TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MP JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE HON. JULIE BISHOP MP, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, THE HON. KEVIN ANDREWS MP, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE AND AIR CHIEF MARSHAL MARK BINSKIN AC,
Topics: The Syrian and Iraqi humanitarian crisis; Australia to extend air operations against Daesh into Syria. QUESTION
Topics: The Syrian and Iraqi humanitarian crisis; Australia to extend air operations against Daesh into Syria. QUESTION Tell me, why are we bombing ISIS targets in Syria if it’s the Syrian regime doing most of the killing? MINISTER ANDREWS
E&OE…………… Topics: US-Australia Alliance, Syria. QUESTION: Minister our relationship with the US is already long and deep, how do we make it even deeper? MINISTER ANDREWS:
E&OE… Topics: Syria, Canning by-election, polls QUESTION: Minister thanks very much for your time this afternoon. It’s nearly a year since the PM first committed Australian forces to the fight against Islamic State in Iraq. Can I ask what have we achieved over the past year?
E&OE... Topics: The Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program, Syria. QUESTION: Tell me about what you've seen today and what you thought. MINISTER ANDREWS:
E&OE... Topics: Operation OKRA; Dyson Heydon; same-sex marriage. RAFAEL EPSTEIN: Kevin Andrews, good afternoon. MINISTER ANDREWS: Good afternoon, Raf. RAFAEL EPSTEIN:
TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER THE HON. TONY ABBOTT MP JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE HON. KEVIN ANDREWS MP, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, THE HON. IAN MACFARLANE MP, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE, THE HON. CHRISTOPHER PYNE MP,
E&OE... QUESTION: Minister, maybe if we could just start with you telling us about the tour and what you have just seen at Austal this morning. MINISTER ANDREWS:
E&OE…………… Topics: 2015 Defence White Paper Community Consultation Report, shipbuilding, terrorism, DHA housing at Campbell Barracks MINISTER ANDREWS
E&OE.......... Topics: NATO Defence Ministers’ Meeting, Afghanistan, Iraq, ABC. MS O’CONNOR:
E&OE.......... Topics: Afghanistan, Iraq, Operation Sovereign Borders MINISTER ANDREWS:
E&OE…………… MINISTER ANDREWS: Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
E&OE…………… Topics: Future Submarine Programme QUESTION Minister, thanks for your time. First of all, your trip to Kobe. You’ll be looking at the Soryu for the first time, what do you expect to get out of that? MINISTER ANDREWS
E&OE…………… Topics: Wedgetail aircraft, Australian military involvement in Iraq MINISTER ANDREWS:
E&OE…………… Topics: Launch of naval air warfare destroyer, NUSHIP Hobart; Australian submarines. MINISTER ANDREWS
E&OE…………… QUESTION The Minister has kindly agreed to answer some questions from the audience, so I have some helpers with microphones.
E&OE…………… Topics: Joint Strike Fighters, 2015 Budget, Greens leadership spill. MINISTER ANDREWS: This is a major project so far as the RAAF is concerned, so far as the Australian Defence Force is concerned, and particularly in relation to the local community here at Williamtown.
Topic: Execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, Door stop interview, Canberra MINISTER ANDREWS
E&OE…………… Topic: ADF troop deployment to Iraq LEIGH SALES: Australia has announced that an extra 330 troops will start deploying to Iraq from tomorrow. That's on top of the 200 Special Forces soldiers and 400 personnel already helping the air mission against Islamic State.
E&OE.... KEVIN ANDREWS: Ladies and gentlemen, I have with me this morning the Chair of the Principles Review of Defence, Mr David Peever, together with the Chief of the Defence Forces, Air Chief Marshall Mark Binskin, and the Secretary of the Defence Department, Mr Dennis Richardson.
E&OE…………… Topic: Maintenance of Armidale Class Patrol Boats BEN FORDHAM Kevin Andrews, good afternoon. MINISTER ANDREWS Good afternoon Ben. BEN FORDHAM
E&OE……………………….. KEVIN ANDREWS: Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. It’s certainly been a week for decision and delivery in defence and I have with me this morning Rear Admiral Mark Purcell who is the head of Maritime Systems Division at the Defence Materiel Organisation.
E&OE……………………….. Topics: Defence Pay, Iraq Deployment, Submarines MICHAEL BRISSENDEN:
DAVID SPEERS: Kevin Andrews, thank you for your time. KEVIN ANDREWS: Thank you, David. DAVID SPEERS:
E&OE…… Minister Andrews: Good morning. I’m very pleased to be here this morning and be joined by the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett and the Acting CEO of the Defence Material Organisation, Mr Harry Dunstall.
E&OE…………… Minister Andrews:
MINISTER ANDREWS: Thank you very much Brigadier James to you to Lieutenant General David Morrison, the Head of Army, to Major General Paul McLachlan the Head of Land Systems, my friend and Parliamentary colleague Sarah Henderson, the Member for Corangamite, ladies and gentlemen.
