Interview with John Laws, 2SM
17 December 2020
JOHN LAWS: Scott Morrison, Prime Minister, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day, John, I'm calling you- I’m speaking to you from Lismore this morning.
LAWS: God, you get around, don't you?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah well, we've been up here opening the last section of the Pacific Highway that we've upgraded with double carriageway all the way from Hexham to the Queensland border. This last section from Woolgoolga up to Ballina has just completed. So that's great. But we've also just called in to the local state emergency services with the Premier and just had a great briefing from the wonderful team up here looking after people in northern New South Wales dealing with these flood events. And they're doing well. But there's been a few rescues, quite a few actually [inaudible] and [inaudible] and in Queensland too in the Southern Downs where one of our farmers was lost in the flood last night. But yes, no we get around. It's a bit damp up here, but the spirits are good.
LAWS: Okay, I, look, I'd be driven mad by people if I didn't ask you about China. You know, I think the way you dealt with Beijing government and the way they tried to bully, I think it was admirable. But do you think it's, do you think the relationship is permanently damaged?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't believe so, John. And I mean, it takes two to be in a relationship, and that always requires respect for each other's sovereignty and each other's laws. And Australia will make our laws in our country. They'll make theirs in theirs. And we don't make them to discriminate against any one country when it comes to foreign investment or how we run our critical infrastructure, our energy systems and communications systems. Now, we're a liberal, democratic, I don't mean Liberal in the partisan sense, but we are a liberal democracy. We're a market based economy, not a state run economy. So we do things different and we're not going to compromise any of those principles. And that shouldn't be an issue. And where we have views on important issues like human rights or, you know, the pandemic or anything like this, then obviously that's what you do in a liberal democracy. You've been a broadcaster, and a journalist for a very long time, John, and you've had an open mike for all that period in a free country. And that's that's one of the things we celebrate here.
LAWS: Well, you're quite right there. The trade dispute with China, which yesterday referred to the World Trade Organisation. Are they going to be able to settle it down, do you believe, or is it any of their business?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, look it will take time. The WTO always does, but they are the umpire here. And China has always said that they would respect WTO rules. We certainly do. And those rules are very important for world trade. But it's not just the letter of them, it's the spirit of it also. And so we're taking that barley issue to the WTO. There are a few other issues around at the moment and we're assessing our next steps on those. But I mean, you'll recall, John, I mean, with our export industry from time to time, there are often disruptions. I mean, you'll remember the European Common Market,
LAWS: You bet.
PRIME MINISTER: And that was a huge disruption for Australia's exporters. But Australia got through it, it adapted, it innovated, it overcame, it built its industries. And most, a lot of our growth in our Chinese export markets occurred in the last five or six years. That's where most of the growth has come the resources has been going for longer than that. And so we'll work with the sectors to deal with these changes for as long as they continue. But at the end of the day, a good deal is one where both parties benefit. And that's largely been the deal between Australia and China for a long time. And the basics of that deal and its opportunities are still there. So it's in neither of our interests for this to continue beyond what's sensible. But, you know, we can't see that resolved by yielding up who we are as Australians. I mean, no Australian would want that. And I really appreciate the strong support we've had, particularly in rural and regional communities, for just the consistent stand we've taken on this.
LAWS: China is a building a fish processing facility on Daru Island that's only about 160 kilometres north off of northern Australia. Are you worried they will start fishing our waters?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, not just I mean, we've always had a strong view about illegal fishing and not for Australia, but for our Pacific family partners as well. And that's why we've been building patrol boats and gifting them to Pacific islands and helping them patrol what are vast oceans that affect all of our interests and regardless of what illegal fishers- where they're from, I mean, when illegal fishing occurs, that is taking people's livelihoods and sovereign livelihoods and not just if that affects Australia, but whether throughout Indonesia or the Pacific islands, and that's why these international laws and rules are so important. If we don't have these rules based systems around the world then things just don't work as they should and people can't go about their lives and livelihoods with certainty. We want that for everybody. It's not about any one country. It's just the rule of law globally. And we respect that and call on everyone else to do the same.
