TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON SUNRISE, CHANNEL 7, 16 June 2021

6:46AM

E&OE

Subjects: Free Trade Agreement with the United Kingdom, Sri Lankan Family;

DAVID KOCH

For more we're joined by Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack. Michael, thanks for joining us, the scrapping of the compulsory farm work – because farming really relies on these backpackers, will that be it although, you have a new Visa introduced as well, don’t you?

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Indeed, this is an historic agreement and what it means for our farmers who are crying out for workers is they will be able to get, for instance, shearers in England's down season. This is going to be very good. This is going to be fantastic but particularly for beef – immediate access, duty-free access, 35,000 tonnes of beef, ramping up to 110,000. For sheep meat, it is 25,000 tonnes of immediate access ramping up to 75,000 and immediate access duty-free quota of 80,000 tonnes of sugar. These are big numbers and that means jobs, more trade equals more jobs – more Aussie jobs – more opportunities for Australian producers.

DAVID KOCH

But it is going to take a while, isn’t it? Some of these tariffs won't be dropped, they will be phased out over 15 years when we basically have to replace Chinese exports right now, don't we?

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Well, we are diversifying our trade markets. The sun does not set on the Australian trading empire, I have to say, Kochie and this is great news. Indeed, this coupled with all the other arrangements that we're putting in place, with Indonesia, we have just seen our first shipment of barley to Mexico, we're putting more sheep meat into Saudi. These are important initiatives that are opening up market opportunities as never before for Australian farmers.

DAVID KOCH

While we've got you, the Biloela family is back on the mainland, reunited and they have been told they won't be able to settle, why not?

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Well, this is a determination that's been made by the Immigration Minister. We now have to work through the legal implications of this and the family has full access to those provisions. Importantly, they have also got full access to health, the support, to nearby schools. We have reunited the family in Perth and as we work through these legal matters, this will be a matter for the courts.

DAVID KOCH

So it is still under review, it could change?

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

It is, indeed.

DAVID KOCH

Michael McCormack, appreciate your time.

ENDS 6:50AM

Shane Manning