Subjects: United States border security policies.
E&EO…………………………………………………………………………………………..
DAVID KOCH:
Minister, thanks for joining us.
PETER DUTTON:
Morning Kochie.
DAVID KOCH:
A lot of confusion everywhere on this dual citizenship aspect of this order. Can you clarify it for us? Who are the Australian travellers most likely to be affected?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Kochie obviously we'll work with the US authorities if there are particular cases that we've got, but bearing in mind that we have already since the Executive Order had literally hundreds of people flying from Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, into the US. We're not aware of particular cases that we can't address and that we haven't been able to speak with the US authorities about.
So I know there is a lot of pushback and a lot concern about what's happening in other places around the world at the moment, but from our perspective, from the Australian perspective, we've got a very good relationship with the US and we'll work with the US on individual cases if problems arise.
DAVID KOCH:
Ok. What about blanket cases like the UK and Canada have already negotiated that dual citizenship for their citizens won't affect entry in the United States? Why haven't you gone down that route?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Kochie we are on to that at the moment. Obviously the Embassy in Washington is pushing for that at the moment and that would be a good outcome.
DAVID KOCH:
So look, I can't help but think, America is going back to our old White Australia policy where we were scared of the so called yellow peril from the north streaming to Australia. Julie Bishop has said that she supports the United States strong border protection laws. Are our immigration laws going to go that way as well? You've got the Foreign Minister giving it the thumbs up.
PETER DUTTON:
Well Kochie as you know I mean Australia has been criticised over recent years for our tough border protection policies. We had 50,000 people who came on 800 boats and there was a lot of domestic concern about that and the Government has put in place a plan which has secured our borders. Now, there were plenty of countries around the world that criticised us at the time, but we have been able to stop drownings at sea and get all of the kids out of detention and immigration is a big issue in the United States. It was a big issue in the UK over Brexit. It is obviously a big issue in Canada at the moment as well.
So I think we need to respect the fact that the US has just been through an election. This was a huge policy and a big debate in the US Presidential campaign and President Trump would say that he is implementing the policy that he took to the election.
DAVID KOCH:
So you think we should take a leaf out of their book?
PETER DUTTON:
I think we're happy with the settings that we've got now. We welcome people from four corners of the earth, but we've got probably the toughest approach in the world in terms of scrutinising individual applications. We accepted 12,000 people from Syria…
DAVID KOCH:
…so you see Trump's policy as good?
PETER DUTTON:
I think it is an issue for the President of the United States to implement domestic policy there and I think it is our responsibility here to take care of our borders, which is what we've done.
DAVID KOCH:
But see, I can't…because he is painting the people from these countries as terrorists, ok. But a country exempted is Saudi Arabia. Now, 15 of the 19 9-11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia, but because it is the biggest oil producer in the world that exports to America, it's not part of the blanket. Don't you think it is just playing politics? It's just hypocritical?
PETER DUTTON:
Well Kochie I think there will be all sorts of conspiracy theories around oil and all sorts of motivations. If it was a blanket ban against Muslims, or against a particular religion, then that's the policy that they would have implemented. They've put in place a ban against seven countries. It is a temporary ban.
DAVID KOCH:
Well you hope it wouldn't be against Muslims because….
PETER DUTTON:
…no and they have been clear about that.
DAVID KOCH:
…one bloke introduced a similar ban against religions back in the 30s and 40s and we don't want to see that again.
PETER DUTTON:
Well I think Kochie, as you point out, as is the case for Australia, we have a sovereign right to determine who comes across our borders and the US went to an election with millions of Americans very concerned about migration policy and President Trump has the mandate, he would say, to implement policy. It is temporary policy aimed at looking at their screening processes of bringing people in and then presumably once they've learnt those lessons…
DAVID KOCH:
…and you support him?
PETER DUTTON:
Well I think it is important for Australia to support the United States and the US is a good friend to us, a good ally and has been for a long time and I hope into the future as well.
DAVID KOCH:
Alright Minister, thank you for that.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks Kochie.
[ends]
