TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEW WITH EMILY FRANCIS, 7NEWS RIVERINA, 15 APRIL 2024
Subjects: UNSW Biomedical Sciences Centre, Bondi Junction Tragedy, Memorial Vandalism
E&OE
STARTS: 1:04pm
ENDS: 1:11pm
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, in just a few short months, we're going to have the grand opening of the Murray-Darling Medical School here in Wagga Wagga — and it will be such an exciting occasion. Today's Topping Out ceremony is an exciting and momentous occasion, not just for Wagga Wagga but, indeed, for the rural health outcomes for the entire Murrumbidgee Valley, for the entire Riverina. Because what this means is that young doctors who may have just graduated from Year 12 here in Wagga Wagga or indeed the Riverina can start their training and do the entire course, the entire six years, here at the clinical school —the medical school in fact — in Wagga Wagga. Now we've had a clinical school here since 2000, this is going way and above and beyond that, this came about when I was the Deputy Prime Minister, gaining a $95 million funding package, not just for Wagga Wagga but, indeed, for right through Victoria and New South Wales. And facilities such as this are now open at Dubbo, at Orange, at Mildura, at Shepparton and, indeed, Bendigo. But I'm most excited about the Wagga Wagga facility. We've seen this five-story, wonderful facility, state-of-the-art and world-class, going to mean that doctors can start the training and do the entire course here in Wagga Wagga. And what that will mean is that they will stay in the Riverina and stay in a rural health setting. We know that, because in any course at any university, if people do all their training and do all their course in a rural setting, the chances are, the likelihood is, that they will stay in that rural setting, they’ll fall in love with the region, they'll fall in love with somebody in that region. I'm most excited about this. This is a red-letter day for not just Wagga Wagga, but indeed the entire Riverina.
EMILY FRANCIS
We have heard from yourself as well as Professor Mackenzie about that exponential growth that we've seen over the past 24 years. Do you see scope for future investment as that inevitably continues with this latest investment?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Oh indeed. This isn't just a medical school providing training for doctors, it's also going to provide research. It can only grow from here and, indeed, when you get a rural setting, when you get a university such as UNSW, that has got the runs on the board in Kensington but stretching out into rural health. Rural health is very specific, you don't get some of the snake bites and, indeed, the car tragedies, the vehicle tragedies in an inner-city area. And so, this makes rural medicine all the more important. And if you are unwell, if you are in pain, why should you have to catch the plane? You should be able to be treated, you should be able to have the rural doctor right here in your own hometown. This is what this is going to do. It's going to provide doctors for the bush and we all know that if you get the medicine right, get the health right, you have a happy community. And that's what this is about.
EMILY FRANCIS
Are you able to just provide a statement on your thoughts about the events at Bondi over the weekend?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
An absolute tragedy and our hearts go out to all of those victims, to their families and indeed to the first responders. How brave were some of those people who, indeed, held the perpetrator up for just a few valuable minutes to stop the killing rampage? There could have been so many more, it's already such a devastating tragedy and there are so many people affected. And I know that people watching this broadcast will probably know somebody or know somebody who knows somebody involved. It's one of those most tragic events we haven't seen the like of since the Port Arthur massacre. But our hearts, indeed, go out to those people. And if people are feeling the effects of it, there is BeyondBlue, there are those helplines that they can call if they are feeling the effects of this dreadful, dreadful tragedy which has touched so many lives. Thankfully the police officer, Amy Scott, bravely stepped in, put her life at risk and stopped this massacre, stopped this rampage. On too many occasions police have been damned if they shoot and dead if they don’t, she's made the wise and brave decision. The family of the perpetrators even praised her and said “we hold no grudges”. This has just been a tragic event and it brings home also that so many Australians were willing to help, so many of the bystanders, who saw what was going on were willing to help out, reach out to others, both in a medical sense, but also to stop just for a few valuable seconds, a few valuable moments, of the perpetrator from doing more harm.
EMILY FRANCIS
In some disappointing news out of your own electorate this weekend, I'm not sure if you're aware that some foam, I guess, has been seen in the Victory Memorial Gardens fountain and the eternal flame. What do you make of that, how does that make you feel?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Anybody who desecrates a sacred site, such as those at the Victory Memorial Gardens, needs to have good, long, hard look at themselves; and if they’re caught, they need to have the full force of the law against them. These sites commemorate the 103,000 Australians who've lost their lives in the service of this nation. They served and they sacrificed their life so that others could live free, so that others could do these stupid acts. I mean, we live in a fair and free and democratic society and for those people to do these sorts of things, it’s just beyond belief. It really is. I can never understand vandalism, but vandalism against sacred sites such as war memorials in the Victory Memorial Gardens and places such as that is just beggars’ belief.
EMILY FRANCIS
Appalling any time of the year, but a week out from ANZAC Day, do you think that makes it potentially worse?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, of course it does. I mean, ANZAC Day, April 25 is our most important day. It's our most important national day and to do that a week out just says something about those people, it really does. But also, it is a slight on those people who will march, those Veterans who sacrificed so much to go and fight for democracy, for freedom, for people who largely, sometimes, take that freedom for granted. And perpetrators such as this, if they are caught, I do hope they have the full force of the law brought against them.
ENDS