TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON SKY NEWS WITH KIERAN GILBERT, 2 August 2020

E&OE

Subjects: Coronavirus, Melbourne Lockdown;

KIERAN GILBERT

Mr McCormack, thanks very much for your time. We’ve heard from those businesses, many of them are worried about this next Stage 4 understandably, can you reassure them that there will be ongoing support from the Federal Government?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Of course, there will Kieran. And right the way through the Federal Government has stood ready to help the states, help Australians, be they in metropolitan Australia or indeed regional Australia and regional Australians are understandably, certainly in Victoria, very upset today. I’ve just gotten off the phone from Anna Speedie, the Mayor at Wodonga, they haven’t had a single COVID case in their rural city and yet now they’ve been asked to go into Stage 3 lockdowns. This is a situation for many regional Victorians, they feel like the kid who’s been kept back in class because of the actions of another kid. The teacher knows the kid who’s been naughty and yet they’re punishing the entire class and it is difficult. I know the Prime Minister has said it is regrettably necessary these further restrictions, but they’re tough on regional Victoria. Regional Victoria, which we want to be its best self, to lead, to help lead that state out of its economic malaise that has been put in place because of these necessary restrictions but I say again, it is so tough on some of those areas, they’ve been through drought, they’ve been through bushfires and now this.

KIERAN GILBERT

And I will explore that a bit more with you because there’s a whole heap of detail there that we need to cover off in terms of the regional areas of Victoria. I do want to get your thoughts on that. But broadly in terms of support for Victoria, economic support, fiscal support, should there be pandemic leave? Because quite frankly at the moment, there’s nearly four million workers who don’t receive that sort of entitlement and that has been seen as one of the great risks for spreading the virus because people think, if I don’t show up, I won’t get the pay. Will the Federal Government help fill that gap?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I understand the concerns of many workers, Kieran. I do and so does our government and that’s why we’ve said that we will work closely with Victorian authorities, we will work closely with the unions, we will continue to do that and we’ll certainly consider every option on the table. But I say to those people who are worried, go to servicesaustralia.gov.au, either do that or ring the number 136 240. Those services are there to provide help for those people who are concerned about their future, concerned about their finances. We’ve got every assistance available, we will continue to support Victoria just like we’ve supported every state and both territories through this pandemic.

KIERAN GILBERT

And you are willing and keen to work with the Andrews Government in this period to get a pandemic leave scheme up and moving?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

We’ve said that we will be happy to work with any government, at any level, to do what is necessary. We’ve not ruled out anything. We’re happy to continue those discussions, I know that those discussions are ongoing, I know the Treasurer, I know the Attorney-General, Finance Minister, Prime Minister, the whole lot of us are working through this as best we can with our state colleagues. But, as I say again Kieran, this is very tough today’s announcement via Premier Andrews declaring a state of disaster. So, so tough on those regional Victorians for who many they haven’t had a single COVID case in their regions and they’re doing it tough. They’ve already done it tough and they’ll now be paying the penalty for what’s happening in Melbourne.

KIERAN GILBERT

Is the Federal Government confident that this measure will work? This series of measures more accurately, recruiting, the curfew, is the advice of the Federal Government that it will work to flatten this curve for Victoria?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, as the Prime Minister has said, as Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health has said this is regrettably necessary. Six weeks seems like a long time but as we know, it’ll go very quick. I have to say Kieran, if Victorians decide to be their best selves, if they follow what the Health Minister, what the Government officials have asked them to do, then six weeks is going to go quickly and we will get through it. But it is going to take every single Victorian to do the right thing, to exercise their social distancing, to work from home if they’ve been asked to do so. It can be very tough on school kids, particularly those doing their VCE but we need them to be their best selves. We will get through this but also too, the other thing too, if they get asked by a police officer, an ADF person, just tell the truth. If they get asked what they’re doing, why they’re where they are and what they’re up to, for goodness sake, tell the truth because that is one method to identify tracing, that is one method to help the officials who are doing their best. They’ve been asked by Government to make sure that they’ve put those measures in place. And for those who haven’t already downloaded the COVIDSafe app, for goodness sake, do so.

KIERAN GILBERT

It’s as you said, it’s difficult for regional areas, difficult for students. So many are now going back to home-schooling. I really feel for those kids in year 11 and 12 particularly. But right across the board, in fact your ministerial colleague, Darren Chester, said on social media tonight that, “don’t feed us this BS excuse about a level playing field. Our rural and regional students are at a significant systemic disadvantage when it comes to VCE results. Rural and regional students, in communities with zero cases, should be going to school.” Darren Chester of course, the Member for Gippsland in the east of the State, is adamant that those kids should be going to school. What’s your view?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I agree entirely with Darren and certainly if you’re a VCE student in Omeo or Mallacoota you should be getting that face-to-face education. I know my daughter, Georgina, is a year 12 teacher in Victoria. She tells me that it’s much easier to teach students face-to-face than it is via telepresence or Skype, or whatever the case may be. Those students in country areas have done nothing wrong. Their districts have not had a COVID case. If they can get that face-to-face learning, they should be able to do so. I entirely agree with Darren Chester.

KIERAN GILBERT

Another one of your colleagues, Damian Drum said that Federal Victorian Nationals do not support the blanket rules being imposed on some communities four or five hundred kilometres from Melbourne. And he says that there should have been more done to police metro-Melbourne and that those calls have fallen on deaf ears.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, Damian was calling on these measures a month ago. He was right then and he’s right now. And for many, many reasons and obviously, he’s reflecting the views of his constituency. He’s very upset. I can understand his concern. He’s a passionate member. He understands that the people of Nicholls, the people of the regions he represents are understandably upset by the fact that now they have to have those restrictions in place when they’ve been doing the right thing all along, Kieran. They’ve been exercising their social distancing. And they have been in self-isolation if they have needed to do so and now, their businesses are shutting. Their country footy is over for the season. Their schools are going to be shut. I understand from his point of view, where his communities have not had COVID cases, why they’re upset. Some of these areas are closer to Adelaide than they are indeed to Melbourne. You know, they ask themselves, why are we being placed under such restrictions? And, whist I understand that it’s necessary, regrettably necessary, as the PM and the Health Minister have said. And I’m not out to whack the Premier over the head with a baseball bat but what a pity that some more tighter restrictions weren’t placed on Melbournians a month ago when we could have, in hindsight obviously, shut a lot of these cases down. But, it is what it is. We are where we are. And now, over the next six weeks, we as a nation ask Victorians to be their best selves and we’ll get through this.

KIERAN GILBERT

Do you accept that the Federal Government could have done more to stop the tragedy which is unfolding in aged care centres in Victoria?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Look, we’ve been doing everything we can and as Greg Hunt has said, those workers in those centres are the best of the best. They’ve certainly gone above and beyond. Look, those aged care centres, they are areas where unfortunately transmission rates can be very high. We’ll continue to work through the Chief Medical Officer. We, as a Federal Government, have taken the advice of the Chief Medical Officer all the way through. We followed that advice. We’ve done absolutely everything we could to contain and minimise outbreaks. Up until a couple of months ago we were doing very, very well. And when you consider how we’re still faring, with any country that you’d like to point to, you know, look at their data from overseas, we’re still doing very, very well. These next six weeks in Victoria are going to be crucial. I say again, to Victorians, please be your best selves and we’ll get through this.

KIERAN GILBERT

Yeah. It’s a tough day but we appreciate your time Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Thank you for that. We’ll talk to you soon.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Thanks Kieran.

Shane Manning