JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC BRISBANE DRIVE
MONDAY, 12 JULY 2021
SUBJECTS: Scott Morrison’s failure of leadership on vaccines called out by Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull; Australian troops depart Afghanistan.
STEVE AUSTIN, HOST: Jim Chalmers is the Shadow Treasurer and federal Member for Rankin. Jim Chalmers, did federal Labor know that former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was going to approach the company Pfizer in some capacity and lobby on behalf of Australia or the Australian Government?
JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER: I'm not sure if the other colleagues did, Steve. I wasn't personally aware of it. There's every possibility that he spoke to others about it in our team. But I think what he was doing here was reflecting and acting on the concern shared by millions of Australians that the current Prime Minister, Mr Morrison, just hasn't stepped in and provided the leadership that we need to secure these vaccines that we need. And that's why we're in this position now that other countries are opening up while we're still locking down.
AUSTIN: Pfizer do say that they've struck an agreement with the federal government on all supply agreements and that nothing's changed. Doesn't that indicate that Mr Rudd may have clouded or confused things somewhat?
CHALMERS: Not at all. I'm pleased you asked me that, Steve, because if you look at what Kevin actually said in his letter to the Prime Minister is that he makes it very clear that the contractual arrangements are between the Government and the company, he actually goes out of his way to make that clear. And the statement from Pfizer doesn't contradict that at all. I know that the Government is kind of clinging to that, they are desperate for people not to talk about this stunning failure of leadership from the current Prime Minister. They're desperate not to talk about the concern that was raised with Kevin, and with us, and right around the Australian community, that there's a big hole in Australia where leadership's supposed to be when it comes to the Prime Minister and a former Prime Minister stepped in and did his bit. I think that's the consequence of a Prime Minister failing to lead and other people trying to fill that void.
AUSTIN: Do you happen to know who the business person was in the United States that supposedly urged or asked Mr Rudd to consider helping in this area?
CHALMERS: I don't know that, Steve. I haven't been involved in that conversation. I've had some contact with Kevin today but not directly about that, so you'd have to ask him. I think it reflects a broadly held concern right around Australia that the Prime Minister had a job to do here, to lead on these vaccines and secure the right amount that we needed, so that the good work that Australians have done to limit the spread of the virus isn't squandered by Prime Ministerial incompetence. And so Kevin Rudd has stepped in. The way I look at it, Steve, is that Australians stepped up, Scott Morrison stuffed-up, Kevin Rudd stepped in.
AUSTIN: And Malcolm Turnbull's with him on a unity ticket by the looks of things, former Liberal Prime Minister?
CHALMERS: Yeah, I did see that, that's all over social media today as you probably know. I think again, Malcolm Turnbull's reflecting, I think the near universal view in the Australian community, that the Prime Minister has failed here. He only had those two jobs to do this year, or those two most important jobs - vaccines and purpose-built quarantine, he's failed on both. And that's why we're having these kind of lockdowns that our friends in Sydney are facing.
AUSTIN: My guest is Jim Chalmers. Jim Chalmers is the Shadow Treasury Spokesperson for federal Labor. He's also the Member for Rankin here in Queensland. Steve Austin's my name. In the United States, they have a tradition there apparently, where former Presidents don't give a running commentary on the current Presidents. Why doesn't Australia have a similar tradition where former Prime Ministers don't give a running commentary on current serving Prime Ministers? Or do we?
CHALMERS: Well first of all, I'm not sure that that convention has survived the last few months. I think President Trump was at a rally in the last day or two speaking about the Administration. I'm not sure that that convention has survived. I think it was an element of their politics for some time. And I think that the preference of former Presidents if I was to guess, and certainly former Prime Ministers, is they want the country to succeed after they leave and they'd prefer not to have to make political interventions,m. But sometimes the situation requires that, demands that. Different former Prime Ministers approach this in different ways, and that's fine as well. I think in most instances they'd rather everything was going well. If I was to guess, I'm sure that Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull both want Australia to get through this pandemic successfully, and the fact that we're not warrants them to get into the public debate. And I think that's fine.
AUSTIN: If you were Prime Minister and Malcolm Turnbull started intervening on behalf of Australia to assist you in your, what he saw as your problem, would you welcome it.
CHALMERS: Well, I'm still trying to get over the first bit of your question, Steve!
(LAUGHTER)
CHALMERS: Don't think I'd get into that kind of hypothetical. But look, I think it's entirely reasonable for Prime Ministers of either political persuasion, when they see fit, and in a sensible and responsible way, to intervene in the public conversation if they think that they can improve it.
AUSTIN: It looks a bit messy. It looks like something else is going on in Australia. You don't see it that way, obviously?
CHALMERS: The reason why I think this is important, Steve, is because the messy part here is the vaccine rollout. And if either former Prime Minister thinks they can play a constructive role in improving that, in the interests of the people that they served, then I think that's appropriate.
AUSTIN: This is ABC Radio, my guest is Labor's Jim Chalmers, who is the federal Labor Member for Rankin here in Queensland. Jim Chalmers, today Peter Dutton, the Defence Minister, has indicated that there will be some kind or some type of commemorative day to honour the service that veterans or Defence Force personnel who assisted in the Afghanistan operation will be acknowledged. How does federal Labor feel about this?
CHALMERS: We'll respond properly via Shayne Neumann, and Anthony Albanese, and others, but our inclination is typically to do more to recognise the sacrifices and service of our men and women in uniform. And so I'm sure that we'll be very constructive and positive about that proposal. Our role in Afghanistan was a really important one and it went on for a really long time. I think it's been an important part of our military history and we don't want future generations to forget the kinds of sacrifices that people make in our name around the world. I was very fortunate a few years ago, Steve, I actually went and spent time with our troops in Afghanistan - in Kabul and in Kandahar - and the people I spent time with were really impressive, very patriotic, professional soldiers doing good work in our name. And so if we can find a way to recognise that appropriately, I think that's a good thing.
AUSTIN: How do you think the Afghanistan conflict, 20 years long, will be regarded by historians of Australia?
CHALMERS: It's a good question, Steve. I think that some of the work that we did obviously is going to be seen as a tremendously important stabilising role and also training role. And also obviously there have been times where there has been more direct hands on involvement. I think that whole period - Afghanistan, Iraq, 9/11 - that whole period's obviously going to be a lot of interest to historians. There are some aspects of it which are being looked at about our role to make sure that we behaved as honourably as possible, but I think in the main our military is seen as making a big positive contribution around the world.
AUSTIN: Jim Chalmers, thanks for your time once again.
CHALMERS: Thanks so much, Steve.
AUSTIN: Jim Chalmers is the federal ALP Treasury Spokesperson and the Member for Rankin here in Queensland.
ENDS
MEDIA CONTACT: BRETT MASON 0419 239 811
