Television Interview, ABC News Breakfast

SUBJECTS: Middle East Conflict; Fuel Supply; NASA Artemis 2 launch

EMMA REBELLATO, HOST: Well, let's return to the government's latest response to the fuel crisis and bring in the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, who joins us from Parliament. Thanks for joining us this morning.

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Morning, Emma, how are you?

REBELLATO: I'm very well, thank you. I want to start with what the Prime Minister will be talking about at his National Press Club address. So, it's $1 billion in interest-free loans for businesses. Can you talk us through what businesses, and how exactly this is going to work?

MARLES: Well, obviously the Prime Minister will have more to say at the National Press Club today, but this is $1 billion which is being administered through the National Reconstruction Fund, and it's really focusing on interest-free loans to companies directly affected by what we're seeing with the rising fuel prices, and also in areas such as fertiliser production. And so we're talking about transport companies, farmers, fertiliser producers — and this enables those companies who are really at the frontline of dealing with the economic shock that we are seeing to be able to manage this moment through interest-free loans.

REBELLATO: Can I ask you about employees? Because we know a lot of people are forced to drive. We're talking about health workers, disability workers, cleaners, many other people — they have no option, they can't catch public transport. Is there going to be anything in the way of help for people who have to drive for work?

MARLES: Obviously we're really focused on what's happening with fuel prices, and the fact of the matter is we have seen the biggest shock to petrol and diesel prices ever. It's really why we halved the fuel excise, which is having an impact on helping to bring down fuel prices now. And that's in place for the next three months. So, that's 26 cents a litre, which will come off whatever people are putting into their cars. And so that is an important step. Obviously we're also taking off the heavy vehicle road user charge for the next 30 days as well. What the Prime Minister made clear last night was that if people can take options in terms of using public transport in the coming weeks and months, then they should do that. But we're really aware that that's not available to every person, which is why, you know, we are trying to make sure that there is the supply available.

REBELLATO: I will ask you a bit more about his address in a moment, but I want to take you to something that the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said. He made a similar address overnight to the nation. He also said Britain will convene an international alliance of 35 nations now — that includes Australia — to talk about reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Can you give us more details about that? Will you be involved in these talks?

MARLES: Well, we are participating in that meeting in the next 24 hours. The Foreign Minister will be our representative at that meeting. We've already, as you know, signed on to the UK-led statement that was released more than a week ago around the Strait of Hormuz. I think one of the things to be clear about is that all of this is dependent on conditions allowing steps to be taken here. And right now, those conditions aren't in place. But we are talking with countries like the UK and France about what contribution we could usefully make. I'd emphasise that we have an E‑7 Wedgetail in the region right now, helping in supporting the defence of the countries of the Gulf, and particularly the United Arab Emirates. But we will continue to talk with the UK and France and others about what we can usefully do.

REBELLATO: Just to clarify, Penny Wong — would this be a virtual meeting, or is she heading over there?

MARLES: No, this is a virtual meeting.

REBLLATO: OK. Let's talk about the Prime Minister's address to the nation last night. There's certainly been a lot of reaction — lots of different reactions. Some people are asking, what was the point of it?

MARLES: Well, Australians are understandably feeling an enormous amount of anxiety right now, and uncertainty about what the future holds. And that's fair enough as well, because the truth is that the future is uncertain, and we have experienced, as I said, the biggest shock to petrol and diesel prices ever. Now, I think in that moment, it's really important that the Prime Minister speaks directly to the Australian people — and that's what he did last night — about what we're experiencing, what is coming down the track, but importantly what the government is doing and what Australians themselves can do. And it was a very important address to the nation that he made.

REBELLATO: Is this just setting us up for the expectation that things are going to change and get tougher, that perhaps we will be soon encouraged to work from home if we can?

MARLES: Look, I'm not going to speculate about the specifics — other than to point to the National Fuel Security Plan, which was adopted by the state premiers and the Prime Minister in the National Cabinet on Monday. And what it did was, you know, look at a number of scenarios, if you'd like — a number of levels that the country could go to, depending on the extent to which we see fuel supplies disrupted over the coming weeks and months. Now, depending on what happens there, the Fuel Security Plan does talk about what steps might be taken in respect of managing demand. But the point that we're at right now is to encourage Australians to go about what they would normally do, to use the fuel they normally would. But if there are prudent steps that you can take to use public transport, to use less, then take those steps, understanding that for a lot of Australians that's not possible. Now, that's where we're at the moment, and we don't know what is going to happen going forward. We'll all be looking at the President's address, no doubt, today. But whatever the future holds, we are ready to take steps in order to manage both supply and demand. We are doing our best to try and reduce price, and together we will get through this.

REBELLATO: We certainly will be watching his address later. We're also watching America because, on something completely different, the launch of Artemis 2. Now, Australia's got some critical involvement in this — in the launch and then the orbit to the moon and back. Now, this is through the communications and tracking systems in Australia. How significant is this?

MARLES: Well, I mean, it is significant, and this builds on the very long history that our country has had in respect of cooperating and working with NASA. Actually, you know, NASA employs people right here in Canberra, and we do make a significant contribution, as we have really from the beginning of the space program. And I think everyone is excited right now as we kind of are taken back to Apollo and all that was achieved there. And as we look through Artemis now and the years ahead, it's exciting as humanity begins its path in returning to the moon — and Australia will be a part of that.

REBELLATO: Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, thanks for your time this morning.

MARLES: Thank you

ENDS