Prime Minister
5:58 PM
BEN FORDHAM: Scott Morrison, happy Friday.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah you too, Ben.
FORDHAM: How good is an early mark?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, well, how good are Australians for putting us in this position that has enabled us to do it. They've been doing exactly what we've been asking them to do, and we've really been keen for them to get on and do that, which is great. But there's still a bit of work to do between now and next Friday. And the Premiers and I'll be working hard on that over the seven days ahead. But the key thing we're looking for now, the only real thing that is standing in our way to restarting that process to ease those restrictions, is that COVIDSafe app. We've got about 3, just over 3 and a half million people who have downloaded it and we need much more than that. So if you're on air, if you're listening this afternoon to Ben and you haven't downloaded the app, please do so. If you know someone who hasn't then please encourage them to do that. The sooner we can do that, the sooner we can go to the pub.
FORDHAM: Sometimes targets can help with these things. How many people do you need to download it?
PRIME MINISTER: As many as possible Ben and that's the point. Really, we need as many as possible and we don't want to sort of restrict it. So the more people that have downloaded the app, the safer everybody is. It's like putting on sunscreen when you go out into the blazing sun. You can't go out in the blazing sun unless you've got that protection in place. And we don't want SPF 1, we want SPF 50.
FORDHAM: I know there's a lot more work to be done and you've already said that, but do you feel a sense of relief about the way this has been handled, the way Australians have responded?
PRIME MINISTER: I'm very thankful and I'm very proud of my fellow Australians. We've taken it seriously and I know it's been frustrating and it's been, made people anxious and on occasions pretty annoyed. But they're still hunkered down and got the job done. We’re still not out of the risk zone. There's still a lot of risk out there. That's why these other things are important. But they know when they look up, you know, watch the telly and read the paper or whatever and see things online about what's happened in the United States or particularly in the UK and in Europe and in China and in other places, they know how bad this could get. And so they understand that we've got to get, as I said today, we’ve got to get Australia out from under the doona, mate. We've got to get it back operating and opening and having a low number of cases is great, but having high unemployment is not. And so we need the jobs and we need the businesses open and we need the safety and protection to enable that to happen.
FORDHAM: The National Cabinet is going to meet a couple of times in the next week ahead of those announcements next Friday. And the more people that download the app and the more we behave ourselves in the next week, I suppose, the more encouraging the news might be next Friday. And the timing's going to be perfect in the lead up to Mother's Day. I know your mum, Marianne, I'm sure she's waiting to see you, and I know the girls will be keen to go and see their mum as well, your wife, Jenny. So what would you say to all the mums ahead of Mother's Day next weekend?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I would love to be able to give a Mother's Day present on this and all, I'm sure, the Premiers would as well. I mean, it doesn't mean that you can have 50 people around for Mother's Day lunch. That isn't going to happen. We're still not in a position where we can have those big family gatherings and can't see that happening as soon as next week. But what we can see is, I think, some important steps next week. And I think what all mums would want is the welfare of their family to be in the best possible situation. And I know they'd be worried about, you know, kids of theirs who may have lost their job or they've lost their job or their partner or whoever and they will want to see Australia getting strongly back on their feet more than anything.
FORDHAM: Now, Peter Badel in the Courier-Mail is reporting just a short time ago the Queensland Government has cleared the NRL for take-off on May 28, but has warned the game not to blow its chance with another scandal. So it looks like we're heading back pretty soon. But you've made the point today about the New Zealand Warriors that they haven't got the all clear just yet from Border Force?
PRIME MINISTER: Not yet, but I hope it doesn't take too much longer. But the Border Force officials are doing their job and they're working through those issues. So when they've completed that task then they'll be able to make a decision, but then there will also be decisions required in the other states that could apply that, you know, will be caught up in this. So, look, we're getting close, right? I commend the NRL for having the ambition to get this up and going again, just as I do the AFL and I hear netball is doing exactly the same thing. I think we want to see these things happening, but it's got to be done in the right way and it's got to set the right example and the players have got to set the right example, too.
