Interview with Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft, 3AW
20 May 2021
Host: Prime Minister, nice to catch up with you.
Prime Minister: Good morning, Ross and Russell.
Host: We were sort of, we're sorry we can't catch up in person. We're looking forward to that. We’d dressed up, I'm wearing shoes.
Prime Minister: Well, I'm sure your co-workers would be pleased.
Host: Talking about vaccination rollout, is it time for a big government ad campaign about, around vaccination?
Prime Minister: Well, we're already running them. There's $40 million that has been committed this year and next to be able, to supporting that programme, and already we’re well over 3 billion [sic]. I’ve got to say, the Victorian and Victoria, they're doing better than most of the states as well, too. So congratulations to them. I mean, the programme rolls with the, the sequencing of who's getting vaccinated right now. It's over 50s and in the residential aged care, we're well over 85 per cent of that done now, and the next few weeks that should be addressed. We’ve got over 70 population which is tracking now at well over 40 per cent vaccinated. So we're focussing on those vulnerable groups at the moment. And the second half of the year we’ll be able to be moving into the other age groups when the Pfizer vaccines will be coming through in large quantities. And so you've got to track your programme of communications to when, and no point in talking to people who are 30 years old at the moment because they can't go and get a vaccine. We're talking to those who are eligible for the vaccine at the moment, which is over 50s, and particularly those who are over 70 and in the residential aged care facilities.
Host: So, Prime Minister, though, I think it'd be fair to say it doesn't feel like it's happening fast enough. And so would, let's double the spend. Let's turn the $40 into $80 million and see if we can make it happen a bit quicker.
Prime Minister: Well, that doesn't bring the Pfizer vaccines here any time sooner, Russell, that's the point. You’ve got to focus on the communities, as you'd know, you got to talk to the groups that you're actually trying to get vaccinated at the moment. We've already got two thirds of the population, which is, you know, very comfortable with getting vaccinated. That's what the, sort of, public surveys are saying. Let's not forget that overseas and where they're finding is that their vaccination levels are sort of rounding out at around the 60 per cent mark of the population. So we’ve got plenty of people out there that are very happy to go and get the vaccine, we’ve just got to connect them up with their GP, connect them up at the various vaccination centres. Victoria rolled out another one yesterday. And we will get through this over, and the intention is to do this as quickly as possible. But towards the end of the year, well there'll be a big ramp up because that's when all the supplies come in. So you've got to, you know, you've got to manage your product of the vaccines being available with when you're actually talking to people about when it's their turn.
Host: Righto, you mentioned the word Pfizer, and I've had a few vaccines in my life. I’ve had the polio vaccine, the flu vaccine, I had a yellow fever vaccine in order to go to the Rio Olympics. No one said which …
Prime Minister: … That one, that one would have been a fun one, the yellow fever one. I heard that one’s a pretty vicious one.
Host: It is, but no one said, which yellow fever vaccine do you want? Which polio vaccine do you want? This spoilt for choice is creating a bit of a problem. Have you got a definite timeline on when the Pfizer's getting here?
Prime Minister: Yeah, we do. And that's what the programme is built around. And Pfizer have been hitting their marks for the supply of the vaccines into Australia. But right now, the major vaccine for over 50s is the AstraZeneca vaccine, and that's rolling out of CSL here in Victoria. And that's the vaccine that's sitting in GPs offices and respiratory clinics and, and state vaccination centres. And, and they’re the numbers which we're seeing, when we had a record day of 95,530 just the other day. And so it is ramping up every week. I mean, several weeks ago, six weeks ago, we were down around the less than 300,000. Now we're up to about 450,000. And those numbers are week, and they keep rising every week. And we'll see that continue to occur as the vaccination programme reaches more and more of the population.
Host: Prime Minister, we're interested in the idea around vaccine passports. How would that work?
Prime Minister: Well, look, the next steps, people want to know, how do we sort of open up again. It's not closed one day, open the next. That's, the vaccine, the virus is raging around the world and it's now ravaging the developed, developing world. And that is likely to see more strains, more variants come through. So we have to be exceptionally cautious. Now, that's why the borders remain closed. And, and that's why we look for ways to try and further liberalise things that are safe. Now, that would mean, for example, if you're fully vaccinated and the state government decides to close the border for whatever reason at a particular time, there may have been a breakout and they're looking to contain it or impose restrictions on, on their local populations, but if you're vaccinated then you might be able not to be subject to those restrictions. Now that's something I'm happy to talk through with the states because, ultimately, they're the ones who put those restrictions on, under their public health orders. So that's, that’s how that would work. So say if you booked a trip to Cairns and you wanted to be able to come back home into Melbourne after you've had that holiday up in Cairns, then you'd be able to come back to Victoria and not get stopped at the border.
Host: Righto. I’m going to Cairns in June, I will, I'll bear that in mind. And you, you spoke about being here in Melbourne, and welcome to you. When did you last speak with Daniel Andrews?
Prime Minister: I haven't spoken to Dan since he, he fell ill. I mean I’ve texted him a few times. But yeah he’s, I look, I feel for him. He's obviously had a very serious injury. And I heard from him the other day that, you know, he's progressing and hopefully we’ll see him back soon and rejoining the National Cabinet.
