CLINTON MAYNARD:
We are pleased to say the Prime Minister Tony Abbott joins us this morning and can bring us the latest news. Prime Minister, good morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
Good morning Clinton, good morning Rowan.
ROWAN DEAN:
How are you Tony? I would love to say Happy New Year but it is quite a beginning to the year after the Sydney siege and now we have the Paris terrorism. Can you tell us about your phone call with President Hollande?
PRIME MINISTER:
I did speak to President Hollande last night to express the solidarity of the Australian people with the French people at this very difficult time. The tragedy of this era is that there are people, people living amongst us who would do us harm. It is not that we have done anything in particular, it is the way we live, it is who we are, the fact that we are a free, tolerant, open, welcoming society that seems to jar with these extremist fanatics. That is why we are seeing this kind of terrorism not just in France but we had our own brush with terrorism in Sydney earlier and then of course there was the attack on the policemen in Victoria. So, this is a worldwide phenomenon and that’s why it is important for the people of Australia to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of France at this time.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
Prime Minister, have you had more information, and you certainly gave the country a warning after the Sydney siege that there was more chatter, but since what we have seen unfold this week in Paris, has there been more information come to light about potential attacks in Australia?
PRIME MINISTER:
Look, our security agencies are constantly vigilant. Our security agencies are taking no chances if we think there is any risk of an attack we are moving, we are moving swiftly. The sad truth is that there is no such thing as perfect protection against people who are merciless towards others and heedless towards themselves but nevertheless we are doing everything we humanly can – it is the first priority of Government. As I am sure you remember Clinton, we boosted our security spending by some $630 million over the current budgetary period because, while these are tight fiscal times I don’t believe the Australian people begrudge spending on our own public safety.
ROWAN DEAN:
Tony, last year you were one of the first world leaders to really spot the evil for want of a better world of Islamic State, ISIS, you were very upfront straight away on the need to really tackle them on the ground in Syria in Iraq, you went to the Middle East last week, can you tell us a bit about that.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, Rowan I can say that our military forces are performing with great commitment, professionalism and courage as you would expect. I visited our Special Forces on the edge of Baghdad and they are training and assisting the Iraqi counter terrorism service, which is the most effective military unit in Iraq and is doing good work to reclaim ground which is currently held by the ISIL death cult or Daesh as they prefer to call it in the Middle East. So, I visited them, I also visited our air component in the UAE. As you know we have got six super hornet strike fighters, we have an early warning aircraft, we have a refueller and these airmen and women are performing with great [inaudible] and are winning plaudits from their professional colleagues for the work they are doing conducting and leading strikes against the Daesh death cult. While it is too early to say that Daesh have been defeated in Iraq – I think there is a long hard campaign ahead of us. Obviously it will have to be led by the Iraqis on the ground but nevertheless their advance appears to have been halted and in some respects at least they have gone from being the hunters to the hunted thanks to the coalition air strikes.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
Prime Minister, whether it is Daesh or ISIS or those responsible for the attacks in Paris this week, the French President had a message for his people this morning – that we won’t be scared, we won’t be frightened French people. Is there a similar message from you to our nation?
PRIME MINISTER:
Absolutely, I have been saying all along that there are a few fundamentals. The first is that we will do whatever we humanly can as a Government to keep our people safe. Second, this is not a struggle against religion it is a struggle against extremism. It is not targeting any community, it is targeting terrorism. And third, and very importantly, Australians should live their normal lives because what terrorism aims to do is scare us from being ourselves and if we ever allow ourselves to change our way of life, to adjust a welcome that we give to people who are here to join our team, well, the terrorisms have had a victory and that is the last thing we should ever do; give evil people who are bereft of decency, who have lost their souls – we don’t ever want to give people like that a victory.
