E&OE

 

KIERAN GILBERT: Let’s bring in the Shadow Defence Minister, Angus Taylor, what do you make of that commitment out of NATO?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, I think it's really important. I think it's positive. I think we do need to see countries around the world upping their defence spend. Authoritarian regimes are flexing their muscles, Kieran. We're seeing it, of course, with Iran. We're seeing it with Russia, and of course, we're seeing it in the Indo Pacific as well and all of that means that we do need to see democratic countries from the west making sure that they're spending what is necessary to make sure we can defend ourselves in these uncertain times. The Prime Minister himself has said these are the most uncertain times since the Second World War and I think that is absolutely right, but you've got to fund your plans. Labor hasn't been funding their plan.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: Are you encouraged by what we're hearing, though, that they are looking at upping the spend further?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, you know, with Labor, it's all rhetoric, not reality. I mean, we've not seen the reality and they did their Defence Strategic Review, their plan came out of that, and it's not funded. That's very clear and there's many different initiatives.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: What’s your view? What's the number that it needs to be at?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, we've said, and we said during the election campaign, we should be getting to 3% and that's absolutely where we should be heading now. It's very clear there are significant parts of the ADF that are underfunded. We don't have the people.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: Around 3% is the Coalition view, post-election as well?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: That is our position, exactly and you've seen Sussan lay that out yesterday, as well as I did a couple of weeks ago. So, it's incredibly important that we fund the plan necessary for our sovereignty, and this is crucial, but for us also to be a good ally of our allies around the world, and this is what is being asked for now. We're not doing this because Trump is asking for it. In fact, our position was well ahead of that. We're doing it because it's the right thing to do in a highly uncertain world where authoritarian regimes are flexing their muscles.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: Is the Trump diplomacy, is his approach working like we saw in Israel, Iran, the ceasefire? It took a bit of colourful language, but it looks like it's holding now and then on this NATO deal.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, the early signs are, yeah, the early signs are, this is working. There's no question NATO is upping the ante, and there's no question that what the Americans have done to support Israel has had an effect. We'll see exactly how much, but the indications coming out now are that it has had a real impact and you know, the message here is that, as an ally, the US will help those who help themselves and that's not a new message from the United States, by the way. I mean, traditionally, that's how they've often approached things and that means…

 

KIERAN GILBERT: But that’s not a neocon approach, is it?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: No, it's not, and it's not isolationist either. So, it's a realist approach, I would say, and I think it sends a very clear signal to the Europeans, to us and to everybody else, but the important thing is we should be doing this because it's right for us.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: The US isn't withdrawing from the stage as many people thought, under America first, that's what you might see.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, clearly not. I mean the action they've taken, and I think it was good action, we strongly support it, they took against Iran to make sure we're pre-empting their nuclear program. I think it was good action, and it was an action that said, “we will help those who help themselves”. The Israelis had cleared the decks, and on the back of that, the Americans acted.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: On the Trump meeting, it hasn't happened yet, obviously. Do you have a problem with the fact that we might see a scenario where the Prime Minister actually meets with President Xi Jinping in China before he gets to meet with Trump for the first time?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, it's very clear that the Prime Minister is better able to get a meeting with the Chinese President than the American President, and I think we should be worried about this, because America is a longtime ally of Australia, an important ally. We've fought with them in every major war since Federation and so it's incredibly important that we have a strong alliance and that we have a strong relationship, which includes personal relationships. I mean, you can have personal relationships across the political aisle, and I think Labor and the Prime Minister need to be making that effort. I don't see that effort being made as it needs to be, and that's showing in this situation where, as I say, he's better able to get a meeting with the Chinese President than the American President.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: Your leadership rival or former rival, Sussan Ley had her first major speech of the term as Opposition Leader yesterday. What did you make of it, particularly the push for more women. Do you think opening the door to quotas is the right thing?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, look, I think it was a great speech, and I think her comments on the need to have more great people and more women in the Liberal Party, is absolutely right, as were her comments about the importance of getting to 3% of GDP on defence spending, and the important things we've got to spend that money on, like drones and counter drone technology. So, look, I think it was a great speech. I think it was an important speech, and I think it's setting the stage for us to do the rebuild we desperately need to do. I'm not a supporter of quotas. Kieran, as Sussan said, this is going to be a matter for State Divisions. It's not something that I think is necessary in order to get the outcome. I think attracting, mentoring, retaining great people and great women in the Party is incredibly important work for absolutely everybody, for all leaders, and I take that very seriously, and I'll continue to.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: And you think that unity will be achieved, because that's obviously one of the key elements to success in politics?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Sure, and of course, we have to be united to rebuild I think it's enormously important.

 

KIERAN GILBERT: Angus Taylor, appreciate your time. Lots to get across today. Thanks for making the time.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: Good stuff, good to be with you.

 

ENDS.