economy and accommodation economy.

LAURA JAYES

Let's talk about NRL. We just heard from the Prime Minister – quote unquote – no special treatment for the NRL or any other code, so what's going on with the Warriors? What's your understanding when it comes to Border Force giving any exemption to fly into Tamworth? And how important is that?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well, I have spoken to Cameron George, the CEO of the New Zealand Warriors. He's actually the son of Thomas George, the former long-serving Nationals’ Member for Lismore. He wants the Warriors to be able to fly direct from New Zealand into Tamworth. Of course, they'd have to undergo two weeks quarantine in Tamworth but that will be up to the Border Force. Of course, New South Wales Health may have something to say about that and Brad Hazzard, the Minister in New South Wales, he will very much be having a say on these things. I'd like to see the New Zealand Warriors of course establishing in a regional camp and be able to set up ready for when the NRL does resume. But then of course, is going to have to rely on certain conditions and those certain conditions will be outlined by Michael Outram and the team at the Australian Border Force as you'd expect they should be. But the NRL also has to play by the rules. You know, there are rules on the field, there have to be rules followed off the field. And what we've seen from some of the NRL players this week, albeit a very small percentage as not being within the spirit of COVID-19 when the rest of the community has to follow the rules and they've done magnificently so. Those few examples of the NRL players respectively, who were going camping and having lots of people around to their homes, that's not acceptable and it shows that they haven't been very good role models and I was pleased when Peter V’landys and the team at NRL headquarters, fined them heavily as they should have.

LAURA JAYES

Okay, before I let you go, do you have an update on Virgin? What will it look like on the other side and was Twiggy Forrest foreshadowing that he might be a buyer here? Is that just a bit of a distraction or is that realistic?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well Twiggy Forrest has been in the news in lots of ways this week but look, if Twiggy Forrest and a consortium wants to buy Virgin then they will have to line up with a lot of other potential investors. Pretty soon, some of those investors are going to have to obviously sign the deeds of agreement and go through the whole process. They'll have a look at the books, they'll have a look at the business model and the routes and everything else that Virgin has. They looked at how they can re-finance, how they can restructure the business. It is a viable business. I know we can have two commercially viable airlines coming out of COVID-19 – not that we can have it, we must have it. It's essential for competition. It's essential for Australian consumers and I'm very confident that we will have two airlines and I know the Government's made the right decision in relation to any assistance that we've provided. It's been sector wide, Laura and certainly those people who I've spoken to and I've had a lot of interaction through my ministerial office. They've been very pleased with the Government's stance. Of course, we've put more than $1.2 billion on the table, Virgin has been a participant and a beneficiary of a lot of that assistance, flying those key regional routes, the trunk routes for joining capital cities, the International Air Freight Mechanism and so many other measures that we've put in place. Waiving Airservices Australia fees but look, Twiggy and a number of other investors, of course are lining up. That's really encouraging. And I know that Virgin, whatever shape or structure it comes out the other side. I'm sure we're going to have two commercially viable airlines. And that's also been as a result of what the Government has done in this, during this COVID-19 crisis. And it has hit aviation hard, I accept that. But so far the assistance has been well received. I commend Paul Scurrah and the team at Virgin for how they've done this and I know that now, the administrators are certainly looking at what they can do to rescue Virgin as best they can and we'll have another commercially viable airline, with Qantas, coming out of this.

LAURA JAYES

Now what do you think about John Barilaro coming to Canberra?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well, he's got to go through the process of course, we have a very democratic process in The National Party. If John and his wife Deanna decide that that is the course he needs to take and he wants to make. Then, I'll certainly welcome him and help him along that process. Of course, this is going to be a test for Labor – a big, big test for Labor.

LAURA JAYES

Would you endorse him though to be The Nationals’ candidate for Eden-Monaro?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

So long as he is the pre-selected candidate for those local branches. I don't believe in endorsing anybody until the locals have had their say. That’s how The National Party does it and he and others may well put their hand up. Who knows, he may well be the only candidate. But whoever the successful candidate is after the pre-selection process, I will certainly endorse them and do my very best to get them elected. That said, I wish Mike Kelly all the very best and I say again, this is a test for Anthony Albanese and Labor. 158 by-elections since Federation in 1901, only one in Kalgoorlie in 1920 has ever been won by the Government.

LAURA JAYES

Are there any other candidates? I've only heard John’s name, are you aware of others?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

No I’m not but as I say, we have a very democratic process. If somebody from one of those local branches wishes to put their hand up, then they’re entitled to do so.

LAURA JAYES

Alright, he is a very ambitious fellow, you know, you’re not concerned that he might be after your job?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Look, we have a very democratic party, The National Party, I wish John all the very best. I'm sure he's got a lot of discussions to take place with his wife Deanna this weekend. If he's going to run, I wish him all the very best and I'll do whatever I can to help him across the line.

LAURA JAYES

Okay, so you'll be out campaigning with him if he does become the candidate?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well, there might be a bit of a different campaigning process, Laura as you know, with these restrictions in place. I'm not quite sure there’ll be much door-knocking, it'll be a very different campaign. But whatever the case might be, I'm sure it's going to be tightly run. The Liberals have said they're going to run, Labor of course, they hold the seat, the pressure’s on them to retain the seat. The onus is all on Labor to justify why they should keep that seat again and we’ll be in there having the best scrap we could possibly have.

LAURA JAYES

Alright, Deputy Prime Minister, thank you so much for your time.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Thanks Laura.

Shane Manning