JIM CHALMERS MP
SHADOW TREASURER
MEMBER FOR RANKIN

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW

SEVEN NEWS TOOWOOMBA
TUESDAY, 18 MAY 2021

SUBJECTS: Wellcamp quarantine proposal; Scott Morrison’s quarantine failures; Budget 2021.

JOURNALIST: Just tell us about the PM's comments that he made yesterday, he was basically saying this proposed quarantine facility at Wellcamp Airport was not a detailed plan. What do you have to say in response to that?

JIM CHALMERS, SHADOW TREASURER: Well, every time he comes to Queensland he wants to pick a fight.

It's pretty strange that he's talking about a lack of details when he can't even get the basic details right.

Everybody else seems to know that the facilities around Toowoomba have a lot of capacity at the Airport, a lot of health capacity as well.

If the Prime Minister's going to bag somebody else's idea, you think he'd take the time to get across it first.

I think he's been embarrassed by his lack of information here. He should be seeking the information, he should be seeking the details, he should be getting his head around it, rather than just coming here to bag it.

If he's got a better idea, let's hear it. People are just trying to help him clean up the mess that he's made of quarantine.

JOURNALIST: Do you think this is the fault of the Premier or the Wagners who are here in Toowoomba?

CHALMERS: I think the fault lies with the Prime Minister who couldn't be bothered getting across the details before he started bagging it.

The Premier has been constructive and proactive. The Wagners have been constructive and proactive. Really, it's the Prime Minister here who's been bagging an idea before he's even taken the time to get across it.

If he doesn't have enough detail he should ask for it. If there are genuine problems with this proposal, then let's hear them. If he's got a better idea, let's hear that too.

But Scott Morrison shouldn't just come to Queensland, time and time again, to bag our Premier or bag ideas which are put forward in good faith to try and help him clean up the mess that he's made of quarantine.

JOURNALIST: He also said that he can't just stick a quarantine facility in the middle of the desert - the desert being Toowoomba?

CHALMERS: I think that would be news to the farmers around Toowoomba and the Darling Downs!

There's some of the Australia's best agricultural land around Toowoomba as you know, you'd hope that the Prime Minister of this country would know.

I think it's disappointing but not especially surprising that the Prime Minister is casting those kinds of aspersions without actually understanding the amazing contribution that the people of Toowoomba make to the national economy and the amazing agricultural land that surrounds it.

JOURNALIST: The federal Budget also allocated $500 million to increase capacity at the Howard Springs facility outside of Darwin. Do you think it would have been better to have invested some money from the federal Budget into a quarantine facility here in Toowoomba?

CHALMERS: It's incredible that the Budget spent $100 billion and racked up a trillion dollars in debt and still didn't invest in new quarantine facilities.

Howard Springs is one thing but clearly, given the Prime Minister's vaccinations debacle, we're going to have the need for quarantine for some time now.

We have called on the Prime Minister to be more constructive about these ideas that are put forward. We need more quarantine capacity.

Hotels are built for tourism, not for quarantine. We need dedicated facilities. It's amazing in a Budget of that size, with all of that money spraying around, that the Prime Minister hasn't done anything meaningful in that area.

JOURNALIST: Based on his comments yesterday, it's pretty safe to say that the quarantine facility in Toowoomba is definitely off the table. Do you think it's pretty disappointing?

CHALMERS: I think it's incredibly disappointing for everyone who needs there to be better quarantine facilities, to hear the Prime Minister bag an idea that he doesn't understand. He should have taken the time to get across it if he was going to bag and if he's got a better idea let's hear it.

I think people are incredibly disappointed in this Prime Minister that doesn't take responsibility for anything, always wants to pretend that everything is somebody else's fault. Quarantine is his responsibility. He should take people's suggestions seriously and act on them.

JOURNALIST: Thank you so much.

CHALMERS: Thanks for the opportunity, I appreciate it.

ENDS