The Prime Minister's interview with Ben Fordham, 2GB
- Written by Ben Fordham
BEN FORDHAM: Prime Minister, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Ben.
FORDHAM: I know you're not in charge of negotiations about the trains in Sydney, but I'm interested in that last comment from the Union boss Mark Morey, who says these strikes are just the beginning. They'll happen next week, next month and the month after that. Would this have anything to do with the federal election coming in May?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, they have to explain that, but all I know is is there are people who this morning who are going to have an overpriced Uber or they're going to be not able to get to work. This thing was sprung up at 2am in the morning. This is, this is just not how you behave and this is not how you treat your fellow citizens. We've had, you know, nurses, we've had teachers, we've had police officers and and, you know, everyone working hard over through the pandemic. We've got international arrivals opening up today and the unions welcome to them will be a train strike. I mean, this is not how this should be done. And I feel for all of those Sydneysiders today who are affected by this strike. It was, I mean last, just over a week ago, Ben, we had the AMWU actually protesting against the AUKUS agreement. So they're, you know, the unions are ramping up, there's no doubt about that, and it's a poor taste of what they could expect, I suspect, with with licence from Labor.
FORDHAM: Well, we've got nurses who can't get to work, police officers who can't get to police stations, aged care workers who can't get to nursing homes. And therefore you've got normal people whose lives are disrupted and put in danger.
PRIME MINISTER: And done at 2am in the morning. I mean, all of this, whenever it was called, but honestly, the the disrespect being shown to their their fellow Sydneysiders who are going about their day, you know, kids trying to get to school, parents trying to, you know, get get their week underway. But as you rightly say, Ben, aged care workers, nurses, police officers, firies, ambulance officers, all having to deal with the unions carrying on like this in the middle of the night to cause such terrible disruption.
FORDHAM: Is there a sense that there's going to be more of this because we've got an election on the horizon?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've already had to stare down as a Government work, actions by the Maritime Union and and they backed off. But that's our, that's what our Government will do when it's falling into areas of our responsibility. And I have no doubt that the New South Wales Government will take a strong stand as well. But, you know, when they think they've they've they've got the power, well, you know what they do. We've seen it before, from our waterfront to our now our trains. And, as I said, we even had the Manufacturers Union protesting against the AUKUS agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom, which is there to keep Australians safe.
FORDHAM: And this is a day that we should be celebrating, the first international tourists arriving in two years. So they'll be flying in this morning and then discovering there are no trains. This is a good sign that we're somewhat back to normal, but how embarrassing that this is what they're met with.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I agree. I mean, this is an important day that Australians have looked forward to. And whether you're up in Far North Queensland or or here in in Sydney. I mean, Sydney is one of the, is our biggest international gateway, and that's where most of the planes will be coming in today with the reopening of international tourism. And that's going to be welcome news for so many tourism operators in Sydney. You know, you don't have to be a long way away from the cities to to be reliant on international tourism, and Sydney is a tourist city like that. So it's great news from that point of view that we're pushing through the pandemic. We're coming out the other side. But the union movement has decided to, you know, really pull the rug out from under that on our first day back.
FORDHAM: We're joined by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is demanding answers this morning from Beijing after a Chinese naval vessel pointed a military grade laser at a RAAF aircraft. Have we received any explanation from Beijing, because this is a pretty serious incident?
PRIME MINISTER: We haven't received an explanation as yet, but what we've called for, working through the diplomatic and defence channels, is a full investigation into this event and for them to provide answers to how this dangerous act could be undertaken. One, I mean, it's for a, what is supposed to be a professional Defence Force, this is a dangerous and reckless act. And worse, it can be seen, as I said yesterday, as an act of intimidation and bullying. They were in our exclusive economic zone and they were pointing a later, a laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft. Now, could you imagine if that had been an Australian frigate up in the Taiwan Strait or or a US vessel or a Japanese or French or German or UK vessel, and they were pointing lasers at at Chinese surveillance aircraft, which would have had every right to be up there, just as our surveillance aircraft were. I mean, could you imagine their reaction to that in Beijing.
FORDHAM: Did this put Aussie lives in danger?
PRIME MINISTER: Yes, it did. There's no, I mean, you go, I mean, we know that if you go and point lasers in the eyes of pilots eyes, I mean, that can, that can, it is a direct threat to them and their safety. It is a dangerous and reckless act.
FORDHAM: Let me ask you about a few other things, because I know you're due to jump on a plane. Coronavirus - it's been revealed this morning Her Majesty the Queen has tested positive for COVID. We know that Prince Charles and Camilla had it in the last week or so, but this is particularly concerning considering she's 95 years of age.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that is true, and we wish Her Majesty all the best for for a speedy recovery. There are few people more resilient than Her Majesty, and we wish her all the best as she works her way through this. I had a constituent of my own, not really, not that long ago she turned 101, and she'd just gone through COVID as well. So, I mean, we do know that people of that age can, it depending on the nature of how the illness has impacted them, can pull through, and I have no doubt, and I would certainly hope and pray that that would be the case for Her Majesty, and we wish her all the best.
FORDHAM: Now, we've seen some footage of you over the weekend having a crack at welding, Prime Minister. We've seen you, we've seen you playing the ukulele, we've seen you washing hair in women's hair salons. And now you've had a go at welding in the Northern Territory. Apparently you're supposed to have the face shield down when you're welding. Did you know that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course I did. This was a pretty tricky little device I was trying to use. I hadn't used that one before. But Ben, what I like to do, and it doesn't matter whether I'm at a welding shop or whether I'm in a hairdressers, I like to learn and understand what our trainees and apprentices are doing. Now, people want to have a crack at me about that. They can. But, you know, we've got more trade apprentices in training today - 220,000 - than any other time in our recorded economic history since 1963. So if people want to have a chip at me because I'm not a good welder, well, that's not my day job. Or, you know, or I'm not a good hairdresser. And, you know, I think it's sort of a bit passing strange, you know, that they'll have a, they never used to say anything about me doing things on welding or, you know, those things that people think are more blokey jobs. But I go and do what what young female apprentices are learning to do at a hairdressing salon, and they have a crack at me. I think they're fantastic. I think all of our apprentices are fantastic. They're hard jobs and you've got a lot to learn, as I showed everybody. I've got a lot to learn if I wanted to do those jobs. I just think our apprentices and the small businesses that are giving them a go are fantastic, and if all the narks, you know, in the bubble want to have a crack at me, well, they can. But what I'm doing is showcasing the great work of our apprentices and small businesses.
FORDHAM: Where are you off to today?
PRIME MINISTER: Heading down to Tassie today, Jenny and I are heading down to Tassie, and looking forward to getting down there. We're looking forward to, you know, being well out of Canberra now and being able to connect directly with Australians, talking about how we're making our economy stronger, how we're keeping Australians safe. We've got many issues we're still dealing with. The situation in Ukraine is very serious. You know, I I certainly hope that the latest efforts that European leaders are engaged in to prevent what is increasingly seeing imminent and inevitable. But what can't happen is we can't have a situation where threats of intimidation and violence by Russia can be used to somehow gain concessions and leverage. They, this is an unprovoked threat to from Ukraine. Ukraine should have every right to decide their own future and not be bullied and intimidated by its neighbour. And we will always stand up to authoritarian autocrats who think they can bully others.
FORDHAM: Have a safe flight to Tasmania. We'll talk to you soon.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks a lot, Ben.
FORDHAM: Prime Minister Scott Morrison live on the line.