ROWAN DEAN:
And I mean, Tony, how do we win this war? We see it from drivers driving cars into crowds in Jerusalem, we see Aussie kids holding up decapitated heads, we see Martin Place, we’ve seen three sieges now in Paris. There is a clear link joining the dots between all of this – the Islamism, if you like – there is a lot of debate going on about drawing the distinction between Islamism and Islam so that we can discuss with the Muslim community the necessary steps to win this battle.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, I think you make some good points Rowan and this struggle goes on at many levels. It goes on in Iraq and in Syria because what is happening there is the loathsome and evil inspiration for what is happening in Sydney and Paris and elsewhere. It goes on in the security work that we do internally in countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, France and elsewhere. Then I suppose it goes on in the hearts of individual people, inside communities and while it is true that all of this terrorism is being carried out in the name of a particular religion I know myself there are an extraordinary number of Muslim people who are revolted by what is going on. I spent a lot of time in the company of the leaders of the UAE recently and they are more committed than any of us or at least as committed as any of us are to this struggle because let’s face it they know that the first people that the death cult are coming for is them. It’ll be their heads that will be on spikes should Daesh succeed.
ROWAN DEAN:
Exactly.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
Prime Minister, could they be, the leaders of those nations and those moderate nations in the Middle East, could they be more vocal in speaking out about these events?
PRIME MINISTER:
One of the things that has changed in recent times is that the decent leaders of the Middle East are now absolutely vocal. They are constantly vocal against what is happening in the name of their religion. The King of Saudi has denounced Daesh in the strongest possible terms, the King of Jordan, the rulers of the UAE, the President of Egypt has been an absolute bulwark against the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremist groups. The religious council in Cairo has issued a Fatwa against Daesh of ISIL. So, I think some of the things that many of us have looked for amongst Islamic leaders are now happening. I think that decent people right around the world, of all faiths, particularly the Islamic faith, particularly Muslims, are speaking out against this. My friend Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia has been very vocal in our own region saying that ISIL of Daesh are against God, against Islam and against our common humanity.
ROWAN DEAN:
And Tony, I was thrilled, the flip side of that as you clearly said to the Australian media yesterday – don’t self-censor, have the debate, have the discussions, print the cartoons and terrific that you said that because that is very reassuring to the media who don’t want to be cowered in this country.
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, Rowan, I can understand them being scared but they certainly shouldn’t be cowered.
ROWAN DEAN:
Exactly.
PRIME MINISTER:
It would be a travesty if we were robust in our criticism of everything except that which might do us harm. We have to be prepared to speak up for our beliefs. We have to be prepared to call things as we see them. Of course from time to time people will be upset, offended, insulted, humiliated. As a politician I sometimes pick up the paper and think, “My God, this is so unfair!” but it is all part of a free society. It is all part of understanding things better; the clash of ideas, the ability of people to speak very robustly to each other. Sure, we would like it to be polite but where it is not, so be it, because in the end the cornerstone of progress is free speech. The [inaudible] value of western civilisation.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
Prime Minister we will move on to the important duties you are going to carry out in Cairns in a moment but just on an issue that arose during the week. The issue of clemency for the Bali Nine ring leaders and Myuran Sukumaran in particular. You have said you will do what you can to help but you won’t jeopardise the relationship with Indonesia. Personally, are you opposed to the death penalty?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes I am. It is settled policy in this country that we are opposed to the death penalty. We are opposed to it at home, we are opposed to it abroad. We think it is inconsistent with our nation of a liberal and humane society.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
Is that the way you feel, Prime Minister?
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes, it is. Yes, it is. I know sometimes it is a hard call but nevertheless that’s the way I feel. Look, I respect the views of others and certainly I respect the Indonesian position but we, while respecting their position, will be making the strongest possible – are making the strongest possible representations for clemency. Let’s see how we go.
