Doorstop interview - Melbourne

BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Well, welcome to the electorate of Maribyrnong, the heart of it, Moonee Ponds. It's my great pleasure to welcome our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Labor's next Member for Maribyrnong, we hope, Jo Briskey. We've been here at a fantastic Goodstart Learning Centre, talking to the workforce about Labor's great policies to make sure that our early childhood educators get long overdue recognition, which indeed is one of Ms. Briskey's many achievements. It's my pleasure to hand over the Prime Minister and again, welcome to Maribyrnong.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Well, thanks very much, Bill. Firstly - I've already paid tribute to your extraordinary career on behalf of working people, in Canberra, but I want to do so here in your electorate as well. Because in order to lead the Labor Party, you've got to be a local member first and foremost, and Bill has always been such a strong advocate for this local community, and I can assure you, he's continuing to be so. Continuing to argue the case for local community groups. I went to a fantastic morning tea not far from here in Essendon just a couple of months ago, and there I saw the engagement that Bill has with his local community. This local community very much looks like mine - I've got to say - in the inner western suburbs of Sydney. And therefore I very much relate to this local community, and I do want to pay tribute to Bill Shorten as the member for Maribyrnong, who has been so supportive and such a strong advocate for this community, both as a member of the Government and as a member of the Opposition and Leader of the Opposition. But Bill has made a decision to go on to another career, which I'm sure - we've been talking with his family this morning about the joys of living in Canberra. And it is, of course, Australia's largest inland city, our national capital. And I'm sure that Bill will be an enormous success in his new position at the University of Canberra, which he will assume next year. Jo Briskey will be an extraordinary member as well. Jo is someone who has a background as the Chair of The Parenthood. The Parenthood is an important organisation that has been such strong advocates for families, and particularly for working families, and the role that parents play - both women and men - and being able to have a strong family background, including strong early education in order to lift up families, both economically, but also to be able to contribute to that sense of community. Jo, then, of course, has also worked in a sector as an advocate for workers in this area, as well as in aged care and other service delivery. Jo is someone who will be a very strong advocate for the people of Maribyrnong, carrying on Bill's legacy, but will also be, I think, a very strong contributor to the Australian Labor Party in the future. And she is someone who I think will have an outstanding career looking after people, because she's passionate about that. And this morning, I want to pay tribute to the centre here, to the workers, but also to these wonderful children. I thought I was going to be buried amongst them at one stage inside there, in reading that story, finding the little birds in the book that we read. It's a reminder that this isn't childminding. This is about assisting our youngest Australians to be the best they can be to fulfil their potential. We know that human brain development occurs mainly in the first five years of life, which is why this investment in this sector is so important. Since we came to office, we've delivered Cheaper Child Care for 1.2 million families, and from December, we commence the 15 per cent wage increase - 10 per cent this December, 5 per cent the following December - making sure that we not only value these workers, but we make sure that their wages and conditions are appropriate. That's important to keep people in the sector. It's also important to attract people to this sector as well. We'll have more to say in the lead up to the election. Looking for a second term agenda we said we would have the Productivity Commission report into how we make child care more affordable and provide that movement towards universal provision of affordable child care. And certainly the Government is examining the PC report that we have now received, and we are working our way through that as part of a second term agenda, as I flagged before the last election, before the change of government. I introduce you to the person I very much hope is the next Labor Member for Maribyrnong, Jo Briskey.

JO BRISKEY, LABOR CANDIDATE FOR MARIBYRNONG: Thank you very much. Thank you so much, Prime Minister, and to Bill. It is an absolute privilege and an honour to be here today. As the Prime Minister said, my name is Jo Briskey. I'm a proud mum to two young girls, Gwenevieve and Margot, and together with my husband Ravi, we, like many Melburnians before us, have chosen to make Melbourne our home. We love the life that we are living here in this wonderful part of Melbourne, for its connection to community, for its diversity, its inclusivity. We know we've made the right choice for our girls. I have spent my working life advocating and campaigning to make life better for working families, whether it's including, in particular, looking at how we can best assist young parents and carers by making early education and care more affordable and accessible. I want to say that it is such a privilege to have the opportunity to run as part of the Albanese Labor team, given its keen focus and strive to create a truly universal early education and care system that will ensure our children can succeed and thrive, and also help parents, in particular mums, get back to work and to work more. I recognise that many families are finding life pretty hard at the moment, and so by focusing on things that ease the cost of living, like making early education and care more affordable, is what good governments do. I want to pay tribute and acknowledge Bill. Bill has been, has made an incredible contribution to our country, but also, in particular for the community here in Maribyrnong. To say that I've got big shoes to fill is an understatement, but I know, given my experience, my drive, I can bring a fresh and dynamic energy to this electorate, and I will work incredibly hard every single day to earn the trust and confidence of this wonderful community. Thank you so much.

PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take some questions.

JOURNALIST: The US and UK say they played a role in defending Israel against this attack from Iran. Did Australia play any role as well?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the US has, of course, particular defence assets in the region. Australia doesn't have significant defence assets in the region. But we, of course, condemn Iran's actions. We once again reiterate the call that we've made, along with the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Italy, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, other nations as well, calling for a de-escalation. We're very concerned about Iran's actions, which is why we condemn them. It is a good thing that it would appear that the defence of Israel, supported by the United States, has ensured that there is no loss of civilian life, it would appear at this stage. There's been too much loss of life in that region.

JOURNALIST: Does Israel have the right to send troops into Lebanon?

PRIME MINISTER: What we want to do is to reiterate the call that we have. Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself. What we have called for, consistently, is for a de-escalation in the region. Along with our friends in the United States and others, we issued a Joint Statement with 13 nations just a week ago, and we did that in the context of making sure that the Israelis can return to northern Israel, and that the Lebanese can return to southern Lebanon. One of the things that that Statement said was that diplomacy, however, cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.

JOURNALIST: Will the Government offer evacuation flights to Australian citizens in Israel?

PRIME MINISTER: What we are doing is putting - we've been working to put measures in place. Our appropriate committees have been working on this for some time. But we reiterate, again, the call that we have made for many, many months. There have been warnings since last October about people travelling to the region. We've been calling for many months for people to leave the region, for Australian citizens to come to safety in Australia. This is a dangerous region at the moment. We know that that is the case, but it hasn't just arisen in past days, and we have been calling for many, many months for people to take the opportunity to leave through commercial means when they could. We again reiterate that people should take any opportunity that they can to leave. But the Australian Government, of course, will always do our best to look after Australian citizens.

JOURNALIST: Do you acknowledge that in order for Israel to defend itself and secure the safety of its northern region, it must disable Hezbollah, and does the Australian Government support its effort to take out Hezbollah's infrastructure?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, we regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, as we regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation. We have been working with like-minded countries and issuing appropriate statements, such as the one that I referred to.

JOURNALIST: Protests, Prime Minister. You've supported the New South Wales Police's decision to try and stop the protests on the Monday. Victoria Police says they don't have the power, because there's not a permit system in this state to stop a protest. Would you encourage the protesters who are organising the Sunday protest here to either not hold their event or to really, you know, keep it tempered?

PRIME MINISTER: What I would encourage at all times is for there to be appropriate moderation. These are difficult times. And I understand that for many Australians with family, be it in Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, or in Lebanon, this is a very difficult time. It's not a time to raise temperature. It's a time to try to make sure that social cohesion in Australia is valued. And so October 7, I think, is not a time for demonstrations to occur, because it will be perceived as - whether that's the intention or not - as being something that is less than an appropriate commemoration of the atrocity that occurred on October 7, and it will do nothing to advance the cause, October 7 is the largest loss of life of Jewish people since the Holocaust.

JOURNALIST: You talked earlier today about the key hint in the Hezbollah flag being the gun in the middle of it. Would you hope that now that there's a greater public awareness of the laws that do exist. Would you hope the police, if there are protests Sunday or Monday, immediately use those laws and look at people carrying insignia of terror organisations?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, it's Government's job to pass laws. It's police's job to enforce them -

JOURNALIST: You can make -

PRIME MINISTER: If you let me answer the question. It's police's job to enforce them. What is important in Australia is that we do have the rule of law and a separation of powers. So, I note some politicians are attempting to direct police on the way that they should act. But what police should do is enforce the law. The laws are there about hate symbols. The Hezbollah flag is quite clearly a hate symbol and should not be displayed here in Australia.

