Radio Interview, 3AW Drive

SUBJECT/S: AFL Grand Final (Go Cats!); Australia-China relationship; Formal Recognition of the State of Palestine; Australia-US relationship

JACKIE FELGATE, HOST: Good afternoon, Richard Marles.

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Jackie, how are you?

FELGATE: Good. Did you have a good time on Friday?

MARLES: How good was it?

FELGATE: I was a bit nervous.

MARLES: Well, it was nerve-racking in the first quarter, but they kept their heads and really made us proud, did us proud. And the whole of Geelong is now very, very excited about this weekend.

FELGATE: I saw you were sitting next to the Prime Minister. Is it awkward for you given he’s a Hawthorn supporter?

MARLES: Well, he actually is a very keen Hawthorn supporter. So, I mean he’s a big supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but he’s backed Hawthorn all his life. He was there at the 1991 Grand Final. He and I are very close, but I have to say this was a new chapter in our relationship to be sitting next to each other.

FELGATE: I saw that he left a bit early.

MARLES: He did leave a bit early. I wasn’t really sure how to handle myself, but I thought I’ll stuff it – this is the moment to be yelling for your team. I did then subsequently send him a text message apologising for being insufferable – but he said it was all good.

FELGATE: Oh, well, thank you for coming. It was all good; it was all good for us. Now, we have got that out of the way; let’s get –

MARLES: That is the reason why we are here.

FELGATE: I think that’s the reason why you came on, that’s right. Hey, I do want to ask you a couple of things. We’ll start with just your reaction to the former Premier Daniel Andrews’ visit to China. Are you aware if the Federal Government was told that Dan Andrews would be there in that capacity at that time?

MARLES: Well, I mean, obviously he was not representing the Australian Government. He was there in his private capacity. So, we don’t have any control over what Daniel Andrews does. And I think probably what’s important for people to understand is that the Australian Government was represented at that event by a representative of our embassy in China, a diplomat. Ten years ago, on what would have been (I’m doing my maths in my head) I think the 70th anniversary, it was a Minister of the Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison Government which was present for that commemoration. So, we were very clear in our minds about how we should be represented there. It was at the level of a diplomat from our embassy. Daniel was obviously there in his own private capacity.

FELGATE: But was it embarrassing for the Federal Government when the diplomat is certainly not going to be photographed, and then you see someone who was a leader of this state, a former Premier, there next to Kim Jong Un?

MARLES: Well, I mean, ultimately this is a matter for Daniel and, you know, as I say, we were represented there in the form that we were. I mean, look, I think prominent Australians, obviously, let’s just say the obvious, need to have a sense of awareness about how they will be represented at any given event that they turn up to.

FELGATE: Would you have preferred that he wasn’t there?

MARLES: Look, I’m not going to give more commentary on it than I have. This is ultimately a matter for Daniel and really, you know, the questions about his attendance there are ones that he needs to answer. From the Australian Government point of view, he was not there representing us, and we were represented at the level of a diplomat within our embassy.

FELGATE: The current Premier, Jacinta Allan, has obviously just gone to China about investment in the SRL, and there is Chinese involvement now in buying boring machines. But has the Federal Government reconsidered any funding for the Suburban Rail Loop at this time?

MARLES: Well, firstly, just on Premier Allan’s visit to China, we definitely understand that. I mean, the relationship with China is one which is complex. There’s just no getting around that. And, you know, we all want to have the most productive relationship with China that we can. They are our largest trading partner. They’re also our most significant security anxiety, and we need to balance those things when we engage in the relationship with China. And that’s how we talk about having stabilised the relationship with China. And in doing that, it really does enable state leaders to pursue trade missions such as what Premier Allan has done. And indeed, the Prime Minister was there just a couple of months ago himself. So, I understand that at her visit. In terms of the SRL, as we’ve been saying, we released the $2.2 billion that we committed in the 2022 election to enable those early works to commence. That’s the extent of our commitment to the Suburban Rail Loop. Any future commitments are matters for future budgets, clearly, we will talk to Victoria as we talk to every state about their priorities. Our priority going into the election and coming out of it was actually supporting the rail line to Tullamarine and particularly the upgrade of Sunshine Station, and that’s where our focus is at.

FELGATE: Okay, and obviously a big news day in relation to Australia and the recognition of a Palestinian state. What difference will that make to us here?

MARLES: Well, I mean, this has been an issue which has been considered globally for a long period of time. How we exercise our voice globally matters – and we are doing this in conjunction with the United Kingdom and with Canada. Look, what we’ve done in recognising a Palestinian state is really consistent with the position that we’ve had. But in fact, successive governments in Australia have had over a very long period of time of wanting to see a two-state solution. And for those who believe in a two-state solution, and that has been governments of both persuasions in Australia, inherent in that is recognising the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people to have statehood. That obviously is within the context of the security of the Israeli state, and that is very much part of how we see this. And the recognition of the Palestinian state is about trying to be part of a global movement to see the realisation of a two-state solution and with that bring an enduring peace to the Middle East, which obviously the last two years have put into sharp focus as being something that’s really needed.

