NEIL MITCHELL:
Good morning.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Good morning, nice to be with you. And Melbourne is finally free, Neil – a great morning.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Not quite. Did I hear you advocating margaritas in the morning?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, I think a lot of people are in the festive spirit and they want to celebrate today, and I do think today is an important milestone that we’re marking on our road to recovery. And, as you know, Victorians have sacrificed so much. Melbourne has been the most locked‑down city in the world. Our kids have missed more than a full year out of the classroom and the cost has been great to small businesses. So, we need to be conscious of that cost, but also conscious of the fact that our economy can bounce back strongly and that this, hopefully, reopening sees no turning back.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Well, other things you seem to be suggesting, and so does the Prime Minister, is there are things that could be brought back earlier. We could have more than we’ve got at the moment. What is that?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, I was pointing out, as you know, last Saturday how New South Wales at 70 per cent double‑dose vaccination rates have more freedoms than the people of Victoria were being promised; and I did notice the next day the Premier made some announcements and changes to the road map, but still Victoria has less freedoms than New South Wales did at the same vaccination rate. For example, indoor retail is open in New South Wales. It’s not as yet in Victoria. Indoor cinemas, gyms, pools and, of course, some of the larger events can be held, as well as for hospitality. As you know, you’ve got those limits of 20 people per venue indoors, whereas in New South Wales at 70 per cent they have a one‑person‑per‑four‑square‑metres rule and masks weren’t required outside. I was just pointing out those facts. And it was really pleasing to see during the week, too, Neil, that two of Australia’s leading medical experts who have forgotten more about COVID than you or I have ever known, Professor Nick Coatsworth, who was the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, but also Professor Catherine Bennett, who’s the Chair of Epidemiology at Deakin University, both were saying that in New South Wales and Victoria, you know, they’re similar enough, in their words, to move out of lockdown at the same vaccination rates and at the same pace.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay; I did talk to Nick Coatsworth about that. But, I mean, is it the day for that? I mean, this is a day of celebration. You and Daniel Andrews have been head to head, we know. When will National Cabinet sit down and tell us what’s ahead? When will we get an answer about 80 per cent, 90 per cent?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, firstly, today is a day for celebration. I was just responding to your particular question about the details of difference. Today is a day to say thank you as well to the Victorian health workers who have been magnificent, supporting our community; to all those small business owners who have supported their staff; to say thank you to all the teachers who have supported their students; and all the mums and dads who are listening to your program, saying thank you for looking after their kids. So, you’re absolutely right. Today is a positive day. Today is a welcome today. Today is the day that all Victorians have been waiting for. With respect to what the Federal Government is in control of, of course, international borders is one and the Prime Minister has signaled that we are looking to bring tourists and international students and skilled workers into our country sooner than later. We do welcome the fact that in New South Wales there won’t be quarantine for Australians who are double‑vaccinated who are returning and who have tested negative. And it looks like Victoria is following suit there. That’s really welcome. That’s really welcome that Victoria and New South Wales are set to provide that new system.
NEIL MITCHELL:
I think there will be a degree of nervousness about that. We’ve got five minutes of sunshine here. Do we want to risk it by bringing people in from overseas? We already know there are problems emerging in other parts of the world. Do we really want to reopen the borders early? Do we have to?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, again, what we do is bring Australians home first – to bring them through this process without the home quarantine, if they’ve been double‑vaccinated and they’re going into New South Wales. Then we obviously wait to see how that program has worked, and once we’re satisfied that’s been managed well, then we can move to the next step. Really there are a number of phases, but you’re starting with Australians. You’re then moving to skilled workers or students and then, ultimately, tourists and then, as you know, next year we have got the great Australian Open and we want to see that open to the world as well.
NEIL MITCHELL:
There is clearly an element of risk in reopening, isn’t there?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
We’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and I think that’s an important point that you make. We’re not out of the crisis just yet. But if you look around the rest of the world they’ve learnt to live with COVID. They’ve walked away from any notion of an elimination strategy, and the cases are no longer the key indicator of success or failure in managing the pandemic. The focus moves to hospitalisations. The focus moves to how many people are in ICU or on ventilators and, of course, the surge required in our health system is designed for exactly that.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Okay. Just on something else before you go, please tell me this is wrong. There is a very strong rumour going around there will be a federal election before the end of the year, possibly December 11. Can I say one thing? Don’t do it. It would be like running an 800‑metre sprint after a marathon. Is this a possibility?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
I don’t think you should have any expectations about that. But, as you know, the timing of an election date is one for the Prime Minister, but he has said publicly that it is our intention to run full term and that would make it next year. But again, that’s his prerogative in terms of the timing, but I don’t think you should be having any firm expectations about the timing as you put to me this year.
NEIL MITCHELL:
You agree it would be a bit like running a sprint after a marathon. We’ve had enough of you people. We’ve had enough of – we just want to live our lives without the vision of…
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, that is certainly true. People want to be able to live their lives. People want to be able to have a great Christmas, a Christmas where they can catch up with their family, a Christmas where they can spend some time on the beach, a Christmas where we can celebrate what makes us great as a state and a country.
NEIL MITCHELL:
And have you got a traitor in the State Opposition? Somebody has leaked material from a party room meeting, which is an aggressive debate. Tim Smith, your friend, being called an f‑ing idiot by Bernie Finn. Now, I don’t mind the debate. That’s fine for them to shout at each other but leaking that – well, one, the leaking carries a potential jail sentence with it but have you got division within – have you got that level of division that you’ve got a traitor in the state opposition?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Well, I actually think Matthew Guy has brought together his team very effectively to take over the leadership. He’s taken the fight to Daniel Andrews. He’s shone a light on the issues that need to be focused on and…
NEIL MITCHELL:
But somebody in his party room has secretly recorded something then leaked it to the media. That is a jailable offence. That’s presumably by a Member of Parliament.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
It won’t surprise you, Neil, that I’ve been focused on managing the economy. I’ve been focused on ensuring that Australia recovers strongly, and I’m focused on today’s good news, which is that Victoria is moving to the next phase of its pandemic response, opening up in a COVID‑safe way and seeing the jobs come back, because my focus I have to tell you, from day 1 of this pandemic, Neil, has been for Australia to avoid the consequences of the recession that we saw back in the 1980s and the 1990s where people were in unemployment for a very long time. So far we’ve avoided that.
NEIL MITCHELL:
And have we?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Yes, we have. So far we’ve avoided it. I will just give your listeners one key statistic. In the 19 –
NEIL MITCHELL:
This is called deflection.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
No, it’s not. It’s called reality.
NEIL MITCHELL:
I think you’re running away from the question.
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
Neil, Neil, the thing that matters most to many of your listeners is job security. And the fact that in the 1980s, after the recession, it took eight years to get down employment rate back to where it was before the recession. In the 1990s, it took a full decade to get the unemployment rate back down to where it was. This time around we’ve done it in just over a year. So, we’ve moved much faster and much more effectively than previously.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Thanks for your time. Are you going to ring Daniel Andrews and offer to buy him a margarita?
JOSH FRYDENBERG:
I’m sure he’ll have his own colleagues to drink with and so will I.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Thanks very much.