JOURNALIST: Do you have any concerns about the RBA holding private meetings with banks and punishing them for any leaks that come out of those private meetings?

PRIME MINISTER: Sorry?

JOURNALIST: Do you have any concerns about the Reserve Bank holding private meetings with banks and punishing them for any leaks that come out of those meetings?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, the Reserve Bank is an independent body, and the Reserve Bank acts independently. And it's not surprising that the Reserve Bank would meet with people in the finance sector, including our banks.

JOURNALIST: Have you had any contact with the Iranian Ambassador following those strikes overnight?

PRIME MINISTER: No.

JOURNALIST: Will you?

PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've been here in Melbourne. So - no, I have not.

JOURNALIST: Should the Victorian Government consider permits for protests?

PRIME MINISTER: Well that's a matter for the Victorian Government. I can answer on behalf of the Australian Government.

JOURNALIST: Do you agree that, PM, that Peter Dutton, this week, in talking about this issue, similarly to the Gaza visa issue, has poured kerosene on an already inflammatory topic?

PRIME MINISTER: Peter Dutton has never seen an issue in which he does not seek to promote division, and that is the characteristic that Peter Dutton has had his entire political career. It's not strong to not understand that there's a separation of powers in this country.

JOURNALIST: When did you last provide the Opposition with a security briefing on the situation in the Middle East and on domestic security concerns?

PRIME MINISTER: I spoke with Peter Dutton on Saturday. Thanks very much.

JOURNALIST: Can we just ask Ms. Briskey, maybe a couple? Congratulations. You've been floated for quite a few seats over the years since moving to Melbourne, including seats on the total other end of the suburban ring. What made this seat the appropriate seat for you?

BRISKEY: I'm, as I said, really excited and thrilled to have the opportunity to run in this area. It is a part of Melbourne - I've been here since we moved to Melbourne, in this part of the city, and to take on the opportunity - especially following someone like Bill - to ensure that we have a good, strong local member here is, you know, it's an incredible privilege. And I'm going to work every single day to earn the trust and confidence of this electorate, to ensure that they know that they've got a fighter and an advocate in me and a voice for them in Canberra.

JOURNALIST: Have you decided whether you're going to move into the electorate?

BRISKEY: Look, I live just outside, just on the border a couple of minutes down the road. We're in this area all the time as a family. It is important for me to ensure that this community understands that they have in me a strong advocate who will have their back every single day of the week to work for them and to help make life better for the working families.

JOURNALIST: Just a couple of local issues. What's your position on the public housing tower demolition and also the dispute over the Airport Rail Link?

BRISKEY: Look, I think it'll be really important to ensure that I connect with those communities to hear firsthand the experience that they are under at the moment. It's really important that part of the work that I do is making a connection with those communities to see what I can do, what role that I can play. And this is something that Bill and I already had a conversation about how we connect with those communities, to get in and help them as best as we possibly can.

JOURNALIST: Maybe one to Mr. Shorten. Bill, what would you say to those protests on Sunday, Monday?

MINISTER SHORTEN: So, the same thing the Prime Minister has said. How on earth do you convince someone of the righteousness of your cause by disrespecting other people's pain? The Hezbollah flag, as the Prime Minister has said, is a terror symbol. It's a hate symbol. October the 7th is the first year since the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. I respect the people from Gaza, from the West Bank, from Lebanon, from Israel, feel really strongly, and they're going through pain which the rest of us, who don't have family there, can't even begin to understand. But people shouldn't bring their arguments to this country and disrespect our laws. And as the Prime Minister has called for October the 7th saw the murder of 1200 plus Jewish people. The rape of others. There's still hostages held by Hamas. You know, I wouldn't want hard line Christian extremists holding some sort of protest rallies on a day of great pain for people of Muslim heritage. Can't we just live and let live here and try the best we can to maintain harmony, which is what the Prime Minister has said.

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