Interview with Gavin King, 4CA Cairns
5 March 2021
Gavin King: We've all had a hell of a tough 12 months, there's no doubt about that, but spare a thought for my next guest on the King Review. He went from managing one of the worst bushfire disasters in our nation's history to leading the way through the worst pandemic, hopefully, that any of us will experience in our lifetimes. Plus a million things in between. His name is Scott Morrison and he's the prime minister of Australia. PM, welcome to the King Review.
Prime Minister: G’day Gavin.
King: First, JobKeeper. It's the biggest topic here in far north Queensland. Are you considering some kind of extension in one way or another of JobKeeper, particularly for cities like Cairns and industries like tourism?
Prime Minister: Well, we've consistently said we're not extending JobKeeper, that comes to an end at the end of this month. But what we have been very conscious of is the impact, particularly of international tourism and the broader impacts in the travel and tourism industry. And the Treasurer and I have been working sort of hard on a plan to deal with the next phase beyond JobKeeper. And that is very much about ensuring that our aviation industry is moving, that we can get more and more visitors up to north Queensland in particular, because at the end of the day, when Dan Tehan was up there recently, many issues were raised. But a key one of those was making sure people can get there. And that means keeping the borders open. I mean, people up in north Queensland know the impact that had on north Queensland tourism, we need to keep those borders open. We need to keep people coming up from the southern states and we need those planes flying because when the visitors are in town, then the jobs are more secure.
King: JobKeeper ends in just over three weeks. Doesn't the tourism industry need some certainty, some clarity about whether there will be any targeted support for them post the end of JobKeeper?
Prime Minister: I agree with that, and that's why we've been working hard over many, many weeks to ensure that we can get the ongoing arrangements that we would have in these sectors are well thought through. We've been very careful to plan these. That's one of the reasons why we've been so successful. That is, Australia has been successful during the course of the pandemic economically. The various supports of things that we've done have been well thought through and very targeted. And that's what the Treasurer and I have been working on together with the Tourism Minister. So we're very close now and we look forward to making some announcements soon.
King: And so those announcements will happen in the next couple of weeks?
Prime Minister: Well, of course, because JobKeeper ends at the end of March. So we're moving. We're moving quickly, but we're moving to ensure we get it right. And there's been a great deal of consideration that has gone into this.
King: Do the states need to do more heavy lifting when it comes to supporting business? I interviewed Kate Carnell, the National Small Business Ombudsman, about this very topic. She says Victoria, as one example, needs to do more. The Feds have done an incredible job, an incredible job, particularly with JobKeeper. Queensland has something like the lowest per capita spend in terms of business support. Do you want to see the states do more of the heavy lifting?
Prime Minister: Well, there has to be a partnership. And you're right, if you add up all the things all the states have done combined, double it and add up quite a bit more, and that's what the Federal Government has done. And, obviously, JobKeeper and the COVID supplement. But it was also things like, you know, the $10 million we put into far north Queensland's recovery of regional tourism fund, or the $2.5 million we put in for 13 far north Queensland zoos and aquariums, the support we've put in for freight assistance, getting the freight out of north Queensland up into markets. I mean, the Federal Government has done enormous heavy lifting across all of these different areas. And you're right. I mean, the figures speak for themselves. Even as a share of revenue, Queensland government support is well below that of other states. Now, that's for them to explain. But I do know in New South Wales, in particular, but also in Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria also had a very big budget, which focused heavily on the support in recovery from the pandemic. So it's not along partisan lines. The numbers speak for themselves.
King: You've got National Cabinet on today, of course, I think Australians absolutely loved almost a sense of bipartisanship and collaboration between the states and the feds at the peak of the pandemic. That, of course, seems to have fallen away. And we're back, we're back to the old to and fro, the jousting, if you like. Premier Palaszczuk and Treasurer Frydenberg were at it again this week, a war of words. You know, Aussies really love that sense of bipartisanship because it was in the national good. What happened there? Do you feel like it's broken down with that sense of bipartisanship?
