Television Interview – Sunrise | Prime Minister of Australia
MATT SHIRVINGTON, HOST: The Prime Minister joins us right now. Good morning to you. Well, we spoke to one Australian mother desperate to get out of Israel. Nicole Brodie is her name. She’s got a seat on the flight but she doesn’t know what’s going to happen after that. Does she need a visa? Can she get home from London? Have you promised the people that will get on these flights in Israel that you will get them home safely?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: We’re getting them out of the danger zone safely. And what Qantas is doing is putting in place now the logistics so that they’ll be able to travel from London back to Australia via Singapore. That’s being organised as we speak. The priority has been, obviously, to get people out of a war zone. These are very complex logistics. Some 1,600 people are registered both in Israel, but also a small number in Gaza or the West Bank looking to travel to safety. And the Foreign Affairs and Trade officials are working around the clock. Three flights have already been organised to get people to safety, that’s been the priority. That’s always got to be the priority when we’re talking about a war zone. And then you get people home. And Foreign Affairs and Trade are working very hard and I pay tribute to the Australian officials for the work that they’re doing. And I also thank Qantas, had to ask for volunteers to fly into the airport there near Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, and they received many more times the number of people who are needed. Once again, Australians at the darkest of times are showing the strength of their character.
NAT BARR, HOST: Because, of course, Qantas doesn’t normally fly there. Look, it is the most difficult of situations that most of us can’t imagine. But this morning, there is an Australian Palestinian family stuck in Gaza, family of four. They’re from Adelaide. They’d been visiting relatives in Gaza. They’ve been there about two weeks. They say the power has been cut. ‘This might be the last message I can get out. Please can the Australian Government negotiate an exit strategy through Egypt?’ As the Prime Minister, how do you respond to that?
PRIME MINISTER: That is precisely what we’re trying to do at this point in time. The border to Egypt has been shut, but we’re talking with the Egyptian Government. That family is one of 19 people in Gaza, Australian citizens who we are attempting to do our best to get to safety. That’s precisely what the Australian Government is trying to do. We’re in a war situation here, Nat, as you and your listeners obviously would understand. But we’re talking through with the Egyptian Government to make sure that we can get that family and others to safety.
SHIRVINGTON: That’s good news. Hopefully you get somewhere with that. Peter Dutton has called for any pro-Palestine activists who chanted anti-Semitic remarks at a rally in Sydney to be kicked out of the country if they’re living here on a temporary visa. At the very least, those involved, there were cameras everywhere, there are microphones everywhere, no one’s disputing what remarks were said, should they be punished at least? Or will you kick them out of the country?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, if Peter Dutton’s got any evidence that any of these people are temporary visas holders, he should, of course, go to authorities and he should do that. These are difficult times. What was chanted there is completely unacceptable and outrageous. Anti-Semitism has no place in this country, nor does Islamophobia, nor does any form of racism. And I met with leaders from the Jewish community at a synagogue in St Kilda in Melbourne just a couple of nights ago. And they are completely unacceptable.
BARR: Do you know if there’s a reason why the people who shouted that hate speech haven’t been charged yet?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, that’s a matter for the NSW Police. Politicians don’t do investigations and we have a separation in this country, thank goodness, of the judiciary from the political system.
BARR: Of course, and we understand that. But what’s your view sitting there? I mean, we’re all watching it. As you say, it was just absolutely horrific.
PRIME MINISTER: I think when people break the law, police should take action.
BARR: So, you think they should be arrested and charged?
PRIME MINISTER: I think there’s a separation in this country between police and the political system and I think that’s important. And if anyone breaks the law, then of course police should take action.
SHIRVINGTON: Moving on, Australians are going to head to the polls. We know that you’ve been out in force, well, for months, really, but this last week particularly. They will vote on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The latest polls still have the Yes vote well behind the No. It comes as new research out this morning says the referendum ranks as just 17th on the list of concerns for Australians. So, many of those things are cost of living well ahead of this vote. How do you feel about that, the idea that you’ve been trying to, I guess, show the importance of this and what it means as a reflection of Australia, but Australians don’t see it as important as other things in their lives.
PRIME MINISTER: Shirvo, that is exactly the point that I’ve been making. This is a change that won’t impact most of your listeners. For non-Indigenous Australians will have no impact at all because it’s such a modest change, just recognition of the first Australians in the Constitution and a non-binding advisory committee from Indigenous Australians about Indigenous Australian issues so that we can get better outcomes. That’s what people will be voting on. So, this won’t impact 97 per cent of Australians lives at all. It might, though, make a difference and might make things better for the three per cent of Australians who are amongst our most disadvantaged, who have an eight-year life expectancy gap. But that’s why, as well, we’ve been concentrating on cost of living issues that do make a difference to the majority of Australians lives. Why yesterday, I opened an Urgent Care Clinic in Perth, why we’ve been introducing cheaper child care, why we’ve had our Energy Price Relief Plan, why we’ve been having fee-free TAFE. We’ve been doing all of those measures, but at the same time saying, for this group of Australians, this can make a difference. This is a request from them just to be recognised in our nation’s founding document. And I’m hoping that Australians can find it in their heart, but also in their head, to say, ‘We need to do things better. We will respond positively to this gracious request just to be recognised, because this is a once in a generation opportunity’.
BARR: Prime Minister, as you well know, the polls can often be wrong. They’re against you. Do you think people are not telling the pollsters what they really think? You reckon you can still win this thing?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course it can be won. Most Australians haven’t voted yet. And there’s been an arrogance, I think, from the No campaign, with some of the misinformation that’s out there. And I think when Australians go into the ballot box and ask themselves, ‘Will I just write three letters, Y-E-S, to recognise the first Australians in our Constitution?’ This is about the fair go. Australians are generous people. And secondly, a non-binding advisory committee, that doesn’t change the way that Parliament works, it doesn’t change who the decision makers are, but just enables people to be listened to on the ground. We can’t make decisions in Canberra for people in APY Lands and in Arnhem Land and these communities in Western NSW without listening to them. And Indigenous Australians are just asking to be listened to and are asking Australians to walk with them, to do things with them, rather than with the best of intentions, to do things either for them or to them. It’s always better when you ask people who are directly impacted by a policy what their views are.
SHIRVINGTON: Prime Minister, good to chat. So many issues and we wish we could speak to you for longer, but we know you’re very busy, especially at the moment. Thanks for your time.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks so much, guys. Have a great day.