TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH JASE & PJ, KIIS MELBOURNE, 2 Jun 2021

7:20AM

E&OE

Subjects: Coronavirus, Vaccine Roll-Out, Victoria;

JASON HAWKINS

Yesterday on the show, I sort of had a crack at our pollies, called them out and said, “You know what?” and I think it’s definitely the feeling amongst us Victorians at the moment, we’re sick of putting the television on and seeing the blame game. We just want to hear answers and get it fixed and get out of lockdown. Latest talk today is lockdown might be extended. We’ll have more on that throughout the morning as soon as we hear. Michael McCormack is the [Deputy] Prime Minister. He joins us on the line from Canberra this morning. G’day, Michael, how are you?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

G’day, Jase. G’day, PJ.

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

Morning, Michael.

JASON HAWKINS

Do you get to move into ScoMo’s office when he’s out of town or you just operate out of yours?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

No, I just operate out of mine. Usually, I’m somewhere around regional Australia to be perfectly honest.

JASON HAWKINS

Michael, I’m just going to be honest, mate – tensions down here are quite high and there is a lot of anger and frustration towards politicians and you know what, most people out of Victoria at the moment, because we just don’t think anybody really understands what we’re going through. So just to be straight up and honest.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I do understand what people are going through. My daughter Georgina teaches down in Melbourne and I spoke to her at length last night. I get firsthand the feelings of frustration.

JASON HAWKINS

How’s she doing?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

She’s doing all right, but she’s got to obviously teach the kids from telepresence and that’s always a bit difficult, particularly, as you would know, you remember when you were in Year 9 – Year 9 were the best three years of my school life, Jase – but, you know, kids are much easier to teach face to face and they’re much easier to teach in a classroom situation rather than on a telepresence.

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

Michael, I think people want answers. You know, do you think this latest COVID-outbreak proves that the current hotel quarantine system isn’t working or is it down to really bad communication between the State and Fed’ Govs’? What is the answer? Why are we back in this position again?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, Professor Brendan Murphy has always said there will be outbreaks and this is a pandemic that is still raging worldwide. Yes, we’ve got a system in place. The quarantine system has been in place for some time. It’s been very, very successful. But there are going to be occasional outbreaks, and this is unfortunate –

JASON HAWKINS

With all due respect, I’m going to stop you there. It’s very easy to be in Canberra and say it’s so far successful. We’re the ones that have pretty much copped the brunt of any problem in hotel quarantine. This time –

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

Fourth time round.

JASON HAWKINS

And this time it’s from hotel quarantine in South Australia and it was someone flying into Victoria and now we’re in lockdown again. So, you know, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to cut you off, but I think it’s very easy to be in Canberra and say it’s successful.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

No, no, I understand the frustration. I get this. This is Victoria’s fourth lockdown. I get that and it is so, so annoying, particularly if you’re running a business. No matter what you’re doing, whether you’re just trying to live your daily lives, whether you’re in a job, whether you’re not in a job through no fault at of your own. It is very, very frustrating. But better to be in Australia and certainly regional Australia than somewhere overseas where, you know, we count our case rates in single digits if we’re on a bad day, whereas they’re counting their dead in the order of hundreds and I’d far better live in Australia and far better off be living in Australia than anywhere else at the moment.

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

There’s been a lot of talk about a new proposed outdoor quarantine facility here in Melbourne. Is the Fed’ Gov’ going to help out and pay for that?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Those talks are very productive, I’ll just put it that way. Those talks are very productive and we’ll work with the Victorian Government very closely, as we’ve done the whole way through. I know you mentioned the blame game. I haven’t played that blame game. I really haven’t. People don’t want to hear politicians pointing the finger and making accusatory remarks at one another. They just want to get the situation where they can live their lives as best they can in some sort of pre-COVID normality. Unfortunately, whilst this pandemic is going, whilst there’s variants of the virus, it is going to be difficult.

JASON HAWKINS

There is that frustration when we turn the television on at night, mate, because, you know, State leaders are blaming Federal, Federal are blaming State, especially around the vaccine rollout and just on that, would you prioritise Victorians who are currently in lockdown getting the bulk of the vaccine that’s available?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, I know in Victoria they’ve had already 494,000 vaccines administered and yesterday it was 17,000. So, the numbers have peaked because people are worried, people are worried –

JASON HAWKINS

Yes, I know, but national supply, wouldn’t you sit there and go, “Let’s get most of it to Victoria at the moment because everyone’s in lockdown?”

