Topics: Chinese Communist Party military parade, Daniel Andrews.

E&OE

KIERAN GILBERT:

Let's bring in Shadow Defence Minister, Angus Taylor. Thanks for your time. These images out of Beijing were quite extraordinary. The firepower that they've put on display and the various leaders, there were dictators like Kim Jong-Un there, other leaders though in our region like the Indonesian leader, and others in Southeast Asia as well. Is Beijing using this opportunity to spread its influence across our region more and more?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Absolutely, I mean it's a propaganda exercise. It's a celebration of an unprecedented military build-up being driven by the Chinese Communist Party, Kieran, absolutely unprecedented. You see this extraordinary equipment and capability on show and it's a propaganda exercise backed in by authoritarian regimes and leaders from Iran, from Russia of course, from North Korea and the former Premier of Victoria, senior Labor figure and close friend of the Prime Minister, Daniel Andrews. I mean, quite seriously, what was he thinking? And why has the Prime Minister failed to call it out?

KIERAN GILBERT:

There's Daniel Andrews there with the handshake. That was the image and then photographed there a few spots behind Kim Jong-Un. That image it is quite extraordinary. Do you think that in terms of going there in a personal capacity, the government has said, they've sent essentially a couple of junior diplomats to represent Australia. That's the official position.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, you know, this wasn't a holiday for Daniel Andrews, clearly, but the real issue here is this…

KIERAN GILBERT:

But you're making the link to the Albanese, Mr Albanese, but he, in terms of his government, they’ve sent junior diplomats. The Ambassador wasn't even there. The Ambassador's 2,000 km's away.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Yeah, I understand. Look, it’s clear Daniel Andrews and the Prime Minister are close. The Prime Minister could have picked up the phone and given him a quiet call and said, mate, you're better off staying away from this one. We are facing the most dangerous strategic environment we have, since the Second World War. Authoritarian regimes are flexing their muscles. Those leaders of the regimes I'm just talking about were there and you've got a former Premier of Victoria, a senior Labor figure and a man who's very close to the Prime Minister, part of that group celebrating that unprecedented military buildup. I mean, the Prime Minister could have dealt with this. He clearly hasn't. He certainly hasn't condemned it.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Well, Bob Carr didn't attend. Do you think there might have been a phone call?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

That's a good question, but why was Daniel Andrews there and why wasn't the Prime Minister prepared to condemn it, Kieran?

KIERAN GILBERT:

Well, there were other leaders of democracies in our region who did attend and to mark the end of World War II, while you're right to say there were dictators and others, Putin and Kim Jong-Un, but there were other leaders of ASEAN nations there too.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

But the point I'm making is that this was clearly a propaganda exercise to show off the unprecedented military buildup being driven by the Chinese Communist Party and if a senior Labor figure thinks it's appropriate to participate in that then there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered and frankly, it's an appalling lack of leadership that the Prime Minister wasn't prepared to condemn that.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Well, you were saying to condemn it, but firstly, to try and intervene? Stop him from going? You think he should have intervened to stop him from going?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I think he should have phoned him and said it's not appropriate, but what we do know, what we do know, whether he did that or not, is he's not been prepared to condemn it and Kieran, look, frankly...

KIERAN GILBERT:

What do you say to the argument that you need to have a dialogue and it's good to have those connections to maintain a good equilibrium in a relationship. Do you think that it extends to what Mr. Andrews has done?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I think Palaszczuk got it absolutely right when she said there's a distinction between our trade relationship with China and the fact that they are a strategic adversary. These are two different things, and you have to be able to separate the two. Clearly Daniel Andrews hasn't, but I think it's absolutely appropriate we should try to trade with China and that's a good thing. But we should never pretend that there's strategic alignment with the Chinese Communist Party because there isn't and sadly, it looks like Daniel Andrews has been part, well, he has been part of the celebration of that extraordinary military buildup by the Chinese Communist Party.

KIERAN GILBERT:

What would you say to his argument, which is that it's the end of World War II, the defeat of fascism.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

You know, what people will see is that military buildup. That's the propaganda exercise that is on display. I mean we've got cruise missiles there that can reach, or missiles at least, that can reach Australia. I mean, that’s being shown off and it's being shown off for a reason, Keiran.

KIERAN GILBERT:

On that military firepower obviously, it’s come a long way in the years since there was a military parade in that country. What’s the message particularly to Taiwan?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I think China is clearly showing off its strength and its intent which is that it wants to play a bigger role in the region. There’s been no ambiguity about that. The President himself and the General of the Chinese Communist Party has made that point clear and so what we see there is extraordinary visuals, and show of might and their capacity. Look, as I keep saying, we are facing the most dangerous strategic environment since the Second World War. Authoritarian regimes are flexing their muscles. They’re clearly working together, and the relationships are close and we’re seeing that just with the visuals from the last few hours.

KIERAN GILBERT:

Angus Taylor, thank you for your time. Appreciate it.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Good on you Kieran.

ENDS.