Television interview, Weekend Today

SUBJECTS: Quad meeting; Australia-US alliance; US Presidential election; Geelong Cats in AFL Preliminary Final.

SOPHIE WALSH, HOST: Well, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has secured a one on one meeting with US President Joe Biden ahead of this weekend's Quad summit.

CLINT STANAWAY, HOST: National security is likely to be high on the agenda as China continues to make threats around the Indo-Pacific region. To discuss this, we are joined this morning by Acting PM Richard Marles in Geelong. Mr Marles, good morning. Mr Biden, as at the end of his term, what will he and the PM be talking about?

RICHARD MARLES, ACTING PRIME MINISTER: Well, I think this will be a really significant meeting between our Prime Minister and President Biden. It will certainly be the last meeting in the US and in that sense, there's some poignancy about it. I know that throughout Anthony's time as Prime Minister he's really valued the personal friendship of Joe Biden. Both of them have a lot in common. They've both got great experience within their own systems and they've both come to their roles at a very significant time in global history. And I know they've really provided support to each other. Obviously AUKUS is very central, our defence relationship is key to the alliance, but I'm sure we'll be also talking about issues around clean energy cooperation and also supply chain diversification, how Australia's critical minerals can play a part in American supply chains. But I think this is going to be a really important and poignant meeting between our Prime Minister and the President.

WALSH: We know that China is high on the agenda. Just how much of a risk does the nation currently pose to our national security?

MARLES: Look, I think the relationship between Australia and America stands on its own terms. I mean, China is a critically important country. We've sought to stabilise our relationship with China. We want the most cooperative and productive relationship that we can have with China. At the same time, we do have security anxieties in relation to China. At the end of the day, what you have with Australia and the United States and indeed the other countries of the Quad, which the Prime Minister’s attending the Quad meeting, are countries that are democracies that seek to uphold the rules-based order in the world. And that's really the focus of the conversations that will be happening.

STANAWAY: So Kamala Harris is leading in the polls. We know that right now. But if Donald Trump wins in November, are you concerned that he might tear up this alliance?

MARLES: No. I mean, every indication that we've had across all the parties that are in the American election is a fundamental support for the alliance with Australia and also the key equities within that alliance, such as AUKUS. And that's not just the comments that we've heard from both sides, but if you look at what was occurring at the end of last year with the legislation that passed through the United States Congress, which has really been a generational change in creating a seamless defence industrial base between our countries, it allowed AUKUS to proceed in the sense of the sale of the Virginia class submarines to Australia, that legislative package was supported by everyone on the political spectrum in the US; Democrats, Republicans, Trump, Republicans. So we have a sense of confidence that–

STANAWAY: Would you be comfortable working with Donald Trump, though, who is now a convicted criminal? 

MARLES: Well, who is elected the president of the United States is clearly a matter for the American people and we will work with the elected president of the United States, as we have in the past. But we have a sense of comfort that when you look at the equities that Australia has in the relationship, when you look at the fundamental robustness of the alliance, that is something which is supported by everyone in this American election.

WALSH: Ok, before we go, a little lighter side. The Cats and the Lions will claw it out tonight for a shot at the premiership. Will Geelong be too good for them?

MARLES: Well, you know, we go into tonight feeling confident but, of course, this has been an incredible season where anything can happen, so we will see. But, you know, we're just very proud of our team. There's a real sense in which the Geelong team represents this town. Geelong was incorporated as a town in 1849. The football team was set up ten years later in 1859. It's the second oldest football team in any code in the world. It's hard to conceive of Geelong without the Geelong football club. And tonight, you know, we do see it as a David and Goliath contest. We are a determined, battling regional town against a state metropolis, an olympic city, no less. And this is a contest between all that is good and right on the one hand and on the other, Brisbane.

STANAWAY: Who's your favourite cats player, acting PM? 

MARLES: Well – 

STANAWAY: Jezza?

MARLES: You're asking me to choose between my children, so I find that hard to do. But, you know, it's hard to go past Danger, of course, and I'm a big fan of Jeremy Cameron as well.

STANAWAY: Good on you. Good luck this afternoon at the MCG. Can't wait for that.

ENDS