TRANSCRIPT: PRIME 7 NEWS WITH MARLA SOMMERS, 26 NOVEMBER 2024
Subjects: Rex Airlines Nationalisation, RAAF Base Wagga/Forest Hill Aboriginal Name
E&OE
STARTS: 12.13PM
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Look, Marla, I commend Wagga Wagga City Council for its interest in the locally based airline, Rex. Indeed, I've said from the outset of Rex's financial difficulties, which started when they went into voluntary administration, on the 30th of July, that all options need to be put on the table. I've raised the possibility of the Federal Government having an equity stake in Rex to ensure the future of the airline. It's too important not to have Rex flying. Indeed, they've got 180 people who work at the hangar at Wagga Wagga — that pumps more than $12 million into the local economy alone. Rex is a big player in Wagga Wagga. And what I don't want to see, what I don't want to see, is us having only one airline, not just in Wagga Wagga, but indeed in so many of those communities where Rex and QantasLink fly into. More important, perhaps, than that, for those communities that only have Rex, they might not have an airline at all. And that's why we need to have more than one airline for the sake of competition, for keeping prices of tickets at their lowest possible rate. We need to make sure that Rex continues to fly into those regional communities, that only have Rex, because without them, what do people do when it comes to making sure they keep medical appointments? What do they do to make sure to keep flying in doctors and nurses and other health professionals, as well as PPE and other equipment? As Transport Minister, I kept Rex flying and other airlines as well. And the Rex owner said at the time that but for the assistance that I provided, around $60 million at the time during COVID, the airline would not have, would not still be going. Unfortunately, Rex then took on the capital city to capital city routes, and we know what's happened as a result of that. So, look, I've been working with the Prime Minister, with the Transport Minister, right the way through. Every week, I've got updates. Every week, I've been campaigning and lobbying. I welcome Wagga Wagga City Council's interest. I certainly will take the letter that they intend to write to me, to the Prime Minister, to the Transport Minister. I'll continue to do everything I can to fight to ensure that Rex stays alive, to ensure that whatever it takes, that we continue to have a viable Rex flying, because Rex flying means jobs on the ground. Rex flying means competition with ticket prices. Rex flying means that this great Wagga Wagga airline can continue to service regional Australia.
MARLA SOMMERS
Beautiful. So, you would support the plan for nationalisation and for the Government to buy it, essentially?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, the Federal Government's not usually in the business of owning airlines, but I said at the outset — whatever it takes. I want to see Rex continuing to fly. The Federal Government doesn't usually own airlines, because if the Federal Government started bailing out airlines, we probably would have bailed Qantas out many, many years ago, and we know that they got back in the air and made sure of their viability. And, you know, every time a bank leaves a regional centre, the Government can't come in and then supplant or supplement that community for its banking services. We're there to deal with taxation, defence, immigration, all those important issues. Generally speaking, the Government does not own airlines, but this is a desperate situation. I appreciate that EY is continuing to negotiate with owners. That would be the best course of action; that another commercial entity came in, took over the operations. Rex was in the black and making a lot of money. You know, and aviation is a very, very volatile industry, but Rex was making money when it was just flying the regional routes. Rex is a professional at flying in regional Australia. It won international awards for its regionality, for the services that are provided. Unfortunately, it went into those capital city to capital city routes. And then, of course, when it took on the big boys, it found, and given the fact that we were coming out of the back of COVID, that it couldn't cope. And that's why it's in the situation it's now in. I welcome what the Government's doing. I know that they've continued to make sure that they get Rex flying, that they ensure the guarantee of tickets. And I would urge and encourage people, if they've got the option, to fly Rex, because we just don't know how valuable, how valuable Rex is until we lose it. We don't want to have that. And I'll do everything I can to make sure that the Prime Minister, the Transport Minister, continues to know that Rex is a very important thing on the agenda, on an agenda list that is growing long as we head towards the election.
MARLA SOMMERS
Yeah, cool. Thank you for that. I just wanted to ask one more question on a different topic.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Yeah.
MARLA SOMMERS
I don't know if you're, how much you're aware or not, but it seems that the RAAF Base and Forest Hill are being dually named with an Aboriginal name as well. Are you aware of that at all?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, to most people in Wagga, it’ll always be RAAF Wagga and Forest Hill. And look, I appreciate that there are Aboriginal names for various things, the traditional names that the Wiradjuri people put on these places. But air power starts at RAAF Wagga, it's been known as RAAF Wagga since the Air Force took over Allonville Farm back in the 30s, the 1930s. And I'm sure that if anybody is going to be sent on a posting to RAAF Wagga, they'll say they're going to Forest Hill. But look, these things are important, I appreciate for Wiradjuri people. But at the end of the day, I'm sure that people will still be referring to it long into the future as RAAF Wagga, as Forest Hill.
MARLA SOMMERS
Cool. Thank you so much.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
No worries, see you.
ENDS: 12.20PM