Interview with Tom Connell, Sky News Afternoon Agenda

EO&E TRANSCRIPT
TV INTERVIEW
SKY NEWS AFTERNOON AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2024

SUBJECTS: Nearly $7 million investment in H5 avian influenza preparedness; Albanese Government’s cost-of-living relief.

TOM CONNELL, HOST: The Federal Government is tipping in close to $7 million to bolster biosecurity against a potential incursion of H5 High pathogenicity avian influenza. It's the same strain causing current outbreaks in Australia but has led to significant deaths in poultry production and wild birds overseas as well. Joining me now is Agriculture Minister Murray Watt. Thanks for your time. I know the sort of worse of these two ones hasn't got in yet, but H5 causing plenty of trouble.

MURRAY WATT, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY: Yeah, that's right, Tom. We're very fortunate here in Australia that we're the only continent in the world that hasn't yet had this H5 strain of avian flu come to our borders. And that's the way we want to keep it. The H7 strain, which is what we currently have in some parts of Australia, is far less deadly than the H5 strain, which we can see circulating around parts of the rest of the world. But what we want to make sure of is that we are fully prepared if the H5 strain does get here. This disease is spread through migratory birds travelling from other parts of the world. Obviously, we can't put up a wall around Australia to stop those birds coming in, but what we can do is make sure that we are prepared, and that's what that investment we've announced today is for.

TOM CONNELL: What I read was 2.2 million extra for the surveillance of the migratory birds. Now, no one's saying you can build a wall, you know, to borrow from US politics, but that, to me, doesn't seem like much money compared to the complete chaos it could cause here. In just economic terms, why only 2.2 million?

MURRAY WATT: Well, obviously, that is part of a broader $7 million package, Tom, which includes money for other things like exploring vaccines, improving communication with the public and farmers about what to look for. But the surveillance exercise and the additional funding there is effectively a top up to the very extensive surveillance operations that we already have in place, particularly across northern Australia. This is something we've invested very heavily in over the last couple of years, especially since we had that foot and mouth disease scare not long after we were elected. We did put additional resources into increasing surveillance personnel, particularly in our north, to deal with foot and mouth disease. But now there's a bit more funding specifically to focus on this. And you're right, it's not about -

TOM CONNELL: How do you watch birds? -

MURRAY WATT: You know, getting people out with binoculars, looking at birds. Yeah, I was just going to say it's not so much about getting binoculars and going bird watching, but, for example, some of those officers will now be able to be employed to be looking for unusual mass deaths of birds. That's often one of the first ways that we know that there's something going on. That's actually how we learned in many cases of these strains that we had circulating of H7 in Australia at the moment. So, that kind of thing.

TOM CONNELL: Right. I was going to say, if you want a bird watcher, my stepdad's keen, but it sounds like he's just going to be going over carcasses. Maybe I won't recommend it. The other element, I've got my fives and my sevens mixed up before I thought. So, the one that's here, H7, I saw a frisson of excitement on breakfast television because McDonald's changed its breakfast menu. There weren't enough eggs. Are we going to run out of eggs?

MURRAY WATT: No, I can assure everyone that they'll be able to have eggs for a long time to come in Australia. We have, unfortunately, because of the H7 strain, we've had the euthanise about 1.7/1.8 million chickens across Australia. The estimates of that is that's about seven to eight per cent of the egg laying flock of Australia. So, there's still plenty of chickens available to lay eggs. But understandably there have been some interruptions to some supply chains and McDonald's has taken that action just to shore up their own supplies.

TOM CONNELL: All right. Not a small amount, is it? But, yeah, plenty left for now, at least. Wanted to ask you about inflation because the Federal Government was really keen to say it was a responsible budget in terms of cost-of-living measures. The State Government, it's handing out a lot of money, $1,000 for power bills, 50 cent public transport trips. If your budget was carefully calibrated, this is shovelling money out the door, isn't it? This will bump inflation in Queensland.

MURRAY WATT: Well, I haven't seen any evidence, Tom, that those measures from the Queensland Government are likely to increase inflation. And I think they are a response from the Queensland Government to the very real cost of living pressures that Queenslanders are experiencing right now. As you say, the budget that we brought down federally was very clear in not having an inflationary impact. And in fact, the recent ABS stats have noted that the energy bill relief that we provided is actually taking pressure off inflation. So, we understand, as a Federal Government, and I'm sure the Queensland Government understands, that people need relief right now. That's why our tax cuts are happening. That's why the energy bill relief's happening and other things as well.

TOM CONNELL: So, $1,300 every Queenslander gets off their power bill. It's also got the highest rooftop solar numbers in the country. So, some of these people barely have a bill. 1300 bucks. You're telling me they're not spending that and increasing inflation? It makes sense to me.

MURRAY WATT: Well, I guess people will use it in different ways. Some people will use it to pay down their debt, others might spend on other things that they've had to put off spending it on. I noticed myself the other day, Tom, I got my bill as a Queenslander and my energy company now owes me money because of the size of the rebate that has been provided -

TOM CONNELL: That’s my point.

MURRAY WATT: And that was a pretty pleasant price for me, and I suspect a lot of Queensland -

TOM CONNELL: Sure, yeah, great, great for you. Good luck if you can get it, but you're going to spend the money other people will. Surely that's going to be a bump on inflation. Queensland just doesn't feel, the size of money there.

MURRAY WATT: Like a lot of Queenslanders, you know, I can use a bit of extra money to pay off my credit card and I think there'll be a lot of other people in a similar position. I mean, you know, it is so clear that what Queenslanders and all Australians want right now are governments that are supporting them with cost-of-living pressures. That's what the Albanese Government is doing; tax cuts, energy bill relief, cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines. The Miles Government is doing the same. I think most Queenslanders would be very pleased to receive that kind of support and recognition that they are doing it tough at the moment.

TOM CONNELL: Look, we all take money on the micro. It's whether the macro means maybe there's a rate hike, but anyway, you'll have to let me just drop that one at the end and debate it next time. Murray Watt, thank you.

MURRAY WATT: Thanks, Tom.