TRANSCRIPT: RADIO INTERVIEW WITH HAMMO 4CC ROCKHAMPTON, GLADSTONE, 4 MAY 2021
9:13AM
E&OE
Subject: Regional Recovery Program.
HAMMO
And we’ve got the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, who’s in town at the moment. He’s got a big announcement to make with our Federal Member for Flynn, Ken O’Dowd in regards to the Regional Recovery Program partnership. But first up, Ken, Beef Australia, I know you went to it yesterday – record crowds.
KEN O’DOWD
Record crowds. A public holiday, Hammo. But I think over 15,000. I was talking to the CEO and he was very, very pleased with the crowd.
HAMMO
Yeah.
KEN O’DOWD
The Prime Minister was there last night. We had a big awards night in the stadium, and no, it went over very well. The food was excellent, centred around beef, of course.
HAMMO
Of course, it was. It’s the best tucker.
KEN O’DOWD
Yeah, no, looking forward to the next few days. It’s going to be a big week for Rockhampton, a big week for central Queensland and a lot of my constituents are there with their cattle on display. You know, there’s people from New South Wales, which will please our Deputy Prime Minister. There’s a couple of awards went to New South Wales.
HAMMO
Okay, okay.
KEN O’DOWD
But, you know, the standard and the quality of the cattle are just amazing.
HAMMO
Yeah, smick. Yeah, very nice. Well, speaking of our Prime Minister being in Rockhampton yesterday, we’ve got a visit here in Gladstone today with the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. Welcome to Gladstone, Michael!
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Thanks, Hammo. What’s your favourite steak? What’s your best cut that you like?
HAMMO
I’m a rump. I’m a rump.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
A rump?
HAMMO
I love a rump. Yeah, nothing like a good rump.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
I’m a bit of a sirloin man, myself.
HAMMO
Are you really?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Yeah, I think. What about you, Kenny?
KEN O’DOWD
I’m a sirloin man.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
That’s 2-1 – we win.
HAMMO
Typical politicians, hey. Gang up together. You’re in town to make a special announcement, Michael, with our Federal Member, Ken.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, to make two special announcements, Hammo.
HAMMO
Yeah, okay.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
There’s $10 million coming to Gladstone under the Regional Recovery Partnerships – $5 million for a hydrogen hub, $5 million for what’s called the Auckland Hill. We want to improve accessibility at the port. It is a great port. We all know that. But we want to make it even better for the tourist experience. We want to make it such that for those older folk who come to Gladstone, they can have better accessibility. It’s going to enhance the tourism experience there at the port. But the hydrogen hub, too, is a most exciting announcement. I know how Ken knows that the economy of Gladstone is on the up and up. It has been. He’s made absolute sure of that with the regard work and the advocacy he has done to diversify the economy to make sure that everything in Gladstone is what it needs to be. But this is only going to improve on that, enhance that. This hydrogen knowledge hub is going to bring all sorts of, well, minds and intelligence and people together, the experts in the field, to ensure that hydrogen – great energy source – ability to reach its potential.
HAMMO
Hydrogen sort of basically, it’s got to be our future.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Oh, well, it has. And look, Hypark is already under construction. This is going to be an exciting development. And both $5 million announcements totalling $10 million, of course. It’s good for Gladstone, it’s good for the economy, and it’s certainly going to help through COVID.
HAMMO
With all [indistinct] from the GAPDL, they actually mentioned that this morning and said how much of a big tick that’s going to be to sort of encourage a lot more visitors to come to our region in Gladstone.
KEN O’DOWD
I was up there on the weekend and, you know, it was packed. You know, but there’s a definite lack of parking and the facilities up there at the hill, the little café, it does such a good job, but they just lack the expanse that they can do in the future.
HAMMO
Yeah, sure.
KEN O’DOWD
So, you know, it’s a reward for Gladstone and central Queensland because we are one of the parts of the Australian economy that kept things moving when a lot of places had died off, right off. But Gladstone kept going, the Gladstone port, the tonnage kept on going. And I think this is the way out of the recovery which we’re having, which is really good. The economy of Australia has really bounced and bounced quickly back to the best – I believe the best economy in the world.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Like northern [indistinct], kept churning over, kept working through. Kept employing people and kept growing.
HAMMO
And the Budget by all reports is going to be pretty good.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Pretty good for regional Australia. Pretty good. We’ve certainly invested in Local Roads and Community Infrastructure over the past 12 or so months, with that every one of the 537 council, including this one, getting a part of the $1.5 billion in money to spend on roads and community infrastructure. And look, I’m really pleased with the way the Budget has been framed. It’s certainly going to be good to regional Australia. And as we know, Hammo – Ken certainly knows – that regional Australia is the best place in which to live and it’s certainly the safest through COVID. It has been, it’s proven that. And this Budget will reflect that.
HAMMO
Yeah. I don’t think I’ll be moving anywhere real quick.
KEN O’DOWD
Why would you?
HAMMO
Yeah. All right. Well, thank you very much for joining us this morning. Federal Member for Flynn, Ken O’Dowd, thank you, Kenny.
KEN O’DOWD
Thanks, Hammo.
HAMMO
And our Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, enjoy your stay in central Queensland.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Always do.
HAMMO
We’ve turned the weather on for you.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Looking forward to beef.
ENDS 9:18