Transcript E&OE
19 May 2009
Interview by Kieran Gilbert - Sky News Agenda
Subjects: Newspoll results, Sri Lanka; Middle East peace and reconciliation; Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.Kieran Gilbert: In the wake of last week's Budget the Prime Minister's popularity has fallen from the stratospheric levels he's come to enjoy. The latest evidence in today's Newspoll.
Kevin Rudd: [Excerpt] I do not care what is in opinion polls because my job is to act in the national interest. From time to time those decisions will be popular. From time to time those decisions will be unpopular. [Ends]
Kieran Gilbert: Coming up, I will be discussing the latest Newspoll results with our panel, Labor MP Mark Dreyfus and Liberal Senator Gary Humphries.
First though, I'm joined by the Foreign Minister in Melbourne.
Mr Smith, thanks for your time. Before we get on to areas in your portfolio, I want to get your reaction to he Newspoll results, specifically the fact that the Prime Minister's taken a personal hit in terms of popularity rating.
Stephen Smith: I think the Prime Minister is concerned to make sure that he's doing the right thing. So, from time to time you've got to make tough and hard economic decisions. The Budget was a tough Budget. There may well be short term repercussions from that, but the key thing, whenever it comes to opinion polling, is how you fare when the election comes. And we'll see that in the second half of next year.
But I also noticed that in the last couple of days we've seen one opinion poll come out which shows a drop in Labor support. Today's Newspoll shows, apparently, an increase in Labor support. So, I wouldn't worry too much about the fortnightly or the monthly polls, there's only one in the end that counts. And the most important thing is for the Government to make the hard and tough decisions to set the economy up for the future, set it up for recovery, and that's what we're doing.
Kieran Gilbert: Okay. On to your portfolio, matters in the area of foreign affairs. The Sri Lankan Army Chief has declared the civil war over. Do you welcome that?
Stephen Smith: I certainly welcome that the end is there, or very imminent, to military conflict. But the key challenge now for the Sri Lankan Government and for the international community I think is two-fold.
Firstly, we've got thousands, many thousands, of displaced Sri Lankans. They need to be taken care of. They're in displaced people's camps. We need to make sure they're treated in accordance with humanitarian principles and that the international organisations, like the United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Red Cross have access to them.
But, secondly, there now has to be an effort to win the peace. This terrible conflict, which has lasted for nearly three decades, was never going to end by military action alone. There now has to be a political rapprochement, political reform, political reconciliation to try and get a long term, enduring peace for all Sri Lankans.
Kieran Gilbert: On the humanitarian side, up to a quarter of a million civilians are displaced in the north of that country. Has the Sri Lankan Government and the military been - has it been as aware and cognisant of the humanitarian crisis as it has led and undertaken this surge in military activity, which has led to the end of the civil war?
Stephen Smith: For a long time, Australia has been making the point that the protection of civilians had to be the absolute priority, both so far as the Sri Lankan Government's military forces were concerned, but also the Tamil Tigers. And we've pressed these points upon Sri Lanka and pressed these points publicly on the Tamil Tigers for a long period of time. Now that the conflict is over, people will be in a better position in time to make judgements about the conduct of the military engagement.
But for the present, again, I think there are two very high priorities for the international community and for the Sri Lankan Government: making sure that the civilians who have escaped the conflict are cared for and treated for appropriately in the displaced people's camps; and that the Sri Lankan Government starts that process of political reform.
We don't want to see an end to the military conflict, but ongoing, generational terrorist activity. There's got to be, now, the chance to win a long term, enduring peace, not just win a short term military victory or battle.
Kieran Gilbert: Okay, on to another issue. The US President Obama has held talks overnight at the White House with the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. And President Obama, I just want to play you a little bit of it, Foreign Minister, has called on the Israelis to push ahead with their two-state solution in the peace process. Let's hear what the President had to say.
Barak Obama: [Excerpt] To achieve the security objectives of Israel, but also bring about historic peace. And I am confident that he's going to seize this moment. And the United States is going to do everything we can to be constructive, effective partners in this process. [Ends]
Kieran Gilbert: The Israeli Prime Minister, though, hasn't given as much confidence, Foreign Minister, that he's willing and keen to push ahead with the two-state solution.
Stephen Smith: Firstly, I think the active engagement of the new US Administration, the active engagement of the Obama Administration, in the Middle East, in the Middle East peace process is absolutely essential and we welcome it very much. The reality is that unless the United States is engaged, and engaged fully, we don't have any realistic prospect of a long term, enduring peace.
And Australia's position, the Australian Government's position, is that peace in the Middle East has to be predicated on the basis of a two-state solution. That's certainly the United States' approach, it's Australia's long standing position and we've made that point clear, both publicly and privately, to the new Israeli Government.
Both Australia, the United States and also the international community, now expects that the Israeli Government will throw itself into the peace process, throw itself into talks, fully, in an absolutely committed way. And that's what Australia is now looking to and we give Israel our support in that.
We're long standing supporters of Israel's right to exist in an atmosphere of peace and security, and we're also long standing supporters of the peace process. And we now look forward to the active engagement in that peace process, not just of the United States and Israel, but also the Palestinian Authority and also Israel's neighbours.
It's very pleasing to see, for example, in recent times, that the King of Jordan has visited the United States. And in the near future we'll also see the President of Egypt, President Mubarak, and also the President of the Palestinian Authority, President Abbas, also going to the United States. These are all good developments and we encourage them and welcome them very much.
Kieran Gilbert: Foreign Minister, just one final issue. Australian naval vessels have intercepted some Somali pirates. Tell us the latest on that. And also, I understand you've got an announcement relating to aid to Somalia.
Stephen Smith: I've announced today $2 million Australian assistance to Somalia; 1.5 million to the United Nations' Humanitarian Appeal and a half a million dollars to the African Union Mission in Somalia.
Recently we've seen, in Mogadishu, a deterioration in the situation and fighting again breaking out. We strongly support the United Nations Security Council statement of a couple of weeks ago. We believe that the Somalian Transitional Government ought to be given every opportunity to re-establish peace and security in Somalia.
Of course, the very terrible situation on the ground in Somalia over the last, effectively, two decades has added to the difficulties of piracy off the coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa. Two of our ships, HMAS Sydney and HMAS Ballarat, Navy frigates, were in the area in the last few days and assisted a vessel that was under attack from pirates. That's a good thing.
Frankly, they were there, in a sense, by accident, because they were on a more different, international training exercise. But we are also giving consideration to whether Defence, whether our naval assets can render assistance to the international presence in the Gulf of Aden. The piracy has got to a very difficult and dangerous stage and we support very much the international efforts, through the United Nations, by the United States and the European Union to try and bring the piracy in the Gulf of Aden under control.
Kieran Gilbert: Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith, appreciate your time on AM Agenda. Thanks very much.
Stephen Smith: Thank you.
[Ends]
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