PM: Good morning. As people would be aware I returned to Australia in the early hours of this morning, since my return I've been briefed by the Chief of the Defence Force, by our Deputy National Security Adviser and by senior officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Attorney-General's Department, which manages emergencies, on the situation in Japan.
I did have the opportunity on my return journey from the United States to spend some time in Hawaii with Admiral Willard. He was in a position to brief me on the way in which the American military is assisting the people of Japan at this dreadful time.
Like Australians I am continuing to watch and be shocked by the images of devastation and destruction coming from Japan. We've all seen images now of buildings swaying, of walls of water hitting buildings, of the rubble and devastation that has left townships that have literally been eradicated from the face of the earth.
Like all Australians I've been truly shocked by what I've seen and I do want to convey my sincere sympathies and condolences to the Japanese government and the people of Japan. I have written to the Prime Minister of Japan to convey these sentiments to him and I am hoping to speak to him relatively soon, of course he is fully deployed on leading his people and the recovery efforts at this dreadful time.
We know in the last 48 hours Japan has continued to sustain aftershocks, some of them exceeding a magnitude of six, more tsunamis and extensive fires, so our friends in Japan confront continual agony.
The first priority in these dreadful conditions is search and rescue, that is saving lives, saving the lives of those who are trapped in this rubble and wreckage. The Japanese government asked the Australian government for assistance with search and rescue and we are providing it.
One of our Defence Force C-17 aircraft is departing later today carrying a 72 strong New South Wales search and rescue team and they will also have with them Queensland sniffer dogs and their handlers. These are the same search and rescue personnel who did such amazing work in Christchurch, their skills and capacities are being called on again, we wish them well as they go to Japan to look for survivors. They are highly trained, highly motivated, wanting to make a difference and they will be there seeking to make a difference for the people of Japan at this time.
As a government out priority is also on assisting Australians who are in Japan and providing them with the information and advice that they need at this time. As of early this morning we have 2331 Australians registered in Japan, we've confirmed the safety of 1271 of those. The number of Australians registered in the most affected regions is 191, but we do anticipate that there are around several hundred Australians in the most affected regions. Not everyone who travels registers and our ordinary experience is numbers do exceed the number of Australians registered.
Our embassy staff are doing everything they can to contact all Australians in Japan. Of course we can't rule out the possibility that Australians might be amongst those caught up in the worst of this, but we've got no information at this time which would lead us to conclude there are Australian casualties, we are still in the process of checking the safety of Australians.
This process is very difficult, there are significant disruptions to everything that enables you to check on people's safety, significant disruptions to communications, but our embassies staff are literally working night and day to check on the safety of Australians.
A team of four officials will deployed to the most affected region as soon as it is safe to do so, we are hoping that that will be as early as tomorrow in Japan. We're also increasing the presence of officials at our embassy in Tokyo, so we can have more people there working through this checking process, an addition 10 officials are being deployed from Canberra into our Tokyo Embassy.
We have a team of four officials who are at Narita Airport on a 24 hour-a-day basis, to help Australians who are trying to exit Japan. Commercial flights are flying, six Australian bound flights departed last night. My current advice from our officials in Japan is that the backlog of Australians at the airport seeking to get on flights out has been cleared, but we do accept that more Australians will come to the airport seeking to get a flight out and the officials will be there to assist them.
Our information to Australian family and friends, people here who are worried about someone who is in Japan, a loved one who is there, is firstly they should try and contact them directly, if that proves impossible then they should contact our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 24 hour Emergency Centre - the number is 1300 555 135. If people are calling from overseas the number is 612 6261 3305.
We understand people would be very concerned, but please so that our officials are directing their energies where it is most needed, if people can endeavour to make contact themselves first we would be grateful for that.
As people would be aware from television news reports and other media reports, Japanese authorities are today tacking a whole new set of challenges and that whole new set of challenges arises from the explosion of the outer walls of a nuclear power plant, which is 270km north east of Tokyo.