FELGATE: And would our view change if Hamas was to have more involvement in a future Palestinian state?

MARLES: Well, it’s a really important question. As we have articulated this, we’ve made it clear that Hamas can have no role in a future Palestinian state. That is very much part of the conditions upon which we have moved forward. And that’s something that has been indicated to us in correspondence from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas to the Prime Minister. There can be no role for Hamas. There needs to be reform of the Palestinian Authority itself. Inherent in that is the holding of elections, which the Palestinian Authority has committed to doing. And all of this obviously is about seeing an end to the conflict in Gaza and a return of the hostages to their families in Israel.

FELGATE: And on that, do you still have concerns about the aid that is making its way into Gaza and the stoppage of that aid? And what role does Australia play in that?

MARLES: Well, what we need to be seeing is humanitarian assistance flowing to people in Gaza. I mean, there is a humanitarian catastrophe, which is playing out in Gaza and I think, you know, in Australia, but around the world people want to see an end to that. That must see a ceasefire, but it also needs to see humanitarian assistance and aid flowing into Gaza so that humanitarian situation can be addressed. Now, we’ve committed significant contributions in terms of Australian aid to Gaza to help deal with that. But fundamentally, what we need to see happen is that humanitarian assistance being allowed to flow into Gaza.

FELGATE: And are you concerned as well? Obviously, you must have consistent worries about the safety of Australians that work within those aid programmes. And there are a number of doctors working there at the moment too, that are Australian.

MARLES: Well, we definitely do.

FELGATE: Are you in contact with them?

MARLES: Well, we maintain consular outreach to Australians around the world. I can’t say whether we’ve been specifically in contact with all of them, obviously. But the plight of aid workers, of those who help with humanitarian situations around the world, is something that we are seeking to highlight. This is particularly the case given how many who have been doing that kind of work have lost their lives, not just in Gaza, but around the world in recent years. They do really vital work. I’ve seen humanitarian workers do their work in the most difficult places in the world, and they literally save lives on a daily basis. And it’s really important that their lives are protected so that this really important work can continue.

FELGATE: And just on the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Trump, does the recognition of the Palestinian state have any impact on that meeting? And is that sideline meeting still going ahead?

MARLES: Look, I don’t think it has really any bearing in terms of our relationship with the United States. Certainly, you know, in all the meetings I’ve done with the US with a range of counterparts, it’s not something that comes up. We obviously have a very big agenda with the United States and that’s what we focus on. In terms of the Prime Minister meeting the President, he’s spoken with the President on a number of occasions by phone. I’m sure that a meeting is going to happen in the not too distant future.

FELGATE: Will that be while he’s in New York, though?

MARLES: Well, I won’t speculate on it. I mean, but I’m sure it’s going to happen in the not too distant future, Jackie. And I think that the point I would make here is that our relationship with the United States is in a really good place and it has been under this administration.

FELGATE: Some might say that it’s a little embarrassing that they haven’t had that face-to-face meeting.

MARLES: Look, I don’t accept that. I mean, there’s a lot that’s been going on in Australia since the inauguration, not least of which has been our election. And typically, when you have elections, you know, those international meetings –countries give you the space to have an election, put it that way.

FELGATE: Yes. But it’s been a while now since, and most Australians think, especially given AUKUS, that a meeting is appropriate.

MARLES: Sure. And I think a meeting will happen in the not too distant future. I mean, there was one that was scheduled on the sidelines of the G7 in Canada. It didn’t happen for understandable reasons as the President went back to Washington. And not just our Prime Minister, but the leaders of a number of countries didn’t have their meeting on that day. But we all understand that there are significant demands on the American President. Look, this meeting will happen in the not too distant future and I think I get the interest in it, but I think, you know, a year down the track when I’ve got no doubt they will have met.

FELGATE: I hope before a year.

MARLES: Sure. But I think we’ll look back to this time and we’ll be thinking about all the, you know, interest that there was in this. And in fact, what we’ve got is a relationship which is going along well. There will be a meeting, I’ve got no doubt, in the not too distant future. The two leaders are in contact, they’re in contact on the phone. And you look at the tariffs. We’ve got the lowest tariff rate of any country in the world with the United States. Our security relationship is moving ahead at a pace – the relationship is in a good place.

FELGATE: Ok, Richard, as always, great to have you on the programme. That is Richard Marles, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister. Good luck. Enjoy the footy.

MARLES: Go Cats!

ENDS