Television Interview, ABC News Breakfast

SUBJECTS: AFL Grand Final (Go Cats!); PM’s Address to the UN General Assembly; Australian car industry 

JAMES GLENDAY, HOST: We are joined by Richard Marles, who is a Geelong Cats fan, who also happens to be the Acting Prime Minister. Richard, welcome back to the program. I wasn't sure which title took precedence this morning.

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Definitely Cats fan, James. As we stand here in the Cattery right now with a sense of excitement about tomorrow, it is unquestionably Cats fan.

GLENDAY: Yes. How are things at Kardinia Park this morning? It's looking pretty spectacular behind you there.

MARLES: Oh look, there’s a great feeling not just at Kardinia Park but right around Geelong. I mean the club is so central to the town of Geelong and there are blue and white flags and streamers in windows right across the town. Everyone's wearing their scarves, have got their kit out. It's actually something which obviously brings the community together and it's just a lot of fun to be in Geelong in Grand Final week when the team's playing in the Grand Final.

GLENDAY: All right, I'll get your prediction in a moment. Can I ask about the UN though? Why do you want Australia to have a seat on the UN Security Council?

MARLES: Well, it's a really important exercise that our country undertakes and we've been doing it periodically actually since the UN came into being in the aftermath of the Second World War. We were last on the Security Council between 2012 and 14. I mean, in the two years that you spend on the Security Council, in the many years that you campaign to be on the Security Council, it's an opportunity for a country like Australia to really get a very granular understanding of what's happening in every corner of the world which is very important for us. It's important to understand where there are economic opportunities for Australia that we mightn't have otherwise seen. It's also obviously important to understand what security anxieties there are beyond those that we obviously face each and every day. And as a country which is committed to the rules based order, which we definitely are, and as a country which gets so much of its agency from the existence of the rules based order, being able to contribute to that through a two year stint on the Security Council is a very important contribution that we make to the global community and one that is very much welcomed by the global community from us.

GLENDAY: Last time Australia was on the Council it spent a lot of time advocating about MH17 in the investigation and some of the resolutions on that. Do you have a campaign pitch worked out yet? Something that you're going to go to other countries and say this is what Australia will deliver if we win this seat?

MARLES: Well, actually it's the rules based order in the sense that, you know, we, we see that the rules based order around the world today, whether you're talking about Eastern Europe or whether you're talking about the Indo Pacific, is under increasing pressure. The rules based order gives agency to countries like Australia. I mean if we live in a world where international disputes are worked out by law and by reference to law, that empowers a country like Australia. I mean the alternative is a world in which disputes are worked out simply by power and might and that obviously removes the agency of countries like Austalia. So, that's what we stand for and that is the proposition that we are putting to the global community. But I think actually in the way you've asked the question, there is something as well, because of course MH17 hadn't happened during the period that we were campaigning to be on the Security Council last time. But being there for those two years turned out to be really important in terms of Australia being able to make its position very plain when that incident occurred. And, and that in turn highlights how significant the Security Council is and how valuable the opportunity will be for Australia if we're able to serve on it for a two year period.

GLENDAY: Most analysts say for Australia to be successful, the nation's diplomatic footprint will have to be expanded and a lot more attention will have to be paid to Africa where there is of course a very large number of countries and therefore votes. Do you have a ballpark for figure about how much you might allocate in the budget towards this?

MARLES: I mean, I don't, but this isn't a particularly expensive exercise. I mean, you're right obviously about the significance of Africa and last time Africa pretty well unanimously supported Australia I think, but for one country. So, we were very well received in Africa. We do have a diplomatic footprint there right now, but our standing in Africa is actually very good. I mean ultimately this is about Australia putting its credentials before the world and, and we are a country with a proud history of standing up for the rules based order and that is fundamentally a position which we think will resonate strongly around the world, as it did last time. And when we ran last time we were overwhelmingly supported to take our position in the Security Council. Now we don't take any of that for granted. We will of course have to go around the world and present our credentials. But we do so with a sense of confidence. And that, as I say, will be a really important exercise for Australia to undertake as a middle power. And it will be an incredible opportunity, if we get the opportunity to serve on the Security Council for two years.

GLENDAY: Just briefly. On domestic politics, I'm sure you noticed Andrew Hastie hit out at some of his coalition colleagues, calling them muppets. He said that immigration was unsustainable. He also lamented the loss of the car industry. Geelong, where you're from, of course, has a proud automotive history. Do you think there's any chance that Australia could have a domestic car industry again?

MARLES: Well, firstly, whatever Andrew Hastie is doing is a matter for the Liberal Party. I mean, you know, we are watching them be very focused on themselves. There's obviously a kind of ridiculous irony associated with Andrew Hastie and the Liberal Party asserting a return of the car industry. I can tell you for those of us in Geelong, we don't forget that it was the Liberal Party who goaded the car industry offshore. It was absolutely the Liberal Party who put squarely in the crosshairs government support for the car industry, understanding that car industries around the world are industries which are effectively partnerships between government and the private sector. And that was a partnership that the Liberals have always criticised and undermined completely when they are in government. So, I don't think there's any person who's ever worked in the car industry who is going to pay any credence to someone from the Liberal Party making these suggestions. We very much believe in the need for Australia to have industrial capability. That's why we've set up the National Reconstruction Fund. You know, we haven't particularly seen any significant support from the Liberals in relation to the agendas that we've got in respect of industry policy. But we will be focused on Australian industry and Australian workers in what we do.

GLENDAY: All right. Plenty of water to go under the bridge on the coalition's internal issues, for sure. All right, it's prediction time. Who's going to win the Grand Final? And more importantly, we've been asking our audience today how they are spending the big day. What are you doing?

MARLES: Well, I will be at the game, James. In terms of a prediction, throughout my entire life, I have never tipped against Geelong. I regard tipping against your own team as a character flaw. So, I always tip for Geelong. But having said that, you know, I felt on after the games last weekend, I felt an enormous sense of confidence that we would win. But I kind of have this growing sense of insecurities throughout the week as we get closer to the day. Now, that's probably much more a reflection of my personality than it is what our actual fortunes are. But, yes, I'm definitely tipping Geelong – and Go Cats.

GLENDAY: There we go. Wouldn't have expected anything else. Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles and Geelong Cats Fan, thank you so much for joining us.

MARLES: Thanks, James.