The Japanese government has said that the explosion did not affect the nuclear reactor and that containment has not been affected. Now obviously this is a very serious issue, Japanese authorities have said to people that they should evacuate the 20km zone around the nuclear plant. Our advice to any Australians in the region is to listen to the Japanese authorities and to evacuate the zone where Japanese authorities have indicated evacuation is required.
We are certainly saying to Australians do not travel to this region, please listen to the advice of Japanese authorities. We will continue to stay in touch with the Japanese government and Japanese authorities about this situation in order to get the most up to date information from them. We have requested information from them and we do want to make sure we are monitoring the situation very closely, as do our international counterparts.
In all of these circumstances it may be that the Japanese government asks us for further assistance and support. We have indicated to the government of Japan that we would provide additional support if it is requested. Of the things that we could do to assist if a request was made, we could certainly assist with medical teams to meet the medical needs of the people of Japan as they struggle with this immense crisis and we could provide assistance with disaster victim identification if a request is made, we do have nuclear experts and should their assistance be required then of course we would make them available to assist.
But at this stage the direct request that has been made of us is for search and rescue teams and we have responded.
Australians have witnessed here in our own country, we witness and lived through some dreadful, dreadful days this summer. We then witnessed and lived through the devastating earthquake which hit Christchurch. Now unfortunately the tragedy continues with our friends in Japan, we wish them all the best as they struggle with this immense and devastating crisis. It's a dreadful time and we will be there to support them if they need our support in any further way.
I'm very happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do you know how Australians over there are holding up and whether they're helping themselves in the recovery effort?
PM: Look, my advice from our Ambassador when I spoke to him was that people were responding calmly and stoically to a very difficult set of circumstances. I don't have direct reports of the ways in which Australians are assisting, but I imagine Australians are doing everything they can to help the people of Japan and to help each other during this difficult time. I think the spirit we saw on display in Queensland would be the same kind of Aussie spirit we would see in Japan in these circumstances.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, from your briefings how serious is the damage afflicted to the Japanese nuclear power reactor?
PM: The advice that I have is as I've just described to you, the advice we have from Japan is that the explosion was to the wall of the nuclear reactor, that is was not to the nuclear core of the reactor but to the wall of the reactor. We have requested further information; we will be very closely monitoring the situation.
This is a huge added burden on the people of Japan at a time where they are already dealing with devastation and trying to get about the search and rescue tasks, the supporting of individuals, the getting of supplies through. But the advice to us from the Japanese authorities is that the explosion people have seen on TV screens was to the wall of the reactor, not the core of the reactor.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, given the scale of the disaster and the and difficulties the Japanese authorities are facing in (inaudible), is it really a priority do you think for them to provide regular updates to Australia about the state of the nuclear plant?
PM: Look, this is part of what we're doing overall. The Japanese government has reached out to countries like Australia, they're in regular contact about this emergency and how they're responding to it, they're in regular contact so that we can respond to the tasks that they need done, like we're responded to providing the search and rescue team and the sniffer dogs.
So we will continue to exchange information at all levels, including this level. This is part of our positive, ongoing collaboration with them, exchanging information, understanding what's happening and consequently having a clearer and clearer view about what is needed to assist.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the explosion at the nuclear plant, should that give proponents of nuclear energy in Australia pause for thought?
PM: I really think I'd prefer to leave all of that for another day. We need to focus just now on what the people of Japan need us to do, there will come a time where we'll understand far more in detail what has actually happened with this nuclear power plant, how it's related to the earthquake and tsunami and all of those things will no doubt be the subject of scrutiny and debate, but I don't think today is the day.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, do your briefings give you any reason to think that there is any risk to the region, any nuclear risk to the region because of the situation today?
PM: The briefings that I have had, and of course we are relying on the information supplied to us by the Japanese authorities, is that the explosion was to the wall, that it was not to the nuclear core, but the exclusion zone has been put in place and that deals with the risk coming from the circumstances at the nuclear reactor.
We're relying on the information supplied to us from the Japanese authorities, but I would say this, the Japanese authorities are responding to this circumstance, they'll be wanting to keep the people of Japan safe, they'll be responding to in order to keep the people of Japan safe. We have Australians in Japan, we want them to be safe, that's why I'm urging that they respond to the advice of Japanese authorities.
