Radio Interview, ABC RN Breakfast

Subjects: Death of Professor Richard Scolyer AO, Middle East conflict, Australian missile manufacturing, Newspoll

SALLY SARA, HOST: Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong will meet with their German and UK counterparts this week, as well as official meetings in France and Finland. It comes after a week of public debate over the future of the AUKUS defence pact with the UK and US. Pat Conroy is the Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs. He joined me a short time ago. 

Before we talk politics, former Australian of the Year Professor Richard Scolyer has died at the age of 59. What's his legacy to the nation?

PAT CONROY, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY: Oh, the passing of Richard Scolyer is a sad day, but we need to focus on the massive contribution he has made. To be a world leading cancer researcher, to have run the world's largest melanoma biobank, and then to transfer that research into brain cancer that tragically cost him his life is remarkable – remarkable courage and conviction as well as just the intellectual power he brought to everything he engaged in. So, the nation mourns him, but we celebrate his life and I just pass my condolences on to his wife and his children.

SARA: What do you think about what it's been of that combination of excellence and humility which has really drawn the Australian public to Richard Scolyer over the past few years, his work and the way he lived his life?

MINISTER CONROY: Well, I think it wasn't just humility and excellence. It's also the way he let the world into his challenge and communicated that and that shows tremendous bravery. I think it's massively advanced the debate around not just brain cancer, but these broader issues.

SARA: Let's look at the developments that have been unfolding in the past few hours this morning. What do you make of Iran renewing strikes against Israel in the past few hours?

MINISTER CONROY: Well, it's incredibly unhelpful and we continue to call for de-escalation. We want the ceasefire to hold and a long term peace to be negotiated and agreed to, so that the Strait of Hormuz can be reopened and resources can flow to and from that region. That's critical to the global economy. And all parties need to take a breath, de-escalate and find a solution to what's occurring there.

SARA: How concerned is the Federal Government about these incidents in the past few hours, these attacks?

MINISTER CONROY: Well, it's been very clear that the ceasefire is tenuous and that is challenging for all of us. But we just continue to call for everyone to return to the negotiating table, find a long term solution, de-escalate. It's in the interest of the entire globe and the sooner this conflict gets resolved the better.

SARA: We're yet to see how Israel or the US will respond to these latest strikes. But throughout the conflict the US has depleted some of its weaponry stockpiles. Are you concerned that this may delay the delivery of any expected US-made missiles to Australia?

MINISTER CONROY: Well, we continue to receive missile deliveries from the United States, but it's another reason why we've allocated $36 billion to our own guided weapons and explosive ordinance enterprise to build missile factories in this country. We built one in South Australia, we're opening a second one in the Hunter next year and a third at the end of the decade. If you don't want to be at the end of the queue you need to build your own factories and have your own queue. And that's what we're doing, growing well paid, high skilled jobs, giving us more sovereignty and self reliance. And that's what we're doing with the missile enterprise.

SARA: Greens Defence spokesperson David Shoebridge says Australia is too small to have, quote, ‘a global policing role’ defending sea trade lanes and it's ridiculous, he says, to attempt that role by acquiring nuclear submarines under AUKUS. What's your response?

MINISTER CONROY: Well, Senator Shoebridge’s interview yesterday was a car crash of an interview. He completely misrepresented what was in the National Defence Strategy. He couldn't even say what the Greens’ policy was about whether he supported getting submarines or everything was going to be done by autonomous underwater vessels. And he just misrepresented what we're focused on. We're focused on getting the Royal Australian Navy the best possible capability to defend Australia to deter aggression and contribute to peace. And that's why we're acquiring nuclear-propelled, conventionally-armed submarines because they do deter aggression. They are the most advanced capability in maritime terms and they are what the Royal Australian Navy needs to deter conflict in our region as well as helping grow 20,000 jobs in our economy.

SARA: Just finally, if we're looking at politics itself, the latest Newspoll out today shows one nation ahead on the primary vote pulling ahead of Labor as was the result in the Redbridge poll a week ago. Does the Government accept it has as much of a job ahead of it as the Coalition to talk with those Australians who are walking away from the major parties?

MINISTER CONROY: Oh look, we acknowledge that we're making the tough decisions in the national interest and that's not always popular. And I also acknowledge that there's a lot of unease and anger out in the community and it's our job to explain what we're doing and what we're standing for. But the key thing you can't do is surrender to those sorts of populist sort of claims. And that's what Angus Taylor and the Liberal-Nationals are doing by surrendering to Pauline Hanson with his policies of taking Medicare off permanent residents who've been here for 50 years, for example. You can't out-Pauline Pauline. And that's what the Liberal Party is doing. And that's why their vote has tanked massively. We’re focused on taking decisions in the national interest. We’re lifting wages, we’re cutting taxes, we’re growing manufacturing jobs, we’re investing in healthcare. And I’m confident that people will see that over the next couple of years and understand what we’re trying to achieve.

SARA: Minister, thank you for joining me this morning. 

MINISTER CONROY: Thanks Sally, have a good morning.