E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
TODAY SHOW
TUESDAY 19 OCTOBER, 2021
 
SUBJECTS: Queensland borders open for Christmas, Melbourne businesses navigate re-opening; Coalition’s Squid Game over climate action; Emma leaving The Wiggles.
 
ALLISON LANGDON, HOST: Nice to have your company this morning, Queensland open for Christmas. Four words the whole nation wanted to hear; the Sunshine State due to open to fully jabbed Aussies when the state vaccination rate hits 80 per cent. For more, we are joined by Shadow Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten and 4BC's Scott Emerson in Brisbane. Nice to see you both this morning.
 
BILL SHORTEN, MEMBER FOR MARIBYRNONG: Hi, thank you.
 
LANGDON: Hey, Bill. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, isn't it?
 
SHORTEN: I really hope so. I've got family live in Nudgee Beach and Indooroopilly, and well, we want them to come down for Christmas. And in January I'd rather go to Queensland for holidays than Fiji. At the moment, it's possible for someone from Melbourne to go to Fiji. I just would rather go - I'd rather have my holiday in Australia than overseas if I can.
 
LANGDON: Yeah, look, I think plenty of people feel the same way. Scott, how are you feeling about this? Because you kept COVID out for more than eighteen months, you know, it's now coming and you've got some of those regional areas, they’re a concern because their vaccine rates are very low.
 
SCOTT EMERSON, 4BC: Yeah, some of these places around Queensland are not doing well, some of the regional areas - some regional areas are doing sensationally like Goondiwindi as Karl mentioned a bit earlier in the program, great numbers there. Other areas like Mackay are still very low, but it's good news. A roadmap finally, a set date, December 17th. Even Bill's going to be allowed in from December 17th.
 
LANGDON: Yeah Bill, but what about Karl? That's a step too far, isn't it?
 
SHORTEN: I think there's been a committee set up to review Karl’s possibility of attending Queensland.
 
LANGDON: I think so, there's some strong feelings about that. Hey, Bill. Melbourne's also reopening, Freedom Friday three sleeps away. There are some major concerns, though only outdoor trading allowed. So, I mean this idea of having your hair cut on the kerbside, no wonder many businesses are calling the rules ludicrous.
 
SHORTEN: Well, first of all, I just want to say I'm really pleased for my fellow Melburnians that Friday is coming. My youngest daughter's able to go to school for the first time in 75 days on Friday. Listen, I get the frustration of the retailers, but we're headed in the right direction. I don't think these further restrictions will carry on too long. I mean, the train's left the station and Melbourne's opening up again, and thank goodness, not a day too soon.
 
LANGDON: But I mean, and I get all of that, and overall, it is unreal. But I mean, Bill getting a haircut on the sidewalk or a beauty treatment? I mean, that's not going to work, is it?
 
SHORTEN: Yeah, well, that's why I don't think it'll last very long. I was very lucky Chloe cut my hair last Thursday, so anyway… I think she did a good job. She's only got so much to work with, as you were all thinking.
 
LANGDON: Well, there you go, we're looking at it right now, Bill.
 
SHORTEN: Yeah. I think the hair salons and likewise facilities, I think that the rules will get back into sync pretty quickly after Friday, at least. I hope so. Fingers crossed.
 
LANGDON: Yeah, I'll tell you what, Chloe looks alright on the scissors there. I gave my husband's hair a cut earlier in the lockdown and lucky we couldn't go anywhere. It wasn't very good. Hey, just too Bill, the Prime Minister hardening his stance this morning on committing to net zero emissions by 2050, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting he's going to forge ahead with or without the Nationals on board. Barnaby is on the show in the next half an hour. How do you think he's going to react to that, Bill?
 
SHORTEN: Barnaby Joyce doesn't like to be pushed around, but I would just say to Barnaby, can we just get on and join the 21st century? The fact of the matter is that the rest of the world is moving to zero net emissions by 2050. That was our policy, Labor's policy, for some years now. I just think that there's jobs in the bush for renewable energy. The important thing is not to leave people behind, but good climate policy is good jobs policy. I mean, at the moment, you'd have to draw the conclusion that the coalition between the Nats and the Liberals is a very unhappy marriage. It's become like the Squid Games of Australian politics, except without the nice tracksuits.
 
LANGDON: Well, that's a visual for us all this morning. I mean, Scott, you've got twenty thousand coal mining jobs in Queensland, right? Can you transition them more to renewables and to green?
 
EMERSON: Well, that is the worry for the Nationals up here, because they've got a whole swag of seats in Queensland. Obviously for the Coalition, Queensland has been the state that stood most loyally by them over the last couple of elections, and there are seats in central Queensland that the Nats are worried will be at risk if they sign up to this 2050 zero net emissions. But the majority of the Nats, from what we're hearing, do support this as long as there is a good enough deal. So, I think it is going to happen. So, I don't think it's too much of a risk for Scott Morrison to say, I'm going anyhow, and I'll be announcing it because I think the Nats will come on board. It's just a matter of 1) how much money they'll get as part of the pork barrelling. And 2) can they convince their locals, like in seats like Capricornia and near Rocky and Flynn? Those seats like that.
 
LANGDON: Bill, what do you reckon they’ll sign on? Is Barnaby just playing hard to get at the moment?
 
SHORTEN: Yeah, I do think they'll sign on. I think Barnaby is trying to leverage whatever he can. Nothing is ever inevitable, but I think this is about as close to inevitable. The fact of the matter is that our climate's changing. The fact of the matter is there are jobs in new industries, hydrogen, you know, wind power, and we'll still have some role for existing industries for the foreseeable future. So, I think there's been a lot more scare campaign run by the Coalition than there needed to be, and I think we're now playing catch up with the rest of the world. It's not leadership to tell people that you never have to change, not telling people the truth about the future and just saying you can do business as usual for as long as you want, that's not actually leadership. Leadership is actually saying to the people, this is where I think the world is going and this is how we get the best deal for our people as the world changes.
 
LANGDON: Well, I mean, you can't go to Glasgow without a deal, can he. And look, finally, guys devastated kids and their parents this morning, Emma's leaving The Wiggles. I mean. Scott, how do we break this to our kids?
 
EMERSON: Like you said a bit earlier Ally, don't even tell them. Just keep playing replays for the next, what, 10 years? Just do that. Don't let them know that Emma is gone. She is wonderful. I mean, my kids are a little bit older. They were heartbroken when Greg Page left. So, God knows what would happen if they find out that Emma's gone as well.
 
LANGDON: Yeah, no. I think that's exactly it. I'm just not going to tell them, bury my head in the sand. It's the best way, isn't it, guys?
 
SHORTEN: Get the Nationals out to explain it to the kids, that nothing changes
 
LANGDON: He’s on fire this morning. Nice to see you both. We'll talk soon.
 
ENDS