Prime Minister
Jim Wilson: I'm very happy to say the Prime Minister is on the line this afternoon. PM, welcome back to Drive.
Prime Minister: Thanks Jim, good to chat, and thanks to everybody listening along.
Wilson: The final sitting day for Parliament for 2021. What a year it's been.
Prime Minister: Well, what a year it has been. But it was a day today to just say thank you to all Australians. I mean, I've never been more proud of Australia than as we come to the close of this year. We’ve still got a long way to go. But the comeback that we've had from COVID-19, the economic setbacks within the year, the pressure people have been under, people in lockdown, kids learning from home, the pressure on frontline health workers, businesses being shut, people losing jobs. It's just been such a difficult year. There's been a lot of loss this year. People have lost loved ones. It's just been a very hard year. But Australians mettle and character has just shone through, helping each other, you know, following the leadership that's there and getting through together. It's been quite extraordinary, Jim. While it's been our most difficult year, in many ways it's been one of Australia's most finest.
Wilson: It also typifies our resilience as a nation, doesn't it?
Prime Minister: It does. I mean, you guys, whether it's you guys on broadcasting and keeping people's spirits up and giving them the information they need to know, particularly in New South Wales. And you're right to say about the gold standard of Gladys Berejiklian and her government. One of the things that New South Wales has done so well is how they have informed people, you know, if you're in this place or at that venue. You guys have played your role in that, as have other media. So it really has been an amazing team effort. And so the premiers will gather with me this evening and tomorrow and we will sort of reflect on what has been a quite an extraordinary year. A few disagreements here and there, but we go into 2021, I think, looking optimistic, but knowing we've got a lot more work to do.
Wilson: Now, you've got the premiers for dinner tonight and then the final National Cabinet tomorrow. Mark McGowan, the WA Premier, and his decision to basically say, no, I'm not coming because it's a health risk being in the same room as South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Really? I mean, it's a bit of a copout excuse, isn’t it?
Prime Minister: I'm taking my chances with the South Australian Premier tonight. But I don’t think they’re very big ones, and neither are the others. Look, the Western Australian government has a rule, Ok, they've got a rule about travelling and associating with I think it's known South Australians or something like that, which is a strange term. But anyway, he's saying I'm the Premier, so I've got to obey the rules that have been set, and that's fair enough. But I think people can draw their own conclusions on this rule. Some strange rules this year, I think it's fair to say. But I've got to say, that one…
Wilson: It takes the cake.
Prime Minister: It takes the prize.
Wilson: I mean, 11 days of no new cases. There's 13 active cases. If anyone should be pointing the finger, it should be Steven Marshall towards Mark McGowan.
Prime Minister: Yeah, look, I know Mark, I spoke to Mark this week. And I get on very well, actually, with all the premiers and because we all work together. We're all leading governments and we've got important jobs to do. I spoke to Mark and he'd like to come. But as long as his officials have these rules then he doesn't think he can break that rule. But you're right. I mean, I'm not going to make Stephen Marshall sit in the corner in a, you know, with a plastic suit or something tonight or anything like that. I think we'll all be quite safe. And I'm looking forward to Stephen's company and that of other South Australians. The South Australian Treasurer will be here tomorrow because tomorrow's meeting isn't just the premiers, it's the premiers at all the treasurers and the head of the local government association for what is called the Federation Reform Council. But so National Cabinet will meet before that, and it's been a good innovation. It means premiers have worked together far more than I've ever seen in my time in public life and we're hoping to take the lessons from how we've worked together this year and make it even better next year.
Wilson: You passed major legislation this year, JobSeeker, JobKeeper, these are the biggest. You’re facing some challenges, though, on these IR reforms. Would you be prepared to water down the reforms to get them through?
Prime Minister: Well, look, a couple of things on this. We got everyone together and talked through some of the problems that are there to try and get people back into work. I mean, the Labor Party have been carrying on this week. They're trying to make out that things are different to what they are. They want to run scare campaigns. They're basically just not telling the truth about any of this. They are actually very modest and moderate changes. I mean, when you get the Australian Financial Review actually write an editorial saying they don't amount to much, well, Labor can’t then turn around and say they’re something that they're not. I mean, they're just practical changes that help businesses employ people and give people more hours and keep them in jobs and they're there because we're in a COVID-19 recession, well, we're coming out of it now. But these are things that are just going to help more people get into jobs. And I think one of the things we've learnt this year, Jim, is people are sick and tired of all, you know, the phoney fighting that goes on in all the politics and all the sledging and all this sort of stuff. I mean, these are just practical, simple changes that help people get in a job or stay in the job that they've got and get more hours. That's all they're trying to do. There isn't some sort of industrial relations barney going on here. That's just rubbish. And it's you know, it's just the Labor Party wanting to fight rather than just accepting there are some practical things that actually might help people keep the job and stay in one. Because if business is not there, mate, no one’s got a job.
