TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON AM AGENDA, SKY NEWS, 31 August 2020
E&OE
Subjects: Border Closures, Flight Caps;
TOM CONNELL
Well, calls are growing for a national agricultural workforce code despite recent announcements expanding access to cross-border communities. Speaking at the upcoming National Cabinet meeting this week, the New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro said, “if we fail this Friday in relation to a code we can all hang our heads in shame.” For more on this I'm joined live by Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Nationals Leader Michael McCormack. Thanks for your time.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Good morning.
TOM CONNELL
Do you agree with John Barilaro?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I certainly agree we need to get this happening on Friday and I know how hard David Littleproud, the Agriculture Minister, has worked with his State counterparts. I know that they have done a cut and paste type version, if you will, of the national freight code, what we've set up in transport and there's been relative ease of access for truckies across the borders for a long, long time now, Tom and this has been important because they need availability, accessibility across the borders. This is so, so important for farmers who may have land, therefore crops needing to be harvested either side of a border. They may have stock that needs to be fed. I mean some of the situations where farmers have been told that they need to self-isolate, they need to ferry sheep hundreds of kilometres. I mean these are just ridiculous, it needs to be sorted and it will be I'm confident on Friday at National Cabinet.
TOM CONNELL
It will be. So you're calling that because for a lot of these farmers the issues are coming right now in terms of making sure they don't lose out. You're saying that they won't be let down?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
It simply has to be sorted. It simply must be sorted. And I know, the Prime Minister and I have talked about this this morning, David Littleproud was in that meeting. We agree collectively and the States simply have to put the common sense in place.
TOM CONNELL
Where's the main resistance coming from?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, look, let's let National Cabinet sort it out. Let's adopt the protocols that we've done through the national freight task. The transport protocols that we put in place back in July at that National Cabinet meeting have served the transport industry well and the Transport Ministers and I have spoken on a weekly basis, if not even more often, to ensure that we have that ease of freight across borders. We have to do the same for agriculture. We have to make sure that as we come into the harvest season our farmers are bracing themselves for the best harvest some of them have ever had. This is going to be a once in a generation harvest for our farmers. And given the fact that they've had so much drought, given the fact that they've had bushfires, they've had to contend with floods in some cases, they need this harvest to fill their coffers, to repay the debt that they owe to the banks and to ensure that Australia continues to get ahead. Agriculture, resources and infrastructure are leading the way in that regard.
TOM CONNELL
The breaking news you see on your screen there, 41 new COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours so a very high figure unfortunately. 73 cases is the good news on that. Michael McCormack, just asking you to reflect on that. I mean 73 cases is the good news to it. It might be the case that we can look in Victoria in three, four weeks about easing borders, but do you have any confidence that States still want to go suppression strategy versus eradication?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
States will do what they need to do. The quarantining component is absolutely vital and it's also important that people continue to do the right thing. If asked, make sure that they stay in self isolation. They need to still obey the social distancing rules. Those physical distancing rules are so important, whether you're at the beach, whether you're at community events and I appreciate in Melbourne it is in lockdown, they're locked up for 24 hours and that is hard. I've got a daughter who lives down there. I know how difficult it is, she's a schoolteacher. But we need to make sure that as best we can that we get through this. Of course, the weather's getting warmer. Tomorrow's the first day of spring and so people are going to be wanting to be outdoors. With Christmas just around the corner people are going to want to get back to their families. Well they'll be able to do that if everyone follows the rules and everybody obeys it and hopefully we'll get these cases continuing on a downward trajectory and of course it's very, very sad that people are dying from this. But what we're doing here in Australia compared to the rest of the world, we're still doing very, very well, but of course it's not enough to just say that. We must continue to do so.
TOM CONNELL
But what happens, I mean the Government's pushing this traffic light system, clear rules in place that decide hot spots, meaning borders are not closed or open arbitrarily. If the States just refuse to play ball does the Federal Government have a place eventually where they need to intervene?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well our Federation is set up so the States do have that jurisdictional responsibility for various things. I appreciate that States will endeavour at all times to do the right thing by their people. But we have to of course make sure that we're compassionate. We have to be practical, we have to make sure that for those people who are living in country areas where they haven't had a COVID case for many, many months that we be sensible about this. This is important. Look, we'll get through it.
TOM CONNELL
It's as if States are not sensible. Just on the power, I mean most legal experts much more qualified than myself will say that if push comes to shove and there's a test here the Commonwealth would likely win if they want to challenge this, for example, in the courts. Should that be an option on the table for the Federal Government?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Let's hope, Tom, we don't get there. The National Cabinet process has worked well thus far and this Friday's meeting is going to be, as you've said at the outset of this interview, very important both for agriculture and everything else, every other component.
TOM CONNELL
But that's not working right now in borders.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
We need to make sure that the health situation from last week – that it just doesn't happen again.
TOM CONNELL
Look at the example of WA putting up borders even to South Australia, I mean it doesn't appear to be anything via the rest of the view and particularly the Federal Government's view on borders. Should the option of that challenge of using Commonwealth power remain on the table for the Federal Government?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I suppose everything is on the table but what we want to do is Premiers to make that determination, that decision also based on their economic outcomes. Of course, health has got to come first and we'll all pay attention to the medical experts, you, me, Premiers, Prime Minister, everyone. But what we need to do also is make sure that we don't continue to smash our economy for no good reason. What we want to make sure is we get planes back in the air. Planes in the air means jobs on the ground. It means the tourism industry can recover. It means that practical measures are put in place as far as agriculture is concerned, certainly with the summer harvest just around the corner. It means that people can have that ease of movement. Boarders, so that school children can continue to or can actually do their VCE, do their HSC, with the full knowledge that sensible outcomes are going to be achieved.
TOM CONNELL
I just want to ask finally as well about Aussies returning back home. There are some reports they're being forced to pay or in some cases they simply can't afford tens of thousands of dollars for a flight because airlines are cancelling economy fares and sticking people or offering business or first class seats only. Is there anything you can do as Minister to stop this happening?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well we're working with the airlines, we're working with DFAT. I'd encourage anybody who does want to come home, they were encouraged, implored even, to do so back in March and I realise for some personal circumstances many of them would have been unable to do so back in the intervening months. But what we want for those people is to obviously if they want to be able to get home, if they need to be able to get home then they can do so at an affordable cost. But we're certainly looking at that. We're talking with DFAT. I'd encourage these people, I know there's –
TOM CONNELL
Are Qantas or Virgin, for example, engaging in that behaviour?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well of course airlines want to get as many planes in the sky as possible so of course, those discussions are taking place. But for those people of course, it also depends on quarantine arrangements that have been put by the States. It is difficult at the moment because they're not obviously flying, international flights are not going into Melbourne so that creates its own share of difficulties and there are caps in every other capital city. So that again makes the situation difficult for those people who want to be repatriated, who want to return home. And I realise there are many personal and tragic and heartfelt situations. We're working with those. I'd encourage those overseas people who haven't yet registered with DFAT or their embassy to do if they do want to return to Australia.
TOM CONNELL
Just finally, I know we're out of time, but do you know if Qantas or Virgin are engaging in that type of practice around the cost of seats and cancelling economy?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
We're making sure those discussions are taking place. I talk with Qantas and Virgin every day, Tom and we'll continue to work with them to make sure we can get as many Australians home as possible.
TOM CONNELL
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, appreciate your time today.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Always a pleasure, Tom, thank you.