TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW ABC RADIO RIVERINA BREAKFAST 6 APRIL 2022
7.10AM
E&OE
Subjects: Biosecurity, childcare, education, housing, regional Australia, criticism of the Prime Minister, natural disasters, assistance for flood victims
SALLY BRYANT
(Talking about) Charles Sturt University's plans to establish a biosecurity training centre at its Wagga Wagga campus. So, what will this mean for the region? Joining me this morning is the Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack. Mr McCormack, good morning.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Good morning, Sally.
SALLY BRYANT
How do you welcome this announcement?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Oh, with open arms. I think it's a great announcement for Charles Sturt University, for Wagga Wagga and for the region because it's expected to be operational from 1 July 2022, that’s this year. And we're going to be getting 300 biosecurity officers to be trained in the first year of its operation, so that’s 300 more students. The Bachelor of Biosecurity Science is a three-year degree, and I know Charles Sturt University will obviously work through the mechanics of all this. But to get these biosecurity officers into, into the university is just a boon for our economy, but it’s a boon also to our agriculture, because, as we know, biosecurity is one of those things where if our, if our 65 billion dollar agriculture industry gets threatened by some insidious infection or disease or whatever the case might be, it places a risk on our, on our food supply, on our nation, on our animals and it’s, so it’s such a good thing for Wagga Wagga, it's going to be front and centre of our biosecurity field for the nation.
SALLY BRYANT
When you look around at agriculture in our region, but even more generally around Australia, what do you think are the greatest concerns to biosecurity?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, people bringing things in on planes, and we've all seen those television programs where people try to flout the system, but also the hidden nasties. I mean, nobody had heard of, really, the word Coronavirus three years ago and yet look at the epidemic that has swept the world and caused such damage to human health. But, you know, you get some of these things like Japanese encephalitis and but even, even just footrot disease and foot and mouth and all these sorts of dreadful diseases that cause such damage for our bovine stock and for others. You know, it causes such danger to our pig industry, our cattle industry, our sheep industry. I've been in abattoirs at Gundagai, Cowra and Wagga Wagga just in the last week. I'm having a bit of a tour of those processing centres and talking to the likes of Will Barton and Steve Thompson and Chris Cummins … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
Mr McCormack If we can come back to the topic at hand, because we are a bit limited for time.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Sure.
SALLY BRYANT
Do you think that there is a risk that the concentration of threats to biosecurity is put on people who are coming in from outside? Do you think that if there was more accent on people's awareness of, you know, come, come and go clean on farms and those sorts of things, that probably would be really useful as well?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Oh, yes. But there's enough accent on it, I mean people just flout the rules. I just don’t know why they do it, they bring in substances and vegetable matter and meats, cured meats that they just shouldn't do. And, you know, this is a problem. So, at every airport, they’re warned not to do it. They’re told on the airplanes not to do it, but they still try and … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
Yeah, yeah
MICHAEL McCORMACK
… break the laws
SALLY BRYANT
Maybe if we move on from biosecurity, then, in the lead up to the election, I heard this week concerns particularly specifically around childcare and about family day care, that Junee Council is stepping away from the family day care model that they currently work in that community, and it provides services in other towns. I gather this is an issue that you may be aware of. I think educator Sally Split said she had raised it with you.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Yes
SALLY BRYANT
What's your understanding of how that's going to proceed?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, there is, a there is a big new childcare day care centre being built at Junee just as you rise the hill there on what's called the mad mile. The Government's support for childcare is easing the cost-of-living pressures for families and supporting choices for working parents. And we've invested 62 billion dollars since 2013. There's a record 10.3 billion forecast to be spent in 21/22, so, you know, we're addressing this issue. Yes, it is a major issue, because we want as many parents obviously in work … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
Yeah, yeah, particularly people who are working, particularly people who are working in shift work, and so family day care is probably their only option rather than going into the big centres. And I think that's where the issue rises in Junee.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Ah, yes, and other factors as well, of course. And, you know, that's why we're addressing it. That's why we are reducing out-of-pocket expenses, that's why we are putting record funding into childcare provision of services and helping certainly those regional communities such as Junee and others.
SALLY BRYANT
Mmm, now there is also at the moment a real shortage of teachers. We've just heard the Murrumbidgee Local Health District is having to seriously curtail service provision in some facilities. These are services that are normally, you know, they’re the province of the State Government, but the Federal Government has a role to play in the background as well, doesn't it? Does it worry you?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Oh, it certainly does. And that's why we, that's why we're increasing our funding to, well, 32 per cent by 2029. And that's why students in public schools throughout the Riverina and Central West will receive per student record funding that we've provided as part of our Quality Schools Package.
SALLY BRYANT
Mmm, does it worry you, though, when you look at the way rural Australia seems to be slipping behind? I mean, we have a Liberal-National Party government in both New South Wales and at the Federal level. I would have thought it would be your position that that's the best outcome for rural communities. And yet we look at a situation where there's no affordable housing in the regions, we're short of teachers, we're short of nurses. What can be done to try and get on top of this?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, there is affordable housing in the regions, and that's why the Budget delivered two billion dollars for more affordable housing and housing, too, for young people trying to get into the market. We've, through HomeBuilder, through other schemes, we've got many more people into their first homes. And, of course, it is a problem right throughout the nation, and getting people, you mentioned teachers, not just teachers, it’s every occupation is desperate for workers. And I think we've found out through COVID just how we rely on that foreign labour and indeed 90,000 backpackers short of where we would normally be. That's placed such a strain on the hospitality industry, on aged care, on every sector of the economy.
