TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH KIERAN GILBERT – SKY NEWS AM AGENDA, SUNDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2021
8.06 AM
E&OE
Subjects: 2050 climate targets; COVID-19 vaccine; aviation sector assistance; regional tree change.
KIERAN GILBERT
I'm joined live now by the National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Deputy Prime Minister thank you very much, joining us from the beautiful town of Wagga this morning. As Andrew [Clennell] reported there, excluding agriculture, like New Zealand has already done, from any net zero 2050 target. Is that something the Government is looking at?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well what we need to make sure is that we don't disproportionately affect regional Australia. And the Prime Minister indeed Kieran said that in his National Press Club Speech last Monday. He said that regional Australia was not going to pick up the bill, not going to pick up the bill for anything that we're doing towards zero net emissions by 2050. And that was what we've said all along. That's what the Prime Minister has said all along. It's what I've said all along. It will be technology not taxes that get us there. That was a very important point and it needs to be heard by regional Australia that we are not going to tax them like Labor would. Labor, the only way they're ever going to get anywhere where they need to get with their climate policies, because they're all over the place when it comes to this, is that they would whack regional Australia in particular. They would whack agriculture. They would absolutely hurt mining and resources. Well we are not going to do that. It's going to be that technology roadmap. We've put $18 billion towards that. Angus Taylor is doing a superb job and we have got a manufacturing strategy, but we will do it through technology Kieran, not taxes.
KIERAN GILBERT
And specifically on agriculture though, as I said New Zealand has done it. The percentage of its economy is much greater from agriculture than ours. Ours is about 13 per cent I think. So are you considering excluding Ag from that goal, that 2050 goal?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well indeed that could well be one of the options. But as I say, it is a long way off. There are huge challenges in 2021 and we're not worried, I'm certainly not worried about what might happen in 30 years’ time. The concentration at the moment indeed for me, for the National Party and indeed for regional Australia, is getting back on our feet after what's been a very challenging year. We've encountered drought, we've had bushfires impacting regional Australia, here of course far greater than metropolitan Australia. Then we've had of course floods following that and then of course we had COVID-19. The whole nation, the whole world is doing its best to recover from that. And there is no way known that we are going to whack regional Australia, hurt regional Australia in any way, shape or form to get a target for climate in 2050. It's not going to happen. The Prime Minister has said it's not going to happen. If we get there, we will get there through technology. We'll get there though our technology roadmap. New Zealand, well yes they've said that 2050 is a target but they've also had that caveat with their agriculture. Well if that's what it takes, well that's what it takes. We are not going to hurt regional Australia. We're not going to hurt those wonderful people who've put food on our table, who have grown the fibre which we need and which the world needs. Australian farmers produce the world's best food and fibre, we will always back them. We will not unfairly impact them and that is our commitment. And that's certainly The Nationals’ commitment to our regional areas.
KIERAN GILBERT
Some of your colleagues have expressed you know, scepticism about the idea of a 2050 target. You've said look, you're much more worried in 2021 as opposed to what is happening in 30 years. What is your view on the target, should we be pursuing this?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well we've got to play our part. We have got to do our international bit and that's what we have been doing. Emissions by 2005 standards are down 17 per cent. We are working towards meeting and indeed beating our international obligations. We have always done that. We are a world player and if it comes to trade and playing a part in the world as good international citizens, we are doing that. And if you do want to trade with other nations and Australia is very much a trading nation,, we all know that trade equals job and more trade equals more jobs. Well there are always going to be those provisions put in those trade agreements that certainly Australia will always meet and beat international obligations when it comes to making sure that we lower emissions.