LAWS: Sydney had a virus case yesterday, which is believed to have been contracted at the international border, highlighting where our vulnerabilities remain. Is this going to delay international travel? Will it have an ongoing effect?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I don't believe so at all. I've just been with the Premier and we’ve discussed that. I mean, New South Wales has the gold standard system, not just I think in Australia, but I think you could argue that globally, too. And you’d argue that pretty well, I reckon, they do a great job. And so when there are incidents like this, situations like this, they move incredibly quickly, to get this down and get it under control. And, you know, we've had, we just got the job numbers out you’ve probably already broadcast them, John. But, you know, another 90,000 jobs came in, in November.
LAWS: Good news.
PRIME MINISTER: It's terrific news. The unemployment rate, the measured unemployment rate has come down a couple of points, and that's great news. But a big part of that is because New South Wales, the biggest part of our national economy, stayed open and Premier Berejiklian kept them open with sensible policies that protected health, protected lives, but also protected livelihoods. And I think they've done a great job with New South Wales. I really do.
LAWS: It's been a very interesting time generally. I mean, first we had fires, then we had floods, then the pandemic. Now we've got more floods. I mean, there must have been a point when you were saying to yourself, oh my god, enough is enough?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, look, you've seen it all before, too, John, over a longer period than me. And look it's great to sort of work, look the broadcasters have done, I think, over the course of the year, as you know I talk to a lot of people on radio, and keeping people's spirits up, I think is really important. And whether it’s your programme or many others have done a great job. But you know, I'm of a Christian faith, John, it keeps me going, and I’ve spent a fair bit of time wearing out the carpet on my knees with quite a few prayers this year, I can assure you. And in many and most cases, I can say, they've been answered.
LAWS: Well, that's good. That's good. I'm happy to hear that, you seem to be out in the community every day. You know, you deserve a bit of a break. Are you going to take some time off over Christmas? New Year?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah. During COVID, over the course of this year, I have really missed being able to just be out and finding out directly from people on the ground. You know, earlier this week, I was down in Launceston and Devonport. And you know wherever I go, John, the JobKeeper programme has just kept the whole show together. And I know it has been incredibly expensive. And the Treasurer and I didn’t make those decisions with our Cabinet lightly. But that has been the difference between where Australia is now with all the jobs coming back and what has occurred in so many other countries. I mean, this Christmas, I'm looking forward to Jenny and the girls and my mum and my mother in law, it is our first Christmas without my father this year. So that’ll, you know like for so many families, that'll be the case. There'll be an empty place and we will remember him, but it'll be just nice to be together. And you know, Australia is going to have a Christmas that so many other countries are not going to have, John. I mean, you know, over in Europe and the United States and so many places where they are in lock down. That’s not us, our borders are open like we all worked together to achieve. And I think Australians can be really proud of themselves. And I've certainly never been more proud of my country.
LAWS: No, I’m with you, and it wouldn’t be a week, hardly a day would go by when I don't say to somebody, my God, we're lucky to live in this country because we really are.
PRIME MINISTER: Always true. Always will be John.
LAWS: Yeah, well you're right there. Prime Minister, I hope you have a good Christmas. I hope you're able to do what you want to do, spend some time with your family and enjoy a bit of a rest. Probably not a big rest, but a bit of a rest?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we'll get a bit of a break. And the Deputy Prime Minister will step up for a week over the January period. And we'll recharge the batteries, but we won't be far away. I'll just be spending the time at home and hopefully get a bit of time down the south coast if events allow, we're keeping a close eye on these serious weather events up here up north with La Nina. But it's good to see that La Nina bringing a bit of rain, too, as you’d know we still need a bit of rain up around the Darling Downs and through that area of south western Queensland in particular, it's still a bit too dry up there. And I know they're looking for some relief, but the rest of the country [inaudible] how good is that. That’s just tremendous.
LAWS: You’re quite right. How good is that? Well, Prime Minister, I hope you had a very, very happy Christmas. I hope you're able to get a bit of a rest. And I hope that we are able to have further discussions in the new year.
PRIME MINISTER: I look forward to it. God bless, seeya.
LAWS: Okay, goodbye. The Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison.