MICHAEL McCORMACK

There are enough virus vaccines out there for enough Australians to get vaccinated and I would urge and encourage Australians, particularly Victorians to do just that.

JASON HAWKINS

Have you had your shot, mate? Have you had both of them yet?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Next week. Due next week.

JASON HAWKINS

Good.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

But I didn’t line up at the start because I thought, “No, I’ll get it when I’m eligible to do so”. I thought that was the right thing to do and I’ll get my shot next week.

JASON HAWKINS

No, that is a fair point. Hey, I’m going to hit you up about this, because I’ll tell you what, you annoyed a few people the other day. I know there was talk of a financial payout and helping people in small business, casual workers in Victoria who are doing it tough and have to go without pay for a week. You did make this comment.

[Excerpt]

Can you realise how pissed off people were who aren’t getting money for a week here in Victoria hearing someone in Canberra say something like that?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, they still should be getting paid. I mean, if you’re just not going to work, your employer should be still paying you.

JASON HAWKINS

Hang on, I’ve got a friend of mine who’s a single mum who owns a hairdressing salon. She has no money coming in this week.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

And those people, if they fall on hard times, they can seek that JobSeeker payment. There are payments for people via the Federal Government and I appreciate that the Victorian State Government has also put down some money on the table for business and for people to be able to access it during these lockdown periods. So, we’ve provided $45 billion of support for Victoria. I mean, per capita we’ve given more money to the state of Victoria than any other state.

JASON HAWKINS

I agree, but at the moment there’s no JobKeeper available at the moment, is there?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

No, there is not.

JASON HAWKINS

No, so –

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

So people are stuck with no money.

JASON HAWKINS

Yes, so I’ve done the sums –

MICHAEL McCORMACK

But there’s also JobSeeker. They can go to that –

JASON HAWKINS

She doesn’t want to seek another job. She wants to keep her current job but she can’t get money for that. I’ve done the sums, and correct me if I’m wrong, but your yearly salary is about $433,000. So that’s about $8,300 a week. If a week’s nothing, can you give your weekly salary to my mate?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I appreciate people are doing it tough and I get that. But that’s why, indeed, we’ve put on the table all that assistance. That’s what we’re –

JASON HAWKINS

Michael, you said a week in the scheme of things is nothing. What about giving up a week’s pay then and I’ll give it to my mate who’s not getting it.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, look, certainly I’m happy to help anyone at any time and that’s why we are doing this sort of assistance. That’s why we are providing to Victorians –

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

No, there’s not really anything at the moment.

JASON HAWKINS

Do you see the frustration –

MICHAEL McCORMACK

I do.

JASON HAWKINS

And hear the frustration in my voice when someone in Canberra makes a comment like a week in the scheme of things is not a long time and then we’re down here and certain people aren’t get money for a week.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, it’s also said in the context that a week is not such a long time when people are lining up for vaccines and we want people to get the vaccinations. We don’t want people to not get the vaccinations and then be worried six weeks down the track when they’re in an ICU bed as to why they didn’t get the vaccination. So, the Victorian Government obviously, they have jurisdictional responsibilities for these lockdowns and they made that decision based on their public health advice. It is frustrating, I get that. It is inconvenient, absolutely so. I know full well how annoying and frustrating it is, particularly for those regional Victorians who are a long, long way from Melbourne –

JASON HAWKINS

Michael, I was hoping you were go to ask for a BSB and account number –

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

Jase.

JASON HAWKINS

No, no. You just can’t give a straight answer. I’ll be honest and there’s frustration.

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

I know.

JASON HAWKINS

Can I get a clear answer now, for people in Victoria, if lockdown gets extended, will there be some sort of JobKeeper payment?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, we’ll continue to work with the Victorian Government and closely monitor the situation. I mean –

JASON HAWKINS

So you can’t give me a yes or no?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, that would be a Cabinet decision. That would have to be a meeting between obviously, the Prime Minister and the Acting Premier, James Merlino. You know, those discussions would have to take place. But, we’re hopeful that the tracking and tracing can identify where all those people are, who’ve got the virus and whoever carried it throughout the community, so that we can get that nipped in the bud and then move on.

JASON HAWKINS

I’m going to let you go so you can go and call those meetings, because people down here need the payments, mate. All right? Thanks very much for your time this morning.

MICHAEL McCORMACK

All right. Good on you, Jase, thanks, PJ.

POLLY ‘PJ’ HARDING

Thanks, Michael.

ENDS 7:29AM

Shane Manning