TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON 2BS BATHURST RADIO, 27 August 2020

E&OE

Subjects: Regional Development, Border Closures, Regional Education;

KERRY PECK

Here at 2BS I talk to a whole stack of people and some of them are very, very good to give me their time because they're very busy people and this particular person we're going to talk to next is an extremely busy man right at the moment, in the middle of pandemics and all sorts of things – Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. Good morning, sir. 

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Never too busy to talk to you my friend.

KERRY PECK

And thank you very much indeed for your time, really do appreciate it. Now, listen, before we get into everything, right, I've got to ask you the most important question this morning and what you've got to do shortly, you've got to duck down the corridor and beat around the head the local member, right, because I've got to ask you about the Junee Diesels.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Yes, indeed. I played for the Diesels back in the 70’s and of course, when there was a bit of talk this week about certain roles and positions, steadfastly Andrew Gee came out and defended me and said, "anybody who's ever packed their head into a scrum for the Junee Diesels, they've got to be made of stern stuff." And look, I was probably Junee's worst export. Laurie Daley of course, being the best and there's a lot of talent in between the best and the worst. But look, Junee is a great little town. It's a bit like Bathurst really, it's a workers' town. It's a good country community, big enough in which to get a good cup of coffee, small enough to still care.

KERRY PECK

Incidentally, you know, after politics, have you thought about a coaching career or not? 

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I coached an Aussie Rules team once, bit of a guest coaching spot and at half time they were down 154-0 and I said to the school teacher, "I'll have to give them the three-quarter time speech!" And he said, "No, I think you've done enough damage." But look, I love the sport, rugby league, Aussie rules, it doesn't matter. But my boys are very good at sport, I think they obviously get that from their mother. They both play first-grade Aussie rules, Nick and Alexander and they're very, very good – outstanding, in fact. They play rep’ football and everything. I never graced the rep’ fields but I love my sport and I still play cricket a bit, but all good.

KERRY PECK

I tell you what, it's a bit tenuous, I think at the moment, a coaching career in rugby league at the moment. It's a bit like politics, you never know whether you're going to be there next week.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, at least they're playing a bit of footy and I know the horse racing continues. I had a lot to do with that to ensure that horse racing continued. And for those country communities still playing football where their competitions haven't been cancelled due to COVID-19, you know, it's really lifted their flagging spirits because – footy clubs are pretty good at that, they're good for morale. They're good for community interaction and you know, so long as we can practice social-distancing and doing all the right things in that regard. I always said right the way through there was no reason why we couldn't have country footy competitions because country people, I have to say, have done the right thing and been very good downloading the COVIDSafe app and doing all the right things and that's why we've kept the number of cases very, very low in our regional communities.

KERRY PECK

Yes, very much so and because your party, the National Party obviously, you know, notice comes out, David Littleproud, of course, with the ACCC and things like that at the moment. Also water of course, is on your agenda. And now water, talking about that Ben Chifley Dam at this stage almost spilling, I mean, we're almost full.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Who would have thought that 12 months ago? But that is Australia and we have weather events that, you know, when you see drought and then that's followed by flooding rains. But our farmers are having they tell me the best season, certainly in the Riverina and Central West, that they've seen for many decades, if not ever. Let's just hope that continues without rain at the wrong time or frosts or hail. You know, if we can get through and have a good harvest that's going to really replenish their stocks. We've got of course, all those RIC loans out and I know we've done a lot, The Nationals, in that regard to ensure that farmers can get through this. I know both the Bushfire Recovery Agency and of course, the Drought Relief Fund that we've put in place have helped our regional communities no end and we'll continue to provide that sort of support and assistance that's needed. 

KERRY PECK

And no doubt of course, you're thinking at this stage too about the harvesters coming down from Queensland through New South Wales and of course, it's a little problem at this stage, isn't it? 

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, it is a problem and it's not a problem because we're putting in place measures right at the moment and I know National Cabinet is next meeting on Friday week, is going to make sure that those agricultural protocols are put into place. That's based largely on the transport protocols that I drew up and have been in force now for some time to allow that availability and access of movement for trucks certainly, but we need to make sure that contract harvesters can get down from Queensland and other parts to ensure that we get the grain off so that our farmers can get access to markets and we can get the harvest done.

