E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
TODAY SHOW
TUESDAY, 14 JULY 2020

SUBJECTS: Coronavirus outbreaks; COVIDSafe app failure; release of the Whitlam letters; Australian head of state.

ALLISON LANGDON, HOST: Thanks for joining us. Health authorities in two states this morning in a frantic fight to get the second wave of COVID-19, under control. The New South Wales Premier will today announce stricter rules in pubs, while Victoria has flagged Stage 4 restrictions are on the cards if complacency continues. To discuss, I'm joined by Shadow Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten and Triple M's Gus Worland. Gentlemen, a very good morning to both of you. Bill, it's still Week 1 of lockdown round two, but of real concern this morning, these outbreaks in aged care homes.

BILL SHORTEN, MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG: Yeah, it is terrible news. One of the facilities, Menarock, is in my local electorate up the road in Essendon. To see that 31 people have tested positive is horrifying, actually. And I can only feel for the workforce, the residents, but also the family. I mean, when you go to elderly ones who are sick, you just can't see them. It's just hard. It's just there's nothing good about this.

LANGDON: No. I mean, this is the news we were fearing, wasn't it, that the virus from get into an aged care facility again?

SHORTEN: Yeah, because it's so infectious. If you've got reduced immunities, I know that a lot of people think that this is just some sort of flu. And I've seen crazy nut jobs on the Internet who say, you know, it's all a conspiracy. It's not. I've spoken to a Registrar at a senior Melbourne hospital who's looking after people. Once you get on the ventilators, you get into the intensive care unit, you have trouble breathing. Eventually your body organs just give up. Look, this is not the flu. It is deadly, deadly, deadly.

LANGDON: And Gus, I mean, in New South Wales, it really feels like we're on a knife's edge again. But when you see pubs and casinos doing the wrong thing and all they cop is a five thousand dollar fine, I mean, that's barely a slap on the wrist, isn't it?

GUS WORLAND, TRIPLE M: Yeah, absolutely. We've been talking about this on the show for the last three months or so, waiting for that second wave to hit. We got a little bit arrogant, I think. I think we thought everything was done and dusted. The rest of the world was a drama, especially up in New South Wales, we were giving it to the Victorians, which was really awful. So yeah, we’re getting it back now, we have to realise that this, as Bill said, is deadly. It's second wave is coming like it has around the world. And we have to bunker back down again.

LANGDON: And we're all in this together, Bill. In all of this, the COVIDSafe App. It hasn't helped with contact tracing. Not once. This was supposed to be our ticket to freedom.

SHORTEN: No, listen, Labor gave support in principle, if the app could help make us safer. But I have to say, it looks like an expensive dud, another I.T bungle. What I'm finding is that, I haven't done a big survey, but I've asked people down in parts of my electorate, if you're middle class and you've got your smartphone, maybe you've downloaded it, I certainly have. But a lot of people who don't have a lot of money, a lot of older people, a lot of people from culturally different communities, they haven't downloaded it. I mean, we are now in a situation where when you go out, I don't know what it's like in Sydney, but I've seen it in Canberra and Melbourne, you have to write down on a piece of paper with your pen, your phone number. Like, congratulations, Government. We're now in a situation where we've rediscovered pen and paper is our best tracing app.

LANGDON: Yeah, because this app seems like it's a two million dollar failure. Gus, I want to get your thoughts. Do you think masks are a good idea?

WORLAND: Yep. I think they are. I mean, the jury’s out isn’t it, but just to me, it just makes common sense that you should whack a mask on. It might be a little bit uncomfortable, but tough titties, we’re in a tough place at the moment. So, whack a mask on.

LANGDON: Well, as we saw yesterday, Health Minister Greg Hunt, he had a little trouble with it at a media conference. Just take a quick look.

GREG HUNT, MINISTER FOR HEALTH (V/O): I would encourage Victorians where you cannot social distance and you are in proximity to other people to please wear a mask. Thank you very much.

LANGDON: Bill, you've got to feel for him, don’t you.

SHORTEN: Yeah, listen - always practise when you're going to do an experiment like that before you do it on TV. My wife’s actually been the one educating me on masks. And we've got to the point where she said, if you want to go out, they has to do the shopping you must wear a mask. And she's read all the research from overseas, John Hopkins, some people say masks don't stop it. In my opinion and based on what I've read, what a mask will do is if you have the COVID, it makes it harder to share it with someone else. So I've felt an obligation. Now, when I go into shops, I wear the mask full stop. And some people think it's unmanly. Some people think the mask makes you a wimp, and some people say they don't work. You buy the proper mask, you put it on properly, and certainly in shops I wear the mask, because I think that those of us who can should demonstrate to other people that this is a part of life. It's not an optional extra, in my opinion.

LANGDON: Yeah, they're cheap. They're easy. So why not? And finally, will the Republic debate flare again? Because later this morning, secret letters between Her Majesty and former Governor-General Sir John Kerr will reveal her role in Gough Whitlam's dismissal bill. This was arguably one of Labour's most iconic leaders. Is it time to farewell the Queen?

SHORTEN: Well, I believe we should have an Australian head of state, chosen by the people. These letters, there’s 211 of them. The palace did not want them released, though they believe in royal secrecy and it had to go to court, it was a sort of citizens action. The High Court decided six to one to release the papers. This hasn't happened before across the Commonwealth. There's no doctrine of royal secrecy for the monarch. But fundamentally, I think that why do we borrow someone else's Queen? She's a lovely person though, no reflection on her. But Australia's probably come of age where we should have an Australian head of state, picked by the Australian people directly.

LANGDON: Well, of these more than 200 letters, 95 of them were written by the Queen, so it’s going to be a very interesting read. Read. Gus, it’s certainly not the monarchy's year, is it?

WORLAND: No, they having a Barry Crocker, there's no doubt about and I'm a royalist. My mum still had the old Woman's Weekly on the coffee table. So, she will be very upset if I said this. But I agree with Bill, I just wouldn't do anything till Lizzie’s done and dusted. I think the rest behind Lizzie are no good. So let's just let Lizzie do her bit and then we'll change it after that. There's a few great Australians I reckon I'd love to latest.

LANGDON: Such as?

WORLAND: Such as? Good point. You’re going to put me on the spot, there

LANGDON: I thought you were going to say Bill Shorten or Hugh Jackman for sure. One of the two.

WORLAND: There you go.

SHORTEN: What about Karl?

LANGDON: Oh, don’t even get him started, you know he’d love it. Alright gents, always good to chat.

WORLAND: We couldn’t afford him!

SHORTEN: That’s a good point, Gus

LANGDON: A new head of state, we’re in trouble. Alright gentlemen, thank you.