Have Your Say

TRANSCRIPT: SOUNDS OF THE MOUNTAINS RADIO INTERVIEW, 5 May 2020

5 May 2020

E&OE

Subjects: Bushfires, Eden-Monaro by-election, ANZAC Day, Regional Australia Council Launch, COVIDSafe App;

DAVID EISENHAUER

With the Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack joining us on the line on this bright, beautiful morning, Mr McCormack.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Fresh and crisp isn’t it, David. I’m in Canberra today and it’s about three degrees and it’s a little bit chilly but ANZAC Day is always a turning point in the weather, isn’t it? It always gets a little bit cooler and nippier in the days during May then onto winter.

DAVID EISENHAUER

I had actually noticed that you had over 680 different poems sent through to the office there for ANZAC Day. That’s a terrific response from the schools of the region.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Remarkable and we always get around that number. In fact, it was probably a bit down this year, normally we get over 1,000 but of course classrooms were doing it online etc. It did curtail the numbers somewhat but still 680 entries. That’s 680 children espousing what ANZAC Day means to them and I was impressed by the number and I’m sure it’s no different in Tumut, Batlow, Tumbarumba and elsewhere, Corryong. The numbers who went to the end of their driveways at about five in the morning and lit up the dawn and it was quite something to see. I know in my street there were people out and about doing just that. It was pretty fresh but it was great to see it was commemorated in a different way but it was still significant nonetheless.

DAVID EISENHAUER

It was indeed and we had the broadcast here on the station, which was very well put together by the sub-branches. They worked hard there for a good couple of months prior.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well, Tumut has got a great military history of course, through Private John Ryan, Victoria Cross. There is not too many towns that can boast a Victoria Cross recipient, but Tumut certainly can and I know how proud they are of him and the statue in the local park there and so they should be proud, it’s a great tradition.

DAVID EISENHAUER

Indeed, now as Leader of The Nationals, Mr McCormack, what an interesting time we have coming up for of course, the electorate of Eden-Monaro and we interviewed Mike Kelly there over the weekend – actually last Friday. We had a good chat with Mike about his retirement and we see Andrew Constance’s name and of course, John Barilaro is not running. What are your thoughts with what will be quite a focus on this electorate coming along very soon?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well, it will and there’s been 158, would you believe, by-elections since Federation in 1901 and only once in all that time back in 1920 in the Division of Kalgoorlie – now no longer a division in the Federal Parliament – but not since 1920 has a government won a by-election from the opposition. So that’s a startling statistic. History does have a habit of repeating itself but yes, John pulled out of the race yesterday and that’s a shame he would have been a great candidate. Andrew Constance of course, is expected to put his hand up today for the Liberal Party. Of course, Kristy McBain, the Bega Mayor has put her hand up for the Labor Party. Of course, there will be a coterie of Greens and independents. There is always a lot of focus on by-elections because there’s no other elections happening. So there’s additional scrutiny and the full Canberra media blow-torch is well and truly applied. This is a test for Anthony Albanese and Labor, because it’s the first time that they’ve really had the chance to test their electorate value after the election and as I say one in 158 by-elections. The Government is not under the pressure that certainly Labor is in this particular by-election, they hold the seat. Look, I wish Mike Kelly all the very best, I’ve been good mates with Mike. Political differences – we’ve always put them aside. We’ve always just worked for the people, certainly of Tumut and Tumbarumba when he was representing that area. And of course, he continues to do that through Tumbatrek, through a number of other things and he added a lot to the Parliament and I wish him and his family all the best for the future.

DAVID EISENHAUER

Indeed, it was terrific. Mike has been a friend of the station. He stood in Parliament there a couple of months ago and Mike Kelly was nodding when we were talking about the bushfires around the region. We look back at the time there in 2005, it was the very first time that we talked to Mike …

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Indeed, we did. In fact I gave you a big rap, I think it was the 4th of February as I recall, because we were standing up in Parliament talking about the bushfires and I said also, “I’d like to commend David Eisenhower at Sounds of the Mountains in Tumut. He worked 20 hours, day after day, I see Mike Kelly nodding, until he was exhausted” – that’s you – “to put those alerts out as in the bushfires. Thankfully, the signal held, that’s for the radio station. Well done, David, thank you, you saved lives and you saved properties.” And David, you did and your station played a terrific part and I won’t hear any criticism of the role that your radio station, in fact, the media in general, played during that crisis, that bushfire season that was just devastating for  Batlow, for Tumbarumba. And indeed the role that you played and Sounds of the Mountains played indeed, did save properties and more importantly, save people’s lives.

