JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
4CA CAIRNS
MONDAY, 8 MARCH 2021

SUBJECTS: JobKeeper in Far North Queensland; Josh Frydenberg showing up empty-handed; Support for tourism; Labor in Queensland; Warren Entsch; Border closures; regional Queensland in the national economy; Kieran Gilbert.

JOHN MACKENZIE, HOST: Now, this has just arrived in front of me, as has Jim Chalmers. Now, Jim is the opposition equivalent, if you like, he's the Shadow Treasurer, from Queensland. I'm glad he's in town at the moment because we've got lots to talk about. Obviously, that says here in this release from his office: “Treasurer Josh Frydenberg may have arrived in Queensland but he has not packed a plan to support the 8,000 workers and 2,500 businesses in Cairns and Far North Queensland who were expected to lose out when he cuts JobKeeper in a fortnight”. And this is what Jim Chalmers is fundamentally saying: “What I've heard loud and clear from workers and small businesses during my five visits to Cairns, is that any support is welcome, but there's no substitute for an extension of JobKeeper”. Clearly, but I think most people here have accepted now that that's not going to be happening. Further, in this release, Jim says: “Despite having months and months to develop a proper plan to support the Cairns economy, Josh Frydenberg and Scott Morrison have only added to the anxiety many here are feeling by failing to offer certainty”. I've got to say, that a lot of people thought there was an announcement coming, how often did we hear that last week? From people that within the government, as well. So, here feeling guilty, fundamentally, not getting the certainty people were looking for this morning, the clarity, or the confidence, about what will happen to those thousands of workers and businesses after the 28th of this month. “Nobody is saying JobKeeper should go on forever”, says Jim, “but it should be tailored and targeted to what's actually going on in communities like Cairns and the surrounding areas”. Jim Chalmers, good morning and welcome.

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER: Good morning, John. Thanks for having me back on your show.

MACKENZIE: Firstly, thank you. A few weeks ago when we weren't getting the word out across the nation that we were economically on our knees up here, I saw you on television and in one interview you mentioned Cairns three times, so thanks for that because we needed to get the message out there, it's really tough up here.

CHALMERS: You're welcome, John. I think it's a really important story to tell about Cairns because the national economy is recovering from recession, but not all parts of Australia are recovering as fast as we'd like. And my fear is that the government doesn't understand that places like Cairns are still struggling because they rely on international visitors, in particular, and that's why we're calling on the government to responsibly, in a targeted way, extend JobKeeper. My fear is that they just don't understand what's happening here. And that's why the Treasurer is shown up empty handed today.

MACKENZIE: It's funny, because there's a feeling from some within the party, over recent weeks, within the government, that, yes, he's coming to Cairns, and well, he wouldn't go to Cairns unless he had something to announce that might be, you know, joyous relief for those unemployed up there, or who are facing unemployment. But nothing happened. It was a fizzer.

CHALMERS: It's a real head-scratcher isn’t it, John? Because you think about it, I mean it's been really clear for some time now that the economy of Cairns and the surrounding areas is struggling because of that lack of international visitors. I think this time of year I'm told something like 3,500 international visitors, usually per day. About $5 million per day into the local economy that's not happening. And so, you don't have to be a genius to understand what's happening here, and what needs to be done. You just need to listen to people. And, unfortunately, I think by showing up empty handed, they’ve shown that they don’t understand.

MACKENZIE: Now, on the other hand, Korena just called in from Edmonton, she's very keen on fundamentally seeing a return to some sort of viability for our tourism industry. She didn't seem that it was all negative, she took hope from the fact that the federal Treasurer came here to get all the information he needs. She's still hopeful of an announcement in the near future about some sort of assistance that might, well, save us from a very grave end as far as a lot our workers are concerned, thousands of them, by the way.

CHALMERS: Well, there are 8,096 workers in Cairns who are on JobKeeper and there are 2,361 small businesses relying on it. And for all of those workers and small businesses, any additional support would be welcomed, and we would welcome it, but it wouldn't be a substitute for a temporary extension of the JobKeeper payment. The way I see it, John, and I might have said this before, Cairns, is in lots of ways on life support. JobKeeper is a good thing, that's kept good businesses and good workers afloat. But if the government continues with their cuts to JobKeeper at the end of this month that will be like pulling life support from the local economy, much too soon. It’s not ready yet to stand on its own two feet. So other kinds of support will be welcomed, but no substitute for that.

MACKENZIE: Give us an idea of what you're thinking about when you talk about other kinds of support?

CHALMERS: Well, I think like you, John, I mean for some months know we’ve heard Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg say we’re definitely going to cut JobKeeper at the end of March, but don't worry, because we'll have all these other things to take their place. but as we...

MACKENZIE: Well, that’s more Scott Morrison than Josh Frydenberg.

