Television Interview – Today | Prime Minister of Australia
SARAH ABO, HOST: Prime Minister, good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Sarah.
ABO: Thanks for joining us this morning. We do have a lot to get through. I mean, as you would have just heard then from an Australian living in Israel, not all Australians feel as though they’re being looked after. What are you doing to ensure the safety of all Australians in Israel? We know that there is so much uncertainty out there at the moment, all they want to do is feel safe.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Sarah, we’re doing all that we can. This is an extraordinary logistical exercise while a war is going on. And today the first flight from Qantas will leave to London. It will carry 220 passengers. Qantas are also putting in place the logistical exercise to then fly from London back to Australia via Singapore, is being put in place as we speak. There are some 1600 people have registered either in Israel or in Gaza or the West Bank. Australians who have registered, not necessarily registered their interest in leaving at this point in time, but there is an additional flight has been confirmed as well, as well as a charter flight has been confirmed. We are doing whatever we can in these circumstances to assist and I’m very grateful that Qantas, I spoke to the CEO just yesterday, they are moving very quickly. They asked for volunteers of Australian Qantas personnel willing to fly in, to be part of the crew and they got, many, many more times volunteers that could possibly ever be needed. And that’s an example of the fact that at the darkest of times, Australians always show the best of their character.
ABO: So, can we just confirm with you then, PM, because we’re hearing that these flights will only evacuate residents or Australian citizens from Tel Aviv to London. Are you now saying that you will be transporting them from London back to Australia by Singapore? Is that going ahead?
PRIME MINISTER: I’m saying that Qantas are putting those measures in place as we speak. It’s not finalised at this point in time, but that is what Qantas are looking at doing and that is the objective here. But when you have a war zone, the first task is to get people to safety away from the war zone, and that is what we are doing. Qantas are able, of course, to fly to London. The way the air services works, as we’ve seen recently, is through agreements. And Qantas are able to get people to London because they have the logistics there to be able to do that.
ABO: And PM, as you know, when we’re talking about a war zone here, we’re talking about people who are deeply traumatised, who may not really have the clear mind to book arrangements around this flight to London. I mean, once they get there, they’ve got to get accommodation, they’ve got to cover basic things like food and further travel. I mean, that’s not front of mind for these people right now. They’re just getting out of a war zone here.
PRIME MINISTER: Exactly, which is why we’re cognisant of it. Which is why then we’re looking at the next stage of getting people from London back to Australia.
ABO: Well, hopefully they’re not stranded in London for too long. We did speak to a Queensland mum earlier on the show. Her 15 year old son is stuck in Israel, unable to get a plane out because there’s nobody to accompany him. Apparently he’s too young to travel alone. That’s because his parents are in Australia. I mean, surely we can get him on a flight, PM?
PRIME MINISTER: Of course, these things are all being worked through from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, working around the clock to ensure that Australians are kept safe, whether they be there, there are some nineteen people who’ve registered to try to leave Gaza. We’re speaking with the Egyptian Government as well about how we get those people out of that area, into safety as well. This is a complex exercise, but Australia once again is doing what we can and I’m very sympathetic with everyone who is there. As you heard from that interview, the person, though, is making decisions on a twenty-four hours basis. That’s perfectly understandable, but your listeners would also understand that that presents a logistical issue when it’s difficult to organise on the basis of those decisions.
ABO: Oh, absolutely.
PRIME MINISTER: It is a traumatic time for everyone who is there and I just pay tribute to all those Australians who are working around the clock to assist their fellow Australians at this difficult time.
ABO: Yeah, it’s such a difficult time, PM as you say. We know that some assistance has been offered via Virgin and Qatar Airways, they’ve put their hands up to help out. Will you accept their offer?
PRIME MINISTER: We’re willing to accept everyone’s offer. There’s been some logistics, the original suggestion that people get out of places that were difficult to get to presents a logistical challenge as well. So, at this point in time Qantas, as well as a charter flight have been put in place and we’re also looking at all of the logistics that are possible. We want people to be got to safety and we’re working around the clock to make sure that can happen.
ABO: Yeah, we know that the absolute priority right now is getting people out of their safely, PM, and we know that’s forefront of mind for you. But what is also forefront at the moment on domestic issues is the Voice. The polls aren’t looking good, as we know, for months and weeks now, and they haven’t looked good for that period of time. What does happen on Sunday, October 15, if Australia votes No?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we’re in No now, Sarah. This is where we’re at now.
ABO: You’re unlikely to get out of it, it would seem.
PRIME MINISTER: Australians shouldn’t be, there’s a certain arrogance has crept into the No camp of taking this for granted and taking Australians for granted. Some of the polls, a computer generated poll that doesn’t actually talk to anyone, I’m amazed that anyone actually prints that stuff. The fact is that Australians will go into the ballot room either today or tomorrow, and if they write just three letters, Y.E.S., all that will happen is that our First Australians will be recognised in our nation’s founding document. And secondly, there’ll be a non-binding advisory committee that can be listened to, that can advise and make representations to government about matters that affect Indigenous people, so that we get better results. That’s all that’s at stake here. Nothing to fear, everything to gain. And I hope that Australians do vote Yes tomorrow.
ABO: We know that some twenty per cent of eligible voters, PM, have already voted in this referendum. I think everyone agrees that Aboriginal people should be recognised in the constitution. Everyone agrees that we need to close the gap. But it seems as though you haven’t cut through. If you had your time again, would you change your campaign?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Sarah, this is not my campaign. This is a request from the First Australians made in 2017 at Uluru, after years of consultation with thousands of Indigenous Australians across hundreds of meetings, across many years. And it’s a gracious request, just asking fellow Australians to walk with them on the journey towards reconciliation. And that’s why yesterday I was with Ken Wyatt in Perth, the Morrison Government’s Indigenous Affairs Minister, pleading for Australians to vote Yes because he has seen the lack of progress which is there. And we can’t continue to have a situation with an eight year life expectancy gap, where an Indigenous young male is more likely to go to jail than to university. This is a once in a generation opportunity for recognition.
ABO: Yeah, and I think everyone agrees on those points, PM. Might cut through with one more day to go amid all these other pressures that Australians are facing. Thank you so much for joining us today, I appreciate it.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Sarah.