Certainly on the briefings to me, I mean there is no risk to Australia in any way, shape or form. It's a question of how people in Japan, how people anywhere near this nuclear power plant should act and my advice to them is act as the Japanese authorities are telling you to act. If there's an evacuation zone then obey the authorities instructions and get out of that zone that is to be evacuated.
JOURNALIST: On the information and updates you're getting on the nuclear situation, do you support Kevin Rudd's approach of demanding a briefing, or would you rather wait until the government has the information to provide to you?
PM: Look, I've spoken to Kevin Rudd this morning and what he's advised me is he had a conversation with his counterpart, the Foreign Minister of Japan, about the whole range of circumstances following this huge disaster. He had a positive conversation, we're wanting information so we know best how to help, we're wanting information so we can best understand the advice that we can give Australians who may be in Japan. The Foreign Minister had a conversation of that nature with his counterpart.
JOURNALIST: (inaudible) urgent briefing when the Japanese government has a lot more on its mind than providing briefings to places like Australia. Is it appropriate to demand an urgent briefing?
PM: What is happening as we deal with this devastation in Japan is that many levels in the government, from the level of me talking to my counterpart the Prime Minister of Japan, which I will, Prime Minister Kan, to the Foreign Minister talking to his counterpart, to our military leaders, Angus Houston has been talking a military counterpart, our emergency management people are engaged with their emergency management counterparts, our nuclear regulatory authority is engaged with their counterparts. At every level we are exchanging information and collaborating, that's perfectly proper, perfectly appropriate. It's about us best understanding what's going on so we can best assist, It's about us best understanding what's going on so we can give the best advice to Australians.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, is the Foreign Minister's comments in terms of a no fly zone and now the demand for an urgent briefing fully supported by your Cabinet?
PM: Look, I know that there's been a lot of commentary back here about Libya and these sorts of issues. My position, the position of the Foreign Minister on the question of a no fly zone in Libya is exactly the same and I think - to be frank, I think every Australian has the same position on the disaster in Japan, which is how can we help, how can we send out best sympathies, how can we send our support. So there's no difference in any of those approaches.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, are you concerned about the fatigue of Australian search and rescue crews, given the spate of disasters they've been asked to respond to in recent months?
PM: I directly asked that question when I was briefed a little bit earlier today, because I was concerned about fatigue issues and I've been advised that they have been able to rest for an appropriate period since their return from Christchurch. I'm well aware we're putting a big burden on their shoulders, it's been a dreadful and continuing set of incidents that we've has to ask them to respond to, but I specifically asked about fatigue and was assured that they had been rested sufficiently in order to go and respond.
I've has the opportunity to meet with some of our search and rescue personnel, it's what they're trained to do, it's what they want to do, it's what they're motivated to do. They're devoting their lives, literally to getting out there and saving the lives of others when search and rescue is needed, so they're going to Japan to do just that, the thing that they believe in that took them to search and rescue in the first place.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, we were told they were meant to leave yesterday. Is there a reason for the delay of them leaving today, is there problems getting on the ground?
PM: Sorry, say the first bit again?
JOURNALIST: Sorry, we were told yesterday that the search and rescue teams were likely to leave last night, is there a reason why it's been pushed back to today?
PM: There were some Defence operational issues which needed to be dealt with in getting the C-17 loaded and up and so that's what's dictated the timing, the availability of the C-17 and getting it loaded and up.
Once the C-17 is in Japan, one thing that we may be asked to do, the request hasn't come in yet, but one thing we may be asked to do is station the C-17 there, they are these absolutely huge aircraft, people have probably seen them on their TV screens because they were used to fly supplies around Queensland during the flooding.
One of the things they may be asked to do is stay and help move supplies around to those parts of Japan that need the basic things like water and food, which are questions of supply and resupply are always critical following a natural disaster and given the scale of the devastation we're seeing on our TV screens, getting the basics - water and food - to people is going be a critical issue.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minster, are you concerned about reports that a second group of detainees has escaped from Christmas Island?
