Interview - Afternoon Agenda with Kieran Gilbert, Sky News Live
Topics: Vaccine roll-out; Omicron variant; Education sector; Ministerial arrangements; Queensland borders opening and sticking to the National Plan; Engaging with the Australian community
E&OE-------------------------------------
KIERAN GILBERT:
Let's bring in the Employment Minister, Stuart Robert now. Do you have the same sort of optimism as the New South Wales Premier that our higher rates of vaccination will prevent the situation we're seeing in the UK right now?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, I certainly agree with the New South Wales Premier that our rates are world leading, 88 and a half per cent give or take double vaccinated, early nineties. And we know from international experience that the higher the rates of vaccination across a nation, the more protected it is. So I'd rather be in Australia right now, Kieran, than any other country on earth.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Are you confident that our approach is still working in the face of Omicron?
MINISTER ROBERT:
It's very early days. This is only – Omicron is only a number of weeks old, but there's nothing I've seen before me to indicate anything other than the continued effectiveness of current vaccines. Now, more information will come to light and more information will come to government in this matter, and we'll start to see that information come through, especially as we look at how it pertains to opening borders. But right now, Australia should feel very much that its vaccination regime the Morrison Government has put in place is holding the nation in very good stead.
KIERAN GILBERT:
A reminder, though, that even for those that have had the jab, they can still get the thing from time to time, with the Deputy Prime Minister testing positive.
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, the Doherty modelling makes that exceptionally clear. The great thing about the Doherty modelling, it gives the nation confidence that we can stick to the national plan and that at 80 per cent we can open up and we're seeing that happening right across the country, which is pleasing. And the modelling shows that the vaccination increases survivability substantially and increases protections substantially.
KIERAN GILBERT:
And the boosters, if needed they’re – we've got enough in supply ready to go, to expedite that?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Boosters, they're rolling out across the country. The supply is guaranteed. We're already seeing the TGA and soon ATAGI will make announcements in terms of the efficacy of those, but that booster program is well underway. Many hundreds of thousands already have taken a Pfizer booster, and for those who are eligible, they should book in and get cracking with that booster program. It is now a world leading booster program. We should be pretty proud of that.
KIERAN GILBERT:
We heard in Andrew Clennell’s report there those comments from Dominic Perrottet that China is significant to the New South Wales economy through students, through tourism, and he would clearly like to see that back on an even keel. Does the Federal Government have the same aspiration?
MINISTER ROBERT:
We'll always make decisions in the national interest, Kieran. The Prime Minister has made that very, very clear, and the national interest is clear to us in terms of the decisions we make. Now China is our biggest trading partner so it is an important trading partner to Australia by virtue of its size. But the national interest gives way to no one. So we'll always and very unapologetically hold the national interest of the Australian people and the security and protection of the Australian people as the highest ideal.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Premier Perrottet clearly believes part of that national interest is the economic benefit. It's a similar message we've heard from Mark McGowan. Is that on the Government's radar?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, we of course, were looking to open borders on 1 December before Omicron came up and then of course, we saw a national pause on that for two weeks while we seek further advice. But once those borders open up, we're looking at 162,000 international students that visas have already been issued will be coming to Australia. And of course, a large proportion of those will be Chinese, which Australia very much welcomes. We are a great, great educator of people from across the world and students, and we look forward to continuing to do that. Education is a huge export earner for Australia.
KIERAN GILBERT:
With those international students coming, obviously the Education Minister’s sidelined at the moment. How soon will that be resolved?
MINISTER ROBERT:
On the – the intent of course, was 1 December, we’d be opening borders to existing visa holders and there’s 162,000…
KIERAN GILBERT:
[Interrupts] No sorry, talking about Alan Tudge. This internal review into the situation for the Minister. How soon will he be back on deck, given this is an industry that's about to restart? You know, surely you'd have – you'd want to have your Education Minister, your colleague, back around the table ASAP?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Oh, we would. I'm the senior portfolio Minister, Kieran, so I've got responsibility for all of Minister Tudge’s areas, including Education and Youth. So it's being well and truly managed. But of course, we want the existing Minister back. I'll leave the Prime Minister to make comments about how long the review will take. I think we'd all want it to happen as quickly and as seamlessly as possible, but we can also be secure in the knowledge that the responsibilities are well understood, they’re well being taken care of. There's very little areas in education that I'm not across because education sits in the wider portfolio I oversee.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Do you welcome the fact that your – the state government, the Queensland government, I was going to say your government, no, your state's government, the Labor government, is reopening sooner now. They seem to be going the other way from WA. You must welcome the fact that they are pushing ahead with their reopening.
MINISTER ROBERT:
Oh, absolutely. We've been calling on the Queensland government to stick to the national plan, to be consistent and transparent, and to give Queenslanders the hope they deserve. Premier Palaszczuk is now moving forward. She's made a decision at, I think, 1am on Monday morning of opening. So when I fly back in on Saturday, I'll go into my 13th quarantine, I think, from memory, until 1am Monday morning, I'll get out. So that's a very welcome, very welcome initiative and I'd encourage all, all premiers; follow the national plan, give transparency and certainty to your people, and especially to the small businesses that desperately need that trading.
KIERAN GILBERT:
How will Queensland react to a number of cases? Because that's obviously inevitable. There will be some with the reopening. How will Queensland and the government react? Will they revert back to shut down?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, my hope is not. Again, the national plan makes it clear as we move from Phase 3 – where we are now – into Phase 4, that there will only be lockdowns in the absolute extreme of cases. Remember, this is a suppression strategy to ensure we can manage what is now becoming endemic COVID without hospitals being overloaded. The Doherty modelling indicates at 80 per cent, that can well and truly happen, which is why Queensland's opening now at 80 per cent. But the country's at 88.5 per cent double dosed, over 93 per cent single dosed. So the Doherty modelling has shown to be conservative in nature. The national plan is showing now conclusively to be working. Therefore, there is no reason why Queensland can't open safely, continue to manage, continue to be sensible, but continue to be open.
KIERAN GILBERT:
The Prime Minister has been on the back foot a bit this week in terms of campaigning in Wentworth, Banks, Reid. Today Corangamite, though, on the front foot in a Labor held seat. What's the mood like in the Government trailing in the polls quite significantly at the moment?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Kieran, polls go up and down, we've seen that. Our job is to prosecute the national interest. It's to continue to roll out one of the world's best vaccine regimes, which is what we're doing now. Continue to move forward on our booster program, and continue to sell the government's message of what we're doing in terms of our recovery from COVID. It's a strong economic message, strong employment growth, strong employment numbers, strong jobs numbers. Kieran, if I had to choose a country to be in right now, I’d be choosing Australia under the Morrison Government. That's the message we're selling. I was with Gladys Liu all morning in her electorate selling exactly that message.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Is Scott Morrison not rattled at the moment?
MINISTER ROBERT:
Well, you’re seeing the Prime Minister out and about in numerous marginal seats, engaging with the media, engaging with citizens. I think he's doing a community afternoon tea as we speak. Scott Morrison is showing what leadership looks like in a pandemic, and as – importantly, as we come out of the pandemic, and focus on the confidence of a recovery. And that’s the sort of leader we need.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Stuart Robert, Thanks.
MINISTER ROBERT:
Kieran, as always, good to talk to you.