E&OE
Subjects: The late Robert Menzies, Shadow Ministry
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Michael McCormack, Federal Member for Riverina. And as I start, I just want to point out that my nose is actually a close encounter with a doctor’s little device that they use to burn off sunspots, so nothing untoward, but that’s what it is. And also before I make other comments, I am going to a funeral this morning for Robert Menzies, the former long-serving Mayor of Coolamon and I pay tribute to the work that he did as Mayor, as somebody who was so intrinsically involved in the community, not just Coolamon but also at Marrar and beyond, and his influence in Local Government will be felt for many generations to come. He did so much good work and I know that those who have followed him, including David McCann, are very mindful of the involvement, the work and the development that he did for Coolamon Shire.
I am very proud this morning to stand here as the new Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific. It’s an important role given the external pressures and challenges that the Pacific faces at the moment, but also further afield for International Development.
This is an important role. I’ve been asked to do it and I’m very pleased to take on this role. I’ve vast experience as a Minister, as a former Deputy Prime Minister, and I’ll bring that sort of experience, that level of understanding of the importance of Australia’s role, not just in this region but indeed across the globe into this new portfolio. And very much looking forward to working with Simon Birmingham, the new Foreign Affairs Shadow Minister and others in this field and making sure that as we continue we certainly make sure that we are a credible Opposition so that in three years’ time the Australian public can judge us and certainly say that maybe we deserve another term, but it’s going to be an important three years.
We’ll keep the Government to account. But Australia faces challenges but also opportunities like never before and very much looking forward to working with the Opposition, working with the Government, indeed, because I think it’s important that in certainly these bilateral relations that we have with Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, those islands they face, as I say, very much important discussions going ahead and I look forward to being a part of those to ensure that Australia’s trade, that the labour force that the Pacific Islands have given to Australia for so many years, certainly, that’s a big thing for the Riverina right across the board, whether it’s hospitality, whether it’s health, whether it’s aged care, indeed agriculture. We’ve relied on the Pacific Islander labour force, we’ve put in place that Pacific step up. But in so many areas of expertise and enterprise, we have relied upon the Pacific Islands just like they’ve relied on us. We have got that great relationship and that will certainly continue.
JOURNALIST
Obviously, quite a contrast looking at international scales and here in the Riverina you’ve got two roles to fulfill there. How will you work them in together and what sort of ties, you know, do you think they have?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Oh, indeed, and look I have been able to manage my time and juggle all sorts of responsibilities when I was the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure, Regional Development and, indeed, Transport. It was a huge role, but I never ever forgot the Riverina, I never forgot the people who actually sent me to Canberra to be their voice and I’ll continue to do just that and I’ll continue to make sure that the Riverina is my first priority, whatever ministerial or shadow ministerial role I have, I’ve always made sure, and will continue to make sure, that the Riverina people and the communities that I serve are first and foremost.
JOURNALIST
Why do you think you were given the role as the Shadow Minister, Michael?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, I think David Littleproud when he asked me to do the role on Saturday, he and Peter Dutton looked upon my experience, looked upon the level of expertise that I bring to a position such as this. As I say, it’s an important position, particularly at the moment with the external pressures and other challenges that the Pacific Islands face.
But, as I say, further afield, it’s not just about the Pacific, it is International Development, so I will be looking forward to making sure that whatever aspect it is, whether it’s trade, tourism, all of those things that … Australia has a big geopolitical part to play in the world. We are so well placed, we want to increase agriculture by, to, $100 billion by 2030.
The Riverina will play an important part in that, as of course will the Central West, those areas that I represent. This is the food bowl of the nation. But whether it’s tourism, I mean it’s not insignificant that Wagga Wagga’s largest festival is the Fusion Festival, which is a multicultural celebration and over, of course, Australia Day and other important occasions we commemorate, we celebrate our multiculturalism, we fly 100 flags, there are more than 100 different nations represented in the Wagga Wagga community alone.
I make the reference often that just last summer I played in a cricket team where I was the only Australian-born member of that team, which is full of Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Indians. I mean, that wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago let alone probably wouldn’t have happened five years ago and it’s happening now and that’s because Wagga Wagga is a cradle of multiculturalism.
We’ll continue to be that. And I think that all those things, all those aspects have helped lead both the Coalition leaders Dutton and Littleproud to give me this responsibility now.
JOURNALIST
What do you think Australia needs to do to ensure that we continue to benefit from labour from the Pacific?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, certainly make sure that we as we try as best we can to get past COVID, appreciating that, you know, thousands of people have died this year alone and we’ve done very well. Look at the John Hopkins Research Index, Australia’s second best in the world as far as that, the parameters are concerned for health and economy for response to COVID, and that was under a Coalition Government. I was very proud to be part of that Government which made those difficult decisions which helped Australia get through it. But, as we as we welcome planes back in and out of our country from the Pacific Islands, elsewhere in the world, that workforce will return. We’re 130,000 backpackers, I read on the weekend, short of where we would normally be at this time of the year.
And that is so difficult. It is difficult not just for agriculture, it’s difficult for so many areas of enterprise in the Australian economy. We rely on Pacific labour to help us in so many areas of endeavour and they have been very, very, very, very good to us and, likewise, Australia’s been very good to the Pacific Islands and that will continue.
But the diplomatic relations need to be as good as they can be. So, I will work with Pat Conroy, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, to make sure that Australia continues what we’ve done for the Pacific Islands and in those bilateral relations.
JOURNALIST
And do you think the expansion of China into the Pacific is something that you’re going to be, you’re going to need to be looking at in this role?
MICHAEL McCORMACK
Well, certainly all the external pressures that are brought to bear on the Pacific at the moment. I appreciate that it’s difficult with the Solomons at the moment, the situation there, but we will certainly continue to work through, as best we can, making sure that we continue the lines of communication – diplomacy , trade, labour, workforce – all those things are important. They are important for the Pacific Islands, but they are critically important for Australia and, so, I’ll make sure that using the experience that I have that we forge those relationships even closer in years to come.
JOURNALIST
What are your thoughts on the rest of the shadow frontbench that got announced over the weekend?
MICHAEL MCCORMACK
I think it is outstanding and I know certainly for the Nationals, we’ve now got six shadow cabinet roles and I certainly have reached out to my colleagues I’m very, very pleased that Kevin Hogan is looking after trade and tourism. He’ll do a wonderful job there. Susan McDonald, of course, in Resources and Northern Australia and Perrin Davey, particularly, in the space of water. This is so critically important to the Murrumbidgee Valley, the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, Coleambally Irrigation Area. Perrin Davey knows more about water than probably anybody else in the Parliament and I know she’ll keep the Government to account. I am extremely worried about Labor’s rhetoric that they want to just push the 450 gigalitres straight down the system.
That’s not going to be possible without causing enormous disruption and, I would say, destruction to some of those river communities. There was always a triple bottom line approach to that. That’s what was agreed to. That’s what the Parliament passed, but Labor’s now going to force that through with little regard, or no regard, to some of those river communities which rely so heavily on making sure there is balance in the system, making sure that the economic and social benefits are considered whenever there is any such thing.
And, of course, Labor will go down the path of buyback. And that is something that I crossed the floor about many years ago when I was very … in the Parliament many years ago, made sure that we stopped the buybacks when we came into power in 2013. So, this, this is a difficult time. I appreciate that Perrin Davey has so much experience in that regard and I’m sure she’ll put her best foot forward to making sure the Government’s kept to account.
Thank you very much. Have a great day!
Ends