Television Interview, Today

SUBJECTS: Middle East Conflict; Prime Minister’s Visit to Singapore; Fuel Supply. 

SYLVIA JEFFREYS, HOST: For more now on all of that, we're joined by Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, live from Geelong. Minister, good morning to you. Thanks for your time. First off, this ceasefire is shaky at best. So, what is your reaction firstly to Israel's bombardment of Lebanon in the last 24 hours?

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Well, we expect, and I think the world expects for this ceasefire to apply across the region, and that includes Israel. And that's because, as you say, that the ceasefire is fragile, but it's really important for the world that the ceasefire becomes one that is permanent. And it not extending across the region, Israel not being a part of it, risks the ceasefire more generally and that's why it really does need to apply to Israel as well.

JEFFREYS: Well, back home, Australia has locked in fuel supply until late May at this stage. So how much more is the PM hoping to secure during his meeting in Singapore today?

MARLES: Well, it's really important that both Singapore and Australia have each other's backs, and we do. And that's at the heart of the Prime Minister's visit to Singapore. Singapore is a major supplier of liquid fuels to Australia and we are a major supplier of gas to Singapore. So, it is genuinely a partnership and we do have each other's backs. And that's important in the context of the strain that all countries in East Asia are feeling, because we all are reliant on liquid fuel coming through the Straits of Hormuz. So there's pressure everywhere. But in the midst of that, ours is a very strong relationship with Singapore and I'm very confident that all of that will hold, and they will continue to supply us and we will continue to supply them.

JEFFREYS: The problem is though, Minister, Asian markets are already signalling moves to prioritise their domestic needs. Because Singapore, for example, gets their fuel from the Middle East. Supply is going to drop for them. That means it'll drop for us. So, how are we going to convince Singapore not to hit us with export controls?

MARLES: Well, we’re energy partners is the answer to that question. We're a major supplier of energy to Singapore– 

JEFFREYS: But if they have less, so will we, right? 

MARLES: What matters here is that in the face of the difficult situation that we've got, that we continue to have each other's backs and we do. That's at the heart of the Prime Minister's visit to Singapore. And it is a genuine partnership, it's not one way. We're a major supplier of energy to Singapore and we will continue to be a reliable supplier of energy to Singapore in the form of gas. And what we're seeking is for that partnership to hold. I'm sure it will and that's very much at the heart of what the Prime Minister is seeking to do while he is there.

JEFFREYS: How much do you expect all these fuel imports to cost us?

MARLES: Well, I mean, it's obviously difficult to speculate on that because that's a function of what the global oil price is going to be, and in turn, that's a function of what ultimately plays out in the Middle East. I think where that question ultimately ends with is that it is very much in our national interest, as it is in the world's interest to see the Straits of Hormuz open. It is therefore very much in the interests of the world to see this fragile temporary ceasefire become permanent. We are very appreciative of the efforts of Pakistan, but also Turkiye, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in getting us to this point. Clearly, the discussions over the course of the weekend in Pakistan will be very important. All of this revolves around that and we really need to see this become permanent.

JEFFREYS: Well, on that, on the Strait of Hormuz, ADF Chief Admiral David Johnston says the government could absolutely deploy – quote, unquote – a ship to the Strait of Hormuz to assist the safe passage of oil shipments. Is that something you are considering?

MARLES: Well, the Chief of the Defence Force was really articulating what capabilities we have. That's a different question as to what we would provide. And that's really going to be based on the conversations that we have with countries like the United Kingdom and France, which are really leading the discussions around what might be able to be done in terms of keeping the Straits of Hormuz open when conditions– 

JEFFREYS: Are we prepared to send a ship?

MARLES: Well, I'm not going to speculate on exactly what we would do, because it's impossible to do that without having those conversations in full. And it's hard to do that without knowing what those conditions will be. In other words, whether this temporary ceasefire becomes a permanent ceasefire. And that's really the circumstances that we're facing right now. I would point out we do have the E-7 Wedgetail in the region. It's performing really important work in providing for the defence of the UAE and other countries in the Gulf. But we will continue to talk with both the United Kingdom, France and the other countries who are part of this, around what useful contribution Australia can make. And we're very aware of the fact that it is very much in Australia's national interest to see the Straits of Hormuz open.

JEFFREYS: There are so many question marks, aren't there? Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, we appreciate your time this morning.

ENDS