transcript: INTERVIEW WITH TRIPLE M (SASKIA CHANNING), JANUARY 9 2025

Subjects: Federal Election

E&OE 

STARTS: 9:35am

ENDS: 9:40am

SASKIA CHANNING:

So, we have got that Federal Election coming up. How are you feeling in the lead-up?

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

You take nothing for granted, and I've been honoured to be elected to serve the Riverina five times for a total period of 14 years.

And I'm proud of the delivery I've been able to do in that time, but as I say, you don't ever take anything for granted. It's a great privilege and honour to walk into the Federal Parliament and to serve the people of the Riverina. In that, it's a contest of ideas, it's very much a chamber of debate, and I always speak up loudly and proudly about the Riverina. It is the best place in all of Australia in which to live, and we want to make it better.

SASKIA CHANNING:

And outside of the election, what are some of your top priorities coming into the new year for the region?

MICHAEL McCORMACK:

Well, the airport terminal is something that I've fought hard for over many years, and I really want to work with all the City Council to bring about a new terminal for the airport—the gateway to the Riverina. The leasing arrangements of councils with the Department of Defence in relation to Wagga Wagga Airport are also important. That needs to get some way toward being finalised. I appreciate that we've got a bit of time to do it, and I know negotiations between the council and the Department are very much under-way—as they need to be—but we need to get that sorted, and soon.

Of course, water is always a big issue in this area, particularly irrigation water. I know that quite a significant amount of water has been taken out of the region, and that's not going to be very good for our farmers. It also affects food and fibre production.

Cost-of-living is the biggest issue in the Riverina—make no mistake. It is the biggest issue going around, and I know The Nationals have a plan to put in a Supermarket Commissioner to ensure that everything is as it should be, to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce, and that they're not competing unfairly with overseas imports. People must get fairness when they go to the cash register. It’s so important that we put downward pressure on the cost-of-living.

Housing, of course, is a major issue, as well as the road network. Improving country roads and road safety is always going to be one of my top priorities. But there are many, many issues—mobile phones and telecommunications being among them. I've got expressions of interest out there now, calling for people to contact my office by late February to tell me—I appreciate where all the blackspots are, but I'd like to hear from the community as well on that issue.

We need more mobile towers, the former Coalition Government funded 1,400 mobile phone towers. That seems to have gone a little bit astray since we lost Government, but we need to get that back on track and improve mobile telecommunications right across the region.

SASKIA CHANNING:

That’s all we need, thank you.

Emma Sullivan