Prime Minister: Oh, look, I think it's overstated. I genuinely do, because every time we get in the room, we work things out. I still think there's a bit of theatre that goes on which, frankly, we could do without. And I think that, you know, that does create unnecessary anxiety in the public's mind. And through the National Cabinet and I've always sort of tried to stay above all that and. And but when we get in the room, we do try and work these things out, that'll happen again today. An important issue, obviously, on the vaccination rollout programme today, but also focus very much on how the risk is changing of COVID-19. I mean, we're not dealing with the same virus this year as we were last year. With the vaccination programme underway, the sorts of things that were being done last year to protect the health of Australians become less and less and less necessary this year. And by that I particularly mean restrictions on people's movement and border changes and things like this. That case gets weaker and weaker every day as the vaccination rolls out. And that's good, that's important that as premiers and I as Prime Minister that we understand the risk is changing. As time goes on, the COVID-19 turns more like into a flu than it is the virus we're currently dealing with. And that means we can sort of get a lot more back to normal. But, you know, the virus is not going anywhere. But the vaccination programme, both here and overseas, is critical to bringing it under control and restoring so much activity. But on the economic front, I mean, yes, it's true, Australia has one of the best COVID health results in the world. But equally, that is true of the economy. I mean, the national accounts figures that came out for the end of December showed that Australia is leading the world, the advanced economic world, out of theCOVID-19 recession. We are at the top of the top of the list there.
King: But I guess there's the point, though, isn't it, that there's a two or three speed economy, where Cairns is obviously not enjoying the benefits of some other parts of the country. PM, I know you're absolutely-
Prime Minister: That is true, Gavin, and we understand that. And that's why the Treasurer and I and Warren Entsch, I've got to say, and I'm so pleased that Warrens’ going around again.
King: He’s back, he’s going around again.
Prime Minister: He is back. North Queensland needs him. The Government needs him. And Warren's always someone who's put his community first. I've known Warren for a very long time, since when he first came into the parliament. And he made a big impact then and he's still having a big impact now. And the fact that he's answered the call of his community, I couldn't be more pleased for because we need him there doing the great job he's always done for the people of North Queensland.
King: Well, you could give our listeners the national scoop and tell us when we can all vote for Warren at the upcoming election for him.
Prime Minister: Well, there's a lot of work to do this year. The election's due in 2022. So my focus is on all the things, getting this vaccination rolled out, getting the economic recovery going. And Warren is a key part of that plan and I really appreciate his candid and frank advice that he gives us. You know, he never pulls his punches. He tells it like it is, and he has always puts his community first. He's frank with me, as I'm sure he is with everybody out there. So I think that's great.
King: Final question. I know you absolutely have to run. The development of northern Australia. It was a big announcement, a big agenda five or six years ago. A lot of disappointment, if you like, here in Cairns that it hasn't really delivered, certainly not for our part of the world. Your thoughts on developing northern Australia? Is it a thing? Is it on your agenda going forward?
Prime Minister: Yes, it is. And Keith Pitt, who's the Minister now, I think he's doing a really good job in looking at things like the funds that are available there, the financing facilities that are there, and making sure that they can become more practical. They can get to projects of size that can really make a difference, but also smaller projects. We've learnt a lot about, you know, some of the issues with how we've tried to develop the north. And, you know, immigration is critical to that. The support for the agricultural sector, open up the north west minerals province is a huge part of that. That's why we're supporting so strongly things like the Copper Spring Project and Hughenden Irrigation Scheme, things of that nature. You've got to put that in there. And there's some very big commitments up there now. But, you know, in the north, they've really had their share of environmental, climate and weather challenges. And whether it's the floods or whether it's the recent cyclones, you know, these have been tough things. So we understand the insurance issues there as well. And I'm working really closely with Warren on that, a big passion of his.
King: That’s a big one, yeah, that’s a big one.
Prime Minister: And I can tell you he is on mine and the Treasurer's case on that constantly. And we're working very hard on that right now.
King: Well, politicians cop a lot of flack. Having been one very briefly, I can attest to that. But PM, I think people appreciate the extraordinary effort and the extraordinary, unprecedented challenge that you've led the nation through over the past 12 months. So I thank you for that. PM Scott Morrison, thanks so much for being on the King Review.
Prime Minister: Thanks Gavin, and looking forward to getting up there again soon. Cheers.
