Drought
25 August 2018
Prime Minister: Michael, the DPM, and I met yesterday and again this morning. There are many challenges our country has. Our economic security, our national security. We had the opportunity this morning to speak with President Trump and President Widodo. I’ll have more to say about that another time but the really important meeting in our country right at the moment is dealing with the drought. I’m from the city, I’m not pretending to know one end of a sheep from another but I do know when people are hurting in our country and they have been hurting terribly. I was listening to Australia All Over last Sunday – as I often do, Macca’s a good host – and I was listening to the people ringing up and just opening their hearts up – and good on you, Macca, by the way, you have a calming influence on the people in the country.
But that’s his job, we’ve got a job here to coordinate our response to the drought and that’s why Michael and I are just so thrilled that we had Major General Day appointed in this role a week ago by Prime Minister Turnbull and I commend Malcolm for the job he did in understanding that it did require a national coordination of the drought response and he’s got a week on me so early next week, Michael, the DPM, and I and Major General Day will be up in Queensland in the early part of the week because this isn’t just a drought affecting New South Wales, as much as it is. It’s in Victoria, it’s in South Australia, it’s in Queensland and it does require putting into there all the resources of government at all levels, getting everybody to work together and, Major General Day, that’s your job. I know, I’ve tasked Major Generals before to do big jobs and I know you come highly recommended by the Chief of the Defence Force to do this job and we’ll be talking every day and we’ll certainly be meeting on a regular basis. But, Michael, did you want to share some thoughts?
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Our regional people are hurting and they are really hurting. It’s a dire situation. Our nation is too and it’s been so great to see so much generosity from all people [inaudible]. So many children actually giving up their pocket money and doing awareness campaigns, fundraising campaigns for our farmers, but not just for our farmers, Stephen and Prime Minister, but also for our small communities, our rural small businesses because they’re hurting too. I’m delighted that Stephen has already had a few discussions as to what we’ll be doing, how we’ll be doing it and we’re there, we’ve got these people in these drought-stricken areas, we’ve got their back, side by side, we’re there as a Government, as a nation we’ll do whatever we can to help them.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Major General, you will have what you need, and our commitment to that, to get the job done and I will do everything within my power – as I’m sure the DPM will – to work with our state colleagues, the Premiers in all the states we’ve talked about, to ensure that you can coordinate a response that relieves. I want to repeat what Michael said, thanks to everyone who’s reaching out and really wanting to ease the suffering but we’ve got to do it the smart way, we’ve got to do it in a coordinated way. Another Major General once told me, “Don’t rush to failure.” And I think it’s important that we listen, we plan, that we coordinate and that we respond. Major General?
MAJOR GENERAL STEPHEN DAY: Prime Minister, I rise to this challenge. It seems to me that dealing with the drought is very important. I’m glad to be on your team.
PRIME MINISTER: Great.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: So glad, Prime Minister, your first visit is going to be a drought-affected area of Queensland. We’ll be up next week.
PRIME MINISTER: We’ll be out in the bush. I don’t have an Akubra, mate, so I’m just going to bring my Sharks hat. Okay. Thank you.
