Prime Minister
RICHARD: Out and about for the first time in a long time, our Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is on the line. Good morning, Prime Minister.
SHANNA: Good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Richard. Good morning, Shanna.
RICHARD: Nice to have you here. Must be nice to not have to quarantine when you returned last week thanks to our high vaccination rate. A bit of a change for you?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, it is. It would have been the fifth time in the past year, so I'm pleased that that's not the case, but more pleased for all of all of New South Wales and right across the country, we’re over 80 per cent fully vaccinated over 16s now, which is a tremendous achievement for the country and in New South Wales, we should crack that 90 per cent this week. So New South Wales has done a terrific job.
RICHARD: But in some states and amongst some groups, particularly indigenous communities, there is still a long way to go PM.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, that's true. And Western Australia and in Queensland, but they'll soon join the rest of the state, the rest of the country, I should say, over the next month or so in getting up to those 80 per cent rates. There is a challenge in indigenous communities, particularly in both of those states. In New South Wales, the indigenous rates of vaccinations have been lifting and there's been some really good work there. But that is a challenge that we find all around the world. I've spoken to other leaders, particularly in the United States, about the challenges of vaccinating indigenous populations, and we're on a similar track to those countries.
SHANNA: Prime Minister, can you explain to our listeners the purpose of your visit to the region today?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'm looking forward to coming up to announce a $1.5 million grant, ARENA grant, to assess the feasibility of a green hydrogen hub at the Port of Newcastle. This is all about plugging Newcastle into the hydrogen industry, a hydrogen hub we want to see occur in the Hunter. This is the new source of energy which is driving so much of the world's response to climate change, having just returned from Glasgow, this is one of the key technologies that will enable not just Australia to get there, but developing countries, particularly in our part of the world, our major trading partners and Japan and Korea in particular. And this will ensure the ongoing prosperity of the Hunter. I mean, when I think about our plan for low emissions to reach net zero, I mean, the Hunter is at the centre of it as and regions just like it all around the country. So I'm really looking forward to coming up. We're working with other partners, Port of Newcastle, Macquarie Group and Lake Macquarie City Council. University of Newcastle. It's a great team effort.
RICHARD: A lot of so-called experts have described our, you know, zero 2050 emissions plan as being a technology development plan. I read one comment over the weekend, referred to it as an exercise in imagining things get better over time, and it does rely exactly on that, things getting better over time and this hydrogen that the whole hydrogen, are we going to see it in our lifetime, do you think?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course we will. Of course we will. We're already seeing exports coming out of Victoria now, going up to Japan and this is the whole point. You don't have to tax people's jobs away or regulate their jobs away to hit net zero. This is one of the great myths that I think has been exposed. I mean, the way you get to net zero is not by putting restrictions on people. You do it by driving down the cost of the new technologies such as hydrogen that makes this achievable. I mean, that's what that's what you know, the plan is. Not to go around making people buy this or buy that or do this or do that. I mean, that's how the Labor Party likes to do things, telling everybody what to do. Our plan is different to that. Our plan is to invest. We're investing over $20 billion in developing these technologies, drawing in another $60 to $100 billion from private sector, many of whom I met with when I was overseas. There is a torrent of investment capital going into these technologies, and our job is to direct them to ensure that Australia wins from this and in particular, the Hunter.
SHANNA: Federal member for Shortland, Pat Conroy, said your speech wasn't well received at the COP26 in Glasgow and adding to this, obviously the recent spat with France over the dumped submarine deal. Do you think your image has been tarnished in the last month or so?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Labor always sort of sticks up for people who have a crack at Australia. I mean, our position is about developing technology so we don't take people's jobs away. Labor seems to have a very different approach. I mean, I didn't see him here, but I mean, what I do know is Nell McGill will be running against him at the next election, and she's a fantastic local mum and lawyer who does a great job working in that community. And I think she provides a real alternative to the usual sort of political, politically shrill sort of commentary we get from the local member.
RICHARD: We spoke to a number of listeners who actually live in the red zone, the PFAS Williamtown area, very disappointed about the special activation precinct being shrunk to practically nothing. Banks won't lend them money, and if people want to buy into that area, they won't lend them money. Not a lot seemed to have happened as far as the federal government, and don't forget it is a defence force base where this has come from. The remediation of that red zone, is there, can we expect an announcement prior to the election?
PRIME MINISTER: We've got $86 million in remediation works that is taking place there. The settlement has been supported, that we worked through over some period of time. There's ongoing remediation works that is occurring as a result of what has occurred there. And you know, that's what we'll continue to do. We'll honour the things that we've said we will do and we will continue to roll those out in that community.
SHANNA: Now, the recent Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has really reignited calls for a federal ICAC. But Prime Minister, are you for or against the implementation of a federal ICAC?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, not one that looks like what happens in New South Wales, that's for sure. I mean, I've seen that process now over a long time, and it's not one that really commends itself to us. We have an alternative proposal which we've worked up over the last year. Legislation for that, draft legislation will be released soon. So, you know, but if the Labor Party doesn't support that, well, not much we can do to advance that. But no, the type of sort of thing we've seen happen in New South Wales, that type of model is not something we're looking at at a federal level.
RICHARD: A number of government MPs and including yourself, have spoken out against the renewal of the PEP11 exploration licence off the coast of, well, your electorate and end up here in the Hunter as well. Keith Pitt's the sole person responsible for making a call on that, but he seems reluctant to do it. Can we expect an announcement re PEP11?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think people know my view about this. It's very clear. I can assure you that that's the position that I will continue to progress. And I think that should give people a lot of comfort that the Prime Minister is not supportive of that.
RICHARD: Okay, coal, it's obviously a major part of not only the Hunter Valley's economy, New South Wales and the Australian economy. Hypothetical. Do you think the New South Wales Government should approve any new coal mines or the expansion of any existing mines, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, provided they meet all the environmental regulations, I don't see why not. And you know, those would have to be commercially based. I mean, there's certainly no suggestion that there'd be any sort of taxpayers money to subsidise those things. Where there are commercially viable projects that meet all the environmental guidelines and regulations and planning arrangements, then I don't see any reason why they should be withheld.
SHANNA: Now, Prime Minister, are you going to give us a Richard and Shanna exclusive with a date for the federal election?
PRIME MINISTER: Next year.
RICHARD: Next year. All right, well thank you very much for your time.
SHANNA: Yeah, we appreciate it.
RICHARD: Really appreciate it. And you must be appreciating being able to get out and about now.
PRIME MINISTER: Very much, yeah. And I'm looking forward to the big projects that are happening all around the country. Really big infrastructure projects. But I'm very excited about what's happening up in the Hunter, and I know that Brooke Vitnell and Nell McGill, they want to be part of that plan to back in and creating those opportunities that we'll be announcing today.
RICHARD: Thank you for your time. Have a good day.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot.