Television Interview, Sunrise

SUBJECT/S: October 7; Middle East conflict; Australia-PNG Defence Treaty

NATALIE BARR, HOST: Well, the Prime Minister is calling for calm this morning and quote, ‘decent human behaviour’, declaring today is not a day for demonstrations as we mark the second anniversary of the October 7th attacks. It comes as both the Victorian and NSW Premiers condemn plans by pro-Palestinian groups to take to the streets in Sydney and Melbourne today. Minister for Defence live in Canberra, good morning. What's your message to those planning on protesting today?

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Well, today should not be a day of protest. On this day two years ago, 1,200 innocent people lost their lives in an act of terrorism. Which means that today really can be only about one thing, and that is commemoration and remembrance. It is a deeply solemn day and our thoughts are very much with the Jewish community in Australia, but in fact, the Jewish community around the world and obviously the families of those who lost their lives.

BARR: There is also the Pro-Palestine Action Group, they're in court. They want to March on the Opera House this Sunday. Would you be backing them?

MARLES: Well, I come back to what I said. I think right now is a matter- is a moment for remembrance and commemoration. I mean, the court processes will play out in accordance with the law that is as it should be. But really on this day, it is a moment to remember and to commemorate those lives and those lives that were lost in an appalling act of terrorism.

BARR: Okay. They say a genocide was committed, Israel went too far and the UN has labelled it a genocide.

MARLES: Well, I mean, Australia has been very clear about advocating for humanitarian assistance to be provided to those in Gaza, to seeing an end to the hostilities. We have loudly called out the humanitarian catastrophe which is playing out in Gaza. And so we've been very clear about standing in support of the innocent lives that have been lost in Gaza as well. And we have made that clear and along the way, because we believe that the only way there is going to be an enduring peace in the Middle East is through a two state solution. We've recognised the state of Palestine. So we've been very clear about the way forward, but right now, on this day, the anniversary of October 7, it is a moment to commemorate and remember the more than 1,200 lives that were lost of innocent people in an appalling terrorist attack on Israel.

BARR: Yeah, just quickly, the PNG deal; our troops will go there- their troops, up to 10,000 will serve with us. Could this draw us into any kind of conflict? 

MARLES: Well, this is a really natural step. It's a very historic step, but it's a natural step. We are saying that any attack on Papua New Guinea would engage our interest, and that's obviously the case. The one moment in history that that occurred that obviously did engage Australia's interests during the Second World War. And this is Papua New Guinea saying the same about us, which is a very welcome step indeed. Our two Defence forces are becoming increasingly close, but this is a very historic moment to have a mutual defence obligation between our two countries. It's only the third country with whom we have done that. The others being the United States and New Zealand. This is the first alliance that we have entered into in more than 70 years. But when you look at the geography, when you look at our history, it is the perfectly natural step for us to take in relation to ourselves and PNG. PNG is family and this is now formal recognition of that.

BARR: Okay, Richard Marles, thank you very much.

ENDS