TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH TOM CONNELL, SKY NEWS, 6 MARCH 2024
Subjects: Global Citizen Now conference, Perin Davey preselection, nuclear power
E&OE
STARTS 3.21PM
TOM CONNELL
Plenty of grandiose attempts around various conferences. One at the moment is talking about giving global financial reform. What does that actually mean? Joining me live is Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Michael McCormack who joins us from Global Citizen Now – it’s called where you’ve been. So when you’re trying to achieve this global financial reform, it it sounds a bit dry. Make this exciting for our viewers, what’s going to happen here and how is it going to happen?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
What we need to do, Tom, right across all of these countries, these developing countries, is provide better equity. When we build the infrastructure, it needs to be more resilient to climate. When we provide funding, we need to put the right programs in place so there’s more vaccinations, particularly in the HPV space for girls and women.
We need to make sure that our funding is going to where it is best targeted. That’s what it’s about. Sarah Ferguson, Duchess Sarah Ferguson is on board, had a great chat with her this morning. And Michael Sheldrick does a power of work with Global Citizen. It’s a good organisation and I’m certainly proud to support it.
TOM CONNELL
And one of the things it talks about is eradicating extreme poverty, particularly in our region. Obviously, we need to spend the money in the right way, what we spoke about there. But is it also an important reminder that we really need to protect our foreign aid budget even when times are tough for Australians?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Absolutely. And I think the difference between what we saw yesterday with activists getting on Westgate Bridge in Melbourne and complaining about the climate and the young people who volunteer their time and effort to go and listen to a bipartisan approach to what we need to do as far as foreign aid is concerned – there is a huge juxtaposition there and I think we saw that clearly this morning. And, when it comes to foreign aid, yes, we do need to make sure that it’s in the right places at the right time, but certainly making sure that we provide the assistance that’s going to lift health outcomes and lift lifestyle outcomes, particularly in the Pacific.
TOM CONNELL
And the CEO of Global Citizen, Hugh Evans, he was in my year at high school so he is a bit more of a higher achiever than me, Hugh, I always knew he was going to go somewhere.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
I’m not sure about that!
TOM CONNELL
No, trust me, he was winning all the awards. I was at the back making paper airplanes. Better ask you about Perin Davey. Her preselection contest seem to be one on in earnest? I guess, first of all, is she going to win?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, look, she’ll certainly be getting in there and giving it her best shot. She has been an outstanding Senator, not just for New South Wales but indeed for Australia. She has forgotten more about water policy and outcomes than most politicians will ever know and, particularly at this stage with the Murray-Darling Basin changes, trying to send another Sydney Harbor’s worth of water down the Murray-Darling system for no environmental outcome, let’s face it. But taking that water out of production, taking it away from farmers, taking it away from river communities, she’ll be in there fighting for and on behalf of not just The Nationals, but indeed those people who need that water to be able to sustain themselves and our nation and the Pacific nations, besides, I mean, we grow more food than we can ever hope to eat ourselves and this is where it becomes so apparent, so obvious that a person who understands water and water policy is so necessary in that Senate.
TOM CONNELL
So she’s got your backing personally in this contest?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Absolutely. And she worked so hard to get elected in 2019. I was proud of the fact that we tripled the number of women in the National Party when I was the leader, she was one of them.
And look, she’s an outstanding, outstanding Senator. She understands regional areas. She understands country people, their needs, their issues. And she’s not likely to get caught up in all the hoopla that sometimes goes on. She gets the regions.
TOM CONNELL
So given all that, though, she is the Deputy Leader of the party and is facing such a stern challenge, why are people coming for her?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, that’s democracy and The Nationals are a broad church. I appreciate the fact that Juliana McArthur and David Lamb have put their hand up and that’s what’s called democracy. And they’ll certainly present their cases as well. But, certainly, Perin Davey has been a good Senator, I wish her well.
TOM CONNELL
Do you think people always want to replace someone else? Self-interest, always back that horse. Have people seized on the recent issues? She said she had a couple of drinks. She elaborated on her health problems as well. But a couple of drinks before a Senate committee asking questions at a Senate committee.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
She’s answered all those questions. But look, I think it’s great that we’ve got people willing to stand for the National Party and it’s great that we’ve got another woman in Juliana McArthur wanting to put her case forward and David Lamb, he’s a pilot, he gets the regions, too. I think it’s good, it’s healthy for democracy that we’ve got people willing to put their hands up for the National Party.
TOM CONNELL
Final question, we’re nearly out of time, but it’s a yes/no one, it’s easy. The party is backing in nuclear power. Would you welcome a nuclear power station in your electorate?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
I’d have the discussion with the people of the Riverina. They send me to Canberra to have those discussions. I think it’s important that we have that debate on a sensible, rational, national scale. Let’s have the discussion about nuclear, absolutely.
TOM CONNELL
But not backing it in necessarily in your electorate.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I’d defer to the people of the Riverina. If they want a nuclear small modular reactor in the electorate – well and good. But I think if we’re going to get to net zero, we have to have nuclear as part of the options, as part of the suite of energy sources for this nation.
TOM CONNELL
How do they decide – whether they vote you in or not? A separate sort of survey? How do you ask them that one specific –
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I’m hoping they are going to vote me in again! You know, I mean, it’s one of those things, isn’t it? We all will put ourselves up every three years for election. If you’ve shown that you work hard and that you care about the issues, which I do, then hopefully, yes, I’ll continue to be elected by the good folk of the Riverina.
TOM CONNELL
Can be a hard thing to measure, you might win with a huge swing against you. Anyway, another day. Michael McCormack, thank you.
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Good on you, Tom.
Ends 3.27PM