Interview with Kim Napier - ABC Northern Tasmania
KIM NAPIER, HOST: Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt was in Burnie yesterday for a job summit. The visit highlighted both the challenges and the opportunities facing the Northwest, including delays on key projects and the importance of industries like salmon farming *trips over words* - oh, it must be the rum in the Christmas cake! - to the region's economic future. The Minister joins us now, good morning to you.
MURRAY WATT, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS: G'day, Kim, good to be with you.
KIM NAPIER: We have just tried Christmas cake doused in rum with a sharp cheddar cheese. Is this something you've ever tried?
MURRAY WATT: Wow, that is quite a combination! But, you know, I've learned something about Tasmanians: you're very good about food, so maybe I should give it a try as well.
KIM NAPIER: Well, it hails from the UK, but we're willing to take it on board.
MURRAY WATT: Take credit yeah, for sure.
KIM NAPIER: What were the key takeaways for you about employment challenges and opportunities in the North West from yesterday's roundtable?
MURRAY WATT: Yeah, we had a very well attended roundtable organised by Senator Anne Urquhart, who's obviously our candidate for the federal election in Braddon, yesterday that was held in Burnie. We probably had about 25-plus representatives of local businesses, employment service providers, not for profits, welfare organisations, all the kind of people who deal both with employers who are looking for workers, but also who are providing assistance to people who are looking for work in our community.
What we know, right across the country, is that over the last couple of years, we have seen an enormous number of new jobs created. In fact, there's been over one million new jobs created since we were elected two and a half years ago, which is the most that we've ever seen any government deliver in a single parliamentary term. But whether it be in Northern Tasmania or other parts of the country, there are still people who are struggling to find work. And of course, there are many employers who are struggling to find the workers they need.
So, what really came out of it was a good understanding about how we, as a federal government, can be working with different levels of government, other groups within the community, to support efforts to help people overcome some of the barriers they have to finding work. There are obviously lots of jobs around, but there are members of our community who may be having literacy or numeracy issues that make them struggle getting work. One of the things I very much took away was some of the transport issues that people in the North and North West face in getting to jobs if they don't have a driver's licence. So there's a range of issues that we can work more closely on with the State Government going forward.
KIM NAPIER: Well, you spruiked some of those positive numbers. I don't have them in front of me but this isn't an accountability interview, we just want to hear from what you were doing in the North West yesterday. There is frustration, though, around legal delays holding up major projects like the Robbins Island wind farm and salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour. How do you think the Government can balance abiding by these legal processes with delivering progress on what are critical projects, when you're linking those to jobs?
MURRAY WATT: Yeah, look, I can certainly understand the interest of many Tasmanians in either seeing new projects go ahead or existing jobs stay in place. And, of course, the Prime Minister was in Strahan on the weekend pledging his very firm support to the salmon industry. I visited Strahan myself and met with workers in the industry when I held the Agriculture and Fisheries portfolio. And of course, Anne Urquhart has been a consistent advocate for the industry the entire time she's been in Parliament. As you recognise, as a government, we are obliged to follow the law when it comes to environmental approvals. But I think anyone can look at our record and see the consistent support we've provided for the salmon industry and for renewable power. When it comes to salmon, I'm sure you're familiar with the funding that our Government has provided for the oxygenation trials, for the captive breeding trials. Because, of course, what we want to see is a successful salmon industry that employs hundreds and thousands of Tasmanians, but we equally don't want to see an endangered species go extinct. And we think there are ways of achieving both of those outcomes. So, we'll obviously follow the laws, but I don't think that our support for those industries can be called into question at all.
KIM NAPIER: So, with salmon farming in Macquarie Harbour and Robbins Island, you mentioned on the coast yesterday, lobbying Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek - I wonder if you've done and what response you've received and what outcomes can the North West expect in the near future?
MURRAY WATT: Yeah, I've certainly personally lobbied Tanya Plibersek as the Environment Minister around Macquarie Harbour. Again, I did that in my role as the Agriculture and Fisheries Minister. I met with representatives of the salmon industry and the workers in the industry on many occasions while I held that role and as I said, actually went out on a boat, had a look at Macquarie Harbour to try to understand the process better. But, you know, equally, I respect that she's got a legal process that she's got to follow. I think it's worth remembering that the act of Parliament that she's got to make this decision under was actually brought into place by John Howard when he was the Prime Minister. So it's not as if this is some sort of Labor Party conspiracy - we're following a law that was supported by both sides of Parliament. But again, the bottom line is we want to see the salmon industry continue. We think it can be done in an environmentally sustainable manner. And of course, it's important that the industry continues to lift its sustainability record, which is certainly what I've seen it do over the years that I've been involved in it.
KIM NAPIER: Now, in the past five days we've had yourself, the Prime Minister, Bill Shorten has been here. Why the focus on Tassie?
MURRAY WATT: Well, obviously Tasmania is an important state when it comes up to the federal election, but I think you will have seen many of us visiting Tasmania and advocating for the state over the years as well. Both Bill and the Prime Minister have been regular visitors to Tasmania over the many years they've been in Parliament. And of course, the Prime Minister has been a very strong advocate of projects like the Marinus Link project that would really benefit Northern Tasmania. There was lots of interest in that project yesterday at the roundtable and the jobs it can create. And equally, just as there's some concerns from some people about the salmon industry, I think we need to recognise that Peter Dutton and the Coalition have said that they'll scale back or scrap the Marinus Link if they're elected. They want to eliminate the funding program that the Federal Government is using to build that project. So I think there is a real issue about jobs when it comes to Tasmania at the next election. But I think people need to take a closer look at Peter Dutton and the Coalition and what they're offering to do, or actually what they're offering to do to try to remove jobs that Tasmania desperately needs going forward.
KIM NAPIER: Well, finally it was a few months ago, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was on the program, and he made this promise:
[EXCERPT]
ANTHONY ALBANESE: What you need is one of those wheels, though, with the flap.
KIM NAPIER: I wanted one!
ANTHONY ALBANESE: Not a virtual one.
KIM NAPIER: I wanted one.
ANTHONY ALBANESE: I can do something about that.
KIM NAPIER: Would you? (laughter)
ANTHONY ALBANESE: We don't interfere with the independence of the ABC, but surely the government can give a directive about a chocolate wheel.
KIM NAPIER: Yeah, that's what they're called.
ANTHONY ALBANESE: Yeah, that's what they're called, I was trying to think, yeah, yeah.
[EXCERPT END]
KIM NAPIER: Minister Murray Watt. Do you mind asking him when we can expect that to arrive?
(laughter)
MURRAY WATT: I will definitely follow that one up for you. I heard about this yesterday, Kim, and I had to remind myself what a chocolate wheel was because being a good Queenslander, I think of them as the kind of wheel you use to win a meat tray in a pub.
KIM NAPIER: Yeah, well, that's the kind of thing it is, yeah.
MURRAY WATT: It is but you may have seen yesterday, there's a new CEO being appointed to the ABC. So I'm sure this will be at the top of his agenda! And I'll make sure that I take this up with the Prime Minister for you as well.
KIM NAPIER: Yeah, that's what I want. The man in the top job.
MURRAY WATT: It's all about accountability!
KIM NAPIER: Yeah, exactly. Thank you for your time, and I hope you enjoyed your time on the North West coast yesterday.
MURRAY WATT: Absolutely. Merry Christmas to you and your listeners.
KIM NAPIER: Merry Christmas to you, too. That is Minister Murray Watt there. He's the Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister.