TRANSCRIPT: TELEVISION INTERVIEW ABC NEWS BREAKFAST WITH LISA MILLAR AND MICHAEL ROWLAND, 15 JUNE 2020
E&OE
Subjects: Infrastructure announcement, Karm Gilespie, Adem Somyurek.
LISA MILLAR:
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to outline his blueprint for the economy post-COVID in a speech later today.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
It's also likely that he'll unveil a list of projects worth around $1.5 billion to safeguard scores of jobs, working with the States and Territories to identify priorities. We're joined now by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Michael McCormack from Canberra. Good to see you this morning.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Now, tell us about these projects and how quickly work could begin on them?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, there's a couple of important things that the Prime Minister is going to outline in his address to the Committee for Economic Development for Australia and as you've just said, $1.5 billion for roads that aren't necessarily the major roads but they're certainly important linkage roads for regional Australia – Princess Highway – that type of road. And as part of that $1.5 billion commitment, there's $500 million specifically for road safety measures. So that's line marking and making sure that the roads are what they need to be because, of course, we are all working towards zero 2050. We're all working towards making sure that we've got no deaths on the roads. That's the vision. The international community has set the date 2050 but, of course, we'd like to have no deaths on the roads right now, Michael. Everybody understands and appreciates that.
But, of course, also in the Prime Minister's speech he's identifying 15 major projects we're going to fast-track, what we do as far as assessment approvals, because if we know one thing, if we've learned one thing from COVID-19, it's the ability and the necessity to be able to fast-track some of these projects to get jobs, to get people back into work. It's all about jobs. It's all about the JobMaker scheme and really, really pleased that infrastructure is going to be such a focus today and going forward.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Okay, when you're talking about fast-tracking that means overcoming some of the roadblocks to these developments. Some of the roadblocks include environmental approvals. Are we worried here that environmental corners will be cut?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Not at all and it was the States who actually pushed this, as I met with them on a very regular basis, twice a week in most weeks we've been meeting and certainly it was also the Labor States who were pushing this point. Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland were amongst those who were pushing the point that we need to make sure that we fast-track approvals. In some cases, there had been years and years to get approvals done for projects, whether it's resources, whether it's roads, whether it's infrastructure, dams, the like. We want to make sure that to get people back into work, to get through this COVID-19 situation and get as many people back on the tools and back in high-vis and back on the job as possible, then we need to cut that, obviously, from, you know, in some cases from three-and-a-half years down to, the goal is about 21 months.
So, there's still the necessary environmental approvals taking place. There'll still be all those necessary cultural and heritage issues addressed. But what we really need to do, Michael, is fast-track some of those projects so that we can actually see real action. We're a Government which doesn't only build things, but we want to build them in good time. That's the objective.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Okay and we'll see further details from the Prime Minister today. Let's talk about Karm Gilespie, the Australian actor in China. He was first arrested seven years ago for smuggling ice. All of a sudden, in the last few days he is both convicted and sentenced to death. This comes, as we all know, amidst worsening relations between Australia and China. Are you worried this death sentence is politically motivated?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
What we will do is we will continue to provide the necessary consular assistance to Mr Gilespie. Of course Australia doesn't have – does not have – a position where we want to see anybody put to death anywhere in the world. So we will work through Foreign Affairs Minister, Marise Payne, through the DFAT process, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and we'll do everything that we can of course, at the right levels, in a diplomatic way, to ensure we give Mr Gilespie the assistance he requires and needs.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
As we all know, China's justice system is far from opaque. Again, I'll ask you: does it trouble you that there are political motivations behind what is happening here?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, we don't know that and of course, what we need to do is be very careful and what we need to do is make sure that anything that's said about this matter doesn't affect Mr Gilespie's cause and case in any way, shape or form. And we want to make sure that we give him every available assistance and we are. Through the proper processes, we'll work very closely with Chinese officials to do what we can for Mr Gilespie.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Okay. I just want to end by asking about the explosive allegations in 60 Minutes last night concerning a senior Victorian Labor politician. The ABC can't name this man for legal reasons, but he is accused of branch stacking on an industrial scale, amongst a range of other things. Do you back calls for an inquiry into that this morning?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Well, obviously. And you know, while we're talking about jobs, while we're talking about making sure that we continue to address the health pandemic and the economic effects of it and making sure that people are, you know, understanding that the Government has their back when it comes to getting back into work and jobs for the future, here's somebody in the Victorian Labor Party allegedly going around wanting to buy people into the Party, wanting to branch stack.
This is obviously unacceptable. There's obviously questions for Labor to address in this matter and so they should. And you know, it's just not on. People who are hurting badly from bushfires, from prolonged drought and from COVID-19 don't want to see politicians allegedly behaving in this sort of way. They want to know that Parliaments, that Governments and that politicians in general have their back. They're talking about the bread and butter issues that are concerning them. They don't want to be seen branch stacking and the like. This is not acceptable. It's not on. And yes, of course there should be an inquiry into it.
MICHAEL ROWLAND:
Michael McCormack, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much for your time.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK:
Thanks so much, Michael