TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON SUNRISE WITH SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE, 12 August 2020
E&OE
Subjects: Coronavirus, Hotel Quarantine;
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
The Deputy Prime Minister is joining us now from Darwin, Michael McCormack, good morning to you.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Good morning, Sam.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
It seems that the Federal Government did offer the ADF to Victoria so why would Daniel Andrews say otherwise?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, that’s a matter for Daniel Andrews and that question would have to be put to him. I appreciate that it was put to him in a Parliamentary Inquiry yesterday and he answered the way that he did. But rest assured that the ADF was always there, ready and available to help the Victorian Government in any which way, in any capacity that the Victorian Government saw fit, or in any way in which logistics were able to be organised. I know just yesterday, 1,743 Australia Defence Force Personnel were in Victoria helping that state.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
Okay, so if private security can’t be trusted should all hotel quarantine around the country be using the ADF? I know my sister is in hotel quarantine in Sydney right now and the Army is on every floor of the hotel. So the Army is being used in Sydney and it has been a terrific success. Should all hotel quarantine around the country be using the ADF?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
It is a matter for the States of course, but we stand ready to make sure that if the States request and require Australian Defence Force personnel to help out with quarantine arrangements, we will provide that. We have tens of thousands of ADF people that are qualified and rest assured, that when somebody sees one of those uniforms, they know that the quarantine is serious stuff. They have that integrity about the uniform that is so important in this whole situation, Sam.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
Too right. Over the past week, 101 Victorians have died from COVID-19. The worst is apparently yet to come. More people in aged care are likely to pass away. The statistics we are being given today are horrendous. Is there anything that can be now done to accelerate the help into aged care, particularly in Victoria?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I know the Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck and the Health Minister Greg Hunt are doing everything they can with the agencies, with the Departments and with the aged care centres themselves. This is a very, very sad and tragic situation and we are making sure that every effort is made to get Victoria and get the nation indeed, through this situation, Sam.
SAMANTHA ARMYTAGE
Michael McCormack, thank you.