Minister Rishworth interview on Sunrise with Natalie Barr

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

Topics: Iran; Immigration; Middle-East conflict; Protests; Diplomacy.

NATALIE BARR, HOST: Thank you, Sam. The Federal Government is this morning facing pressure to expel Iran's top diplomat in Australia over his praise of a terrorist leader recently killed by Israeli strikes. In social media post, Ahmad Sadeghi described slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah as a remarkable leader and a blessed martyr. So, far, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, has refused to say what action, if any, the Government plans to take. For their take, let's bring in Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. Good morning, Amanda. So, Iran's top diplomat in our country, will he face any questioning or expulsion for his comments?

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Well, firstly, I would say that the Foreign Minister has, and I do, clearly condemn the comments of the Iranian ambassador. That's really clear. And I have to say that they are completely, you know, abhorrent comments. When it comes to the diplomatic relationships between Australia and Iran, we've had uninterrupted diplomatic relationships since 1968. Now, of course, that has been under a variety of different Governments, and that is not, I think, any Government that's kept those diplomatic relationships would be clear that that is not an endorsement of the regime. It is about pursuing our national interests. And so we will keep pursuing our national interests. But I need to be really clear. It's not an endorsement and we condemn these comments fully, but there is our national interest at play by keeping diplomatic channels open, particularly around urging de-escalation when it comes to the conflict in the Middle east.

NATALIE BARR: So, do you call him in?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, look, that's a matter for the Foreign Minister, but she has been very public about her condemnation around his comments. And let's be really clear here.

NATALIE BARR: Is that really strong enough?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation.

NATALIE BARR: Yeah, it's a terrorist organisation. And this guy has just called the leader a blessed martyr and a remarkable leader. So, you know, for our Government to sit there and say, yeah, that's not good, wouldn't we call him in and give him a bit of a rough over the knuckles?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, that is a matter for the Prime Minister. I'm sure there has been, over many Governments robust conversations with the Iranian Government, but we are acting in our national interest. Since 1968, there has been, of course, diplomatic relations, but that doesn't mean we don't have very robust conversations. And, of course, it is not an endorsement of the regime's position.

NATALIE BARR: Ok, Sussan, is that the way we handle this, to keep the lines of communication open with Iran?

SUSSAN LEY, DEPUTY OPPOSITION LEADER: No, it's not the way we should handle this and we've been very clear about this, Nat, the ambassador has made awful comments, should be held accountable for them. Yes, it's important that we have diplomatic relations with many countries, but those comments don't sound very diplomatic to me. And, yes, members of the Government have made statements, but words only go so far. Actions count. This individual should be called in, he should have his credentials removed and he should be sent home. It's a test for the Foreign Minister and it's a test for the Prime Minister.

NATALIE BARR: Ok, let's move on to something related. A Melbourne based Iranian national, who is also a pro Hezbollah activist, seen waving the terrorist group's flag at a protest last weekend, has slammed Australia as a pathetic, tyrannical terrorist regime. At this stage, his status in this country is unclear. But, Amanda, if he's a visa holder, should it be cancelled? He's a citizen. Should he be charged over this?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, firstly, I would say that Hezbollah and Hamas are terrorist organisations. They do not seek peace and we condemn them, of course, and we condemn their actions. In terms of our response, we've been very clear, and we actually brought in laws last year that made it very clear that by demonstrating hate symbols, which, of course, terrorist organisations promote hate, or glorifying terrorist organisations is a crime. That law only came in last year and it's an important, strong law that we have. In terms of the response to any individuals, the AFP, of course, and other police organisations will be investigating and that's really important. I have confidence in our law enforcement agencies. It's my understanding under these laws that there have been charges laid and legal proceedings are continuing. I can't make any further comments with this, but these laws are very important. In terms of any visa status, of course, people that break the law here in Australia that are on a visa should actually have more scrutiny and ensure that they are abiding by Australian law. So, I think that we need to let our authorities get on with the investigation. I understand they're doing that. But legal proceedings or charges being laid if the AFP investigates, should be done.

NATALIE BARR: Yes. Sussan, are the laws strong enough? Because there seemed to be a bit of discrepancy at the beginning of the week that you were allowed to hold the hate signal or the flag if it wasn't inciting violence?

SUSSAN LEY: The Government is in charge, laws can be introduced that this individual needs to be found, he needs to be detained, and he needs to be put on the first flight back to Iran. The comments he has made are reprehensible, I'm not going to repeat them. This is a hideous, hideous individual. Now, let's not forget that in Iran, for expressing your views against the regime, you are imprisoned, tortured. Women are punished and imprisoned for not wearing headscarves. The issues that really matter here are sometimes overlooked. And I still remember a group of Iranian women coming to the Federal Parliament sitting in one of our committee rooms, and all of the members present were absolutely shocked into silence by the description of what that regime does, particularly to its women. And you compare that with our tolerant, multicultural country. I'm sure Amanda agrees with me. This individual needs to be found, detained, and sent back without delay.

NATALIE BARR: Yep. You agree, Amanda?

AMANDA RISHWORTH: Well, I'm going to let the police do their job, but I think if they have, I condemn the comments, and I think strong action does need to be taken.

NATALIE BARR: Okay, we thank you very much. We'll see you next week.