Television Interview, Sky News, Politics Now

SUBJECT/S: Interaction with China in the South China Sea; Chinese Naval Ships off the coast of Australia; Meeting with US Secretary for Defense; Trade; Social Cohesion

HOST, KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah, Tom, we're live from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Thanks for your company. And there was quite a concerning incident over the South China Sea a couple of days ago.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: That's right, Kieran. On Tuesday, at about one o’clock Australian time, an Australian P-8 that was flying in international airspace in the South China Sea was challenged by a couple of J-16 Chinese Air Force planes- they're fourth generation fast jets- there were a number of interactions between them and the P-8. But one of those interactions involved the release of flares at a very close distance to the P-8, such that the flares passed within about 30 metres of the P-8. What's important though is that the proximity of the J-16 was so close that there's no way you could have been able to ensure that the flares did not hit the P-8. Now, as it turned out, they didn't. But had any of those flares hit the P-8, that would have definitely had the potential for significant damage to that aircraft. And so as a result, that is an action that we've declared as being unsafe. We have made representations about our concerns to the Chinese government both yesterday and today here in Canberra, but also in Beijing. Clearly our defence forces are going to interact with each other. We know that, but what's really important is that when they do, they do so in a manner which is safe and professional and this wasn’t.

GILBERT: How many crew on board that Poseidon aircraft when the incident happened? And are they all okay? Is everyone uninjured?

MARLES: Yes. So, firstly, everyone's ok. The plane was not hit, so it was able to return safely. So, all our personnel are fine. I can't tell you exactly the number on that flight for obvious reasons, but what I can say is that the typical crew for any P-8 flight would be in the vicinity of eight or nine people.

GILBERT: And at the same time as this incident has occurred, Defence has picked up a Chinese task group off the coast of Australia. What's happening and how close are these ships to Australian soil?

MARLES: Yeah, so it's important to make a couple of points here. Firstly, we don't assess this as being related. And secondly, China acting perfectly in accordance with international law. But a Chinese task group involving a cruiser, a frigate and a tanker have come to the Indonesian archipelago- one of those, the frigate, which is the smaller of the two service combatants, has traversed across the north of Australia. It transited the Torres Strait on Tuesday. It has now rendezvoused with the tanker off the north east coast of Australia, but within our exclusive economic zone. The cruiser is further north, but not within Australia's exclusive economic zone. That of course is well within China's rights, but it's also within our rights to act in a prudent way. And I've ordered a deployment of both navy and air force assets to make sure that we are shadowing this, to have a clear understanding of what's going on. So, HMAS Arunta right now, which is an ANZAC class frigate, is shadowing the Chinese navy frigate and we'll continue to monitor their activities, which is very much within our rights in a manner of course, which is safe and professional. To understand what this task group is doing.

GILBERT: And what's the aircraft- well the Air Force doing as part of that shadowing effort. You said Arunta is on its way there. We'll have Air Force involvement too. Can you tell us and is that unusual for us to take that step?

MARLES: Well, so the answer to the first question is we've got P-8s ready- and in fact a P-8 has done a flight in terms of looking at what the task group has been doing. And those P-8s will continue to be part of the effort to monitor what is going on here. And we have ships, stationed, so that across the east coast of Australia, depending on what goes on with this task group, to make sure that we are in a position to monitor the task group wherever it goes. We think that this is what is prudent right now. It's important to understand as best we can exactly what this task group is doing, what it's seeking to achieve-

GILBERT: What do you think it is doing? Well, in our exclusive economic zone, what is it doing? And do you think the way you're responding also shows how we should be treated as well when carrying out freedom of navigation elsewhere like the South China Sea?

MARLES: Well, firstly, we're responding in a serious way. I mean, we are making sure that we deploy assets. I think the Australian people want to know that we've got a close eye on what this task group is doing and Australians can be assured that we are. But from the perspective of international law, we will absolutely make sure that the way in which we go about this is both professional and safe. Now I'm not going to jump to conclusions about what the task group is doing. Part of this is about making sure that we are shadowing, we get the best understanding. And whenever the task group's mission is complete, we do an assessment of exactly what has been going on.

GILBERT: Are you concerned by these developments, by both of them? You said they're not related. In a sense, you know they're not. It's more a coincidence that both things have happened at this time in your view. But are you worried about them?

