Topics: Bob Carr and Daniel Andrews visit to China, US-Aus alliance, Repatriation of ISIS brides, 2023 Taipan helicopter crash.

E&OE

SHARRI MARKSON:

Let's bring in now Shadow Defence Minister, Angus Taylor. Angus, good to see you now.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Good to be with you, Sharri.

SHARRI MARKSON:

Are you worried about the BRICS alliance and just how Putin is being celebrated at this gathering?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, this is quite extraordinary. Sharri, we've got two senior Labor figures who are heading to China to celebrate the biggest military build-up of the Chinese Communist Party in history. And they'll be at the military parade, from what I can gather, and this parade will be celebrating that military build-up of the Chinese Communist Party, but they're also hanging out with authoritarian dictators from around the world, and these people, seriously, do not share our values.

We're seeing authoritarian regimes flexing their muscles now, in ways that we haven't seen in the past. This is clearly the most dangerous time the world has faced since the Second World War, and yet we're seeing Bob Carr and Dan Andrews heading up to celebrate with these people. Now there's a real question here, what does the Prime Minister think about this? He's been silent on it, but I think he needs to be clear about whether he supports what they're doing.

SHARRI MARKSON:

Yeah. Look, as you said, they’re an anti-Western alliance. You said this is the most dangerous time since World War Two, and at this point in time, Australia's Prime Minister has had, what, four meetings now with President Xi, and hasn't met with the United States President. I mean, this is highly concerning, isn't it? We would be relying on the United States if, God forbid, we need any help defending Australia militarily.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, I mean, he seems far more comfortable setting up and attending a meeting with the Leader of the Chinese Communist Party than the Leader of the Free World in the United States, and it is a concern. He needs a face-to-face meeting with the President of the United States to shore up our alliance with the United States, and particularly AUKUS, which is crucial at this time, the nuclear submarines and all the technology around that. And so look, the Prime Minister, Albanese, needs to get serious about making sure that we are in the position we need to be to underwrite peace and deterrence in our region in the years to come. It is the most uncertain and dangerous time since the Second World War, and he's just not making the moves necessary to shore up the peace we all want to see into the future.

SHARRI MARKSON:

We also saw images coming out of that meeting of the United Nations Chief, António Guterres, meet with the Iranian President, I mean, to discuss Iran's nuclear programme and other things. Very warm, friendly greeting. I mean, does this show as well how morally corrupt the United Nations is? It's constantly criticising Israel, and it's chummy with Iran.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

It's a deep concern, again. I mean, these authoritarian regimes are so far from the values of our country, from where we have come from, from what we believe: the rule of law, democracy, the right of our citizens to be free, to speak freely, and so on. I mean, these countries do not believe in these things, Sharri, and yet they're being celebrated by the Left around the world.

And sadly, we've got a Prime Minister who seems to not be willing to take on these regimes in the way that he should. Now I do, by the way, I acknowledge that he has made the right moves in listing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, but frankly, it should have happened far earlier. It's taken way too long.

SHARRI MARKSON:

No, exactly. I just want to ask you about a couple of other topics. And look, you might not have seen this story tonight. My colleague Liam Mendes, in The Australian has just broken a big story that ISIS brides are set to be returned home before Christmas. Now the story is really unusual, because in the copy, it says that Tony Burke isn't taking any responsibility for this. I mean, how can the government distance itself from a decision like this? And do you agree with the decision, should the ISIS brides be returned to Australia?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I've only just seen the article Sharri, but can I say there are some serious questions here for Tony Burke and for the government to answer. What have been the security clearances here? How are we going to be confident that we won't have the security of Australians affected by these people coming back? You know, the first job of any government is to keep its citizens safe, and I think it's incumbent on Tony Burke to answer those questions.

SHARRI MARKSON:

Ray Hadley was on my show last night, and he was absolutely furious at Sussan Ley and the Coalition, over this issue about the four Australian soldiers who were killed in the fatal Taipan chopper cash two years ago. Just have a look at this.

[Ray Hadley]: “Sussan Ley and Liberal government agree to this conspiracy. It's just, they’re all complicit. Bar the Greens, One Nation and David Pocock”

So Angus, the Senate blocked a motion which essentially asked for documents which would have shown why the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions didn't prosecute the Defence Department over that fatal helicopter crash. Why would the Coalition side with Labor on this? Why wouldn't the Coalition vote for the release of those documents for a full inquiry into this?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, can I say Sharri that I share Ray Hadley's deep concern that the families get a fair say here, and get to ask the questions they need to be able to ask. That was a vote in the Senate. My understanding was we supported the release of the Comcare documents. There were concerns about the release of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution documents because of legal precedent around that.

 

However, I have written today to the Minister asking that families be able to meet with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to ask questions and to understand what was in that report. I think the families have that right. It's a letter I've personally signed, along with Jacinta Price and Phil Thompson, as well as Darren Chester – we all work in the defence area. And I think that the families have every right to ask questions and to get a fair hearing and to make sure that they get the answers to the questions they deserve.

SHARRI MARKSON:

My understanding is that they are also calling for an inquiry. Would you support that?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, I think the first step is that they get a chance to actually ask the Commonwealth – the CDPP – what their findings were, what was behind their findings, and get to ask questions around the issues. I mean, I think the family deserves that. They deserve the respect of the CDPP, and they certainly deserve to get asked questions of it…

SHARRI MARKSON:

 

And if they still think there should be an inquiry?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Let's see, we will start, we've been in touch with the family, Phil Thompson in particular, has been engaged with the family, and we'll continue to work with them to make sure that they get the answers that they deserve.

SHARRI MARKSON:

Yep, all right. Angus Taylor, thank you so much for your time, we appreciate it.

 

 

ENDS.