DAVID EISENHAUER

It’s been a part of the inquiry that we’ve been a part of. The discussions and communications – and communications happens all the time. Doesn’t matter really what’s happening around the region, but in this instance, communication was so vital because we lost so much of it during the fires, particularly from the national side of things. So, you know, we’re trying to get messages in and out. It was an interesting experience, Mr McCormack, there’s not a doubt about that.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Indeed and I remember going to your station several times during that crisis and you were there working feverishly away. Making sure you got all the important alerts out and it was good that people actually listen in and more importantly, followed the advice that was being given. It in fact, did save properties and you know, we were lucky that yes, lives were lost across the nation, but it could have been far worse.

DAVID EISENHAUER

It so much could have been. Interesting, we talked about progress forward after the fires and launching the Regional Australia Council, it’s something we’ve been seeing a bit about in the news of late too. It’s made up of 10 of the nation’s biggest corporate organisations. This is a pretty exciting project, Michael.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

We launched that yesterday with Kim and Liz from the Regional Australia Institute. It’s been going eight years and I think it’s played a good role in regional Australia. But we need to take that next step. We need to make sure that yes, as you say, corporate Australia plays a part but we need to extol the virtues always, I know you do across the airwaves. I know I do, getting out and about the country when I can. Telling people that regional Australia has a big, bright future. And we know because we live here that indeed you can work, live and invest in regional Australia confidently knowing that its best years are ahead of it. We’re proud of traditions and what we’ve achieved, but let me tell you through COVID-19, regional Australia has been its best self. Indeed, we’ve followed what we need to do and we’ve kept the cases and indeed the mortalities to a very, very low number. But more importantly, agriculture and resources have continued. And it’s helped that balance of payments because without those two vital sectors, Australia in some instances would have almost ground to a halt. So we kept jobs going and that’s regional Australia for you. Very, very resilient, great people, friendly place and I always say it’s big enough in which to get a good cup of coffee no matter where you go, but small enough to still care.

DAVID EISENHAUER

Isn’t that true? Of course, that goes across the country but also across to New Zealand. A very important day for the National Cabinet today, Mr McCormack. We’ve got Jacinda Ardern joining us on the teleconference system, the video system that we’re using at the moment.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Well, we’ve been discussing of course, in federal circles, about travel restrictions. Of course, as Transport Minister, I’ve had a big part to play in that but what we’re looking at doing is having potential travel options between Australia and New Zealand. So Jacinda Ardern of course, is linking up with that National Cabinet process today to see if we can go forward with what’s called a ‘bubble’ between New Zealand and Australia and the fact that New Zealand’s COVID success rate has been very good too. And, you know, can we lift those restrictions? Can we do those sorts things? I appreciate the New Zealand Warriors – I have had a bit to do with that – and they are domiciled in Tamworth so that the National Rugby League can start when they’ve planned. So that’s another important thing, but we need to make sure that bit by bit, little by little, we ease the restrictions. Not too fast because we don’t want to see a second outbreak. We don’t want to see a second wave of cases but we need to be sensible about this. We need to get the economy back up and running. Pubs and restaurants with different procedures and different rules. We need to be able to, you know, have a look and see if we can get those reopened sooner rather than later so that we can get back to what will be a new normal.

DAVID EISENHAUER

And part of that process is the community downloading the Federal Government’s COVID-19 app, we’ve had over 4 million so far, that’s not too bad a response in a couple of weeks?

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

Yes, it is nudging up to 5 million and that COVIDSafe app, it takes a minute or two, that’s all, to download. You only have to give your postcode, your name and if you do get COVID and you are diagnosed with it, those people who you’ve been around for more than 15 minutes, they’ll get a notification from the health authorities. They’re the only people who can access the data. It’s encrypted. It’s held in a safe storage area, Government nor nobody else can get a hold of it. It’s only the health authorities and I say again, if it’s going to save your life or someone near and dear to you or even someone you don’t know, someone you have only just met, then that’s going to be far more important than any unnecessary privacy concerns because there should be none. It’s completely safe. The Government wants you to do it. But more importantly, you should do it because the more people who download it, the more quickly that restrictions will be eased and we can get back to life as we liked and enjoyed it beforehand. And we can go back to community sport, pubs and restaurants and those sorts of things can reopen sooner. It just makes good sense. If it saves a life then it’s got to be worth doing.

DAVID EISENHAUER

Indeed and certainly encouraging as we look towards this coming, you know, obviously the meeting today but also this coming Friday to see what the Prime Minister has to announce after these discussions. Mr McCormack, you’ve got another appointment at 10-past. Thank you very much for joining us for a chat today and for your kind words too during the fires.

MICHAEL MCCORMACK

We’ll catch up very soon, David and you keep up the good work.

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