Transcript - Television Interview - Sky News with Tom Connell - Monday, 24 January 2022
TOM CONNELL, HOST: Welcome back. We have got the Government now warning not to waste nor hoard rapid tests as the return to school threatens to pile even more pressure on supply chains. For the first time this year, let's bring in our political panel. I'm talking, of course, about Liberal MP Jason Falinski and from the Labor Party, Patrick Gorman. Look, we'll start with the weapons firmly in holsters. Just tell us about your break, first of all. Patrick, obviously you would have been WA not even contemplating a trip to the East, as it's referred to there.
PATRICK GORMAN, SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA: I had a lovely time in Western Australia or as Scott Morrison calls it, the cave. The cave saw us spend lovely nights out with the kids, had a fabulous time celebrating Christmas, but it's great to be back for 2022.
CONNELL: Jason, I saw far too early, well, social media posts about politics far too early in the year from you. Did you take any time off?
JASON FALINSKI, LIBERAL MP: No, there's no rest for the wicked, as you know. I had to keep going through Christmas and New Year. But we had a good time. We had a good time. We had a good time. How was your break, Tom?
CONNELL: It was very long, I felt it felt like I wasn't really contributing to society by the end with a very unseemly beard and much in need of a haircut. So I'm feeling like, I don't know, "contributing" might be a strong word?
FALINSKI: Do we get photos of this? I want to see you with a beard.
CONNELL: Well, that's why I don't post on social media, too. Let's get into things, though, Pat. You are over there in WA, the opening of the borders has been delayed indefinitely, even though on Omicron's in the state now. Do you support this decision?
GORMAN: Well, Labor has always supported the premiers acting on health advice. We're not going to start questioning that now. For me, like many Western Australians, that was very tough news to hear. I was absolutely gutted to hear that announcement, but I was out doorknocking on the weekend, talking to people in my community and like them, I understand why this decision has been made. It's because we need to make sure that we have the best possible health response and circumstances change from when that decision was initially announced. What people often tell me in politics ...
CONNELL: It has changed though even since the decision, to delay the border opening, things have changed Omicron is there and the Minister saying it's not stopping. So don't we now need a date?
GORMAN: Well, everyone from the Chief Health Officer down have said if circumstances change here in Western Australia, then of course, they say those changes may become redundant. What we want to do, and what everyone wants to do across Australia, wherever we are, is to slow the spread of this virus to prevent people getting sick where there isn't capacity in health systems across the country and to make sure we've got the medical supplies we need. We've just seen the Deputy Prime Minister sort of promise us that the Rapid Antigen Tests will be here next week. Oh there is 16 million coming next week he says. Well, that's not much comfort for people who are rocking up at chemists today discovering that there's none available for sale.
CONNELL: All right. I don't know about none, but there's certainly in short supply. Pat, would you ever disagree with what the chief health officer says, no matter what are you, just whatever they say, no matter what, they’re right? You agree with it. Is that where we're at?
GORMAN: Labor's taking a really consistent position that where the premiers are acting on the advice of their chief health officers we will back them. We're not going to start undermining premiers in the middle of a global pandemic. That means that sometimes you have to back in difficult decisions. But that's the approach we've taken. We've been consistent on it and a bit of consistency goes a long way.
CONNELL: It's well, you know, some of them sort of disagree with each other. So that's health advice. It can vary. But anyway, I haven't forgotten you, Jason. What about the Federal Government? Does it back in the approach of WA on borders right now?
FALINSKI: I don't want to speak for the entire Federal Government, but I don't. But that's pretty much what Mark McGowan wants. He wants some people in the Eastern States as he keeps calling us who is suffering from a zombie apocalypse to criticise him so he can say, "see, I'm standing up for Western Australia" and I'm just not going to give him. I'm just not going to give him the satisfaction of doing that. I mean, he has to answer to the people of Western Australia what he's been doing for the last two years. If he thinks he can keep Omicron out, well, he'll be literally the only country, well, not that he's a country, but he'll be the only jurisdiction in the world to manage that. So, you know, look, he's ultimately got to answer to the people of Western Australia on this. I mean, I don't know how they feel about their borders being constantly closed. And if he's got an answer to, if not now, then when, you know, Pat just criticised the fact there aren't Rapid Antigen Tests in in Western Australia or they're in short supply in Western Australia. I mean, up until two weeks ago, they were banned from being sold in Western Australia. So I mean, this is, you know, if we want to talk about consistency, I think we need to be consistent across all those lines, too. But. But Tom your point, I think is the right one, which is, you know, at some point political leaders actually need to be assuring Australians that it's going to be okay. And we're moving from a pandemic to an endemic. And, you know, we have the health systems and we have things in place to allow them to get on with their lives in a safe and secure manner, not dialling up the fear as they continue to do.
