TRANSCRIPT: DOORSTOP IN CANBERRA, 15 JUNE 2020
E&OE
Subjects: Infrastructure announcement, Karm Gilespie.
REPORTER:
David Littleproud said he's making agriculture sexy again. Are you going to make infrastructure sexy again today?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Infrastructure's always been sexy and we want to make sure that certainly if it comes to fast-tracking approvals for infrastructure projects, then we've got the States on board. One of the things that, through COVID-19, I made sure that we did was talk to the States, if not every day, then certainly in a formal situation with all of the Ministers for Infrastructure and for Transport, at least twice a week. But I was having daily negotiations on a one-on-one scale and what they were telling me, what the State Ministers were telling me, was that we need to fast-track approval. So the Commonwealth level and certainly at their own level, the state level. And of course, also through the planning and development at a Local Government level. So, heading off all those, the three tiers of Government on board and today's the day the Prime Minister is going to announce that in his CEDA speech, that we are fast-tracking those approvals. So, it's not going to take years to get things done. We are a Government, a Federal Liberal and Nationals Government which is building things. We are going to be building them in good time and people expect that. And whether it's a road or whether it's a dam, people want to see it happening. We’re going to make that happen.
JOURNALIST:
Is there any hope that the Australian man sentenced to China could be released?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, we’re going to be working very, very hard to see that happen. We want to make sure that we continue to provide every bit of consular assistance that Karm Gilespie requires. It is difficult of course, it is very difficult. It’s a very delicate situation and for Mr Gilespie, well of course, his life is very much on the line and we want to make sure we continue to provide him with the assistance, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through every avenue available and we will do that.
JOURNALIST:
Joel Fitzgibbon said this morning that the message is that Australians shouldn’t travel to jurisdictions where there is a death sentence for certain crimes. Should Australians not travel to China?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, you can’t travel to China at the moment. So, it’s a bit of a moot point.
JOURNALIST:
Once the borders re-open.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, once the borders re-open, people have to follow, of course, the very strict guidelines that the countries have and when you are overseas, of course you need to obey the laws of the land that they put up, just like when people travel to Australia, they need to follow our laws and of course, make yourself aware, through Smart Traveller of the laws, because some of them are different in other countries. Of course, drug smuggling and that sort of behaviour is illegal anywhere in the world and what we want to make sure is that people are aware of the consequences of doing anything overseas. But we will continue to provide the consular assistance to Mr Gilespie, of course. We want to see him, we do want to see him home, of course we do. But if he needs to serve out a sentence here in Australia, well that will be a far better option than the one he’s facing now.
JOURNALIST:
Is there a risk though in Australians travelling to China, given tensions between our two countries have increased?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, people need to follow the rules and obligations on Smart Traveller and they need to, of course, look at the DFAT website and to see what things are in place, before they travel, whether it’s to Asia, whether it’s to anywhere. That’s a given because there are different tensions which escalate around the world from time to time and we need to make sure we follow that.
Thanks so much.