Television Interview, Sky Afternoon Agenda

SUBJECTS: Investment in Bushmasters and Bendigo; Anzac Day

TOM CONNELL, HOST: Joining me live is Assistant Defence Minister Peter Khalil. Thank you for your time. Certainly, been a success story, both for Defence and exporting as well. Can I just clarify, I was reading that they won't have anti-drone technology fitted, even though that's available from the maker. Is that accurate, and why?

PETER KHALIL, ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR DEFENCE: Yeah thanks Tom. Firstly, I'll just say in a general point to your question. It is a fantastic outcome for local industry, for Bendigo, for Victoria, for regional Victoria, it's locking in 300 jobs, securing 300 jobs in Bendigo and surrounds, and also 150 jobs up in Brisbane as well for, for the medium-heavy truck capabilities that are being built up there as part of this $1.2 billion investment. As far as the variance, Tom, that, that is something that is detailed in whether they are being exported to the Netherlands or some of the ones that we are having for domestic production. Sorry, for our use in the ADF, I can't go to the contractual details on that. But these are a fantastic kit, as you've heard, a bit of kit that really have been amazing in being deployed in some pretty harsh environments, and also in theatres of operation and have really done a terrific job.

CONNELL: So, sorry, you can't say if they've got anti-drone technology or not?

KHALIL: Well, I'm not going to go into the detail about the variants. There are many variants of the Bushmaster. Some of them will have various types of technology, others won’t.

CONNELL: But that's a pretty basic one?

KHALIL: Well, some of the variants will have some of this tech. Some of them had certain different capabilities depending on the needs and that will be determined by the people who are buying, or the countries that are buying them. Because we sell these variants to around nine countries around the world.

CONNELL: But I'm asking about the ones for use in Australia, for Australian Defence Force, will they have anti-drone?

KHALIL: We are actually building up the anti-drone capabilities right across our capabilities, whether it's in the infantry fighting vehicles, the Bushmasters and others. Some of them will have some of that technology. Some other variants are used in different ways. As I'm saying, it's quite flexible in the way that you produce or manufacture the Bushmasters and they do different things for different units.

CONNELL: So what you're saying is some of the Australian ones that will be used by Defence will have anti-drone technology, Is that what you're saying?

KHALIL: No, I'm not, Tom. I'm saying that there are anti-drone capabilities that are being worked through for all of our Defence forces and all the different variants and capabilities. I don't know the exact details of which variants will have this particular type of technology. That's why I'm not going to get into a detail of the specs with you at this point in time.

CONNELL: Well, yeah, look, this is not me. I'm genuinely curious read that it wouldn't have it. And obviously you read about Ukraine and anything that doesn't have anti-drone is sort of like a sitting duck. So, that was my curiosity. If there's sort of detailed work through. Fair enough. I was just genuinely trying to ask the question. Let me ask you about Anzac Day behaviour. So, it's become pretty regular graffiti attacks right around Anzac Day around, you know, various slogans and now a booing of Welcome to Country. I guess it feels like the fringes of the left and the right now involved in this. Is this, is this what it feels like? Margins of society just trying to ruin this day and get their moment in the sun?

KHALIL: That's probably a good characterisation of what has been extremely disappointing and extremely disrespectful. And I think obviously the law sanctions some of this behaviour and obviously the graffiti and vandalism is illegal. But there's a matter of basic decency and basic respect. I mean at a solemn commemoration such as Anzac Day dawn service, to have that kind of behaviour is deeply disrespectful. You know, the Welcome to Country is a mark of respect for First Nations Australians who've been here since the beginning of recorded time. It's a small basic thing to do out of respect. Most Australians see it that way quite rightly, I'd say. And even in my electorate, I did the Fawkner RSL Dawn Service on Anzac Day and when they arrived, the people arrived there at 4am in the morning, it was vandalised. There was red paint across the memorial and across the walls, there was graffiti strewed everywhere. There was a big quick clean-up effort, but it was deeply disappointing. And as you say, it's coming from the extreme fringes on either side of the political spectrum. And most Australians completely reject that behaviour and those acts. And it's disappointing to see some politicians like Angus Taylor lean into to one side of this. My view would be I don't care which side of politics you come from, which extreme end you come from, that kind of behaviour is deeply disrespectful and deeply disappointing and should be stamped out.

CONNELL: Is there something about modern life that people feeling that way can no longer say, well, this is one day that it's just not about me and my grievance, that I don't need to do it then does it feel like something happening more and more in recent years?

KHALIL: Well, I think you're touching on something pretty deep and philosophical almost, about the way that modern society and the way that we consume information, the way that social media and algorithms and the attention that individuals are getting for their grievances and so on. Yeah, things have changed, there's no doubt about that over the years. And I think that basic decency…

CONNELL: You've sort of been a frontline politician, right, and protest in your office, that you feel like you. This is like, yeah, you're sort of saying, yeah, welcome to my world.

KHALIL: Well, I didn't say that. You said that. But I think I've experienced this on many occasions and I think the thing that I've learned from it is this. We're going to disagree on a lot of things. Tom, you and I might disagree on a lot of things. People are going to disagree in our society about a lot of things. The question really is, how do we navigate that disagreement? Can we do it in a way that's respectful and peaceful, that listens to the other side and the opinions and has a rational debate? Can we navigate through and make decisions through a democratic process which doesn't resort to violence or attack of the other, based on who they are and their identity and so on, and remains respectful? Because that is, I think, the centrepiece of what has made Australian democracy work over a century and has made our diverse and multicultural society work. Because we've come from all over the world, unless you're an Indigenous Australian, you've come to this country to call it home. And we've been able to live together in relative harmony for that period because people have made a commitment to that. They've made a commitment to the idea that you can have a complete difference of disagreement, come from different backgrounds, but still be able to live together even when you disagree, and still be able to navigate that difference through respectful dialogue and rational debate.

CONNELL: Peter Khalil, always appreciate your time. Thank you.

KHALIL: Thanks.

ENDS