CONNELL: For a lot of people, part of getting on with lives is having access to the RATs as they're called. We're being told today, just use them when you're symptomatic, be responsible. What does that mean, Jason? If someone's visiting, say, a 90 year old relative, they're a bit worried about possibly infecting and they want to use a RAT ...
FALINSKI: Then don't visit your relatives. If you're worried about infecting someone who's in a in a vulnerable position, then you should urge on the side of caution and not visit them.
CONNELL: Hang on. What's wrong with taking a Rapid Antigen Test and then visiting? You say don't do that?
FALINSKI: So if you want to give yourself assurance by taking a Rapid Antigen Test or by getting your PCR, that's absolutely open for you to do. But I do think that what medical professions, as opposed to the medical establishment, the point that they're making today is that Rapid Antigen Tests, if you are not symptomatic, are not as accurate as the PCR test in fact track they're discernibly less accurate.
CONNELL: No, I understand that this is - you're going in hour, and it might be an unexpected visit that day and people are seeking that comfort if you like.
FALINSKI: Well, Tom,
CONNELL: I know you're alluding to, but are you saying it's the right of the wrong thing to do for scenario?
FALINSKI: I mean, this is the difference between me and members of the left. I mean, it's your choice. How you want to live your life is your choice. I'm not going to tell you how you must live your life. Now, I'm listening to health professionals who are saying to me that if you are not symptomatic, then a Rapid Antigen Test will not necessarily be well, is not as accurate as a PCR test. So if you are symptomatic, whether it's with COVID or with the flu, then yes, you should avoid visiting people in vulnerable situations.
CONNELL: PCR queues are a lot shorter now and results coming back in sort of 12 hours or so. So is it fair enough to use that in that circumstance? What are your thoughts?
GORMAN: Well, all of what we've just heard from Jason and what we heard from the Deputy Prime Minister earlier today is just trying to cover up for the criminal undersupply of Rapid Antigen Tests across Australia.
This government could not look a couple of weeks ahead to see that they did not have enough medical supplies. They also failed to realise the quantity that people would need and the financial impacts that would have. Labor has been really clear. Make these things free and make them freely available. Make sure we have enough ...
CONNELL: Imagine the run on them if we did that. Is that really a good idea?
FALINSKI: Yeah. I mean, that is a disastrous outcome, and I don't believe for a second, that Pat actually believes that. Because if Pat actually believed that he would be critical of Mark McGowan for making the sale of Rapid Antigen Tests illegal until two weeks ago, so no one was saying. So despite what Sally McManus says no one was in Australia, claiming six months ago that we needed these tests because until the middle of December, the health establishment and health professionals were talking about ...
CONNELL: Okay, quick response from you Pat - limited time.
FALINSKI: I thought we were on for three hours?
CONNELL: You're grossly mistaken. Patrick?
GORMAN: It is very well documented that the McGowan Government ordered Rapid Antigen Tests in December. My question is when did the Scott Morrison Government order?
FALINSKI: Oh right, so McGowan ordered them, but they're not enough. Therefore, it's Scott Morrison's fault. I mean, this is what we've heard from the McGowan Government all along.
CONNELL: We have to leave it there, but I'm sure we'll be talking about the McGowan Government next week, I'm sure.
GORMAN: Where are Barnaby Joyce's 16 million Rapid Antigen Tests?
FALINSKI: Where we are all the RAT tests McGowan ordered?
CONNELL: All right. I started off by saying I missed this panel but I might have got things wrong there. Jason, Patrick, we'll talk next week.
ENDS