Interview with Warwick Long, ABC Country Hour

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC COUNTRY HOUR
WEDNESDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2025

SUBJECTS: ABC Country Hour 80th Anniversary

WARWICK LONG: Warwick Long with you, Kallee Buchanan, the Queensland Country presenter as well, joining you on the program today. And we've got one of our guests back, Kallee.

KALLEE BUCHANAN: Yes, and in typical Canberra fashion, we had to pivot, get agile. And Julie Collins, the Minister for Agriculture, you've made it back from your division.

JULIE COLLINS: I have indeed. I'm glad I turned up, though. The Prime Minister was there, so it wouldn't have been good if I hadn't turned up. But he sends a big happy birthday to Country Hour, too.

LONG: Thanks very much for joining us on our birthday. What's it been like for you and what's your relationship been like with the Country Hour?

COLLINS: A lot of memories of the Country Hour, on some of the long drives around Tassie, tuning in, listening to the news of regional Australia. And Tassie, of course, as a whole island is considered regional Australia. So, we're pretty in tune with what's going on and the issues that you raise are very relevant to Tasmanians.

BUCHANAN: You have that that sort of state perspective of the issues in Tasmania. But we also, you know, we've heard from both Georgie Somerset and David Littleproud about the opportunity to tell that story to a broader - coming from the perspective of, you know, Tassie as a state, being able to speak to the mainland about your issues. How much of - has the radio show and the ABC's role played that part for you?

COLLINS: There's no doubt that we need to tell stories, as we've just heard of regional Australia right around the country, so that we get that divide between the regions and the cities so that people that live in cities understand the country. Understand the regions of Australia where a lot of the country's wealth comes from, let's face it. But also important things like their food and more and more even their energy is coming from regional Australia. So, some of life's essentials are coming from the regional parts of the country. It's really important that we have that connection. And that investment in regional Australia, and having the journalists all around the regions across the country is so important. And it's important to be able to tell those stories and to tell them authentically. And it's those networks on the ground, I think that those journalists have, that give us that authenticity of the stories of what's really going on. I mean, you can hear about it, people living in the three big cities across the country, the three majors, but to actually go out and experience it, you really need to have the network, you really need to have that on the ground journalism. And it really matters today, I think, so that we can continue to tell those stories, so that all Australians understand exactly what's going on in all parts of the country.

LONG: And we've spoken about bridging a city-country divide. The original idea of this program, 80 years ago. How do you think that divide's going? As a Minister, you're trying for the world of federal politics as well. Do you see that as a wide divide or is it getting smaller?

COLLINS: I think it's getting smaller. And I think Australians are really proud of what our country produces and what we've achieved as a nation. And I think that that comes whether you're in the city or the regions, we should be incredibly proud of Australia and some of the things that we've been able to achieve as a nation. Here we are 80 years later, we're one of the wealthiest nations on the planet. And that didn't happen by accident, it's due to the hard work of so many right across our country, including those regions where a lot of the wealth comes from.

BUCHANAN: And feeding 80 million people a year.

COLLINS: Absolutely, in agriculture, as a net exporter. Our $100 billion agriculture, fisheries, forestry, it's enormous. And the fact that 80 per cent by value goes overseas, we are feeding the globe.

LONG: Thanks.

COLLINS: Absolutely.

LONG: Thanks so much for coming in and fitting us in around all those votes, too.

COLLINS: I'm sorry about the coming and the going, and I know you've got a lot of other guests lined up, but very sincere happy birthday to Country Hour and long may it continue.

LONG: Great to have you. Federal Agriculture Minister Julie Collins there also repping this show today, which has been great.