Transcript - Radio Interview with Kim Landers ABC AM

KIM LANDERS: Well the Defence Minister is Marise Payne. She's in Japan with the Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, for high-level security talks which will focus on the heightened tensions over North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. She joins me on the line from Tokyo. 

Minister, good morning.

MARISE PAYNE:

Good morning, Kim.

KIM LANDERS:

Let's start with this suspected Islamic State group chemical attack in Iraq. Were the Australian advisors with the Iraqi unit on the streets of West Mosul when this happened?

MARISE PAYNE:

Kim, I'm not going to go into the details of the exact location that the general has said, in operational terms, but what I have made very clear and what the Australian Defence organisation has made clear is that no Australian personnel were exposed during the gas attack on those Iraqi ground forces in Mosul.

It is definitely a dangerous and challenging operating environment, there is no question of that and we have never shied away from that… [indistinct]

KIM LANDERS:

[Interrupts] Well we've heard General Joseph Martin say …

MARISE PAYNE:

… that the Australian members are doing in Mosul

KIM LANDERS:

Sorry, Minister. Minister, we've heard General Joseph Martin say that the American advisors were with Iraqi security forces. They're with them each and every day, he says. Where were the Australians?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well it is an advise and assist mission, as you know Kim. So of course we are working with the Iraqi security forces every day. What the Australian forces did in this context was Australian medics at a secure base - which is outside Mosul - provided first aid to those Iraqi soldiers who were affected by the gas attack.

We have a broad range of force protection measures which we employ to support the safety of our deployed personnel throughout Iraq. So those who are part of the advise and assist mission, those who are even part of the Building Partner Capacity mission at Taji, we are always reviewing the operational threats and ensuring that we adapt those force protection measures accordingly [indistinct] …

KIM LANDERS:

[Talks over] So the combined - sorry to interrupt - but to be …

MARISE PAYNE:

… further review of course.

KIM LANDERS:

Minister, to be clear, the combined joint task force Operation Inherent Resolve has confirmed to the ABC in a written statement that Coalition advisors were present with the Iraqi forces. So by present, does that mean by their side on the streets of West Mosul?

MARISE PAYNE:

It means that they are advising and assisting Iraqi forces. In operational terms each situation is different, each situation is [indistinct] …

KIM LANDERS:

[Talks over] But I'm trying to be clear about whether they were on the streets of West Mosul.

MARISE PAYNE:

But in this case, in this case, no Australian personnel were exposed, Kim.

KIM LANDERS:

I understand that, but were they on the streets with West Mosul with the Iraqis when this happened?

MARISE PAYNE:

So Kim, I'm actually not going to detail the physical location of Australian troops in a conflict zone in the Middle East in this discussion.

KIM LANDERS:

Alright. What protections do the Australian advisors have against chemical attacks?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well, as I said, we have a range of force protection measures employed to support the safety of our personnel throughout Iraq. We review those operational threats - and this experience constitutes an operational threat - and we ensure that our force protection measures are adapted accordingly. Now we don't go into detail of those for operation security reasons, we don't define what force protection measures we adopt because the point is to protect our troops. But that is paramount in our minds in terms of supporting our troops who are part of the advise and assist mission in the Special Operations Task Group.

KIM LANDERS:

Okay. If I can turn to North Korea, you're there in Japan for talks with your counterparts. What defences does Australia have against an intercontinental ballistic missile that could be fired at some stage by North Korea?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well this is absolutely reckless and destabilising activity by North Korea. They are actions which Australia has very strongly condemned because it poses a very serious threat to regional and [indistinct] …

KIM LANDERS:

[Interrupts] I understand that, but I was asking - sorry Minister - I was asking what defences does Australia have against something like that?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well we are very concerned, as is the United States, as are our allies and partners in the region. Today's discussion with our Japanese colleagues in the defence and foreign affairs ministerial meeting will certainly be canvassing this. We are very concerned about what the latest missile test show. They show an intention to develop and improve a nuclear missile capability which will directly threaten neighbours and possibly the US, inevitably, and possibly Australia into the future.

KIM LANDERS:

So could Australia's for example, could Australia's new air warfare destroyers be equipped to shoot down ballistic missiles?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well Australia's new air warfare destroyers are not yet operational, Kim, and the way in which they are equipped is a matter for our capability determinations but the …

KIM LANDERS:

[Interrupts] I'm just trying to be clear, is that something that you would be looking into? To perhaps upgrading them to give them that capability?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well if I'd just been able to finish then I was going to say that the changing strategic environment means that we are always reviewing the capability that we have within the ADF and to support our forces to protect Australia and to protect the people of Australia.

That is the Government's primary focus in this regard. We are constantly having those discussions both at the national security level and with the senior officials and officers of the ADF. Certainly the challenging security environment in which we find ourselves regionally adds the focus back on this issue.

KIM LANDERS:

A final question: there's a report in The Australian newspaper today that you co-own a race horse with a lobbyist whose company represents firms seeking Australian military contracts. Is that appropriate?

MARISE PAYNE:

Well there is certainly no conflict of interest there. My interest in horse racing is a matter of clear public record, whether it's through the Parliamentary Declaration process or through the normal processes associated with horse racing.

I think that the story is one which The Australian has chosen to run but I'm focused here on my job in Japan and dealing with regional security matters which are so important to Australia and so important to us, our allies and our partners.

KIM LANDERS:

Alright. Minister, thank you very much for speaking to AM this morning.

MARISE PAYNE:

Thanks Kim.