Television interview, Sky News

SUBJECTS: Support for Ukraine; Gas Review; Ministerial Travel; ISIS brides

PETER STEFANOVIC, HOST: Today, Ukraine is getting another funding boost from Australia, totalling $95 million. Plus, our Government will impose extra sanctions on Russian ships. Joining us live now is the Defence Minister and the Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles. Richard, good to see you this morning. So, just elaborate on what we’re providing to Ukraine this time.

ACTING PRIME MINISTER RICHARD MARLES: Good morning, Pete. As part of this package, $50 million is being contributed to NATO’s PURL initiative. This is an initiative which is bringing together a number of countries to purchase American kit for the benefit of Ukraine. And ourselves and New Zealand are the first non-NATO countries to participate in the PURL initiative, and so we are really pleased to be able to do that. In addition to that, there is other materiel — munitions, tactical radars, combat engineering equipment — which is being provided, and then there is a smaller contribution to the drone coalition. But in total, this is a $95 million contribution. It takes our overall contribution to Ukraine up to $1.7 billion. And we will stay with Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its terms.

STEFANOVIC: Can you tell me more about these sanctions on Russian ships?

MARLES: So, we have increased the number of sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet by an additional 50, which takes us up to around 200 ships that are being sanctioned in Russia’s shadow fleet. I mean, these are ships which will be using flags of convenience — they’re often old ships — but they are the means by which Russia is seeking to get around the sanctions which are imposed upon it in terms of the export of its oil. So, this is a really important measure in relation to that. We’ve had significant success in reducing Russia’s oil exports, but it’s an ongoing exercise. Obviously, Russia is trying to get around those sanctions, and so we need to do everything we can to keep up with that. And this is an important step.

STEFANOVIC: Okay. Elsewhere this morning, Richard, after criticising the former Opposition’s gas reservation scheme at the last election, are you about to announce yours next week?

MARLES: Look, well, I am not about to give you speculation about all of that in terms of the Gas Review –  but it will come in next week. But look, what we’re doing with the Gas Review—

STEFANOVIC: So, sorry — it will come next week?

MARLES: I absolutely did not say that. We will have the Gas Review come in in due course, but what we will be doing is making sure that we are doing everything we can to make sure that there is the proper supply to Australian households and Australian industry in relation to gas. And we know that that has been a significant issue. We’ve actually been acting on that very much against what the Opposition has been doing through the course of our first term, and we will continue to do so.

STEFANOVIC: So, what will be the difference this time around to what the Opposition was proposing?

MARLES: Well, again, I’m not about to speculate on what comes out in the Gas Review, but what you’ve seen us do is focus on ways in which we can ensure that there is an adequate gas supply for Australian households and for Australian businesses. And that will be the focus of what the Gas Review recommends.

STEFANOVIC: So, so, it’s a delicate line, is it not, though, as to how much you keep here onshore and then how much you keep for foreign customers such as Japan to keep them happy? So, I mean, have you worked out that line yet?

MARLES:  Well, how you manage all of that is indeed a delicate business, and we will continue to be a reliable partner and supplier of choice for countries like Japan and Singapore, where our gas is a key part of their economy. So, we will be that reliable partner. But at the same time, it does matter that we’ve got appropriate gas supply for Australian domestic users, and that’s been the focus of the review, and we’re confident that we can achieve that.

STEFANOVIC: Okay. On Anika Wells — how on Earth did three flights to New York come to $95K?

MARLES: Well, look, at the end of the day, Anika has gone to New York to participate in a session in relation to our world-leading bans on social media for kids. She was there with families who had lost their children as a result of the way in which social media has operated in respect of young people. It’s a really important initiative. All of her travel was done in accordance with the guidelines. And the important point here is that Anika was focused on what is a really significant initiative, which will be coming into force next week.

STEFANOVIC: No one’s got a problem with her being there — it is good work. It’s the cost. Did Corporate Travel Management book it? Because it seems very excessive.

MARLES: Well, at the end of the day, this was all done in accordance with the guidelines. And I can tell you Anika’s focus was on making sure that she was attending this really important session at the United Nations in respect of this. We are the first country in the world to walk down this path. She did have to change her travel because of what was transpiring at the time in relation to Optus, and she managed all of that. It’s pretty typical — I mean, Ministers have difficult issues that they need to juggle. Sometimes that involves changes to travel at the last minute, and that’s what occurred in this case. But what she did was meet all her obligations in her role, and going to New York was a really important part of it.

STEFANOVIC: Okay, finally — when Tony Burke and the Prime Minister said they had no role in the return of ISIS brides, were they lying?

MARLES: No. I mean, what has come out of Senate Estimates confirms what Tony Burke has said. And that is that there wasn’t a Government repatriation here. There was a request, but we did not engage in a repatriation beyond doing what was legally required. The Government did not assist any of the repatriations that occurred here. And that’s the consistent point that Tony Burke has been making.

STEFANOVIC: But here — giving officials advice on how to do it with a, quote, “commitment to find a way” — that is involvement, is it not?

MARLES: We have made it absolutely clear that the Government did not support a repatriation of these people.

STEFANOVIC: But it really shows that you are supporting it.

MARLES: No, it makes it completely clear that there was no repatriation that was done with Government support. There are legal obligations that the Government has in relation to Australian citizens, but, you know, Government money was not spent on bringing these people home. And that’s what’s made completely clear in what’s come out of Senate Estimates.

STEFANOVIC: Is it acceptable that the Minister told public servants to leave the room so that what he said to those people couldn’t be recorded?

MARLES: Well, I wouldn’t accept that characterisation of what’s occurred here — but I wouldn’t accept that characterisation of what’s occurred here. But there are plenty of times where Ministers will meet one-on-one with individuals, and that’s entirely appropriate.

STEFANOVIC: So, you do that?

MARLES: Look, in the work that we do, there are times where there are one-on-one meetings. There are times where there are meetings where you have public officials with you — and all of that is perfectly normal. But come back to the fundamental point here: if you strip away all the noise, what’s absolutely clear from what has come out in Senate Estimates is that what Tony Burke has been saying from the get-go — that there was no Government repatriation — is confirmed by this information.

STEFANOVIC: Okay, we’ll leave it there. That’s the Acting Prime Minister, Richard Marles. It’s good to have you with us this morning, Richard. Thank you so much.

ENDS