Television Interview, Sky News

SUBJECTS: Middle East Conflict; G7; AUKUS, Defence Spending; Exercise Talisman Sabre. 

KENNY HEATLEY, HOST: The Australian Government is telling Australians caught up in the Iran Israel conflict to shelter in place, while US President Donald Trump is urging people to evacuate Tehran. Joining me live now is Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks for coming on the program Minister. So, who should Australians in Iran listen to? The US President or the Australian Government?

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Well, we're advising Australians in the region, as you say, to shelter in place. Right now, the fundamental issue is that the airspace over both Iran and Israel in fact, is closed. We've had about, as of last night, about 650 Australians in Iran register their interest in having an assisted departure, about 600 Australians in Israel. And so we are putting in place preparations for that. But right now, the fundamental issue is the closure of the airspace above Iran and Israel. But as soon as there is any opportunity to pursue an assisted departure, we will.

HEATLEY: And has there been any indication from Israel that there may be a window opening soon for flights out of Israel?

MARLES: Look, I'm not in a position to give a definitive answer in relation to any of that. What we're doing is really working up all the options that we've got available to us so that when there is an opportunity we are in a position to provide those assisted departures. And in the meantime, as you say, we are advising Australians in the region to shelter in place. We have the Smart Traveller website, which is providing constant updates in relation to this. And it does also afford people the opportunity to register their interest in an assisted departure.

HEATLEY: According to a letter sent to an Australian from DFAT in Israel, that Sky News has seen, the Australian Government is raging bus transportation through private companies to get Australians out by road to Jordan. When can you expect that to take place?

MARLES: Look, there has been some efforts there, but fundamentally what we are looking at is providing assisted departures by air when there is an opportunity for that to occur. And so they are really the contingencies that we are working up right now.

HEATLEY: There's been extraordinary scenes in Tehran as people try to flee the city following Donald Trump's calls for residents to evacuate. Two US aircraft carriers are heading to the region. The US president raced back to the situation room. He said that the people of Tehran should evacuate and get out. Is this an indication that the US is prepping for a strike against Iran?

MARLES: Well, obviously, I'm not about to speculate on what America is going to do, and I'm certainly not a spokesperson for the US Government. I think what's important to say is that from an Australian perspective, we are concerned about the prospects of escalation here. And we've been calling for de-escalation now for a few days. Our focus is really on calling for diplomacy and dialogue. We very much understand Israel's right to defend itself and we also very much understand the risk to the region and to the world which is posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program. But for all these reasons, dialogue and diplomacy is what we believe is the pathway forward. And we're saying this as many other countries are around the world, and we're adding our voice to that call.

HEATLEY: French President Emmanuel Macron warned any attempt to change the regime in Iran would result in chaos. Is that Australia's position as well?

MARLES: Well, our position is that we want to see this de-escalated. We are very concerned about the escalation, the potential for escalation here. We are concerned, as we have consistently said, around Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme and what that poses to the world in terms of the threat to peace and stability. And indeed, President Macron spoke about exactly that a couple of weeks ago at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. But right now our concern is around the prospect of escalation here and we really want to urge all the parties to de-escalate.

HEATLEY: Anthony Albanese didn't get a chance to strengthen the case for AUKUS to Donald Trump at the G7. Has the Prime Minister just avoided having to try to justify America giving us nuclear submarines out of its own navy fleet and thereby weakening itself to strengthen Australia when Australia, in Trump's view, is not spending enough to look after our own defence?

MARLES: Well, there's a lot in that question. I mean, firstly, the AUKUS arrangement is something that is supported by the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. It's very much in the strategic interests of all of our three countries. There's something like 120 Australian tradespeople right now who are in Pearl Harbour working on US Virginia class submarines, getting them into the water. We are contributing financially to the US industrial base for both production and sustainment. So, there's a lot in this for the United States which they well and truly understand. And we have a sense of confidence about AUKUS proceeding in the way we've all agreed and is underpinned by a treaty between our three countries. Yes, the United States is doing a review of AUKUS, we welcome that that's a very natural step for an incoming government to take. It's one that the new Labour government in the UK undertook when it was elected last July. It's one really that we undertook when we were elected back in 2022 as we undertook the Defence Strategic Review. So, we get all of that. But AUKUS works in the strategic interests of all of our three countries and we are all working on it at pace.

HEATLEY: Ahead of meeting with Mr. Trump at the White House. In February, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that he would cut his foreign aid budget to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with the ambition to get up to 3% in the second term of government. Anthony Albanese and Keir Starmer are about to meet this morning at the G7. Do you expect that he'll recommend Australia to increase defence spending as well during that meeting?

MARLES: Look, I think there's a lot which is talked about in relation to defence spending. I think the first point to make here is we've already engaged in the biggest peacetime increase in defence spending that has happened in Australia's history. We've been doing that over the last couple of years. So, we are very focused upon our own strategic landscape and our own strategic needs and we will continue to do that. I mean, the Prime Minister is right in saying that what we need to be doing is focusing on our national interests, what our defence capability needs are and then resourcing them. And that's the process that we will continue to go through. And we very much understand the complexity in many ways, the threatening nature of the strategic landscape that we face and that has underpinned the significant increases in defence spending that we've already undertaken. We work very closely with the United Kingdom in terms of pursuing what we are both doing and AUKUS is a critical part of this. What AUKUS will see is both the United Kingdom and Australia in the fullness of time, operating the same class of nuclear-powered submarines in the future. And so we have much to work with in terms of our relationship with the United Kingdom and we will pursue that.

HEATLEY: Minister, the Talisman Sabre war games are next month. Do you know what the response from China in our waters will be and the scale of that response? And has China indicated yet that they will be sending warships to our region to monitor the exercise Talisman Sabre?

MARLES: Well, it's not going to surprise you when I say that China don't forecast any of that to us in advance. But it is also fair to say that previous iterations of Talisman Sabre we've had the PLA Navy observing what we do. And so we're fully expectant that some version of that will happen when Talisman Sabre occurs later this year, and that's fine. Talisman Sabre is a really important exercise that the Australian Defence Force undertakes. It began its life as a bilateral exercise with the United States, but today there are many countries who participate in Talisman Sabre. And from the point of view of the Australian Defence Force, it really is the marquee exercise that we undertake every two years, which certifies so many of the skills and capabilities that happen within the Australian Defence Force. So we'll undertake that and whatever happens in terms of other countries observing it, we'll be ready for that, too.

HEATLEY: Just finally, the Australian Government in February raised concerns with China about inadequate notice of live fire exercises conducted in waters between Australia and New Zealand. Do you expect there's a chance that China will conduct its own exercises next month?

MARLES: Well, again, I'm not about to speculate on any of that. We're focused on Talisman Sabre, making sure that it's a really great exercise for Australia and for the countries that we will be working with in relation to this exercise. Of course, the United States being first and foremost amongst them. And we're very confident about Talisman Sabre being a great success.

HEATLEY: Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, appreciate your time this morning. Great to talk with you. Thanks so much.

MARLES: Thank you.

ENDS