PM: Look, I've asked for a briefing on that since my return early this morning and I have received that briefing. What I've been told is that the situation is well in hand, a number of people did leave the facility at Christmas Island, Christmas Island of course is just that - it is an island - so there's nowhere to go other than to other parts of the island. At all times they were watched by our staff up there and Australian Federal Police officers will obviously be working to get people back into the facility.
JOURNALIST: But it's obviously a concern, Prime Minister, I mean clearly the situation there isn't under control in terms of inside the detention centre itself.
PM: We've seen incidents like this one at detention centres in the past.
JOURNALIST: So they're acceptable?
PM: We obviously say to the contractor Serco, who runs these facilities for us when we've seen incidents, for example in other detention centres. We investigate, we see if there is any contractual breach and if there is a contractual breach then we take the appropriate action. But my advice is that this is a situation which is well in hand.
JOURNALIST: You mention the C-17 might stay in Japan.
PM: It's a possibility, we haven't been asked yet, but if we are asked then we'll make it available.
JOURNALIST: I'm just wondering if you've had any indication from the Japanese authorities that an offer to do more than what we're already doing, whether that's likely to be taken up, is there any likelihood from them that they will ask us for that?
PM: Look, I think it's well and truly possible we'll be asked for more, but our job is to indicate what we can do, stay across all of the information, offer what we can do and then respond to requests as they come in. So if you put yourself in the shoes of the people who are managing this situation in Japan and imagine how overwhelming it is, clearly they are working through, they're identifying tasks, when they identify tasks they then reach out to international partners and if they reach out to us, we'll be there.
JOURNALIST: And do you have any advice on how quickly we could get medical teams there, or victim ID teams there, are they ready to go now, would they be ready within days?
PM: We could do all of that very quickly, it's once again a question of getting people loaded on to appropriate military aircraft and transported up to go and help in Japan, but our Australian Defence Force could make available aircraft to get people in.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, support seems to be growing in the Middle East for a no fly zone. Given your discussion with Admiral Willard and American leaders and the briefings you had, do you have any better idea of what role Australia might play in such an operation?
PM: We've been clear all along that, and I've referred people to my statement in the Parliament on 2nd March, I called then for the United Nations Security Council to consider a no fly zones. I've repeated that at every occasion I've ever been asked about this issue. A new piece of information effectively overnight is that the Arab League has decided to support a no fly zone and I anticipate that that indication of support from the Arab League would feed into Security Council members considering this question of a no fly zone.
But we've also said consistently, in terms of putting it into operation, that this would be for NATO to put into operation. We've been very clear that we're a long way from Libya and we would not be in a position to assist with putting it into operation. But our call has been consistent, our call has been clear; we are revolted by the violence being wrecked against the people of Libya. We are calling on Colonel Qaddafi to go, I made that call when the Parliament was sitting, I've reiterated it every opportunity I've had. He must go so that we can see this violence cease and I have consistently said we are calling on the Security Council to consider a no fly zone.
JOURNALIST: Is it a bit peculiar for the Australian Foreign Minister to be travelling around the Middle East advocating this action in which Australia can play no active role?
PM: I think when you consider what the Foreign Minister has been saying, what I have been saying, what I think many people in Australia are saying - they are seeing this violence and they are disgusted by it, they are revolted by it, they want to see it come to an end.
No one wants to see people who are doing no more than raising their voices in support of basic freedoms killed for having raised their voices. So driven by our Australian values, valuing freedom, valuing democracy, and valuing peace, we of course have raised out voice and said the Security Council must consider a no fly zone. I think that's absolutely consistent with everything value we hold dear.
JOURNALIST: Do you intend to let your Foreign Minister continue to have the level of independence that he's displayed to date in terms of advocating this or that around the world, I mean that's not a very conventional arrangement in Australian politics. Are you entirely comfortable with the Foreign Minister having as much independence and discretion as he seems to have had to date in order to set Australia's foreign policy?
PM: Can I say there are a million assumptions in that question and not one of them is right. Thank you.