CHALMERS: I think Josh Frydenberg as well. And now he's flagging something later in the week and we'll have a look at that, and we'll be constructive about that, but the state government’s come to the table with these vouchers, which I think are a good step. I really welcome those and I think they will make a difference. And no doubt, other things can make a difference here. But, again, I keep coming back to the points of those thousands and thousands of workers and small businesses here. They're on JobKeeper, we don't want to see them hit the fence at the end of March when Josh Frydenberg cuts that vital economic support. We don't want to see the local industry hollowed out, we don't want to see workers and skills lost to other industries, because if that happens, when the recovery does come here, people will find it hard to grasp those opportunities

MACKENZIE: I need to know what the opposition is saying about borders, both within Australia and international. Now, there seems to be a level of confidence growing that overnight, you know, ten hours notice, border closures in Queensland and Victoria etc. are coming to an end, or are at an end. Well, so be it, we don’t really know. What about our international borders? Because just last week I had the publicity boss of Qantas say, look, we're actually looking at things happening from October this year. Not many people are saying are international borders generally are coming down in October this year? But I presume he’s talking about New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, etc. What are your thoughts?

CHALMERS: I haven't heard anyone say October specifically, but even if that did happen, that’s still seven months away. And it’s still seven months beyond the end of JobKeeper. So, I think there will be some pain for some time yet. Some towns like this one rely on international visitors more than others. There are parts of tourism which have a good domestic market, which are recovering faster than the markets which rely on international visitors, I think everybody assumes that there will be international border closures for some time yet, partly contingent on the vaccine and other factors, and what's happening elsewhere around the world. But we shouldn't be anticipating some return to normal levels of international visitors, and that means that millions of dollars won't be circulating in local economies like this one. So, the government needs to give people a helping hand, but by showing up without any support today, I think that’s more like a slap in the face for local tourism operators.

MACKENZIE: Let me ask you about your view on the border closures, state to state, which has been really an issue for our tourism industry, it's been really confusing. However, we do have to acknowledge state leaders have had no rehearsal for the international pandemic for 100 years. So, yes, maybe there have been mistakes made. Maybe some decisions were made too hastily, or whatever, but overall, what are your thoughts about the situation that’s impacted on Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and other states. Particularly this brawl between Queensland and New South Wales, what are your thoughts?

CHALMERS: Well, a couple of things about that. I mean, I acknowledge, as have the state leaders, that some of these border closures are difficult. They have consequences. But I think they've been necessary to limit the spread of the virus. Queensland has done better than most because of the leadership shown by our premier Anastasia Palaszczuk. I think, ideally, there'd be more national leadership when it comes to a nationwide sense of how we manage these border closures, how we manage quarantine, how we manage the international return of stranded Australians overseas. Obviously, all of these sorts of things could do with a bit more national leadership, but I think overall, the Premiers have been the hope of the side in this pandemic. I think they’ve made difficult decisions, for the right reasons, based on the right medical and expert advice, and I think on the main, despite the difficulties, I think that Australians, certainly Queenslanders, have been very supportive of the steps that Premier Palaszczuk’s taken.

MACKENZIE: You as a federal Labor Member in the state of Queensland, Jim Chalmers, is it lonely?

CHALMERS: (laughter) We're not thick on the ground, put it that way! There's not as many as we would like, but we're working on that! I think this part of Australia is going to be really important at the next election. I think the federal seat of Leichardt is something that we will contest vigorously and rigorously, and I'd like to see us improve our representation in the best state in the Commonwealth.

MACKENZIE: Do you think Wazza (Warren Entsch) is vulnerable, because he said he was pulling the pin and now, I presume, Scott Morrison said, hang on a minute, Craig Kelly’s just gone, it's slim pickings down here, you better hang around Wazza! What do you think might happen on that basis? Do you think he's got a call from the Prime Minister saying stay around another three years?

CHALMERS: I'm not sure, but, I mean, we've seen this movie with Warren before, haven’t we? Getting out and getting back in. Look, I don't come here to bag Warren in personal terms. My fear is that Warren says something up here that has very little impact on what the Morrison Government actually delivers. Warren Entsch was calling for an extension of JobKeeper – he has my view about the extension of JobKeeper – and the government has completely ignored him. And what that tells us is that it’s not what Warren says here that matters, it’s what Josh Frydenberg and Scott Morrison do here that matters. And by coming up here empty-handed, I think that speaks volumes about what they think of this town.

MACKENZIE: Keep coming back, won’t you, James. You’re always welcome here in the studio. One good thing about the portfolio you hold is that Queensland has a stronger voice in the opposition and possibly in government in the years to come. I think it’s encouraging for Queenslanders more generally that you hold that role.

CHALMERS: That's very kind of you, John, and I do want to speak up for Queensland as part of the national economy. I think if the national economy is going to recover strongly, which is our top priority, then Queensland, and particularly regional Queensland, needs to be a bigger part of that story.

MACKENZIE: Can you say hello to Kieran Gilbert, Sky News, because he was a wonderful worker at this radio station for some years, in our newsroom and assisting this talk show! So please say g’day. He’s gone from strength to strength, hasn’t he?

CHALMERS: Well, KG told me, not an hour ago, that he enjoyed his time working with you, he wanted me to pass on his best regards and his best wishes. And he was as big a wrap on you as you are a big wrap on him.

MACKENZIE: Yeah, he was terrific to work with. Jim, thanks for coming in today, and do it again soon.

CHALMERS: Appreciate it, John. Thank you.

MACKENZIE: Jim Chalmers, the Shadow Treasurer.

ENDS