Interview on ABC News Afternoon Briefing with Greg Jennett

GREG JENNETT [HOST]: Well, you might have noticed we’re making ongoing efforts here on Afternoon Briefing to get across the Albanese Government ministers with new or altered duties in the recent reshuffle. Queensland Senator Anthony Chisholm is still an Assistant Minister, but he’s now had Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries added, working with senior Tasmanian colleague Julie Collins. Anthony Chisholm joins us now live from Maryborough. Anthony, welcome to the program and congratulations, first of all, on your expanded opportunities. We will come in a moment to your familiarity with farms, forests, and fish in just a moment. Why don’t we start with Rex Airlines? Because it is a pressing issue in regional Australia, and your home state of Queensland too. Some of the regional routes in Queensland fly only because of state support and subsidies. What’s the Federal Government going to do to ensure that those routes survive administration and or new ownership at Rex?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Thanks, Greg, and good to be with you from Maryborough. And it is a really important issue. My thoughts are obviously with those workers that have been impacted on the news of Rex entering administration. And I’ve thought about, over the last couple of months, the number of places I’ve been to in regional Australia where I’ve travelled by Rex. So, I was in Ceduna in regional South Australia a few weeks ago, I was in Roma recently as well, and both of those were Rex-operated flights. So, I understand how important it is. And you talk to people who are on those flights and quite often, they’re going to catch up with family, sometimes they’re heading for medical appointments, and that is their only option to get to those places in a quick manner, given that it’s a long distance to drive to those places. So, it is important that the Government is doing what we can. Obviously, the administration process, as we’ve seen with airlines previously, can be quite complex. But I do note that the Minister has already made some media comment about this. I know the Prime Minister is aware. And we want to work as quickly as we can with the administrators to ensure that these regional services can continue because for those communities, it isn’t a convenience, it’s actually a necessity.

JENNETT: And do you look in the administration process and the settlement of Rex’s financial affairs? How much do you look to Virgin or Qantas to pick up some of the routes, the regional routes I’m talking about here, currently and historically flown by Rex?

CHISHOLM: Well, that will obviously be a process that will be worked through with the administrators. As you mentioned in the introduction, some of these routes are also regulated by the state governments, who provided support for them. So, there’ll obviously be a role for state and territory governments to play in this space, and I know that the department has been briefing them and the administrators will brief them as well. So, we know that we need to work constructively with the administrators, but also incorporate that with the states and territories because we know how important this is for regional communities.

JENNETT: All right. Why don’t we move on to inflation figures? The CPI numbers out today, Anthony Chisholm, they prove that inflation is not really going anywhere near where it’s supposed to, which is the 2 to 3 per cent target band. They can’t simply be allowed to stay where they are, can they? We know what the Reserve Bank is going to do about it. What will federal fiscal policy do to further douse what Jim Chalmers admits is persistent, stubborn inflation?

CHISHOLM: Yeah. And I think that the message from the Treasurer and the Finance team with Katy Gallagher as well, has been consistent since we came to government about doing what we can to tackle inflation. And obviously, it was double what it is now when we came to government, or more than double. And we’ve been working, doing what we can, to provide that cost of living relief, but doing it in a responsible way. Obviously, the budget surpluses have been a key to our strategy as well. So, we’ll continue to manage that in the best interests of the country and obviously do what we can to ensure that we’re putting downward pressure on inflation and getting it in line with where the RBA wants.

JENNETT: Does that mean doing more, having flexibility to alter settings made in May?

CHISHOLM: Well, it’s always been at the forefront of their minds when they’re making decisions that have an impact on the budget. But we’ve been doing that in a responsible way. I know the RBA have made comments about the importance of delivering budget surpluses. We also know that people are doing it tough. And I was out on a farm this morning and they talked about how the costs have been going up and how challenging that has been. So, we understand that it has a wide-ranging impact across so many sectors of the community and households. We want to be a responsible government, we want to manage the economy in a responsible way, and that’s what we’ve been doing since we came to government.

JENNETT: Yep, it’s certainly a lived experience, the cost of living pressures. They feel it far and wide, including in the agriculture sector, as you just noted, Anthony, and you are now the Assistant Agriculture Minister on your second full day in the job. Tell us some of the Chisholm back story on ag, on fisheries and forestry that explains your selection in this portfolio. Do you know a lupin from a long bean?

CHISHOLM: Well, I’ve certainly got plenty to learn, Greg. I don’t dismiss that. But as a Queensland Senator, it’s something that I’ve always been interested in. It’s obviously a significant part of the Queensland economy as well. And I’ve got some family who grew up in regional Tasmania. So, I’ve always had a feeling that whether it be forestry or whether it be agriculture, that it’s been in the blood. But there’s obviously a really big challenge to ensure that we’re doing what we can to support the industry at the moment. There’re so many challenges, whether it be in biosecurity, whether it be in dealing with inflation. And today, I’ve been out and about across Queensland and I’ve had the opportunity to meet with a farmer, Ben Rackemann, as well and he gave me a real insight into the challenges that he’s dealing with on a daily basis. He focuses on peanuts and grain crops. And it was really an eye-opener for me to get a sense about the decision making he’s having to do to keep his farm afloat and make ends meet for his family and the role the Federal Government can play in that as well. So, certainly a sector I’m really interested and excited to be engaged in.

JENNETT: Thanks for the background perspective on that. You will have had some incoming briefs, I’m sure, from officials. What remains left over to be done now that live sheep has been sorted? What is top of the agenda for you in ag?

CHISHOLM: There’s still obviously some trade barriers that we want to see enhanced and opportunities there. There’re obviously future trade deals that will be in the works as well, which I think will create opportunities for farmers. And then, there’s also obviously the challenges of getting access to markets as well and some of that can be as basic as infrastructure that will support that. So, I think that there’s enormous opportunity, and I want to ensure that I’m on the ground listening as much as I can and ensuring we’re making good decisions that are going to have a positive impact on those people who do such a great job for the country.

JENNETT: All right. Well, in that and your other responsibilities, we’ll keep abreast of your work. Anthony Chisholm, congratulating you once again, and yeah, promise we’ll have you back soon.

CHISHOLM: Thanks, Greg.