Now, of course, labour being the other thing, we've also put in place measures to ensure that we've got the right number of people in the right number of places at the right time. That's so important and I know the Ag’ Minister and myself work around the clock to ensure that those measures are in place and we'll continue to do that. And I urge and encourage anybody who does need farm labour to go to that Farm Hub website to look to see and make sure that they register their interest so that they get the labour that they need.

KERRY PECK

Now, our local member, Andrew Gee, of course, has been working very hard –

MICHAEL McCORMACK

He's a good man.

KERRY PECK

In part of his Regional Education portfolio and looking at universities, what would you like to see happen as far as universities go across the country, I suppose at this stage?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, what Andrew has made sure is going to happen through good work with Dan Tehan, the Minister and in his job as Regional Education Minister, the reforms in job-ready graduates will boost the number of university places for domestic students by 39,000 in 2023. It's going to make a lot of courses more accessible, more affordable. It's going to provide those graduates with the knowledge that they are going to be doing courses that they're going to be job-ready at the finish. That's why it's called Job Ready legislation. 

We want to make sure that if you choose a pathway through a tertiary degree, then there's going to be a job there for you and Andrew has worked very, very hard to make sure that this is regionally focused, that this legislation has country kids in mind. We want to make sure that if kids in the bush want to go to university, there's going to be the courses there for them at an affordable rate and the placement is there for them. Now, he's worked so, so hard with the universities to make sure that this legislation is fit for purpose for our country kids and I say well done to him.

KERRY PECK

Now, just back to the most important things that we've spoken about today, which is the Junee Diesels. Of course, living in that particular area, I suppose your loyalties are a bit divided because you have got Aussie rules at one end of Wagga and you've got rugby league at the other end of Wagga as well.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, Wagga was that rare place where they played both codes and rugby union is pretty popular and so is soccer. But back in the day, Wagga was sort of the Barassi Line where, if you were any further north you played league, as I did, Junee being north of Wagga and if you're any further south, you played Aussie rules. But at Wagga Wagga you played both. And so it's always been that way but now of course, you've got Aussie rules spread right around the country. You've got it now in the northern States as well, Queensland of course and of course, rugby league is right around the nation too.

KERRY PECK

Now, I've got the heat right on you now, tis the hard question, right? So who do you follow in league, who do you follow in the AFL? 

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, I follow Hawthorn in the Aussie rules and of course, they've got a big game next weekend. And of course, we've got Parramatta and they're lining up against Souths. So they need to really put Souths to the sword. Hawthorn of course, have got Essendon and Joey Daniher's of course, in contractual negotiations with Essendon and the Swans at the moment. Of course being a good Riverina family boy and so, I go for the Hawks and I go for the Eels. So it's been 34 long years since Parramatta actually won a premiership. 1986 was the last time they won it but they beat Canterbury 4-2, I think. And I'm hopeful that they can get there this year and perhaps lift the cup again.

KERRY PECK

Now, you see, I'm a Tassie boy about 50 years ago, Tassie boy. So Hawthorn is a bit close to the heart, actually.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, Luke Breust, I know him very well and we catch up for dinner at least once a year and he's from Temora. A great young lad. I knew his father, Alan, very well and I'm showing my age now. But look, whether you play Aussie rules or rugby league or just watch it or netball, sport brings communities together. And I've always been a great advocate for sport. And I have to say what sporting clubs, particularly country clubs have done in the space of mental health, in the space of measures to combat domestic violence, have been very admirable in recent years. They've really gone out of their way and anti-racism, those sorts of really community important messages have been spread far and wide through sporting clubs. And I say to them, whether it's in the Bathurst community and around the Central West, Riverina, wherever it is in regional Australia, they've done exceptionally and exceedingly well.

KERRY PECK

Good on you. Thank you, sir.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Any time at all.

KERRY PECK

We've covered the important things. That's it.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Indeed. Let's talk again soon.