FORDHAM: You famously said about a month or so ago you were looking forward to going to the footy and clearly that didn't work out. But now you probably are looking forward to going and seeing the Sharkies again?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm always happy, and looking forward to going to see the Sharkies, how soon we'll be able to have crowds at games, though, I think that there will be some time. But seeing them run around again, then that'll be great. And hopefully that can be achieved in the timeframe they've set out and what form the competition takes, well, it's not really 100 per cent clear yet. But I think Australians want to see that, it's a big part of who we are, sport. We enjoy it, we enjoy playing it. Today, we also agreed on some national principles not just on how we are going to deal with these elite codes, but also community sport and recreation. Things like playing golf and going fishing and doing stuff like that and they'll be part of the many things that will be considered next week.
FORDHAM: I was reading a briefing paper that Michael Pachi, our national political editor, sent me today. I think this came from your office. And on community sport, it was suggesting that to kick off it might be groups under 10 and non-contact and then gradually build up the groups larger than 10 and contact sports?
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, yeah, that's right. The Australian Institute of Sport has done some really good and very detailed work on this. And so the medical expert panel that we have from all the states and territories, they've endorsed that and added a few things on top of that to guide how the states can get community sport going again. That's a huge part of how communities operate. They do gather around sport, but they'll have to do things differently. We're going to have to live with social distancing, one and a half metres, the hand hygiene, all of that. I mean, hand hygiene is a great idea at the best of times. I mean, one of the side effects we're seeing in all of this is we're actually seeing fewer people with the flu, because people are keeping their distances and following good coughing and hand hygiene etiquettes and things like this. But there are other areas where people need to remember that it's good to be COVID safe, but don't neglect the rest of your health. And we've put in place telehealth so you can get in touch with your GP. Don't neglect your mental health. We had Christine Morgan, who heads the Mental Health Commission, I appointed her as the national advisor on Suicide Prevention. Now, she's making that point as well. Don't neglect the other things in your health. It's just not about coronavirus. If you need to get your breast screening done, if you need to get your bowel screening done, if you need to go and see the doctor because you've been feeling a bit blue, do it. Telehealth enables you to do it.
FORDHAM: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joining us on the line. I'll let you go because I know you've got a busy afternoon. Just a couple of quick ones. You just mentioned hand health. When do you reckon we’ll be shaking hands again or is it something we should just think about maybe for 2021?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, it's hard to know, Ben, to be honest. I mean, the more things we can get back to normal, the better.
FORDHAM: But are there some things that won't go back to normal like that, do you reckon?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I certainly think that the way people crowd in. I'll give you a good example, and this isn't an indication of, you know, what we'll decide or agree on next week. All I'm sort of getting at is the problem we've got to be careful of with things like pubs is how people congregate in pubs. You know, they sort of cluster together around the bar, get very tight or they’re close together in small talking groups or, you know, around on some stools around a small bench, things like that, that's not going to work. But, you know, sitting down at tables with appropriate distance between the chairs and all that sort of thing, well, that's different. So we are going to have to think, and all the businesses. I’ll tell you what's been awesome is how businesses have thought under obvious pressure of the restrictions about how they can re-engineer their businesses and think how they do their businesses differently. More of them are going digital online. Now, that's going to be a good thing for them regardless on the other side of COVID-19. So businesses have been incredibly innovative and adaptive and they've had to do that under a lot of pressure. And so, you know, I honestly can't wait until we can get a situation where we can help them open their doors again but we've got to do it safely. That's why COVIDSafe, the app, slip, slop, slap the app as I said this morning, it's very important.
FORDHAM: Yeah, I know that schooling's been a bit different and sometimes it's the teachers who help the kids make the Mother's Day gifts so just don't forget for next weekend, okay, so I know that Lily and Abbey, they might be relying on you to make the purchase in the lead up to Mother's Day. So don't leave Jenny posted.
PRIME MINISTER: I won't leave Jen, I have right now, I think it was reported the other day, I have both my mum and my mother in law living with Jenny and I and the girls at the moment, because they’re all in the one household. So we’ll all be there together for Mother's Day on Sunday and you know, the pressure will be on, mate. I'll have to step up.
FORDHAM: Yeah, aim up. Thank you so much. And look, I'll say again what I said to you last time we spoke, and this is aimed at all of our leaders all across the country of all political persuasions. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER: Good on you, mate. Thanks for that.
FORDHAM: Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling in.