TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ON THE TODAY SHOW, 16 June 2021

7:10AM

E&OE

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

KARL STEFANOVIC

Australians under 35 will be able to live and work in the UK more easily after Scott Morrison came to an agreement with Boris Johnson. But this comes with a compromise with British backpackers in Australia are no longer required to do farm work as part of their visa. For more, let's bring in Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack in Canberra. Good morning to you, thanks for your time this morning.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Good morning, Karl.

KARL STEFANOVIC

Who are the big winners and are we the losers?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

The big winners are the Australian producers, Australian farmers indeed, Australians full stop. This could mean $1.3 billion of boost to the economy and indeed, with sheep meat – I just noticed you had a woolly beast there – there's going to be indeed, 25,000 tonnes of lamb chops and others have duty free access to the UK market right now. Potentially, 68 million customers bidding for Australia's wonderful chops, wonderful sheep meat but beef as well, sugar, all of those tariffs – immediate duty free access to UK markets and eventually over a period of between eight and 10 years for those agricultural commodities there won't be any tariffs at all.

KARL STEFANOVIC

So, given the situation right now, how is an Aussie producer going to be benefitting more from this deal as opposed to the last?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, it's more access to more markets. So with beef, 35,000 tonnes of beef will be going into the UK market potentially, ramping up to 110,000 tonnes over an eight-year period for duty-free access. Sheep meat, 25,000 to 75,000 tonnes and immediate access for dairy, cheeses, for sugar, 80,000 tonnes. They're big numbers. So, that is going to be great for the Casino beef producers, the Junee lamb producers and the Mackay sugar growers.

KARL STEFANOVIC

Here is the problem that I foresee already this morning. There's blow back from some of the Scottish beef producers, some of the Welsh beef producers, some of the Northern Ireland beef producers. This is by no means a done deal, is it?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I'm not so worried about those ones you mentioned. I am always concerned and I always put Australians first. I am worry and concerned about Australian producers. I want what is best for them, Karl, so when we diversify –

KARL STEFANOVIC

But what I'm saying is, there is no guarantee the deal is going to be done. He may have so much domestic pressure that he doesn't sign off on that.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Boris Johnson and Scott Morrison had a very, very good conversation at Number 10. I know they had a conversation over lamb chops. Our PM gave him a packet of Tim Tams, that should be enough to clinch any deal, Karl.

KARL STEFANOVIC

With three wishes with it. We still have a problem with workers don’t we in the ag-sector, what will you going to be doing to plug that gap now it's no longer a proviso to get a visa?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Secondary to this deal and separate from this arrangement, we have an ag-visa deal in place. By quarter three of this year, we will have farmer access for the ASEAN countries for those South Pacific and Asian countries in that rim. We're going to be able to have access to many workers who would otherwise not be able to have free and unfettered access. We're going to be making sure there's more flexibility for the ASEAN nations, banking on and doubling up with what we're doing in the South Pacific at the moment – so this good. David Littleproud, the Agricultural Minister, will be working with those countries to make sure that ag-visa is in place by quarter three this year. We have 67,500 jobs in regional Australia at the moment, Karl. They are not just in farming, they're in all areas of endeavour and I say again, if people want a lifestyle like no other, look to the regions.

KARL STEFANOVIC

So, what you're saying this morning is new though, in this interview you're saying there will be a deal done on ag-visas later on this year.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Yes.

KARL STEFANOVIC

How many people will that involve? What sort of countries will it involve?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

That could involve any number of people. So, what we’re doing is we're providing more flexible arrangements. Those deals will be worked through, those arrangements will be put in place and David Littleproud has been working hard on this, as we all have as the Government, to ensure that our farms have the work force that they need and when they need and there's many, many jobs going in regional Australia at the moment, not just on farms but in accountancy practices, law firms, it’s a great place – big enough in which to get a good cup of coffee and small enough to care.

KARL STEFANOVIC

You haven't jumped the gun on another announcement, have you?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Not at all. This is being worked through and I’m happy to say, if you want to say you've got an exclusive, well done to you, Karl, but this has been worked through for some time. I know it's a significant part of what we are doing as far as making sure we have the labour in the right place at the right time. These farmers, you go anywhere throughout regional Australia, Karl, they're crying out for people.

KARL STEFANOVIC

They sure are. Just finally, the Tamil family reunited in Perth overnight. They've been asked to leave Christmas Island for years. You have had a change of heart on that, what do you thinking about their future? Do you support their move back to Biloela because an awful lot of National voters believe so?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Look, I understand this and the situation is very difficult. These emotive issues are never easy and I know that Alex Hawke, the Immigration Minister, has made a determination, as he should yesterday to ensure the family has been reunited. They have full access to health, to schools, to all the things that Australians would expect but they are going through a legal process. So we will let that court process run its course and we’ll see what happens from there.

KARL STEFANOVIC

Okay, good to talk to you, thank you for your time, appreciate it.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Good on you, Karl, anytime.

ENDS 7:15AM

Shane Manning