Television Interview, Today Show

SUBJECTS: Helen Haines; Australia-PNG relationship; ADF Recruitment

TOM STEINFORT, HOST: For more now, we are joined by Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who is in Port Moresby today. Deputy Prime Minister, appreciate your time. Just take us through how this news has affected you since you found out.

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think we're all very shocked by what occurred and obviously our thoughts are very much with Helen and her family. We just very much hope to see Helen's recovery and return to Parliament as soon as possible. And I think for all of us, it's been difficult to be thinking about anything else, to be honest, because, you know, Helen Haines has been a beacon of decency since she has been a Member of Parliament. Anyone who looks at Helen Haines knows that what she is a person who is just sincerely, each and every day, trying to represent her community and making life better for it. And I've never had a bad conversation with Helen Haines. She has always been a picture of grace. So, that this has happened to her is deeply upsetting. And as I say, my thoughts are very much with her and her family.

STEINFORT: In December 2024, Brendan Nugent, who is the accused in this case, tweeted his criticisms directly at you personally. And I'm sure this happens, you know, pretty frequently. You can block out that kind of noise online, but how does it feel now knowing that one of these people that had targeted you online is allegedly capable of deliberate violent acts like this?

MARLES: Look, to be honest, I've only become aware of that this morning. I mean, I don't read comments, really, that are made online. I do, as you just said, try and avoid that and block it out. I think that sort of noise makes it very hard for us to do the work that we do. You know, I think the Prime Minister has been consistently calling for bringing the temperature down. I think really that's got to be our guiding star here. You know, it has to be possible to engage in politics in a way where we can be robust, we can have differences, but we do it with respect and we do it with grace. Actually, I think Helen Haines is the embodiment of that, quite literally. And that's really what we have all got to try and do, all of us politicians first and foremost in the way in which we engage in public discourse. But, you know, I think the media has a role to play here, but the whole community does. And that's really what we need to try and think about doing as we move forward here.

STEINFORT: You touched on bringing the temperature down. We've had the Prime Minister and government MPs out and about saying that we do need to improve the standard of political debate in this country. I think most people would agree with that. Yet there are reports out now claiming that the Prime Minister's own office circulated an alleged dirt file on Helen Haines' integrity only a few weeks ago. What do you say to those reports?

MARLES: Well, firstly, I don't think it's about pointing fingers. I think what it is about is all of us taking responsibility for the way in which we engage in public discourse. I actually think that the Prime Minister is a person who, in terms of how he engages in discourse, in terms of the public debate, does so with grace. It's one of the things I admire about Anthony Albanese. I think anyone who looks at the way in which the Prime Minister goes about, the way he speaks on issues and speaks about his colleagues and speaks about politics, it is somebody who does so in a very sensible, considered and I think graceful way. But that's really what we need to be trying to do. We need to be focused on respect in the way in which we argue our difference. And it's actually that has been, over the journey, what has characterised Australian politics. I think that's why we have felt like the sorts of things that we see in other parts of the world won't happen here. But obviously we're not immune and we do need to be very, very much focused on the way in which we are carrying out that debate. And it has been the Prime Minister who's led the call on seeking to turn the temperature down - we all need to embrace that and just understand that while there are our opponents, if you like, in politics, who in many ways are our colleagues as well, have differing views, we all acknowledge the sincerity with which people come to their work to try and improve their communities. And that has to be the starting point in the way in which we engage in the public debate.

STEINFORT: Alright, well, moving on to other news. We see you're in Port Moresby this morning. This is because students from Papua New Guinean universities will now be able to apply to join the Australian Defence Force from next month.

MARLES: Yeah, this is a really big step forward. From 16th November, applications will be open for Papua New Guineans to join the Australian Defence Force, which is a step that we've said that we would take. It very much forms part of the new alliance that we now have with Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is an alliance partner now of Australia, and we will be doing this in a pilot program. So, small numbers to begin with, around 50 next year. Around 50 the year after that. Those who apply and who are selected will go through a 16 week training course here in PNG before they enter the ADF. But it is very much our intention that by this time next year, there are Papua New Guineans who are wearing the Australian uniform and they will be asked to take out Australian citizenship. They'll keep their PNG citizenship as well. And in that sense, what these people will become is the literal embodiment of the alliance between Australia and PNG. But this is good for us, for Australia, because it does enable us to build the numbers that we need for our defence force. It's great for PNG because it's providing a range of opportunities for young people in PNG that don't exist now. And it is very much an expression of the closeness of our two countries.

STEINFORT: Yes, great initiative. Appreciate your time this morning, Deputy Prime Minister.

ENDS