Television Interview, Sky News First Edition

SUBJECT/S: Support for Ukraine; Housing; Cost of living; Culture in parliament 

HOST, PETER STEFANOVIC: The Australian government will donate 49 of the army's Abrams tanks to Ukraine to boost its war effort against Russia. Kyiv had been asking for the equipment, which is about to retire for more than a year now. Joining us live now is the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defence Minister Richard Marles. Minister, good to have you with us this morning. So, did you learn the lesson of the Taipans fiasco this time around?

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Well, it's very different, Pete. What we've done consistently is to look at all the equipment that we have and what can make the best contribution possible. And the Taipans would not have helped. The Abrams really will. And we're very pleased to be able to announce that 49 Abrams tanks will go to Ukraine. It's worth about $245 million. It's a significant contribution, and it adds to the announcement that I made at the NATO conference in the middle of the year of a $250 million package there, the $100 million package I announced in April in Ukraine itself. We continue to support Ukraine throughout this, it takes the total of our contributions to Ukraine, military contributions, to about $1.3 billion. Overall contributions, about $1.5 billion. And, as we've consistently said, we will stay with Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its own terms and so not be the last contribution we make.

STEFANOVIC: So, these tanks are about to retire. Minister, what sort of nic are they in?

MARLES: Well, they're in good nic is the answer. I mean, yes, we are replacing these tanks with the next generation of Abrams within our own army. But these tanks are in good condition. They will be able to make a significant difference on the battlefield. And I think this is the point. People can look at any given particular platform that the Australian Defence Force operates. But what we have been doing is really considering what will be able to make a difference, what is in good condition, what can be not just provided to Ukraine, but once they be maintained and sustained and be kept in the fight. And these tanks certainly can do all of that.

STEFANOVIC: Okay. Elsewhere this morning, Minister, the Prime Minister's new multi million dollar home. It's opened the door, reportedly, for some Labor MP's to put negative gearing back on the table to counter the Greens housing campaign. So, here we are again. Will there be changes to this before the election?

MARLES: No. And no doors have been opened here. We're not doing negative gearing. That's been made manifestly clear and none of that has changed. Look, I think the Prime Minister and his partner are entitled to have their own private affairs, their own private life. Obviously the purchase of a property sits in that domain. I think what Australians want to know is that when the Prime Minister goes to work each day, he's focused on their challenges and their issues. And I can tell you, standing right next to him, that that is exactly what the Prime Minister is focused on. When we see a global inflationary environment, Australia is not immune from that. Each and every day we've gone in to wage a war against inflation and in two years we've delivered two surpluses. That's the most significant contribution we can make to helping with the cost of living. And that's something that Liberals never did throughout their entire time in office, despite promising they'd do it each and every year.

STEFANOVIC: Okay, but negative gearing options are being worked up by a Treasury. But you're categorically ruling out any changes, just to be clear?

MARLES: I just did.

STEFANOVIC: Yeah.

MARLES: And not only have I done that, the Prime Minister has made that clear. And, you know, obviously, I mean, obviously none of this changes that. The Prime Minister is entitled to his own private life. But each and every day we are focused on cost of living pressures and we have a whole lot of policies in the space of housing. I mean, we established the Housing Australia Future Fund, which is aimed at building more affordable and social housing around the country. We'd like to do more. I mean, we have the help to buy legislation in the parliament which really would have made a difference- that was opposed by the Coalition, by the Greens. So, you know, when we are thinking about cost of living pressures, housing is front and centre. We've got a whole agenda in relation to that which we will continue to prosecute. By and large, we prosecute that in the face of opposition from our political opponents.

STEFANOVIC: Yeah. Look, I don't think anyone's begrudging the Prime Minister for having a private life, but you know, you know how this works politically. And the Prime Minister has lost a bit of political skin over this over the past couple of days. Would you have at least preferred the Prime Minister to have bought this home after the election?

MARLES: Well, I don't accept that assertion. I actually think Australians get that people have their private lives, that they have their private affairs. You know, I don't think, as I'm going around, that anyone is really that interested in what the Prime Minister is doing in terms of the purchase of a property for himself. I think what they are interested in is what he's doing when he's at work and they know that he is focused on them and their cost of living challenges, and that includes in respect of housing.

STEFANOVIC: Okay, just a final one here on Jo Tarnawsky. Minister, have you reached out to your former Chief of Staff since you made claims about treatment in your office?

MARLES: Look, Pete, I spoke about this in the parliament last week. Obviously, this is a matter which is of great sadness to me, that we are in the circumstances that we're in, and I said that in the parliament last week, but this now really is in the hands of lawyers and so I'm very limited in what I can say.

STEFANOVIC: Okay, that's fine. I accept all of that. I'm just asking if you've reached out to her and asked if she was okay.

MARLES: Well, again, I'm not going to- I'm not really in a position to go into any of that. As I said, you know, last week. Jo has-

STEFANOVIC: You haven't picked up the phone-

MARLES: …For a long time. Has worked with me over a long period and she has, you know, she is a wonderful person and I'm very grateful for the service that she's provided.

STEFANOVIC: But you haven't picked up the phone to call her.

MARLES: This matter really now is in the hands of lawyers. But, Pete, this matter really is in the hands of lawyers and by virtue of that, I'm very limited in what I can say.

STEFANOVIC: Defence Minister Richard Marles. Thank you, as always, for your time.