Subjects: United States border security policies; United States resettlement of refugees from Nauru and PNG; Bill Shorten's lack of leadership.
E&EO…………………………………………………………………………………………..
KIERAN GILBERT:
First of all we've seen a lot of reaction to the Trump Executive Order. What do you make of it given you're our Immigration Minister?
PETER DUTTON:
Well from Australia's perspective, if there are Australians that need assistance we'll provide that consular assistance to them. We've obviously got a very, very good relationship with the US and if there are individual cases then we can help clear those matters up. But as the Foreign Minister's pointed out, she's instructed our Ambassador in Washington and our officials there to work with the US to achieve the same exemption that Canada and the UK has and that's the intent. So I think we need to…
KIERAN GILBERT:
…we should get it. Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that the UK had that exemption because it's part of the Five Eyes arrangement and so are we.
PETER DUTTON:
Yeah look and as I say, I mean this is the reason we've got a good relationship with the US. It's multifaceted obviously in terms of the exchange of the intelligence through the Five Eyes process, but also on Customs and border crossings, there is a lot of work obviously that we're doing in that space as well. So it's a very deep and abiding relationship. We will work with the US and there are many movements of people in and out of Australia and the US each day, so the Foreign Minister is working as hard as she can…
KIERAN GILBERT:
…what about the merits of this temporary ban? What do you make of them?
PETER DUTTON:
Well I think it's an issue for the US Kieran. I think it's the case that when Australia implemented a tough border protection policy here we were criticised by many countries, but in the end what we did was what was in our best national interest.
We've stopped boats, we've stopped drownings at sea, we've got kids out of detention and we've brought order back to our border protection regime.
And the US would say, President Trump would say that he went to an election with this policy, he's implementing the policy and domestic US policy is an issue for the US Government.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Pauline Hanson has praised Mr Trump. She says that our Prime Minister hasn't done enough in regards to responding to terror. What do you say to that?
PETER DUTTON:
Well I think he's pretty much on the right path when he's being attacked by the Left, he's being attacked by the Right. I think the Prime Minister has taken a responsible stance in his public comments about a very trusted ally, a very important ally for the future of this country and ultimately it's not within the responsibility of the Australian Prime Minister to comment on US domestic policy. I think the Prime Minister pointed that out very openly yesterday. I think he took the right approach and that's certainly the approach that the Government will be taking.
KIERAN GILBERT:
So it's not just about protecting the deal that you and Mr Turnbull secured with the previous administration in terms of resettlement of refugees off Nauru and Manus?
PETER DUTTON:
Well that was a successful arrangement. It was a very intense negotiation with the Obama Administration and we are very grateful to President Trump and to Secretary Kelly and others for the work that they've done in transitioning this arrangement into their own Administration.
KIERAN GILBERT:
And you don't want to jeopardise that by having a crack at them, is that the plan?
PETER DUTTON:
I want to get people off Nauru and Manus – there's no secret about that – Labor put people on Nauru and Manus. We've tidied up the mess of border protection. We've secured our borders and I now want to get as a priority women and children off Nauru and I want to get people off Nauru and Manus in toto as quickly as possible.
We have struck an arrangement with the US. President Trump has said that he will honour that arrangement that was presided over by the Obama Administration and we will continue to work with our good friends in the US to see that achieved.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Mr Shorten is calling on the Government to alter its reaction because of what he says is an appalling ban. We've also seen Jeff Bleich make a comment, the former Ambassador to Australia, the most recent Ambassador – not the most recent Ambassador the previous one to Ambassador Berry – but obviously he is close to the Democrats, he's described this as a cruel measure that violates the tenets of American democracy.
PETER DUTTON:
Well look, all I can say about Bill Shorten is what people have said to me over Christmas and that is that he's not a person to be trusted. The people who know Bill Shorten most – those colleagues around him and those within the upper echelons of the union movement – know that this is a man that can't be trusted.
Bill Shorten's rash outburst on Twitter demonstrates, frankly, that's he's not fit to be the Australian prime minister. He has made statements that are incorrect. They're at odds with the stated policy of the United States – so either he is poorly informed or he is despite to try to out court the Left because Richard Di Natale's call for the US alliance to be broken was reckless and irresponsible.
Mr Shorten is in a battle with the people on the Left and votes on the Left of his own Party, and within communities, and frankly Mr Shorten for his own political gain, has sacrificed the national interest which I think is irresponsible for a man who wants to take the highest office in this land.
KIERAN GILBERT:
He's not just being true to his vales? That's what he would argue?
PETER DUTTON:
I think he is being a political opportunist and he's put his own political interest ahead of the national interest and a man that does that is not fit to be prime minister of this country. I think Australians know – as I said you know you speak to hundreds of people over Christmas that stop and have a chat, meet them at barbeques, see them at social functions – people really do not trust Bill Shorten. I think the Labor Party knows that. We're seeing it around the country and I think he demonstrated it and underscored how unfit he is to occupy the Leader of the Oppositions role.
His responsibility in relation to the alliance, in relation to national security matters is absolutely paramount in the Australian political system and he failed that fundamental test.
KIERAN GILBERT:
I just want to conclude where we began in relation to our response to the Trump Executive Order. Is there any prospect that Australia follows something similar given our tradition has been quite different to that, a non-discriminatory immigration programme?
PETER DUTTON:
The short answer is no, but the reason why Kieran is that the US has announced this 90 day ban because they want to look at screening processes. This is not about putting a blanket ban in place for people of particular religion or from a particular country – it is to look at people movements across the US border and they will decide whether or not the screening process is adequate in the current security environment – that's the intent of President Trump.
We already have in place a world leading border protection system. We've demonstrated that. It's different for Australia because we are an island nation and the threat for us is not by aircraft, because we have airport liaison officers, we have probably the most stringent testing regime and screening regime in the world and we're able to conduct those tests now under the existing settings and that's the system we've got in place. We have no plans to change it.
KIERAN GILBERT:
Mr Dutton, appreciate your time. Thanks.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks Kieran, thank you.
[ends]
