E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
TODAY SHOW
TUESDAY, 28 APRIL 2020

SUBJECTS: Australia’s response to COVID-19; China; return to school; ANZAC Day.

ALLISON LANGDON, HOST: Today, China is threatening to boycott businesses and industries as Australia leads the push for a global inquiry into the origins of COVID-19. It comes as News Corp reports the Australian and Chinese government co-funded virus research into live bats at a lab in Geelong. To discuss, I'm joined by Shadow Minister for Government Services, Bill Shorten, and 2GB and 4BC’s Chris Smith. Good morning, gentlemen. So Bill, what concerns you more here, the breakdown of our economic partnership with China or our government paying for Chinese scientists to experiment with live bats on home soil?

BILL SHORTEN: Well first of all, in terms of the research, there's a lot of research done between Australia and researchers from other countries, we’ll have to wait and see what more detail there is, but the research is not unusual. I think the sabre rattling by China merely because Australia has the temerity to suggest an independent investigation, how did this virus come to be? You know, I think China needs to just step back a bit. All the people want to know is how did it happen? I mean, this virus has changed Australia forever, and it's had dreadful health consequences and it's had massive economic consequences. Now, I think that the Morrison government's right to call for an inquiry. Labor's backing it. It's not going to compromise our ultimate engagement with China. So, I just think everyone should take a chill pill, including, dare I say it, some of the commentators from China.

LANGDON: So, Chris, I mean, what do you think? Do you think this is a real threat from China? Are they calling our bluff?

CHRIS SMITH: Well, whether it's real or not, I think they're sort of getting a bloody nose as long as this is being played out. Like, here is a situation where most countries in the world would not question for one second whether we need an independent investigation into the world pandemic. Like, who other than China would think that would be inappropriate? That is the, that is the truthlessness of China exposed, almost more than the way they handled the virus at the very beginning. We need to push ahead with this, and I'm so glad that we haven't fallen over and copped it like we've done on the South China Sea for too long. We're being very, very deliberate here. We want an investigation and we're in a situation because of the way we've handled the virus, where we can push this as a pretty good, I think, a national lesson to the rest of the world as to how to handle the virus. So we’re the appropriate people to do it. And China had better watch out, because this is the line in the sand that I think the Australian people have been looking for.

LANGDON: So this has been strong leadership from Scott Morrison. We've got to ask where the other world leaders been on this.

SHORTEN: Well, I think other leaders around the world do think there needs to be independent investigation on this matter. I mean, just one thing I will say, though, is I separate the Chinese government's official reaction, to Australian Chinese citizens and I think that the investigation makes perfect sense. People do deserve an explanation because otherwise, how do we know these mistakes or what happened isn't going to happen again. But I just want to, you know, you see a lot of memes, a lot of stuff on social media, associating everyone with a Chinese or an Asian face with this - that's not fair. But absolutely, an investigation, we press ahead. And going back to what Chris said earlier, whether or not they're bluffing or not - that's not really the issue for us. The issue is, has there been a pandemic? Yes. Has it caused massive damage? Yes. Do we want to make sure it doesn't happen again? Absolutely.

SMITH: They treat us so stupidly. Here are they saying, the Chinese, oh well the Chinese people might choose not to eat Australian beef. Most of the Chinese people in mainland China, and I've lived there, don't choose much at all. It's about the Chinese government not buying Australian beef. Well, let them see how they go with that.

LANGDON: All right well, something else I want to talk to you both about this morning, evidence of the impact the lockdowns having on our kids’ education. New research revealing almost half of all students have suffered significant learning setbacks. I mean, Bill, it comes on the same day infectious disease experts say our schools can be reopened safely. Where do you stand on this?

SHORTEN: Listen, I'm a parent. I've got one at university, one at secondary school in year 12 and one in primary school. What parents want, in my opinion, is they just want certainty. So if Dan Andrews is listening to the Victorian health expert and saying he's not going to open schools until he's convinced it's safe to do so, what parents want is certainty. We just don't want, to be blunt, we don’t want to be stuffed around and so I think some of this debate's a little hothouse. I think the parents are doing their best. I absolutely take my hat off to teachers. You know, trying to teach a 10-year-old mathematics with a bit of toast in your teeth and doing your work phone calls, I mean, to be fair actually Chloe’s done all of the educating of our kids. What parents want is certainty. I rang six school principals in my electorate the last couple of days. They said, Bill, pick a date, but don't stuff around with it.

LANGDON: I mean, this is the issue. There's so much confusion and Chris we're hearing this morning that a lot of private schools are pressing ahead with reopening. And now there's this very real danger that public school students will be left behind.

SMITH: Well, yes. And we and we learned from this report today that they will, we will have a reduction of about 30 percent in our educational standards. Because my Year 12 daughter doesn't have a Chloe to look after her to teach her throughout the day. And there are a lot of kids in that situation. They take an hour or two to sort through things that are difficult to them as opposed to getting them sorted out in the classroom one on one with the teacher this is really important. Why is it in New South Wales that it's safe to go to school on Monday, but it's not safe to go to school on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. This is cockamamie stuff. Send them back to school. If checkout people can work at supermarkets, if bus drivers can take us around, etc. etc. I would've thought teachers can go to school and recognise social distancing with adults because that is the main fear it's not the interaction with children. Get over it. Get on with it.

LANGDON: All right.

SHORTEN: I’d just say you know, when it comes to it schools, better than home schooling, absolutely. But it seems that every galah in a pet shop’s got a view. I'm just happy if the state education authorities just make the decisions and stick to them. But it's just the constant debate that is sending parents crazy - and teachers.

LANGDON: Well, I mean, that's the issue, isn't it? Education is a state issue. The feds have got a say in it. So everyone's just shrugging their shoulders, going don’t know what to do. But I do know a lot of parents are fed up and there is talk from quite a few that they are just going to send their kids back this term. So it's gonna be interesting to see what happens over the next coming weeks. Bill, Chris, thanks for joining us this morning.

SMITH: Thank you

SHORTEN: Good morning, see you guys.