Bridget Brennan:
With us now is the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, from his electorate in Logan in Brisbane. Good morning, Treasurer, such a concerning system coming your way. How are your preparations going and what are your fears for Queensland over the coming days?
Jim Chalmers:
Good morning, Bridget. This is the calm before the storm here in Logan City. We had some rain overnight but obviously people are bracing for some very, very heavy weather over the course of the next couple of days, whether it’s here in Logan or right throughout southeast Queensland and into northern New South Wales.
We’re preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. There is a lot of stress and anxiety. People are obviously very concerned and very worried about what the next couple of days might bring.
Brennan:
Have you had any briefings overnight, Treasurer, and which areas in particular are you most concerned about as that system tracks towards the coastline?
Chalmers:
I have had some briefings overnight but there’ll be one a little bit later this morning as well. I think the main conclusion of the updated advice is that we expect the cyclone to cross a little bit later, more like Friday in the day rather than overnight Thursday–Friday.
My advice to people is to make the most of that time. If you haven’t already cleaned up the yard and secured things in your yard, brought the bins in, done all of those sorts of things.
Also make sure that you’ve got everything sorted in terms of being able to make an insurance claim.
Also make sure that your myGov details and log‑ins are sorted as well in case you need to access the sorts of payments that usually kick in after natural disasters.
There’s a lot of people in harm’s way here. We’re talking about something like 4 and a half million Australians potentially in harm’s way, 1.8 million homes.
We expect that there’ll be billions of dollars of damage done by Cyclone Alfred, and so the best thing we can do is prepare and stay informed, make sure that people are accessing all of the relevant information and getting it from trusted sources. But it’s going to be a difficult couple of days.
Brennan:
We’re also obviously so worried about vulnerable communities, especially after what we saw happen 3 years ago in those devastating floods around northern New South Wales. Could you talk to us about what’s needed and what’s been put in to place to support people with illness or who are homeless, First Nations communities, multicultural communities who might be more vulnerable in this kind of situation as this cyclone comes towards the coast?
Chalmers:
I know from my own community here in Logan that it’s often the most vulnerable people who are most at risk. I know from the sorts of houses and neighbourhoods that went under the last couple of times that they’re the ones that we’re worried about again.
There’s a coordination mechanism which is particularly attentive to vulnerable people, people with a disability, people with other kinds of vulnerability, and from a personal point of view I think a lot of local representatives are making calls, particularly to older constituents and residents to make sure that if they need help, they can be provided with help.
Here I really want to shout out the SES, all the volunteers, all the community organisations, all the first responders. We know that this is going to be very, very difficult for everyone in harm’s way but especially for the most vulnerable. They need and deserve a bit of extra attention, and as I understand it people are getting that.
Brennan:
The PM says the Defence Force stands ready to help the SES there in Queensland and also in New South Wales. How are they likely to be used and what lessons could you learn from previous disasters when after the disaster that’s when the real tragedy starts to set in, when people felt abandoned or weren’t able to be rescued. Are there some lessons that have been learnt from previous years?
Chalmers:
Of course. Unfortunately Queenslanders and Australians more broadly are no strangers to natural disasters. It’s rare for a cyclone to be this far south and to threaten such a huge population area. But we do learn from previous natural disasters.
We are very grateful to the Australian Defence Force for being in position to be ready to help where that’s necessary. That’s a good demonstration, really, of all 3 levels of government working closely together.
But you made a good point in your question, Bridget, and that is to recognise that as hard as the next few days will be, the heavy rain, the heavy winds, it’s often the period in the immediate aftermath where we see that flooding, where we see people dealing with the damage and the aftermath.
I really want to reassure people that we know that as difficult as the next few days will be, it will be weeks and months in order to clean up after what we are anticipating.
Australians are usually there for each other when times are tough, and the government will be there for them as well. Our commitment by the Defence Force to help out where they can is part of that.
Brennan:
Understandably, you’ve got your focus on the cyclone and the coming days, but if I can just take you overseas for a moment. One of Donald Trump’s key picks, policy picks at the Pentagon has said that Australia’s defence spending should rise substantially. Do you agree with him? And also does this risk us using comments like this to dictate our own policy here in Australia?
Chalmers:
Our defence spending is already going up really considerably. Something like an extra $50 billion from memory between now and 2033.
That means as a percentage of our economy it goes from around 2 per cent to 2.3 per cent, from memory, in 2033. So that is a very, very substantial pick up in defence spending, and one of the reasons we’re doing that is to be able to work more effectively with our allies and partners like the United States.
That defence spending is already coming up very substantially. It’s one of the number of arguments that we can make with our American friends when it comes to the sorts of policies that they are considering.
We do pay our own way on defence. We are substantially increasing defence spending. We’ve got a good relationship with the Americans, particularly that economic relationship which is of mutual benefit and these are the sorts of things that we have been talking about with our American counterparts as they finalise some of the policies on things like tariffs.
Brennan:
Of course it won’t be front of mind for millions of people in the path of this storm, but we know an election is due, the Prime Minister there in Queensland. Has the government decided to pause calling an election while this storm rolls in?
Chalmers:
You’re right to say that the focus is on dealing with Cyclone Alfred, and also in my case, the National Accounts came out yesterday which showed the Australian economy’s turned a corner. It gives us a good foundation to deal with some of this global economic uncertainty, as well as the heavy weather that we’re anticipating here.
We haven’t been focussed on the timing of the election for obvious reasons. Queensland and northern New South Wales is about to be hit by what could be a devastating weather event, and so considerations about election timing and all the rest of it, they are matters in my view for another day.
The focus today is on helping people prepare for a difficult couple of days and then some difficult weeks and months to follow.
Brennan:
Thanks, Treasurer, and we hope you and your family stay safe over the coming days.
Chalmers:
Appreciate it, Bridget, all the best.