SALLY BRYANT
So how can we get a better result for regional Australians? Because, I mean, I've heard people who say they can't recruit staff because there is no housing available for them.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, and that's why through our allied health training schemes that we're putting in place, we're actually building the accommodation. That's why we're doing everything we can as a Government. We're working with the States. Housing, of course, housing is largely the remit of the State Government, but we are doing our bit as far as providing, as I said, two billion dollars more affordable housing. But there's jobs out in regional Australia, there's 72,000 jobs. We urge and encourage people, as they have done in the tens of thousands, to move from the cities to the regions, to take up those opportunities and to have more affordable housing opportunities which there are in country areas. But I appreciate that, that, there's a lot of doom and gloom around, but there's also people making money. There's also people who are … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
There are a lot of people out there, though, who can't get services and they can't get jobs and they can't get housing. And it's, I mean, I know it is not easy sometimes to see it when … (INTERRUPTED)
MICHAEL McCORMACK
They only have to go on to Regional Australia Institute to just see how many jobs there are. Good, well-paying jobs in regional areas. They make that commitment, they get more affordable housing, they'll have a lifestyle like no other. Regional Australia is the place to be and that's why so many people have taken that opportunity over the past couple of years to do just that.
SALLY BRYANT
Mr McCormack, I don't know whether you've tried to find rental accommodation recently in the regions, but I think it would be a good idea to go and have a look because the housing is not there. Quickly, before I let you go though, there has been recently, and it continues, I mean, Senator Fierravanti-Wells savaged the Prime Minister in her address in the Senate. You worked closely with Scott Morrison, you were the Deputy Prime Minister, how would you respond to the sort of criticism that he is fielding at the moment?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Scott Morrison is a good man. He's led the country in very, very difficult circumstances with floods, fires, COVID, mouse plague. I mean, it has been a dreadful time over the past couple of years and our, our, economic rate and our health outcomes through COVID have been virtually second to none in the world. We've, we’ve, done very, very well and Australians should be proud of that fact. I thank Australians for doing what they've done … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
But specifically talking about criticism of the Prime Minister?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
(INAUDIBLE) … outstanding job. I’ve always found the Prime Minister to be approachable, he appreciates and understands regional Australia. He is a very, very good person and I've always found him to work, to be somebody I could work well with, constructively with and some of the allegations that have been levelled against him are, quite frankly, disgraceful and … (INTERRUPTED).
SALLY BRYANT
They're not isolated, though, are they? I mean, Emmanuel Macron, the former Premier of New South Wales, the list is as long as your arm of people who say … (INTERRUPTED)
MICHAEL McCORMACK
The former Premier New South Wales never ever agreed that she said that, but, look, you're always going to get people who are going to throw dung at the leader of the country and, certainly, if there is a change of Prime Minister, yes, they'll give the new one a two-month honeymoon period and then it will be turned onto him and that’s the way of the world and that’s the way of the world since we've had, indeed, I think, social media. Everybody's got a phone, everybody’s got an opportunity to, to slag off at the leader of the nation. It’s been a very unprecedented times with all the natural disasters and other things that we've had … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
Well, I'm glad you raised the issue of natural disasters, because within New South Wales you've got Catherine Cusack has just stepped away from her role because of the way that the funding to assist after the flood has been politicised. Do you think that that reflects well on the Federal Government?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I can't, I can't justify what the individuals might think. There are many people who are very thankful for the more than two billion dollars of assistance and the quick way that … (INTERRUPTED)
SALLY BRYANT
Probably not those ones who missed out.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I appreciate that when in a flood situation and a flood situation like Lismore has suffered, there are going to be people who are going to be put out, they're going to look to blame. And that’s, that’s just the way human nature operates.
SALLY BRYANT
But do you think it's fair that, that, funding is given … (INTERRUPTED)
MICHAEL McCORMACK
(INAUDIBLE) under the Prime Minister, no, I don’t.
SALLY BRYANT
But do you think it's fair that funding is given or not given dependent on the, you know, the politics of the incumbent in a seat? I mean, does that sit well with you?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I've spoken to Justine Elliott, who is the Labor Member for Richmond. I picked up the phone very early to her and had, had a good chat to her last week. And, of course, Kevin Hogan, my Nationals colleague in the seat of Page, I spoke to him as well. And, yeah, we've got the assistance out the door, two billion dollars and more and we'll continue to provide that assistance in the recovery and clean-up efforts that's going forward over months, if not years, for Lismore and South East Queensland irrespective of what, what seat is held by which Minister, Member.
SALLY BRYANT
Okay. Mr McCormack, thanks so much for your time this morning.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Always a pleasure. Thank you very much.
ENDS
7.24AM