TRANSCRIPT: TELEVISION INTERVIEW – TODAY SHOW CHANNEL NINE, 12 JANUARY 2021
E&OE
Subjects: COVID lockdowns; regional employment; Member for Dawson.
CHARLES CROUCHER
Let’s turn to Brisbane’s snap lockdown now, being praised as a success for contact tracers. But this morning it’s been revealed just how much they’re costing the regions.
SYLIVA JEFFREYS
In Far North Queensland alone short, sharp lockdowns are reportedly coming at the expense of $8 million a day. Joining us now from Townsville is National Party Leader and Acting Prime Minister this morning, Michael McCormack. Good morning, thank you for your time. Was the snap three-day lockdown worth it do you think?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Good morning, Sylvia, and good morning, Charles. Well, it was a decision made by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. I did speak to her at length on Saturday. I appreciate the fact that she has that sort of jurisdictional responsibility. But, as you say, I’m in tropical Townsville. It’s very difficult when you’ve got people crying out for business here, tourism operators, fast food operators, accommodation, all the rest, and you know, this snap lockdown in Brisbane it’s difficult, because people have travel plans, people have those sorts of things. But look, again, I understand why the decision was taken. It was only for three days and that particular UK strain was a concern for the Chief Medical Officer let alone the Chief Health Officers in the state. So I get that. I understand that. I’m not going to start the argy bargy and start criticising Premier Palaszczuk about that. We need to get through this and we need to get through it together.
CHARLES CROUCHER
Away from the argy bargy, though, it’s clear that uncertainty at this time is crippling the tourism industry. Is it time for the states and territories to relinquish some of their control?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, indeed. And we see today that we’ve got this new traffic light system being espoused in Victoria. And I’ve just spoken to Kevin Mack – I think he was on your show a little bit earlier.
CHARLES CROUCHER
He was.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
The Albury Mayor hasn’t been consulted and dare I say, along those border communities those mayors haven’t been consulted. And they’re at the very coalface. They’re at the very frontline of what happens when borders are shut. And the Victorian-New South Wales border is very busy, just like the Tweed-Queensland border is very busy, Queensland and New South Wales. And when decisions are made very hastily it does have a huge impact on those councils and on those areas on the border communities.
SYLIVA JEFFREYS
So why can’t the Federal Government take charge? Why can’t the Federal Government take control of the hotspot system?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, the hotspot system has been rolled out across the country and, of course, it’s been put through National Cabinet and thankfully most states have said yes, that’s a good system. But then we have other states who go off on these tangents. When you compare Australia –
SYLIVA JEFFREYS
It’s being ignored. It’s being ignored every time there’s an outbreak.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, yeah, sure. And New South Wales I have to say has been the benchmark for tracking and tracing, for contact tracking and tracing, New South Wales. They’ve taken the bulk of the returning Australians – 443,000 since March 13, more than 71,000 since September 18. You know, they’ve taken the bulk. New South Wales has done a very, very good job whilst keeping its economy open. And that’s the important thing. And for businesses who want to get back to some pre-COVID state that’s going to be so important. As you say, millions of dollars a day are being lost through the tills of those small businesses. And let’s face it, they’re the ones who are keeping this country running – always have done always will do.
CHARLES CROUCHER
And so often regional Australians are hurting as well. Sticking with the economy and moving on to some comments you made yesterday, you referenced in part those on JobSeeker and JobKeeper as being lounge lizards. Do you believe there are enough jobs for Australians out there at the moment and those that aren’t in a job are doing this by choice?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
The Regional Australia Institute has identified nearly 50,000 jobs in regional Australia now. And they’re not just jobs picking fruit, they’re not just jobs in meat works – they’re jobs in all sorts of good endeavours and, you know, certainly good, well-paying jobs. It’s fun to pick fruit. It’s good and well-paying work to work in meat works and goodness knows we need them. But there’s also jobs in doctors’ surgeries, there’s also jobs in accountants’ practices, there’s jobs in tourism, there’s jobs in regional Australia right now. And I say to those people who perhaps have done reasonably well off JobSeeker given the fact that they might have been earning more than what they could ever have dreamt of, it’s time to, you know, perhaps turn those Stan and Netflix off and come out to the regions and have a look and see that you can have a better life, that you don’t have to actually stick in congested traffic in the capital cities. You can get out to regional Australia. Very friendly people and communities where they’re big enough in which to get a good cup of coffee, small enough to care.
SYLIVA JEFFREYS
But not everyone has the ability or the freedom to be able to relocate, particularly at a time like this when there’s so much uncertainty about hotspots and border closures and lockdowns. So isn’t it slightly insulting to refer to people as lounge lizards?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
No, no, no. There’s many communities in regional Australia which have hardly had a case of COVID if at all and they are craving for people from the city to come out and experience the bush. Many people are experiencing Australia for the first time on holidays. They’re getting interstate and they’re actually seeing Australia for the first time, which is fantastic. But we need more to come and we need them to fill those jobs in accommodation, in hospitality, in agriculture, in resources. There are many, many jobs. And regional Australia, let me tell you, has borne the bulk of keeping the economy ticking through agriculture, which grew from $60 billion to $61 billion. The resource sector, Keith Pitt, I’m here with him in Townsville today, he tells me that the resource sector has also grown despite COVID and despite the downturns worldwide. Regional Australia has carried the brunt of that – brunt of the economic activity, despite still being impacted by some of the restrictions.
CHARLES CROUCHER
The global conversation about the role of social media particularly in the wake of the banning of Donald Trump via Twitter is dominating at the moment. Let’s talk about one of your own MPs, George Christensen, who has openly questioned the health advice of the CMO and CHO in recent times. Have you counselled him on these posts given we are in the midst of a pandemic that has killed hundreds of Australians?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, George Christensen is a bit of a free spirit and let me tell you, whilst George might sometimes, you know, pushes the boundaries of controversy on social media, he also sticks research up for communities such as this one – Townsville, Mackay. I know he supports all those job-creating activities through COVID. And let me tell you, he is the voice of the north. He’s been very strident in making sure that people in his area have a job and have a future. Surely that’s the number one thing that a local MP should do and he’s done it.
CHARLES CROUCHER
If he is the voice of the north as you claim, isn’t this the time to use that voice to support the health evidence that would keep more Australians safe and more Australians alive in the midst of a pandemic that has killed millions globally?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, the government has done that. And we’ve lost 909 people throughout Australia. And that’s very sad. And I know for those families who lost loved ones, having that empty chair at the Christmas table must have been heart wrenching and heart breaking during the festive season. But when you compare what we’ve been able to do – and Greg Hunt, the Health Minister, has been absolutely magnificent, as has Brendan Murphy and Paul Kelly, even the Chief Health Officers throughout the states and territories. They’ve worked hard, they’ve done well. And we’ve kept Australia as COVID-free as we possibly can. We’re not out of the woods yet by any stretch of the imagination, but talking to Greg Hunt yesterday, and we’re getting the vaccine rolled out next month, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a very, very long tunnel for business, for workers, for all Australians. But I do say to Australians, thank you for being your best selves. They have been magnificent. They’ve done the social distancing, the mask-wearing, the quarantining where necessary, the self-isolation. Keep doing it. It’s going to be necessary, but we’ll get through this and we’ll get through this together.
SYLIVA JEFFREYS
Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack, we appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Thank you very much. Thanks, Sylvia. Thanks, Charles.