ROWAN DEAN:
Exactly and good luck. Last year was an incredibly steep learning curve but your Government managed to get through as what I have referred to as an avalanche of achievement. For me there were the three, soon to be four, Free Trade Agreements, which the former Government failed to achieve. There was a terrific G20, there was your own and Julie Bishop’s what I thought were outstanding responses to both MH17, shirtfronting and all the rest of it, as well as not to mention small matters; stopping the boats, scrapping the carbon and mining taxes. That is a fantastic set of achievements. I don’t hear you bragging about it as often as I would like to hear you bragging about it but I will do that on your behalf if you like?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, thank you Rowan and if you would like to keep that up I [inaudible].
ROWAN DEAN:
No problem but I am really interested in what are the achievements that we can look forward to at the end of this year. What is in plan for this year?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, the focus this year will be jobs and families. I know a lot of families are doing it tough. Yes, we have managed to take off the carbon tax and that is a $550 year burden on households which is gone thanks to this Government. But we have got a families package coming up, that will be focussing on childcare and other family benefits such as paid parental leave. Throughout the year our focus will be jobs because in the end it is more jobs, better paid jobs, which is the foundation of our prosperity. So, that is going to be the focus. Now, you also know Rowan, that we have got a couple of white paper processes entrain; the Reforming the Federation White Paper is about simpler, more efficient, more cost effective government and the Tax Reform White Paper is about lower, simpler, fairer taxes. It is not about more taxes, it is certainly not about higher taxes. It is about…
ROWAN DEAN:
Lower taxes, Tony, definitely like the sound of lower taxes.
PRIME MINISTER:
And the way to get that, Rowan, is to get government spending under control.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
How do you do that Mr Abbott when you are dealing with the likes of Jacqui Lambie in the Senate?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well, to be honest the big problem in the Senate is not the crossbenchers – it is the Labor Party. They are the people who have basically been sabotaging the Budget repair job that they made necessary. Because there are some colourful characters on the crossbench they have got a lot of attention but the reason we have a debt and deficit disaster, the reason we had a Budget emergency is because the Labor Party got us there. And having got us there they are in denial and wilfully, wilfully obstructing this Government’s attempt to fix the problem they created. Now, we have a plan, it is a good plan. Obviously it is a plan we are prepared to talk about. It is a plan we are prepared to negotiate on. We have already made some adjustments for instance to our proposals for Medicare but it is the only plan on offer. My plea to the whole Senate, the Labor Party first and foremost is if you don’t like our plan – tell us what your plan is.
ROWAN DEAN:
Exactly and I think it is worth reminding ourselves that during the Hawke and Keating years it was John Howard in Opposition who supported those reforms, Tony, that allowed them to happen. Maybe Bill Shorten should have a think about that. Also, pleased Tony that you have some terrific members in your team; Kelly O’Dwyer, Josh Frydenberg and others who have been promoted and I think that is great. Today you are off to Cairns. Another tragedy, I don’t know how you cope sometimes as an individual with these tragedies but you are off to Cairns this morning.
PRIME MINISTER:
I am Rowan. Look, this was just a horrible, horrible business before Christmas, eight children murdered. Awful, awful, awful and I will be there today along with the Premier, along with the Opposition Leaders – federal and state. I will be there in solidarity with the people of Cairns and with all victims of family violence. It is just a horrible business. We know that sometimes people break. We also know that there are difficult circumstances that people deal with. This is a social issue as well as a law enforcement issue but I will be there I solidarity with the people of Cairns.
ROWAN DEAN:
And I think Tony you take all our best sympathies with you. Just on a more positive note I think 2015 is going to be terrific, Tony, and I am glad you are running the show and let’s have a good one.
PRIME MINISTER:
Indeed. We must always hope, and work, to make each year better than the one before and that will be what I am doing and every day Rowan, every day Clinton this Government is doing what it can for the people of Australia and I am so conscious of the honour of leading our great nation.
CLINTON MAYNARD:
Prime Minister, thank you so much for joining us this morning, particularly giving the developing situation in Paris, which no doubt you will be in contact with your advisers throughout the morning on. Thank you for bringing us the information about your talks with the French President as well.
ROWAN DEAN:
Thanks Tony.
PRIME MINISTER:
Thank you.
[ends]