Television interview, ABC Weekend Breakfast

SUBJECTS: Middle East conflict; Visas; Geelong Cats in AFL Preliminary Final.

GREG JENNETT, HOST: Well, the security situation is brittle, to say the least, in the Middle East, that much is clear from Eric Torchek's reporting and other world media there at the moment. For more on that and a few other matters, we're joined now live by Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles, who's in Geelong. Acting PM, I see you draped in Cats colours and I pledge that we will get to a discussion about that. But why don't we start on far more serious matters in the Middle East? We've seen further bombings overnight. Is the Government satisfied that all Australians who should have gotten themselves out of Lebanon now have done so? Or another way of putting it, how many remain there?

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Well, there is a significant Australian population in Lebanon, so I appreciate the question, Greg. Because for those people who are in Lebanon, it is really important that if you are seeking to leave, to leave now. That is an absolute imperative. It matters to be looking at the travel advisory, which is obviously not to travel to Lebanon. But for the many Australian citizens who are in Lebanon now, if you are seeking to leave, now is the time to do it.

JENNETT: Does the Government anticipate back at home any further uptick in demonstrations arising from the tumultuous events of exploding pagers and walkie talkies, through to these latest bombings into Lebanon? These are being planned in capitals around the world, as I understand it. Do you have any advice on that?

MARLES: Look, I don't. I mean, obviously people have their right in Australia to engage in peaceful protest, to have their say and that's an important part of our society. Clearly, you know, we seek to encourage people to exercise that right in a peaceful way, respecting that police and others who are there to keep our community safe have a job to do as well. But that will play out as it does. I mean, clearly what is occurring in the Middle East is just a human tragedy. We are using our international voice to call for a ceasefire to do everything that is possible to provide humanitarian assistance and we want to make sure that we are not seeing an escalation of the conflict. The ceasefire proposal that was brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt remains the best chance of peace and we're encouraging all the participants to adhere to that. But, you know, we are watching a human catastrophe play out there and the sooner we see a ceasefire, the better.

JENNETT: Yeah, I think President Biden might have expressed similar sentiments overnight our time. Can I take you, Richard Marles, to a related issue here on the home front, that is the processing of Palestinian visas after so many questions were asked in the parliament. It's emerged via documents presented to the Senate that all or virtually all Palestinian visa holders, we're talking about 2,600 here, were referred to ASIO for security assessments in March of this year. But of course, by then most had already arrived in Australia who were completing that journey. Is the timing of those assessments completely normal?

MARLES: The process that has been undertaken here is the same process that was in place under the former government, undertaken by exactly the same agencies, and it's a rigorous process. And what we now know is that everyone from Palestine who is here on an Australian visa has been checked by ASIO. We are completely confident in our security agencies and the wonderful job they do to keep Australians safe. And what we've really seen from the Coalition over the course of a month was just one giant scare campaign, which, to be honest, was a distraction from the fact that they have not a single thing to say about the cost of living, which is the real issue which is facing the Australian people today. They have nothing to say about what they will do to fight inflation, nothing to say about what they will do in relation to income tax or the energy benefits and rebates that we've put in place. I mean, we are focusing on that because that is what's facing the Australian people today. What we saw from the Coalition was a massive scare campaign and in the process they really undermined the messages that come from our security agencies about the fact that they do their work to keep Australia safe. And that's what's happened in relation to this kind cohort.

JENNETT: All right, we might just move on then to the reason why you're standing there draped in a scarf as Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, Acting Prime Minister, I should say. The AFL preliminary final on tonight. Your beloved Cats are taking on the Brisbane Lions in a decidedly feline affair, I think we can say, and just picking up on where you left off in your last answer, I'm guessing you want a better scorecard than your government developed in the Senate this last week?

MARLES: Well, I'm not sure what that reference is, Greg but we're certainly very excited about the game tonight. It is something of a David and Goliath contest, as you say, Cats versus Lions; a determined, battling regional town taking on a state metropolis, an olympic city, no less. But we have a sense of confidence. It's been an incredible season this year, really, because every moment that you have a sense of confidence, something different happens on the night. So, literally any team can win. But, you know, it's hard to conceive of the town of Geelong without the football club. It's been part and parcel of Geelong going back to 1859. It's the second oldest football club of any code in the world. And we really, you know, we feel very grateful for the organisation, for the club, proud of the team. We see them representing us and we're really excited about tonight.

JENNETT: Well, I'm not sure whether the cachet of having an acting prime minister counts for much when they actually run onto the ground but I'm sure it does beforehand. Just remember, in victory or defeat, you still have a country to run in the Prime Minister's absence.

MARLES: Well, that is true. It'll be a much better country if Geelong wins tonight. I mean, this really is a contest, Greg, between all that's good and right on the one hand and on the other, Brisbane. So, I know that Australia is going to be there barracking for the Cats tonight.

JENNETT: I'd expect nothing less from you, Richard Marles. Thanks for finding a few moments for us. Thanks so much.

MARLES: Thanks Greg.

ENDS