Page 36 - Tropic Magazine Issue 16

INDUSTRY • POLITICS

Audience with the PM

SPECIAL REPORT
Prime Minister Scott Morrison spends an hour in the Tropic
office to discuss everything from Harry Potter to sending
migrants to Cairns.

Words Renee Cluff
Luckily, the Tropic office on Mulgrave Rd movies, he was off the hook. cities you can’t afford not to be a two
has a sushi take-away next door. Because It sparked a conversation about work income family, you can’t pay a mortgage
when you’re the Prime Minister and and family balance. As a husband if you’re not a two income family,” he
you’re flat out on the road in a pseudo and father to two girls aged 9 and 11 said. “I think that’s sometimes what
election campaign, eating lunch is alongside his wife Jenny, PM Morrison prompts a lot of people to move out
almost an afterthought. says like most Australians, he’s not of major urban areas and move into
By the time PM Scott Morrison had immune to the challenges. regional areas because that gives them
arrived for our interview, it was well past “We try to keep doing normal things as a the opportunity to have a different
2pm and he hadn’t eaten. Our discussion family,” he said. “I don’t complain about pattern of life with more flexibility.”
was conducted as he tucked into his it, not at all, there are plenty of people That includes areas like Tropical North
chicken karaage rolls. But before we that do it and have to juggle much more Queensland, where local leaders have
started grilling him, Mr Morrison was than me. Ironically in this role, Jenny been pushing for a population boost
faced with some tough questions from joins me from time to time out on the to unlock the region’s investment
our editor’s eight year-old daughter road so I tend to see them a bit more.” potential. They argue while about 3000
Saskia, a keen Harry Potter fan. While Latest figures show about two-thirds new residents are being welcomed to
she was disappointed the Prime of families are double income families, Cairns each year, there are still skills
Minister hadn’t read all the books, when which the Prime Minister understands shortages which could be filled by
he mentioned he’d watched some of the isn’t always by choice. “In the bigger migrants. The Federal Government last

36 • Tropic • Issue 16