Television Interview, Sky News

SUBJECTS: US Australia Alliance, Middle east Conflict, NDIS, e-Safety, Housing

TOM CONNELL [HOST]: To that top story on this meeting. We think it was a meeting. Richard Marles and Pete Hegseth. That laughter is from Peter Kalil, who's sort of announcing himself before I get to.

PETER KHALIL [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Well, I've got to announce myself with a bit of laughter. I mean, it is quite pathetic by the opposition and the coalition. I don't know, Tom, whether they've actually jumped the shark this early in the term. But Angus Taylor asking a question, he was called Captain Conspiracy during question time about whether a meeting happened or it didn't happen. There are photos of a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary Hegseth. But more importantly, the Deputy Prime Minister met with the Vice President of the United States. He met with the Secretary of State Rubio, he met with the Secretary of Defence and he met with the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President. Now that is a pretty good dance card for one day.

CONNELL: Ok, so let me ask this then. The relationship that's in good stead, that will mean presumably AUSMIN. This is the annual meeting between Defence and Foreign Ministers. It's due to happen in Australia in September. Is that going ahead?

KHALIL: Well, I don't. I'm not the person to ask those questions. What the dates are and all of that, that'll be determined by the Deputy Prime Minister's office and the Pentagon and the other Foreign Minister's offices and the State Department.

CONNELL: So, it's just an issue.

KHALIL: I don't know. I don't have the information about the AUSMIN meetings. But what I will say about is this is your question went to the relationship. Yeah. You know, the fact that our Deputy Prime Minister is meeting with the Vice President, the Secretary of State Rubio, the Secretary of Defence and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President in one day is a pretty good indication of access. But also our ability and the Deputy Prime Minister's ability to speak on behalf of the government about our relationship with the United States, the importance of our relationship, our alliance and the things that we are doing together to ensure the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific. And I think, you know, the fact that it happened in one day and, and the fact of the high level of the meetings makes it all the more ridiculous that Angus Taylor and the opposition are trying to play political point scoring with the relationship around a meeting that happened. I mean, even he even said were the photos generated by AI. Is that where Angus Taylor was going?

CONNELL: That was the question asked to him.

KHALIL: Well, I'm not sure. We didn't get an answer.

CONNELL: Ok, let me ask this then. The only time I've seen AUSMIN be cancelled was COVID and the Gulf War. If it doesn't happen, that would be a sign there's a strain in the relationship, wouldn't it?

KHALIL: Tom, you know better to ask me hypotheticals. I'm not going to deal in hypotheticals. What I can't talk about.

CONNELL: Well I asked you what was happening and you said you're not sure.

KHALIL: I know what you're trying to do here, which is to talk about a hypothetical situation that hasn't actually happened. I know what Angus Taylor was trying to do was to talk about a meeting that happened and pretend that it never happened, even though the evidence was right in front of his face with the photos. What we can say is treat this with the seriousness. And that's what I want to do. Talk about the importance of the relationship and the importance of the fact that the DPM has met with the Vice President, the Secretary of State and Defence, as well as the Deputy Chief of Staff to President Trump in one day. That is important

CONNELL: But what I'm trying to ascertain is if the relationship is in good stead. An annual crucial meeting that happens every year would still happen. And you'd say, yeah, of course it'll happen. They happen every year and we're confident.

KHALIL: Again, you're talking about hypotheticals.

CONNELL: Not hypothetical, that meeting happens every year.

KHALIL: Well, given the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister has just met with some of the senior leadership in the United States, as we've discussed, that is an indication of our ability to talk with our allied. Most important -

CONNELL: But that's not replacing AUSMIN, is it?

KHALIL: I didn't say that. You're trying to put words in my mouth.

CONNELL: I'm not. I'm asking.

KHALIL: We're not dealing with hypotheticals, Tom. You can spend all you want going down that rabbit hole. The important point is what's happened in the last 24, 48 hours is significant in the sense of the Deputy PM's ability to be able to engage with those senior leaders, the Vice President and the Secretaries of State and Defence, around our interests and what's important for Australia.

CONNELL: But I mean, for example, if AUSMIN is over in the US, it's scheduled to be here. They swap each year.

KHALIL: It does. Seems like you know a lot more about it than I do.

CONNELL: Well, I know. Well, you didn't know it was scheduled to be in Australia this year.

KHALIL: I'm just saying you're going down a pat asking questions about hypotheticals about meetings down the track.

CONNELL: Well, it's about rather than when AUSMIN gets shifted and then we get the explanation. I'm trying to find out ahead of time is the relationship in great stead. Of course they'll come out.

