Television Interview, ABC – News Breakfast

SUBJECT/S: Tropic Cyclone Alfred; Support for Ukraine; Trump Administration.

JAMES GLENDAY, HOST: Well, for more on this and all the day’s news, the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles is joining us now. Richard, good morning.

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Good morning James. How are you?

GLENDAY: I'm very well, thank you. I want to get to Ukraine in just a sec, but first to Queensland and Northern NSW. Are you expecting that the Defence Force is going to be deployed to help out?

MARLES: We are definitely very ready for this and yes is the short answer to that question given what this event looks like it's going to be. Already there's been a request in relation to sandbags, so that's the focus at the moment. And during the course of yesterday and today defence has provided more than 300,000 sandbags to enable people to prepare for this event. But I spoke to the Chief of the Defence Force last night to make sure that we are completely ready to provide the full assistance required and that we are working as closely as we can be with National Emergency management Australia as this event unfolds. One of the assets that we've got here is that Brisbane actually is a very significant defence city. 7th Brigade, which is one of our three big infantry brigades is based in Brisbane. Amberley, which is one of the two big Air Force bases just west of Brisbane. So, these are two of the biggest defence force bases we have and it does provide us a lot of personnel but real options in terms of operating from both of these bases to provide assistance. And I would expect that in terms of knocking on doors, providing airlift during, in the event that there's flooding, that all of these may come into play and we are ready to do everything that is required.

GLENDAY: In Sydney we've seen this threat against a mosque, a threat of a mass shooting. An arrest has been made over in Western Australia of a 16 year old. Is there any extra information you can tell us about this?

MARLES: Look, I don't have more than what you've reported but obviously you know this is an abhorrent act in terms of what was posted online. I know that this has been deeply disconcerting for the community in and around that mosque. It's an appalling reference to what occurred at Christchurch and there can be no tolerance of this we to be building social cohesion in this country. It is fundamentally anti-Australian to be engaging in this kind of activity and there is no place for Islamophobia in our nation. And it's really important that we are standing with that community today and we are calling this out for what it is.

GLENDAY: Alright, let's get to Ukraine then. Are you really open to sending in peacekeepers?

MARLES: Well, we want to see what the request is that comes through in relation to this. I mean from the get go we have been providing all the support that we can to Ukraine in terms of this conflict in order for it to be able to resolve this conflict on its terms. We stand with Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor here. It was Russia that invaded Ukraine and what's at stake here is the rules based order and we see that as very much engaging Australia's national interests. We already have service personnel who are training the Ukrainian armed forces and have been doing so now for the last few years and they are deployed into Britain to provide that. We will look at what requests come in, see whether we can, if there is a means in which we can provide assistance. We obviously do have a history of engaging in peacekeeping. Indeed there are service personnel who are Australian service personnel who are engaged in peacekeeping right now. So, we're open to whatever requests come in and we want to provide what assistance we can.

GLENDAY: But requests generally in this space don't come unless they've been discussed behind the scenes. So, is this sort of idea been spoken about informally between Australia, the UK, France, other European countries?

MARLES: Look, I mean it is early days in a sense and things are unfolding quickly as you can see in the media. Our fundamental position is that we remain open to considering whatever is being asked of us. And that's what we've been doing from the outset. And I might also say, you know, we've been really relying I think significantly on the leadership of both the United States and the United Kingdom in terms of the support that we can provide to Ukraine. And we will keep talking with those in Europe around what kind of assistance we might usefully be able to provide. And if there is something we can do here, then obviously we will.

GLENDAY: Finally, on a less serious topic, Deputy Prime Minister, the Western Australian Premier has described the Vice President of the US JD Vance as a Knob. Would you use that language? 

MARLES: Well, I wouldn't use that language. And I think Premier Cook has also perhaps said that this was not a moment of the greatest discipline on his part, which we can all understand. But look, we are working very closely in building our relationship with the new Administration in Washington. That is obviously not language I would use in terms of describing the American Vice President. And to be frank, the relationship between our Government and the new Administration in America is going well, and they have treated us with enormous respect. If you look at the speed with which I've been able to meet my counterpart in Washington, I was the first of his international counterparts that he met at anyone around the world. Penny Wong was the second Foreign Minister that Secretary Rubio met. In terms of any Foreign Minister around the world. We've now had two discussions between the Prime Minister and the President. You know, there is a real courtesy and respect which is being afforded to us by the Trump Administration, and we're grateful for that.

GLENDAY: All right. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. We do appreciate your time.

MARLES: Thank you.