Transcript
1 October 2009
Interview - 3AW
Subjects: Earthquake in Sumatra, the situation in Samoa.
NEIL MITCHELL: On the line though is the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith. Good morning.
STEPHEN SMITH: Good morning Neil.
NEIL MITCHELL: What's the latest you have from Sumatra regarding Australians and overall position?
STEPHEN SMITH: The latest we have from Sumatra is that we know on the advice of Indonesian officials that we're expecting there'll be considerable and significant number of deaths. We've had one request for consular assistance from an Australian in the area. That person on my advice is not in danger or at risk but does need a bit of help.
That's the only indication so far that there might be Australians there, but we're in very close contact with the Indonesian authorities.
Of course it's a very significant tragedy and our hearts go out to the Indonesians. But it will take a bit more time before we can get a handle on just the extent of the tragedy and the number of fatalities, but we do have to expect that will be large. We are in close contact to try and make sure that there are no Australians caught up in it other than the one we've referred to.
NEIL MITCHELL: As one of your colleagues said it's a pretty popular surfing spot with Australians, isn't it?
STEPHEN SMITH: Indonesia generally is a popular place for Australians and that's why as soon as news of the earthquake broke last night about 8.15 Canberra time or 8.15 Melbourne time, our officials then made their contacts.
In the first instance, Indonesia's a significant country and they have their own resources, so in the first instance we're expecting that they will manage the immediate rescue and aftermath, but we will provide assistance as required.
But our priority is just making sure that Australians haven't been caught up with...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] One of the problems we have after an earthquake obviously is what happens on the ground and the lack of hygiene facilities.
I assume if we've got Australians there you're going to want to get them out quickly?
STEPHEN SMITH: As I say we've only had contact from one so we're not necessarily expecting a large number of Australians. But we are of course going to be very attentive and concerned about that but we'll take it as it comes.
But your point's quite right. There are really three phases to these natural disasters: one is the immediate aftermath which is rescuing people who are in difficulty as a result of the earthquake; the second thing is then to make sure that there are the emergency supplies whether medical or temporary housing and accommodation; and then thirdly there's the longer-term reconstruction.
We may get a request from the Indonesians to help with some of the emergency supplies and obviously we'll respond positively to that. More likely we will have a conversation with the Indonesians about the longer-term reconstruction.
In the most recent natural disaster in Indonesia there were a very large number of public buildings, schools and hospitals damaged and so we're now having a conversation with the Indonesians about whether we can help with the rebuilding of some schools.
NEIL MITCHELL: What about Samoa, what's happened in Samoa? What is the latest Australian death toll that you're aware of?
STEPHEN SMITH: I just got off the phone, literally, to our High Commissioner in Samoa and he was heading off to the Samoan Natural Disaster Emergency Committee meeting, which will be chaired by the Samoan Prime Minister. So he'll obviously relay again our condolences and sympathy to Samoa.
At this stage we have three Australians who are confirmed dead and one New Zealand citizen who was a permanent resident of Australia confirmed dead as well, so that's four and they were confirmed overnight. We've got three in hospital. The advice we have is that they're not life threatening, but they have been in hospital overnight.
We've got one Australian who we are very concerned about. We've got very grave concerns for another Australian's welfare and in addition to that we've got six who are currently unaccounted for. But at this stage we are proceeding on the basis that may just be difficulties of communication.
We've got nothing to put them into the category of being very gravely concerned but we are very gravely concerned about the safety of one more Australian.
NEIL MITCHELL: And can you tell us where that person comes from?
STEPHEN SMITH: I can't, but that person was in the area where the worst of the tsunami hit, in the south-east portion of Samoa. Our High Commissioner had just finished an inspection when I spoke to him and he made the same comment that you would have heard from journalists and media reports that it's just in a state of complete devastation.
NEIL MITCHELL: And once again is it urgent to get Australians out?
STEPHEN SMITH: What we've done is a plane left Brisbane last night at about 2.00am Brisbane time and that had a range of officials from Australia, had Foreign Affairs and Trade officials, AusAID officials, Emergency Management officials and also Defence officials, but also had doctors and there are medical professionals onboard.
That landed this morning a couple of hours ago. That of course was full when it arrived, it's now empty, and what we are now proceeding to do is to collect as many Australians who are there and put them on that plane and bring them back.
When I spoke to the High Commissioner, the last advice he had was there are about 20 or 30 Australians who we were trying to get to that plane to bring them back home.