MARLES: Well, look, our assessment is that they're not connected other than to say, as we have been saying for a long time now, we live in a difficult environment and at a difficult time. The Defence Strategic Review that we conducted assessed that Australia's strategic landscape is as complex as it's been and in some ways as threatening as it's been at any point since the end of the Second World War. Our Navy and our Air Force are very busy in asserting the rules based order as a trading island nation which is very reliant on our sea lines of communication. They are busy doing that work. And it is a bit of a reminder to Australians that their servicemen and women are actually, it's more than training- we're out there making sure that we are acting in the national interest and keeping Australians safe. This is a difficult time and I think, you know, this puts that in a stark relief. But there is no in our assessment direct connection between the two incidents.

GILBERT: We just on another couple of matters, serious matters. You were in Washington a few days ago. You paid the instalment on behalf of Australia of US$500 million as part of AUKUS. Are you worried? And this goes to the tariff question beyond the dollars when it comes to industry and aluminium and steel, about the impact potentially on Australia's and the faith that Australians have in the alliance and AUKUS. Because they're thinking if the Deputy Prime Minister's there paying half a billion and then a few days later we cop tariffs, how does that marry up?

MARLES: Well, firstly, I think there's a lot of noise going on, which I can understand. But I also think it's really important that we focus on what has happened. A couple of days ago the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Australia spoke with each other in which it was agreed that there would be active consideration given to an Australian exemption from the tariff decision that America made across the board. And we will now take the opportunity that that represents to put our case to the United States about why there should be an exemption across the $100 billion two way trade between our two countries, but a two way trade which is very much in America's surplus and that is unusual relative to other trading relationships that the United States has, and means that it would very much be in an American interest, of course, an Australian interest as well, but an American interest to have a trading exemption there- 

GILBERT: What did Secretary Hegseth think?

MARLES: Well, I mean- 

GILBERT: Was he supportive of our push on that?

MARLES: Well, in our meeting, in the meeting I had with Secretary Hegseth, we obviously made the public comments that we made. I'm not going to speak about that meeting beyond the public comments that he and I made. But again, I would point out that, you know, I was the first Defence Minister around the world to meet with the US Secretary of Defense on his confirmation into that position. Penny Wong was the second Foreign Minister to be met by Secretary Rubio on his confirmation into his position. I think for all the noise that's going on, if we take a step back, you'd have to say that the Trump Administration has actually been treating us with significant respect in terms of the priority with which we've been given in meeting with them, in putting forward the equities that we have, the significant equities that we have in respect of our relationship. And indeed, you know, having made the announcement in respect of tariffs, across the board, that the very first country the President is talking about giving active consideration to in respect of an exemption, that is Australia as well, we know that President Trump is going to bring in policy differences. None of that's a surprise. That's what he took to the election in the United States last year. And we well understand that, what matters is that we are pushing Australia's case. And I'm having met with Secretary Hegseth, which really was a fantastic meeting, I can say to Australians that we can have a sense of confidence that the fundamentals of the Alliance, the fundamentals of our relationship with America will be strong under this Administration.

GILBERT: One last question. I know you've got to get going, but on that video from NSW nurses and then we've subsequently had comments from people, not to say the majority, but some. There was one individual who supported what they said in our comments in the community and interviews in the community today, are you worried that this has allowed anti-Semitism to rise too much without too much forceful pushback? And that are you concerned that there is some elements of our community in Sydney and Melbourne where this extremist view when it comes to Israel and Jews is entrenched.

MARLES: Well, just a few weeks ago, I spoke at the Sydney Institute about my concerns in respect of the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia. And I said then and I say it now, that it's the highest level that I've seen in my lifetime. And I have a deep concern about that. And it's critically important, as this Government has, to call it out from the get go. I'd make the point that as a government, we have criminalised more hate crimes than have previously been the case. We've criminalised the Nazi salute, we've criminalised the swastika, we've provided millions of dollars in funding for security for Jewish community centres.

GILBERT: But is that view entrenched?

MARLES: Can I just say, it feels a tragedy that we have to provide that funding, but we are doing that. And of course, we have Operation Avalite in place with the Australian Federal Police, which is working with similar task groups in state police forces, particularly focused on dealing with the question of anti-Semitic hate crime. There is no place for the kind of comments that we heard from those nurses in Australian society. It is disgusting and it is appalling. It is anti-Semitism which is rooted in bigotry and prejudice. And it is fundamentally un-Australian. And we speak very clearly in respect of that. I'd also make this point. It really matters, I think, to the Jewish community, but across the board, that this is the matter which is seen above politics. There obviously is unity when you look at the parties of government in this country in terms of our opposition to anti-Semitism, our opposition to bigotry and prejudice. And it's important that there is unity at this moment in time to make it completely clear that this kind of conduct has no place in our country.

GILBERT: Deputy Prime Minister, thanks for your time. I appreciate it.

MARLES: Thanks, Kieran.

ENDS