Interview with Jonesy & Amanda
5 February 2020
AMANDA KELLER: The Prime Minister joins us this morning. Scott Morrison, hello.
PRIME MINISTER: G’day Amanda, how are you?
KELLER: Very well, thank you.
BRENDAN JONES: Hello Scomo, how are you?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm good, Jonesy.
JONES: It’s been a hell of a month for you, mate. Seems to be the big thing at the moment. How do you turn around the perception that you've become an ineffectual leader? It seems like you're always on the back foot all the time?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, everything is about is what's happening to the Australian people. I mean, they've just gone through the worst summer. Forget about me. They've gone through the worst summer. People have lost their lives, lost their homes, they've lost their businesses, their livelihoods. That’s the only thing that matters.
JONES: But still, you know, you must have seen it like you talk about the Canberra bubble all the time and then you went from the bubble straight to the fire front. It must have been very confronting?
PRIME MINISTER: Well it was, And it was very raw and people were hurting a lot. And that's why we took the action we did to get the defence forces out there at a much greater scale, than prior to that, I mean, they were responding to the requests that we had and we had around about 800, I think is was 895 Defence Force personnel out there. I then took the decision that we weren't going to wait for requests, we were going in and 6,500 boots on the ground, which made a huge difference in those communities. It wasn't because the states weren't doing the right thing, they were doing the right thing, they just needed more people out there and we got them out there. And I think it's made a massive difference. I mean, defence forces were fixing the roof at the Mogo Zoo, they were cleaning up the Eden Mill, they were clearing roads, they were getting water to people, they were evacuating people out of very difficult spots. They did an amazing job and they're still doing it.
KELLER: I feel that there's been a real shift in the way Australians are looking at things since our horrendous summer and feeling that we're moving towards alternate fuels too slowly. Dr Karl has said that we have everything we need to get emissions down to zero. We've got the science, we've got the technology. The only thing missing is political will. We can transition to fossil fuels if we want to. Do you want to?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, you mean from.
KELLER: Yes sorry, from.
PRIME MINISTER: But I agree that there are alternative fuels and that's why we're investing in hydrogen, the technology. The thing is, you've got to make it commercial and scalable to get it everywhere. And we've done that work and it shows that a lot of those fuels won't be really commercially scalable, or available for about a decade. That’s why I’m talking about getting gas out from under the ground, I went and did the deal with New South Wales last week, and that's over 70 petajoules of gas. And that is an important bridge fuel to get us to the next phase. So we're doing so many practical things, but we don't need to tax people more or put their electricity prices up to do it.
KELLER: No, can I just say, though, but gas is, I know you're saying that's a gateway to the future. That still is a fossil fuel. But in Germany, for example, they looked at this years ago and they had symposiums with economists and scientists and politicians and they have transitioned without losing a single job. I think it's time we need to do that?
PRIME MINISTER: But they had nuclear energy for a long part of that period. And that's not something we have in Australia. But also what we've done, in Australia is our rate of renewable investment per person in Australia is more than double that of Germany. I think people sometimes don't really understand how much is happening in Australia. Our renewable investments have been leading the world. We're going to meet and beat our Kyoto commitments for emissions reductions. I don't know if people understand that, where others haven't met these commitments around the world. We will have met and beat them. Our emissions will have fallen by twelve point eight per cent since 2005, and that's better than Canada, that's better than New Zealand, it's about the same as the United States, it's better than Japan, and it's better than Korea. We have the highest emissions reduction targets in the Asian region. So we're doing the job, we're getting on with it and we're meeting and beating our targets. But we’ve also got to be sensible and not take away people's jobs or put up their electricity prices or wipe out industries that regional Australia depend on.
KELLER: So you're making an announcement today, I’ve been looking at this in the paper, and I think this is a great thing looking in to the horrendous suicide rate of our armed forces.
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, we're establishing a national commissioner and we're also establishing a families advocate within the Department of Veterans Affairs. We’ve been carefully considering this over summer. I’ve spoken to a lot of parents who've lost kids, I’ve spoken to veterans themselves and all the various organisations. And what we've come up with, the way you've got to look on this continually into the future. And that means there will be a national commissioner. They will have one what is effectively the powers of a royal commissioner. That means they can compel evidence and people could be charged with perjury and things like this if they don't comply. And that means we can get to the bottom of each and every case and learn every lesson that you need to learn from every case. I mean, you've got to do this literally case by case and this is about prevention of suicide as well as acting where these horrific, horrific events have taken place and to learn from them. They're complex issues. Suicide is a very complex issue and we've got a whole of government approach towards zero goal on suicide. Too many of our young people taking their lives. Too many young indigenous kids taking their lives. Too many of our veterans taking their lives. And so in each of these areas and across the board, we’re just putting in practical things that we think can get that down and this national commissioner that look at each and every case, both are looking backwards, but importantly into the future will help us get this right.
JONES: Do you ever think, Scott, like geez, I wish I just went down the South Coast this Christmas holidays, because it would have been a whole different…
KELLER: The south coast was on fire.
JONES: That’s what I mean. But you’re usually down on the South Coast.
PRIME MINISTER: That was the plan, we were going to go down there for two weeks in January and we had to change our plans because we then had to go to India for the meeting with the Prime Minister there and in Japan. So we changed that. But look, when I came back from that trip, let me be honest with people. I mean, you don't get every decision right, OK, and Jenny and I regret that we went. Of course we wanted to go away with our family and our kids at that time, of course we did, like so many families did. It's been a rough year and a tough year. But, you know, we wish we didn't and we're sorry about that and I think Australians are big-hearted. And when people are upfront about these things, you just move on. And since we've been back, I tell you, we haven't stopped and we've been everywhere. We've made the decisions. We put $2 billion into bushfire recovery. We set up a national agency. We've got on the front foot over the Coronavirus and ensuring we're keeping Australians safe. And we're just getting on with it. And so I know some people will continue to talk about that and I get it and I understand it. I understood it made people angry. But, you know, we're sorry about that. We‘ve just got to get on with it. None of us are perfect. But when we're not, we say we're not and that's what I'm saying.
JONES: There it is. Great work, Scomo.
KELLER: Well, thank you for joining us this morning. From here on let's hope the year gets better for us all.
PRIME MINISTER: Now, before I go, can I wish Lily, who is my daughter, she's with Jen, they're on their way to the swimming carnival and listening. They always listen to you guys. Lily, you're going to go really well today. Good luck, love.
KELLER: What's her speciality?
PRIME MINISTER: She’s into everything but her 50 metres freestyle, she's, you know, her hero is Dawn Fraser and she's met Dawn. She loves Dawn. And so go out there like the Dawny today, Lil, and you'll smash it.
KELLER: Go Lily.
JONES: You’re not going to sing her another song, are you Scomo?
PRIME MINISTER: She knows the song because you sung it with her.
JONES: Well, good on you mate, look after yourself and here’s to a great 2020.
KELLER: Thanks Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks guys, cheers.