KHALIL: Look, I think the relationship is in good stead in the sense that look, there's always going to be difficulties but we are mature partners. We've gone through that over many, many decades and I've always said regardless of who's in power, whether it's Labor or Liberal or Republican or Democrat, regardless of the actual administration, there is a really important principle around dealing with each other.

CONNELL: Alright?

KHALIL: Because of the importance of the alliance.

CONNELL: Let me ask you this, I might change the topic actually. You're an expert on the Middle East, happy to say that. 

KHALIL: I'm not sure about that, but yeah.

CONNELL: The Israel invasion of Gaza City. Is there any military justification for this?

KHALIL: Look, we've been very clear about that. I mean the Prime Minister has clearly articulated that the decision by the Israeli Security Cabinet to mount a military offensive to invade the remainder of Gaza City in that large scale operation, it would be. I mean this wasn't just Australia, by the way, there were nine Foreign Ministers that made this statement on 9 August. This would be hugely problematic and aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation that already exists. It would endanger the lives of the hostages, it would lead to more mass displacement of civilians and more suffering. And they've been very clear about the fact that we don't think that is what Israel should be doing with respect to that. As far as the military objectives, I mean all you have to do Tom, is go and have a look viewers at the statements from Israeli generals about the military objectives. There's been a lot of criticism around the military operations and what they're trying to achieve. From our perspective and from the international community, we are saying we think the best possible way forward is a ceasefire, a return of the hostages, an end to the fighting, allowing of unimpeded humanitarian access to relieve the suffering of the people there and then moving towards the momentum towards peace and a two state solution, including recognition which is part of that, but also the transition, the economic rebuild and all of the things that the international community has to contribute to.

CONNELL: There’s been a shift from Labor on the NDIS, in particular around people with lower level needs on autism or behavioral delays. So, to have them on this Thriving Kids program. We've had a couple of experts on Sky News, one who's a pediatrician who says get kids off screens. This is a big part of it. Prevention better than cure. What could the government do about this, you know, an education program? Because screens have sort of slipped into our lives. I know. Giving a phone to a kid might feel like a great way to get 30 minutes peace at the pub, but is it a bad idea? Is there a role for government here on education?

KHALIL: It's a great question. I'm not an expert or a clinician, but I am a parent, as you are, and my view on this, and the evidence is there, that the increased screen time that children have now in the current generation is very problematic. It's problematic in a number of ways. Around concentration levels and there's some studies and evidence in the medical literature around the shrinking of the cerebral prefrontal cortex, which goes to imagination. And you need to be bored, basically, to be creative and imaginative. The use of screens and the constant use of screens is a real problem on a number of levels. The question you're asking is whether what can government do about that? Now, I know there are some programs, obviously we've put in the ban on social media, which is important. There are other things the government's looking at, the e-Safety Commissioner is looking at as well. She's doing that work. I will say this, there was a program by Optus called Optus Pause and it's a real shame is stopping. I've got a lot of constituents calling me, saying, as parents, why have they stopped that? Because the Optus Pause basically, you know, paused screen time.

CONNELL: Gone for 20 minutes and then it locks it out.

KHALIL: Yeah, exactly. And parents want that back. And I understand that.

CONNELL: You get a lot of apps these days if they're a parent watching this sort of stuff. Let me ask you very quickly. Labor's bringing forward this 5% deposit scheme. Why not just scrap lenders, mortgage insurance. It's kind of an outdated thing, isn't it? Banks know, you know, we have the tiny rate of default and usually when you sell a property, you haven't made a loss. So, is that just a bit of an old fashioned?

KHALIL: I don't know whether that came up in the economic roundtables that were had at the thing. But what we've seen, we are bringing forward the 5%, by the way, the 5% deposit to be able to get your first home because it allows younger Australians and other Australians to get into the market when they otherwise wouldn't have. They would have to save for a long time to be able to get there. By the way, for certain families, it's only 2% as well, that they meet certain criteria, and that's important. And it will save around $34,000 of mortgage insurance if you're sort of buying a house.

CONNELL: Well, realistically, people don't really pay that. It's just about getting in, isn't it? I mean.

KHALIL: Well, they pay it if they, if they go.

CONNELL: No, no. But people almost never do it, do they?

KHALIL: Well, you'd want to try and avoid it because it is hefty and it's costly.

CONNELL: Alright, going to leave it there. Peter Khalil, thank you, as ever.

KHALIL: Thanks, Tom.

ENDS