Host: So Prime Minister, in the Northern Territory, they've got Howard Springs and they seem to have done a brilliant job up there. We're pretty keen to have something similar happening here. And I know, well, we all know the State Government's looking to the Feds to help make that happen. Any progress?
Prime Minister: Yeah, look, we're making quite a bit of progress there. James has proposed, James Merlino’s proposal that came through was very comprehensive. It made it clear that the State Government would be running these facilities. They have the health workers, they have the systems. Up in the Northern Territory we put half a billion, but that's a national centre. The Northern Territory Government obviously has a different capacity to the Victorian Government. But here in Victoria it's close, you know, to a major CBD. You'll be able to support flights that normally come in to Melbourne. That's one of the challenges, it’s got to be near the major cities. If it’s a long way away then, well the commercial flights don't fly to those other places. They fly into Melbourne. And they've also made it clear that it's in addition to what they're doing in hotel quarantine, not instead of. And so that's another key, key requirement. And so I think it's a very, I think it's a very well thought through proposal. There are some other options there we're talking to them about. And so we’ve only had it a few weeks but we're working through it with them in good faith.
Host: Righto, you mentioned Cairns, which means that I'm now going to put to you one of my theories about modern Australia, which I'm sure you will enjoy. Prime Minister, my theory is that it's increasingly difficult to be a Prime Minister in Australia because you've got to sell a policy to North Queensland and Melbourne at the same time.
Prime Minister: Yeah, I don't have a problem with that. I say the same thing in both places. Always.
Host: Fair enough.
Prime Minister: My opponents don’t always do that, they sort of say one thing up in the Hunter Valley and they say another thing down in Melbourne. But anyway, I'll leave them to explain that.
Host: So, Prime Minister, I want to pitch an idea to you. So, obviously, Brand Australia’s important for all of us. And I had this thought, we should brand Australia triple-A Australia, and spell, we need to spell our country differently - A-A-A-U-S-T-R-A-L-I-A. So when you arrive at Tullamarine Airport you see a poster that says, welcome to triple-A Australia. How's that sound?
Prime Minister: You're the expert mate, so I think you're the one to make the calls on your own work. But there's always plenty of ideas about how to sell Australia.
Host: I know.
Prime Minister: I know from experience, you know, everyone's got their [inaudible] and everybody, everybody's idea is the best one.
Host: I know. Prime Minister, Paul Keating said always back self-interest, you know it's trying. This question of mine is very much of self-interest. At the last election you promised a railway duplication between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds. I catch that train a lot and I haven't seen a shovel raised in anger.
Prime Minister: Yeah, that starts construction in early 2022, $700 million was committed to that and that's in the Budget. Obviously, the State Government builds these things. We don't build them directly as a Federal Government, and that's the timetable they've given us that they’re, that can start in early 2022. So I look forward to that happening. It’s an important part of a broader $2 billion investment that we have speeding up the line between Geelong, of course, and Melbourne.
Host: And tell me, in 20 years’ time what will people say is Scott Morrison's legacy?
Prime Minister: That will be up to them. I just focus on what I need to do every day, keeping, saving lives and saving livelihoods. We’re in the middle of a pandemic. I don't frankly think about that too much. I’ve just got an important job to do right here and now, which is where people need my focus, not thinking about what someone's going to say about me 20 years’ from now. That can look after itself.
Host: And Prime Minister, you mentioned CSL. It's an amazing opportunity for us in this part of the world, as in Melbourne, to really have a cluster of amazing medical facilities. Is there any, is there any chance the Feds will help us do that as well?
Prime Minister: Well, the mRNA vaccine, vaccine manufacturing capability we announced in the Budget, working to that down that path. And I know states and territories - New South Wales, Victoria - are also committed to that. I mean, it was 18 months ago. I mean, an mRNA vaccine was almost science fiction. I mean, it was being used in HIV and things like that. But it was really at the extreme end of what was happening in vaccine science. And COVID-19 has changed the world on vaccines and, and mRNA vaccines are now going to play a big role in the future. So we’re going to be part of that. And that fits in as part of our Modern Manufacturing Initiative Strategy. So that's everything from what we're doing in space, minerals and resources, recycling, clean energy and those priority areas that we're focussing those, those funds to support new development and technologies for our manufacturing industry. We’re making things here in Australia. I was out at Kenworth yesterday where, you know, they're making trucks, and they're making trucks for Australian roads, for Australian conditions, and they're rolling them off the line at twice what they were previously because of the Budget's instant asset write-off, which means lower taxes mean people are investing more in big equipment, which means more jobs. That's what Australia's recovery strategy is based on - lower taxes. We’re going to keep those taxes low so Australians can keep more of what they earn. They've already got lower income taxes now and when we change the schedules for this current financial year. And if you're earning $40,000 dollars a year at the moment, when you earn an extra dollar, you don’t pay 32.5 cents like you did last financial year, you pay 19. You earn $91,000 this year, and you're not going to pay 37 cents on every extra dollar, you're paying 32.5. And so we're already delivering that, those tax, personal income tax cuts that are leaving more money in people's pockets. And that's fair enough because they earned it.
Host: Prime Minister, we know there are many claims on your time. We're very grateful you've given us some time. Go well.
Prime Minister: I've got another slogan for you.
Host: Oh yeah.
Prime Minister: Come to Australia, home of lower taxes.
Host: Good on you, Prime Minister. Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
