Television Interview, Sky News

SUBJECT/S: AUKUS; Australia-UK relationship; PM’s Address to the UN General Assembly; AFL Grand Final (Go Cats!)

PETER STEFANOVIC, HOST: Joining us live, the Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles. Good to see you this morning, Richard. So, before we get to the footy, how important are these talks with Starmer going to be to secure the future of AUKUS.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Well, obviously our relationship with the United Kingdom is really important. It's always been a very significant economic relationship in terms of investment into Australia and indeed Australian investment into the UK. And no doubt those economic opportunities will be spoken about between the two Prime Ministers. But as you rightly allude to, you know, in the last few years we've really seen a very significant strategic dimension be applied to what is our oldest relationship, and that's very much through AUKUS. And we are seeing us engage so much more closely together on strategic issues as a result of this. And that definitely will be part of the conversation that Anthony Albanese has with Keir Starmer.

STEFANOVIC: You've confirmed support for a state of Palestine at the United Nations this week. Mahmoud Abbas said today that Hamas will play no future role, but the Palestinian Authority is not popular. So, is he really one to be giving assumptions?

MARLES: Well, I mean, we have been engaging with Mahmoud Abbas. He has made clear his position and the position of the Palestinian Authority in relation to there being no future role for Hamas in a Palestinian state. That is very important in terms of the context of Australia's recognition of Palestine and indeed, for that matter, the recognition of other countries of Palestine. I mean, clearly Hamas is an organisation which can have no role in the future of Palestine. And it's also really important that there be reform of the PA itself. But Mahmoud Abbas has made that clear in terms of having elections next year. And all of that is very much an important part of the context in, of the recognition that Australia gave last Sunday.

STEFANOVIC: Yeah, I mean, but, but looking at those small polls that are available- is that the halftime whistle that's already gone off the stadium?

MARLES: The Cattery is getting excited for tomorrow!

STEFANOVIC: I’ve lost my train of thought now. I mean, look- yeah, I mean, Hamas is by far the most popular political group though, from those small polls that are available. So, I mean, is it really going to not play a part in any future role?

MARLES: Well, we have made clear the terms of our recognition and as we move forward in terms of the various components of that. You know, we'll look at how those terms are being met by the Palestinian Authority. But we couldn't be clearer that Hamas can have no role in a future Palestinian state. That's the base upon which we are recognising Palestine. And that's a very important statement. I mean, Hamas has been engaging in terrorist activity and, and we have been condemning Hamas for a long time, but obviously very much in the context of the events that occurred on October 7 and that is very much a view which is shared by the Palestinian Authority itself.

STEFANOVIC: So, Australia and the UK have been on this unity ticket, as well as Canada really, covering a range of issues- Palestine, climate- which is at odds with our American friends. Do you think this is a temporary blip for the United States on these issues or has its values fundamentally changed?

MARLES: Well, I mean America is going to have the views that it has based on the administrations that it elects. I mean it's the same state, the obvious. But yeah, but what hasn't changed is that America is a liberal democracy which has the rule of law at home, which seeks to apply a rules based order around the world where there is freedom of speech, where there is liberty. I mean those are the values of America and they are values which clearly we share, and they very much underpin that shared sense of values, the alliance that we've had with the United States since 1951 and really in practical terms prior to that. And that does continue, and so on the core basis upon which we are in an alliance with the United States, actually I feel that that is in the same place that it has always been. It is as solid as it has ever been and that's important because it is as critical and relevant and as important for Australia as it has ever been. So, you know, I'm very confident about the future of the alliance and it is obviously completely possible and has happened throughout our history that we will pursue the cooperation that we do between our two countries under the banner of the alliance, whilst also having different views on particular issues in the world at any given moment in time.

STEFANOVIC: Just on this breaking news out of the US this morning relating to the TikTok future in the United States, which will effectively be controlled by private American businesses to ensure that it's clean, if you like, Richard. Will something similar happen in Australia where it is private Australian businesses that will control the Australian arm of TikTok?

MARLES: Look, I'm not in a position really to speculate on that. I mean what we do is from a government point of view in terms of government devices and platforms interacting with apps such as that, is we undertake a security assessment and we've made that assessment in relation to TikTok. And so, you know, I use a government phone, as you would expect, as the Defence Minister, I don't have TikTok on it. And that's, you know- we will always do those assessments to work out what, where information goes, how it can be influenced and what apps in that context are such safe for the government to operate-

STEFANOVIC: Yeah, but wouldn't it be safe, though, if Australian tech companies were able to pick that up? Wouldn't that mean it would be safe for users like it would be for American users now?

MARLES: Well, we'll watch what America does in terms of walking down that path and we'll see how that plays out. But we will always go through those processes to understand exactly where information ends up being handled and therefore what is safe for government devices to use. Of course, TikTok operates within the private economy completely freely and Australians operate on TikTok every day.

STEFANOVIC: All right, just finally, did you let out a sigh of frustration upon the news that Lachie Neale will be playing for the Lions tomorrow?

MARLES: Look, we will see what, what transpires there. We, you know what, we want to see the very best possible team on the field for the Lions. And so we can absolutely beat them on those terms and there will be no excuses as a result. So, in that sense, I'm very happy to see Lachie Neale be running out.

STEFANOVIC: Just on another matter; I mean, there will be a fair bit of politicking going on in the grand final, which may even be where you're watching when it comes to the AFL Chair. Are you going to be giving a guiding hand to someone to take the job, Richard?

MARLES: You know the answer to that question. My hands are full dealing with my day job. I'm not going to be giving advice to anyone else, I can assure you of that. And look, you know, tomorrow I will just be bleeding blue and white as I do all the time, and I will be completely absorbed in the fortunes of the Geelong Football Club.

STEFANOVIC: You don't have a preference for a replacement for Richard Goyder?

MARLES: Look, my preference is to see the Cats win tomorrow and to see Danger holding that cup.

STEFANOVIC: Okay, we shall see. Lions for the win for me. Richard Marles, good to see you, though. Appreciate it. We'll talk to you soon. 

ENDS