TRANSCRIPT: ABC RADIO RIVERINA WITH SALLY BRYANT, 19 DECEMBER 2024
SUBJECTS: HUMELINK, FEDERAL ELECTION AND THOMAS BLAMEY PORTRAIT
E&OE
STARTS: 8:40am
ENDS: 8:49am
SALLY BRYANT:
It's 20 minutes to 9 and not long now until Christmas and a bit of a Christmas present that many people didn't need was the news overnight that the Federal Government has approved the $4.8 billion HumeLink Project to connect Snowy 2.0 to the grid following approval from the State Government earlier this year.
Now, we've been hearing from you this morning on this matter. Many people are disappointed that the project won't be built underground. So an opportunity to hear about this from the Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack. Good morning.
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
Good morning to you too, Sally. But it's not a good morning to both people who are going to be affected by these overhead power lines, who are going to be having their environment ripped up, and who are going to have huge cranes flying. Taking such a heavy toll on their roads. And this news, as you say, a week before Christmas is going to be very, very disappointing and shattering for them.
SALLY BRYANT:
Yeah, the timing is very ordinary. We heard earlier this morning from Bill Kingwell, the chair of HumeLink Action Group, who amongst other things, said that all we can hope for is a change of Government. As he said, it was the Coalition who announced this project. Did you fight for those residents who wanted to see this line built underground?
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
Well, it would have been open to negotiation had we stayed in Government. There would have been community consultation. None of that has happened with Chris Bowen, Tanya Plibersek, indeed anybody. They weren't able to have meetings,. I know even ABC couldn’t get too many interviews from too many people from the Government when asked what are they doing about it.
SALLY BRYANT:
So what are you going to be doing about this? Is there anything you can do?
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
We can continue to lobby and advocate but we're not in Government. The decision has now been taken; the money has been put down. And whilst I appreciate that, we do need to obviously connect communities and connect situations and get the power into the grid. I mean this is just another example of the rush to renewables by this Government and other decisions where they've just ridden roughshod over local communities' wants and needs.
SALLY BRYANT:
Now, we have been speaking this week to a number of people who put their hands up as independent candidates standing in next year's Federal Election. What do you think of this move from the community to seek alternatives?
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
Oh, this is just the democracy at work. People are entitled to put their hand up and run for election. And that's often the case. I've run against big fields before and I'll be presenting my record of delivery, my experience, my hard work ethic to the electorate. And hopefully, they will continue to send me and give me the great privilege of representing them in Canberra. It is a great honour to go to Canberra and fight fiercely, and advocate for it on behalf of the people, the Riverina community in Australia, and I'll hope to continue to do that.
SALLY BRYANT:
What would you say to the theory that it would be whether we see an Opposition, we see a Coalition or a Labor government that it will be a minority government and whatever electorates have Independents that would be forming the crossbench would probably get slightly more favourable treatment. They would have a better chance of cutting through than someone who was even in Government or someone who was in Opposition from a major party.
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
I have always had cut through in Opposition and Government, I've always been able to.
SALLY BRYANT:
You are very confident.
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
Well, I'm not confident, I don't take anything for granted, I don't treat anything complacently. I will turn up to Canberra if I'm re-elected and I will present my record of delivery and I will fight hard for the people of the Riverina. That's the pledge I give to people – always. And look, I'm not too worried about hypotheticals, I'm just going to present our policies, present my record of delivery, and hopefully if the people decide to send me back there again, knowing me, they'll have somebody who works very hard to turn up every day, day and night, fight hard for them and get outcomes.
SALLY BRYANT:
You did have a 13% swing against you in the 2022 Election and there've been electoral boundary changes. What would you be doing to convince voters to re-elect you? What stance will you be taking in the lead up obviously this election hasn't been announced yet, but we know it's coming.
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
Well, cost-of-living pressures obviously are the greatest priority that people are under. You only had to look yesterday at the number of small businesses that have gone to the wall under this Government. So we'll be presenting policies that obviously are going to be good for power prices, going to be good for making sure they get better value when they go to the supermarket, endeavouring to push down the cost of petrol.
There are so many things which have been pushed up prices under this Government that made farmers pay for their own biosecurity of the products coming in and competing against them. They put a truckies tax in. There are so many issues that they've spent money on and forced people's prices up. And then of course we had the divisive $450 million unnecessary Voice Referendum that proved nothing but just divided the country and we will make sure that people's services are first priority and will make sure that people's cost of living is first priority and will make sure that the people know enough about a Coalition Government and that we're addressing the issues that matter most to them, Sally.
SALLY BRYANT:
So moving to another matter, and that's your opinion piece criticising Wagga City Council for removing the portrait of Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey from Council Chambers. Now you claim that Blamey has now become the latest person to fall victim to wokeness permeating society. We spoke to the General Manager, Peter Thompson, who said that the portrait has been relocated to the Museum of the Riverina.
“It's actually in a much more prominent location available, free to every member of the community. I think far from being a cancel culture, which is what Michael suggested, has put it into a more prominent location. So it doesn't even support the narrative that he's pushing”.
Would you like to respond to those thoughts?
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
Well, I was told by Peter Thompson that a councillor had objected to it hanging in the meeting room where it’s been hung for 23 years. Even a former Mayor said to me last night at the Mayoral Christmas drinks, it has been there ever since it was gifted by Kapooka. Michael Crane was the Commandant at the time to the people of Wagga via obviously the City Council, so it's been in the same place for 23 years, it's not part of the rotation.
If it is, well, it's the first rotation in 23 years. It was put there to oversee the council meetings as a very much bond between Kapooka and Wagga Wagga. That bond should never be broken. And the criticism that has been made of indeed even, my fondness for the military, well I make no apologies for that. I make no apologies for making sure the indelible bond between Kapooka and Wagga remains. And I think Thomas Blamey, yes, he had his faults, who doesn't, Sally? Who doesn't have their faults? But indeed that man and the angels and indeed all those brave soldiers in khaki prevented the Japanese invasion of Australia during the darkest days of World War II, and I will always defend that honour.
SALLY BRYANT:
Mr McCormack, we are just about to celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas to you and your staff and, your family and no doubt we will be speaking in the New Year.
MICHAEL McCORMACK MP:
And please exercise right and water safety for your listeners. It's such an important time that is such a joyous time. But also remember those who've lost loved ones over the year and the same thing to you and your team as well. All the very best