Wilson: No, exactly. We’ve got to be all about jobs. To the coronavirus vaccine has been rolled out in the UK, the first country in the Western world to do so. Are we still on track, Prime Minister, for it to be rolled out in March here?
Prime Minister: Yeah, our timetable, we just met on this last night again and again today. I'm just getting updates all the time on this. You know, we have got four that we've been working on and we always know not all of those would, you know, necessarily get there and so we'll just follow the medical advice on all of that. And we're having vaccines actually produced, manufactured right here in Melbourne as we speak and that's great. So we're well-positioned. But what matters most is the health tick off. We're not doing anything without the health tick off. And that's the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia. I want Australians to feel very confident that when we get to the point where we're rolling out the vaccine, that they can feel very safe. Because Australians are, you know, good when it comes to vaccines. I mean, we've got one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world when it comes to, you know, the things that we take vaccines for. I was talking to the Dutch Prime Minister last night and we were swapping notes about this, about how we're dealing with the vaccines. We're using quite similar ones. And he was quite surprised and interested to know how well Australia did when it comes to vaccines. I said, well, it comes down to having a very good regulatory process, the rules that we put around what vaccines are approved. So I think Australians can be very confident that if our TGA approves it, then we can take it.
Wilson: To other issues, I wanted to speak to you about, bringing Aussies home for Christmas. In September you said you hope to have as many people home, if not all of them, by Christmas. That's not going to be achievable.
Prime Minister: Well, that's not actually what I said, Jim. What I said was that those who we had registered at that time, and back then that was about 26,700 people. Now, the last figure I saw was that we got 43,800 back since then. The problem is, is that the more time goes on, more people join the queue. But in terms of the overall number that we said we were looking to get home by that time, which was just over 26,000, we've actually done far more than that, some 43,800. We've had 76 flights that have directly facilitated by our Government, from everything from Peru, South Africa, India, the United Kingdom. Just in the last couple of months, we've had 12 commercial flights, 17,000 passengers. We facilitated flights with Qantas from Delhi to Hobart, they landed last weekend. We’ve got further ones to follow from London and Frankfurt and Paris. So, you know, we're getting more and more Australian’s home. It's obviously limited by the amount of quarantine places and we've created additional quarantine places, federally funded, in the Northern Territory and in Tasmania. So everyone's moving heaven and earth and we're contacting all of those who are overseas. We've got a $60 million programme which we've been supporting Australians who are overseas and find themselves in hardship so that can deal with emergency needs or accommodation or food assistance or any of these things. And that is extended already, well over $10 million on that as well. So, Jim, we're throwing everything at it and have been for a very long time. I mean, Australians mightn’t know, but over the course of the pandemic, I mean, 432,000 Australians have come home. 432,000.
Wilson: Have you got the vulnerable home, the ones that are vulnerable? I think it’s about 8,000. Have you got them home?
Prime Minister: Yeah, we’ve been getting them home. I mean, we're still looking to get more of them home.
Wilson: Sure, sure.
Prime Minister: And people's vulnerability sort of changes too a bit, Jim. That's why we keep contacting everyone just to update them and get an updated status on, you know, how vulnerable they are. And as you come to the end of the year, you've got people whose jobs are finishing up and they're looking to come home because of that or they're looking to return to Australia for the summer or, you know, people's circumstances change. And that's why it's important to constantly update that through our consular offices all around the world that. And look, I know the Labor Party has tried to make it a political thing. It’s got nothing to do with politics, we’re just trying to get people home and where there are those needs, we're seeking to meet them. So, you know, we’re just focused on the job and others can make all the noise about it if they want from politics and Labor, but we just shouldn't be making this a political thing. It's just public servants, consular officials, the government, airlines just doing the best we can to support people coming home.
Wilson: I had a desperate cry for help earlier this week on the programme from Julie-Anne Finney, who's the mother of David who was a petty officer in the Navy who took his own life last year. She's wanting a royal commission into veteran suicide. Labor's wanting a royal commission into suicide, veteran suicide. Are you open to the idea of a royal commission? Because 11 suicides in the past month, it's obvious that the current system is not working.
