Radio interview – 6PR Perth Live with Oliver Peterson
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good to be with you, Oly. It’s great to be back in this beautiful city.
OLIVER PETERSON, HOST: Well, I will come to your trip here in Perth in a moment. But firstly, of all the atrocities by the Hamas terrorists, how have you reacted today to the confirmation to that revelation that they have beheaded dozens of babies?
PRIME MINISTER: It’s just beyond disgusting. It is just beyond words, really, how people could behave in that way. We saw all the atrocities committed over the weekend with the young people enjoying a music festival and over 250 of them murdered. And now, this latest news just continues to be beyond, I think, comprehension, really. It is just quite shocking. And that is why Hamas is recognised as a terrorist organisation.
PETERSON: In light of all of this, should a pro-Palestine protest in Perth go ahead tomorrow afternoon?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I think that people need to be peaceful. And to also recognise, of course, that Hamas don’t serve the interests of anyone, of Palestinians, of Israelis, of anyone. They just have just a brutal attitude towards destruction. And they deserve contempt. And that is certainly what I think all Australians feel towards them. And I think you can have different views about the Middle East, which is a complex issue. And as the world leaders who put out a joint statement, led by the United States and President Biden, have said, the Palestinian people have legitimate aspirations. But interests certainly are not served. No one’s interests are served by the actions of Hamas. And this attitude is just beyond contempt.
PETERSON: You don’t want a repeat of the Sydney scenes on Monday where people were chanting, ‘Gas the Jews’. And in fact, Peter Dutton is urging your Government to look into the visa status of some of the protesters there in Sydney on Monday. Here’s a little of what he had to say to my colleague, Ray Hadley, on 2GB this morning.
PETER DUTTON, 2GB: People with that hate, if there were people there who are on visas, they should be identified and they should have their visas cancelled. They should be deported.
PETERSON: Is that something you’d look at?
PRIME MINISTER: Look, I think that those sort of comments of people who are at that demonstration deserved condemnation. And we did. I didn’t support that demonstration going ahead. I thought it was going to be provocative. And indeed, it was. We are a multicultural nation. We can have different views. People of different faiths, by and large, people live in harmony in this great country. And there is no place for anti-Semitism. We have seen a rise of anti-Semitism in recent times. Just as there’s no place for Islamophobia or any other form of racism in this country. But to see those shocking scenes that occurred in Sydney, with people chanting what were exclusively anti-Semitic slogans, is quite shocking.
PETERSON: If somebody was on a temporary visa, to Peter Dutton’s point though, would you deport them?
PRIME MINISTER: Peter Dutton making these comments, I think that, you know, there’s no one been identified on that basis. I think that the police should be entitled to undertake whatever response they do free of political interference. And quite clearly, the sort of hatred that we’ve seen is entirely inappropriate. Unfortunately, it’s a tragedy that the people I’ve seen identifiable were born here in Australia and are Australian citizens.
PETERSON: With China releasing Cheng Lei from detention, was she being held as a political hostage because the former Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, called out the COVID situation?
PRIME MINISTER: That sort of speculation, I think, isn’t, you know, it’s up to the Chinese to justify the position. We made our position very clear that we didn’t think the detention of Cheng Lei was warranted. The judicial process was completed. But our main focus was on getting her home with her kids. And it’s fantastic that outcome has been achieved. And the people who’ve worked very hard on this, in Foreign Affairs and Trade, our Ambassador to Beijing, Penny Wong as the Foreign Minister. I raised it with President Xi when I met with him. I raised it with Premier Li in Jakarta and New Delhi. And I’m very pleased that Cheng Lei was able to spend last night with her two children.
PETERSON: You’re visiting China later this year. It is a very significant moment. What are you hoping that trip will achieve?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think dialogue is always a good thing. And one of the things that has occurred between Australia and China, in the recent period, is an improvement in relations. We have differences. And of course, we should always stand up for Australia’s interests. And we continue to do so. We don’t engage in diplomacy in a transactional way. But we cooperate where we can, we disagree where we must, and we engage in our national interest. Australia and China have a common interest in trade. Australia has fantastic products that create jobs here and economic activity. And China benefits from receiving our wonderful rock lobsters from WA. It would be terrific if they were allowed back in and the impediments removed. Wine, those impediments need to be removed as well. There has been progress with issues, including hay was the latest. But hay, timber and barley. Barley alone is worth $900 million to China. So, that is all positive. We have an interest in engagement. And we also know that we want to see the United States and China having dialogue and having discussions. When people are not talking to each other, then you can have real issues arise, which are much more easily dealt with in a rational way by people just talking with each other. And that is what we seek. To have that ongoing dialogue and to have a stabilisation of the relationship between us and the country which is our major trading partner.
PETERSON: Prime Minister, you are here in Perth, you’ve just been in Fremantle two days before the referendum. The polls would have you in what is being predicted a big No state to the Voice. Are you confident of success on Saturday? Or do you think the State Government’s Aboriginal heritage laws have damaged your chances of success?
PRIME MINISTER: No, I’m certainly hopeful that people focus on what people will be voting for on Saturday. And they’ll be voting for just two things. To recognise Indigenous Australians in our Constitution, something that should have happened in 1901. People will ask themselves if not now, when? When are we going to do what every other former colony in the world has done. acknowledge its first peoples? And secondly, just to have a non-binding advisory committee. No threat to anyone. Nothing to fear here. Just a body that can be listened to about matters that affect Indigenous Australians.
PETERSON: If it doesn’t get up, Prime Minister, what will be the message to Indigenous communities on Sunday? Because surely, work has to continue to help these remote areas, Voice or no Voice.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we continue to work. I am focused on getting a positive outcome. Because we know that we’re living now in No. That’s the current situation. And if we don’t vote Yes, then we won’t have the change that Indigenous Australians have asked for. That’s a respectful request that occurred in Uluru in 2017, after year after year after year of extensive consultations with Indigenous Australians. A process that was initiated while the former Coalition Government, of course, were in office. And today in Freo, it was wonderful to be joined by Ken Wyatt, someone who is committed to advancing the interests of Indigenous Australians, the first Indigenous person to hold the office of Minister for Indigenous Affairs that he held in the Morrison Government. And he’s very passionate about this cause, as are other people like Nova Peris. We had leaders from the Kimberley Indigenous community as well join us today with Josh Wilson, the local Member. I sincerely hope that Australians do focus on what this referendum is about, not the fear campaign. And if they do that, I think it’s very clear that a majority of Australians do want to see Indigenous advantage, do want to see reconciliation. And a Yes vote will help advance that cause.
PETERSON: Prime Minister, appreciate your time. Safe travels to Adelaide. And we’ll see you back here in Perth shortly.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Oly. Well, I’ll be back for the Telethon in a short period of time.