SANDY: Prime Minister good morning.
PM:Good morning.
SANDY: Are we offering help to the Indian authorities to try and find out exactly how this occurred?
PM: Yes. Yesterday the national security committee of the cabinet directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to tell the Indian High Commissioner here that we would provide any form of assistance necessary, either to deal with the current circumstances in Mumbai, or beyond that, to track down perpetrators.
We have also reinforced that in a conversation had overnight between our Foreign Minister Stephen Smith, who is in London, with the External Affairs Minister of India, Minister Mukherjee.
DON: Don Burke here Prime Minister. I was just looking at it and you think, this is a bit of wake up call to all of us, that yet a new way of inflicting terrorism on the world. I suppose as Prime Minister this is a bit of a reality check for you too?
PM: Well for terrorism, it hasn't gone away because it hasn't been on the front pages of the newspapers for a while. It is out there. It's a cancer still and it's still a cancer which has to be eradicated.
That is why all of us at home and for all those one million Australians who at any one point of time are living overseas, this is a rolling challenge for us all. And therefore, we have to remain vigilant.
That is why our domestic counterterrorism laws have to remain strong. That is why our international cooperation with the Indians and with others, the Indonesians in our own immediate environment, has to be as close as possible at the intelligence level and the policing level.
This hasn't gone away and it won't go away.
SANDY: Did our Government or any other Government that you know of have any intelligence to suggest that a terrorist attack might be imminent in Asia?
PM: Well we seek to provide advice to the Australian public through our travel advisories. On the travel advisory that we have on the 31st of October, it said that Australians should exercise a high degree of caution in visiting India.
I am just quoting from the text as it existed at that time. It when on to say that there were unconfirmed information suggesting terrorists may be planning attacks in Mumbai, possibly against hotels and tourist sites.
It went on to advise that Australians should exercise a high degree of caution because of the high risk of terrorist activity by militant groups.
And further it went on to say that terrorist attacks can occur anywhere in India including local transport networks, it also refers to hotels.
DON: And the other sad bit of news Prime Minister, the seventh Australian soldier has died in combat in Afghanistan.
PM: This is a great tragedy for the nation. This brave young man has died wearing the uniform of Australia yesterday. And he joins the ranks of others who have paid the ultimate price.
And our thoughts, our prayers, our condolences go to his family and to his comrades at Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan.
SANDY: Prime Minster I know you say that we are in Afghanistan for the long haul at this stage, but are Australians right to question why we are there given this soldier is the seventh to die in Afghanistan.
PM: I have said the entire time that I have been Prime Minister, and before that as well, it is important to be in Afghanistan for the long haul. Let's remember how all this began. It began with terrorist attacks on September 11 which killed thousands of innocent people in New York and in Washington, including many Australians.
And what we then did is join with our ally, the United States and others in removing the Taliban regime because they had given complete sanctuary and safe operating (inaudible) conditions to Al Qaeda's global terrorist network.
The worst thing we can do is simply to allow Afghanistan to be reconsolidated again as a base for global terrorist operations.
It is a difficult war but that is the strategic objective. You don't want to provide complete, free, open operating training bases and operational support bases for global terrorist networks out of that country.
DON: On that basis, are you satisfied with the level of level of international assistance? Or could more be done?
PM: Well, for the non-NATO countries we in Australia are the largest troop contributor in Afghanistan. I think there is always room for some of the other Europeans in particular to increase their commitment.
We believe we have got our numbers about right. We have no plans to increase them. And I've said before, while we are in Afghanistan for the long term, because it is part of dealing with the challenge, the global challenge and scourge of terrorism, it's not a blank cheque, we will review our commitment there annually. I said that in March-April last year, we'll do that every year.
SANDY: Do you think Prime Minister that Afghanistan will become the new focus of the Obama Administration?
PM: Obviously it follows from what President-elect Barack Obama has said that the future of the US civil and political strategy in Afghanistan is a high priority for him. This is very difficult military engagement and obviously it is going to be a priority for the incoming administration.
I've indicated to President-elect Obama that Australia intends to be in Afghanistan for the long haul, but I look forward very much to hearing his plan direct about how the United States intends to prosecute this campaign into the future.
DON: And just lastly Prime Minister, Australians who are thinking of maybe travelling to India, what advice would you give them?
PM: Well, just before, Don, what I did was read out the travel advisory which existed as of 31 October. That has now been upgraded further as of 8:10pm last night, and it says specifically, “due to an increase in the overall threat level in India to the extent that Australians are advised to reconsider their need for travel”.
Again, I would just say to all of your listeners: the reason the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, runs these travel advisories throughout the world is to give the Australian travelling public the best information we have - it won't always be perfect - about what our fears and concerns are about various countries and cities within countries around the world.
DON: Just thinking you sound a little bit croaky, I guess you haven't had a lot of sleep?
PM: It's been a busy time and there has been a lot going on. I was at the APEC Summit which dealt with global financial crisis matters last weekend in Latin America. And we have had parliament now, we've got the Council of Australian Government meeting on the future of health and education coming up tomorrow in Canberra, and we've had these tragedies both in Afghanistan and Mumbai to deal with. But, that's what you're in this job to do.
SANDY: Not much sleep probably in the next couple of days. Thanks Prime Minister for your time this morning.
PM: Thanks for having me on your program.