Prime Minister: We want to do better than that and that's what we've introduced into the Parliament. What I think we need is what is effectively the same thing as a standing royal commission, which is permanent. The problem with a royal commission, Jim, is you look at a set of cases and then it's over. And what we've put into the Parliament is something that would do this on every case, sadly and if it occurs again, it'll keep happening, and that that will actually feed directly into government responses and it's permanent. That's what we're trying to bring into the Parliament right now and it will also look back at past cases as well upon establishment. I've been trying to get this up and through the Parliament all year. And Julie-Anne knows about it and I really grieve for her loss and I know how strongly she feels about this and I've spoken to her myself. But as the Prime Minister, I believe the best way we can deal with this is by having one established by the Parliament, not just by the Prime Minister and the Governor-General, but by the Parliament, which has all the powers of a royal commission to look at what, when and if this occurs every single time. Now, the Labor Party said they were going to support this back in February and now they're playing politics with it in the Parliament. We could have passed it this week if they supported it. We could have legislated what is effectively – for your listeners benefit, a royal commission is when the Prime Minister gets the Governor-General to establish an inquiry and that has a start date and an end date and it's temporary and it's finished. The Parliament can do the same thing and it gives exactly the same powers and they can do that on an ongoing basis.
Wilson: But what do you say to Julie-Anne, PM, about the fact that this commissioner that you've selected is not impartial and not independent?
Prime Minister: Well, I understand her strong feelings about it, but the person who is currently doing that role is the former coroner of the ACT government. So they have a lot of experience, professional experience in dealing with these very sensitive issues, and they were appointed by a Labor government to do that job. So, I mean, they're not a political appointment of the Liberal Party or anything like this. I greatly respect and understand her sensitivity on this issue. We're trying to solve the problem and I can tell you, a one-off royal commission, we don't believe that's the best answer. We think the better answer is what is effectively a permanent one and I would have loved to have got that through the Parliament this week. And the fact that Labor backflipped on what they said they’d do at the start of this year, I'm just really disappointed about that. Because this should not be a partisan issue. This should not be about politics. And we just want to get this done.
Wilson: Speaking of veterans, will those who participated in those Invictus Games in 2018, you and I have spoken about this, you've supported the fact that they should get these Australian sports medals. They have been promised them two years ago. It's got bipartisan support. You're passionate about our Invictus athletes. When will they get these medals? Will they get them in time for Christmas?
Prime Minister: Christmas, I can't say that because it is at the final stage of the process, Jim. I can't say more than that. But I can tell you it’s certainly left our shores for its tick off. Right and so that process is well advanced. And I had a chat to Bill Shorten actually during the course of the week to just let him know that was up to and I know Bill is on your programme and spoken about this as well and he was pleased to hear that. So we're not too far away now, and I'm looking forward to that happening.
Wilson: I'm glad it's in the final stages because they’ve been waiting for more than two years. So I appreciate your support and as I said, wouldn't it be great if it happened as a wonderful Christmas present?
Prime Minister: It will certainly be new year’s.
Wilson: Very good. Before I let you go, what are you doing for Christmas? What are your plans with Jenny and the girls?
Prime Minister: Well, look, thanks, Jim. I'm just looking forward to being with them, frankly. We haven't had a lot of time together. Well, in some ways we did, we were sort of isoing there early in the first part of the year. But obviously, I was pretty much here the entire time and will see them later tonight. But we’re just going to get together as a family. It's the first time for mum, she'll be with us without Dad this year. So that’s going to be true for many families around the country this year. There'll be one less place and I'm thinking of all of them as well. And we'll have that this year, but we’ll also be giving thanks for the wonderful life that my father had. And we'll miss him, but it'll be great to be all together.
Wilson: I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope it's a good day with your mom.
Prime Minister: It'll be great.
Wilson: And to you and the family. Just before we go, as is tradition with you and I when we chat, can the Sharks do it in 2021?
Prime Minister: Of course we can. The Sharks never lose faith, mate. Always full of belief. Did you see…
Wilson: Here we go, yeah.
Prime Minister: The Santa on the shark blow up decoration is on the lawn of Kirribilli.
Wilson: How did that go down with Jenny?
Prime Minister: She wasn’t so flash, I’ve got to tell you. She wasn’t flash but she has indulged me. It's up there. It's sort of, it's one of those ones you plug in. So it goes up, I think, in the early afternoon and to wave to all the commuters coming home from the CBD.
Wilson: I saw the picture with you and your board shorts up on the ladder looking like Clark Griswold going to Christmas vacation.
Prime Minister: We love that stuff. I've been doing that with the kids ever since they were very little. I probably enjoy it a little more than they do, but it's all fun.
Wilson: Thanks for your leadership this year and all the best to Jenny and the girls and to your mum and have a great Christmas, mate.
Prime Minister: Good on you, cheers.