In addition to that there's a C130 Hercules, an Air Force plane. That'll be loaded but that's due to take off mid-morning Melbourne time from the Richmond Air Base and that'll be loaded full of the emergency medical and emergency equipment so tarpaulins, any medical emergency tablets to...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] So when would you expect the first Australians to be airlifted out?
STEPHEN SMITH: I'm sorry, Neil, I'm not in a position to give you advice on that. But I'd expect that on the basis that we get people onboard in the course of the day that'll fly back today. But I wouldn't want to be definitive on that.
So it'll be a judgement they make on the ground depending upon how many Australians want to get out and are able to do so.
NEIL MITCHELL: Look I thank you for talking to us. If I may just - I know you're very busy - just before you go...
STEPHEN SMITH: No, that's fine.
NEIL MITCHELL: ...are you able to - are you involved at all in the case of this Indian student who pleaded guilty to culpable driving in Melbourne then fled to India - Puneet Puneet - and attempts to get him back to this country?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well I'm not directly involved but I am aware of the circumstances so I'm very happy to...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] Well, are we on top of it? Are we actually getting any closer to getting him back?
STEPHEN SMITH: I think it's a tragedy for the family, let me make that point. Secondly, it is a legal process and because we're dealing with a legal process then we have to treat it on that basis and...
NEIL MITCHELL: So what stage is it at?
STEPHEN SMITH: I don't want to be coy, I'll just make this point: because it requires making an application to another country to essentially arrest someone, we never talk publicly. The advice that I have from Federal Police and the advice that you'd also get from State Police is not to talk about these matters in public because you don't want to alert the person who you might be seeking to arrest overseas.
NEIL MITCHELL: So we can't even say if the paperwork's been done yet?
STEPHEN SMITH: I'm not in a position to go into that detail, but the extradition processes are difficult and complex. The only thing I can say is that we do need to be patient. It is not as if this matter is being ignored or neglected.
NEIL MITCHELL: No, but we're not confident it's being handled efficiently.
STEPHEN SMITH: I've had a look at the matter, not an exhaustive look, but I was told that you may want to talk about it this morning so I've had a quick look this morning. That's not my view, but I'm very happy, together with the Minister for Home Affairs, to go through all of the detail and satisfy myself that we are on top of it.
These are complicated and difficult cases. We do need to be patient. But a non-Australian has fled Australia as a result of allegedly committing a crime and that's...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] Well, he pleaded guilty.
STEPHEN SMITH: That matter is being pursued.
NEIL MITCHELL: It's not an allegation, he pleaded guilty.
STEPHEN SMITH: Yeah that - well...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Indistinct]
STEPHEN SMITH: Again when it comes to extradition what is said in Australia may or may not be that which is pleaded in for example an Indian court if there's an extradition treaty. So that's why I'm choosing my words carefully.
But I'm very happy, Neil, to go through the thing in great detail and satisfy myself that everything which can be done is being done and to relay that to you.
NEIL MITCHELL: Okay. Now the other thing just quickly, this afternoon Australia's population reaches 22 million. We're now 21,999,745. Is it time to have a look at where we're going, how many people we want?
STEPHEN SMITH: Well, I think the projections of our population are about 35,000,000 by the middle of the…
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] That's right, yeah.
STEPHEN SMITH: …and that's a combination both of immigration and natural growth or fertility.
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] What's your view? Is it time to review immigration, because 63 per cent of the increase last year was immigration?
STEPHEN SMITH: I wouldn't say review immigration. We're a country that was founded on immigration. Our post-World War Two migration program essentially set Australia up for the great country that it is...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] I understand that but is it time to review it? If we are growing at this rate can we cope with it? Is it time to review immigration and potentially cut it?
STEPHEN SMITH: The annual migrant intake is carefully assessed every year. That's done by the Minister for Immigration, there are extensive consultations.
NEIL MITCHELL: But it increased 20 per cent last year.
STEPHEN SMITH: And every year there's a very careful consideration and judgement made and the Minister for Immigration will do that in the course of this year.
But more generally, we're a country now of 21 million people, just on natural growth. We're going to grow to 30 to 35 in the course of...
NEIL MITCHELL: [Interrupts] But that's not natural growth that's with immigration, that's the prediction?
STEPHEN SMITH: But even if you stopped immigration tomorrow, which I'm not asserting or arguing, natural growth would still see an increase in population.
The point I want to make is that of course as our population grows we need to manage that and pay very careful attention to the sustainability issues and the environmental issues.
But we have a conversation about the immigration intake every year, but of course when the population projections are to go from 21 million now to 35 million by the middle of the century that's something that obviously the country can have a conversation about and should have a conversation about.
NEIL MITCHELL: Thank you very much for your time.
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