Subjects: Sentencing of Brenton Tarrant; Foreign Relations Bill; Belt and Road Initiative.
EO&E
KARL STEFANOVIC:
New Zealand is this morning demanding Australia take back Christchurch gunman Brenton Tarrant to serve out his life sentence on home soil. Kiwi Deputy PM Winston Peters calling on Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton to accept the prisoner transfer – who joins us now – with Deputy Leader of the Opposition Richard Marles. Good morning gentlemen, nice to have your company today.
RICHARD MARLES:
Morning Karl.
PETER DUTTON:
Good morning Karl.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Pete, to you first of all, have you received any official request yet?
PETER DUTTON:
No we haven't Karl, but obviously this is a very sensitive issue. I've asked for some legal advice, but we'll work very closely with New Zealand. We have a very special relationship with them. I think the first priority is to make sure that this individual – and I hope that we don't continue to repeat his name because he wants the notoriety that he doesn't deserve – but I hope that this individual serves the longest possible sentence that's been imposed in New Zealand. We'd have to look at what happens in terms of parole or the way in which our legal system would work here.
So, first priority to keep him in jail for the rest of his life, and we'll work very closely with New Zealand on any requests that they provide.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yeah. There are complications there legally, aren't there, given we have different laws and sentencing in different states here; I think New South Wales might be the only state to have life without parole, so it would have to be in New South Wales.
PETER DUTTON:
Well as I say, we'll see if we have a formal request from New Zealand and we'll work very closely with them, but the priority is, as you point out, to make sure that wherever he is he never sees the light of day again and the tragedy that he's inflicted on many, many lives, both in New Zealand, but around the world is tragic and we should pay no homage at all.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
But you have no dramas, him coming back here?
PETER DUTTON:
We've been very clear that Australian citizens who commit crimes overseas, ultimately when they're deported back to our country we accept them, but we haven't had a formal request from New Zealand as yet, and we'll wait to have that discussion with them in private.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Okay. Richard, do you have any dramas with it?
RICHARD MARLES:
Oh look, I agree with what Peter said and I'm sure that he'll work this out with New Zealand. I think really the significance over the last 24 hours is that in the face of just the most appalling act of hate, we've seen justice be done – and Peter's right – this person should be spending the rest of his life behind bars. I just hope that the decision yesterday and the justice that was served yesterday gives some solace to those who were the victims of just the most egregious event.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yeah. It was almost embarrassing to be Australian wasn't it? I mean at the time when we found out, it was such an awful thing, and all our love and support goes to those victims.
Let's move on; Scott Morrison is warning China can no longer undermine national security by making deals with states, announcing a raft of new powers in a proposed foreign relations bill. That bill turning up the already high tension between the PM and the Victorian Premier. The love affair is over now Pete, isn't it?
PETER DUTTON:
Well look Karl, I think on all issues related to COVID, we're very keen to work with Victoria or New South Wales, or wherever it might be and the Prime Minister's demonstrated that leadership through the National Cabinet, but equally, we've been very clear that we don't want state governments entering into arrangements with foreign powers that are not in our national interest.
The announcement during the week that the Federal Government will look at these individual bilateral arrangements and decide whether or not it is in our national interest, I think is a very welcome development.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Dan Andrews said that he was taken by surprise.
PETER DUTTON:
Well, he shouldn't have been because the Government's been very clear from day one it's the only agreement – if you're talking about the BRI agreement between Victoria and China – it's the only agreement as I'm aware between a state government or a municipality and a foreign power of that nature. So I don't think there should be any surprise.
But we need to act in our national interest. It'll apply to any deal, but we need to have that proper process in place and we will.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Okay. Richard, Dan Andrews needs to pay the bill somehow, does he have a right to be upset here?
RICHARD MARLES:
Well look, Daniel Andrews is going to conduct things in his own way, and that's fair enough. At the end of the day though, I think the Government needs to be applying this to their own actions. I mean, the Federal Government signed its own BRI deal with China in 2017 under Trade Minister Steve Ciobo, so I just hope that whatever they're putting in place ultimately applies to their own actions as well. Look, we'll have a look at the legislation when it's given to us, it hasn't been given to us as yet.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
But you'll support it?
RICHARD MARLES:
Well, we'll have a look at it when it's given to us; we're not going to answer those questions unsighted, unseen; we want to have a look at what's actually being proposed here. But I would make this point; I mean the way in which Australia makes its way in the world is a matter for the Commonwealth Government, and the expertise around that lies in the Department of Foreign Affairs. So I get that the Commonwealth has an interest here, and that's where foreign relations should be done. But this needs to apply to their own behaviour as well and they're the ones who have signed their own BRI agreement here. So we shouldn't forget that.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Basically what you're saying this morning is that Daniel Andrews should never have done a BRI with China?
RICHARD MARLES:
Is that a question to me?
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Yes.
RICHARD MARLES:
Look, I'm not about to criticise Daniel Andrews, he can run his government as he sees fit. I mean if Labor were in power federally, we would not be doing a BRI agreement with China.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
Well, that basically says it all doesn't it Richard?
PETER DUTTON:
Richard, you're locked up in that tiny little library there under lock and key and you've got no criticism of the bloke. What's going on?
RICHARD MARLES:
No, but I've got criticism of your government, you've done a BRI agreement with China. We wouldn't have done what the Commonwealth Government's done…
KARL STEFANOVIC:
…hang on, hang on. Richard, you're saying that the Government's BRI was no good, but you're not going to say that the Dan Andrews agreement, state agreement with the BRI with China is no good. What's with that? I don't know what you're saying.
RICHARD MARLES:
Yeah, I'm a loyal member of the Labor Party.
PETER DUTTON:
Under lock and key.
KARL STEFANOVIC:
What? At least you're honest. Just going to toe the party line. Hey, thanks guys. Have a great week, talk to you soon.
PETER DUTTON:
Thanks guys, see you.
[ends]