KIERAN GILBERT
On the COVID-19 vaccines, Andrew [Clennell] reported earlier 25 per cent of the population according to polling arebnot convinced about the safety of the shot. The government has a fair bit of work to do here. Are you worried, concerned by that number?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
We have got the best health experts in all of the world. And certainly we have got the best advice coming out of the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Those people who work in the TGA, those people who work as frontline medical personnel in that sphere, are the very best in the world. And we will follow their advice all the way through Kieran. I just heard before on your show that you know, the TGA will, it will be warts and all. So anything that happens to people that is adverse as a result of one of these jabs will be there for all to see. It will be publicised, it will be, the public will be made aware of it. This will be a very transparent process, as it should be. That's what a good nation with the world's best health-
KIERAN GILBERT
So why is there so much scepticism?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well of course you know, people are always sceptical. People are worried, people are nervous. I understand that, but I would sooner have the jab, I would sooner take the best advice from Professor Paul Kelly, from Brendan Murphy from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee. I would sooner take that advice and have the jab and have the two doses of it, then be lying weeks later in an ICU care unit and be worried about why I didn't. Concerned about the fact that why I may not live till the end of the year-
KIERAN GILBERT
Is that why the Prime Minister was so keen to rein in Craig Kelly, in terms of following the official advice, which obviously he wasn't through his many online posts?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well to get the best health outcomes and to get our economy back on track, we need the vaccine strategy. We need to all be on board with that vaccine strategy as a Government. It is important that we provide that assurance to the Australian public that what we're doing is the right way to go. And it is because the best health medical advice is saying just that. We need to make sure and Australians in general have been magnificent all the way through the COVID-19 situation. They have social distanced, they have made sure that they had masks on where asked to do so. They quarantined, they self-isolated. And we did it very well and that's why, sadly we've had 909 deaths but compared to other nations in the world Kieran, we've done very, very well. We are the envy of the world when it comes to how we've tackled and handled the COVID-19 situation. This is a global pandemic-
KIERAN GILBERT
Some of the backbenchers like Craig Kelly and your own George Christensen have been not following the official advice in terms of what they are saying. Will you also rein in George Christensen?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
I spoke to George Christensen last week. George Christensen is very much adherent and promoting the Government's vaccine strategy. He has been all the way through. So I know that George is backing it, I know that Craig Kelly is backing it and I know the Government is backing it. This Australian public need to back it as well. They need to get that jab not just for their own sake but for the sake of their loved ones, the sake of people they might not even know. We can absolutely make Australia as COVID-19 free as can be, as we have so far. The jab is an important part of making sure that we get the economy back on track, that we get the health outcomes that we need.
KIERAN GILBERT
Ok, one final issue is Virgin's warning of thousands of job losses post the JobKeeper support. You've given a lot of support to the aviation industry but still, thousands of jobs on the line here. Will you and the government look at a targeted JobKeeper package for the airlines and the tourism industry exposed to international travel?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
I understand it would be very difficult for those people in the aviation sector and of course border closures which happen at the drop of a hat, don't help when they are trying to get back interstate and intrastate travel, as the nation needs. What we have done so far is $2.72 billion worth of assistance. It's been targeted, it's been very helpful for those regional communities. I'm in one at the moment that relies on that, of course those airlines, those aviation services coming in. It hasn't been assistance for the airlines, it's been assistance for the communities they serve moreover Kieran. And that assistance has kept people in jobs and I know that planes in the air means jobs on the ground. And we want to make sure that as many of those people who work in the aviation sector have a job and a career going forward. And so that is what we will continue to do. We have changed and tweaked and made sure we've had the right measures in place all the right through COVID-19. And we've put in additional-
KIERAN GILBERT
So possibly a targeted JobKeeper for them?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Well, we will continue to talk to the airline chief executives. I had conversations with Jane Hrdlicka from Virgin, Alan Joyce from Qantas and of course others as well, right down to charter operators in regional areas. We have those conversations, I've had those conversations and that's why we've been able to keep as many people in the aviation sector employed as possible. And we'll continue to have those conversations and we'll continue to provide the right assistance as you would expect a good and responsible Government to do Kieran.
KIERAN GILBERT
Deputy PM Michael McCormack joining us from Wagga this morning. Appreciate your time as always, thanks.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
Where many people are coming to take up a place in regional Australia, Kieran. 7782 Sydneysiders have opted for a regional living experience and good luck to them. We welcome them.
KIERAN GILBERT
Yeah indeed why wouldn't you? Talk to you soon.
ENDS 8.16 AM