TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON THE TODAY SHOW, 25 May 2021
7:15AM
E&OE
Subjects: Coronavirus, Vaccines, Decentralisation;
ALLISON LANGDON
Well for more on that COVID-cluster in Victoria, let's go to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in Canberra. Thank you for your time. How confident are you that Victoria can get on top of this quickly?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, the AMA President there didn’t mince his words, did he? Of course, it has been a concern all the way through. New South Wales has been the exemplar when it comes to making sure that tracking and tracing methods were put into place and if there had been any little outbreaks they were nipped in the bud very, very quickly. Unfortunately, we've had more than 800 of the 910 deaths that we've tragically had in our country from COVID-19 since the pandemic first hit these shores in Victoria. So, I'm sure that the public officials there and the public health authorities will be scrambling very quickly to make sure that they endeavour to get all those cases and get the situation sorted.
ALLISON LANGDON
Yes, we're all hoping that and hope it's very quickly. Were you surprised that no restrictions were introduced yesterday?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
This is a matter of course, for state health authorities. This is a matter for Victoria but they need now to very quickly move to ensure that people who may well have been near those who may well have been infected that they track them and they can go into self-isolation.
ALLISON LANGDON
We are waiting on genomic sequencing but the possibility is that it is linked to the Adelaide hotel quarantine breach. It does add to the pressure to plug those holes and fix the system.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
It does but when you consider – I mean people need to be alert not alarmed – we need to get our economy going as best and quickly as we can. That's why our Budget recently, was so successful in making sure we've put the right measures in place. That we get the economy and our states opened up as quickly as possible. What we don't want to see is state Premiers pressing any panic buttons and closing down their entire states because we need open borders. We need people to be able to move freely throughout our country and we need the economy to of course, make sure it can tick along nicely, as it has been thanks to the measures that we put in place.
ALLISON LANGDON
Do we need to put on our skates and hurry up those regional quarantine hubs?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, in fact, we're doing that just now. Certainly, the Commonwealth is happy to work with the Victorian Government about any proposal. I know those discussions have been fruitful and productive thus far. We’ll certainly make sure that we are bringing Australians home, we're doing that as well. This is a situation, of course, where it has been going on for some time now. There's new things happening all the time. There is no manual you can open up and say this is what we do to address this particular situation. So far, we've been very good at keeping the case rates at a minimum. We've been keeping the death toll of course at absolute minimum – it is very sad for those 910 families who have lost loved ones but we're all in this together.
ALLISON LANGDON
Minister, as you know we still have issue with vaccine hesitancy in this country. Do we need to look at incentives and perhaps a campaign like we've just seen China unveil to overcome such issues, just take a look at it.
[Excerpt]
Can you rap?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Not very well but look, getting young people encouraged to get out and get their jab is important. Maybe we could – maybe ScoMo or someone could do a bit of a rap, better than I've just done. Maybe Karl? Karl and Alli, indeed yourself, could perhaps do something like that for us.
ALLISON LANGDON
To be clear I think every suggestion you just made is a terrible one.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
But the encouragement is there. The enthusiasm is there for people to get out and get that jab. It's so important. Get both of those jabs. Do it for yourselves. Do it for your families. Do it for that stranger you never met because that's so important.
ALLISON LANGDON
I do think we need to push ahead with something along those lines. China are looking at
20 million doses a day, I mean, if we can do that we can vaccinate the country in two days. But while we have got you, you have also got a major announcement for the regions.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Yes, $50 million as part of the Round 6 of the Building Better Regions Fund to promote regionalisation, to promote decentralisation, to get those community hubs, to get people into our regions. Of course, 43,000 people made the choice last year to go to our regions – big enough to get a good cup of coffee, small enough to still care. That's our regions and we want to encourage people to take that move.
ALLISON LANGDON
And just before we go, I'll bring the song back. Show us one more time. I apologise everyone. Deputy Prime Minister thank you for joining us this morning, we always appreciate it.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Thanks Alli, anytime at all.
KARL STEFANOVIC
I think he moves beautifully Michael McCormack – beautifully. He has found his mojo.
ENDS 7:20AM