Interview with Newsreader, ABC 24

Subjects: Crisis in Egypt, Hospital reforms

Transcript, E&OE, proof only

11 February 2011

NEWSREADER: Well joining me now to discuss this morning's incredible events is the Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. Kevin Rudd, do you think this situation is going to work? Can President Mubarak stay in power until September?

KEVIN RUDD: Ultimately that's a matter for the Egyptian people and their own internal political processes. I'd say carefully the text of President Mubarak's statement to the Egyptian people, as far as I can read it, it represents no change on the Egyptian Government's previous position – that is, the one which is articulated more than a week or so ago. That is, the President remaining in office until September. I think the key judgment for us all therefore is how will the Egyptian people respond to this in the streets and through the Egyptian media.

I still believe as I said in the Parliament in Canberra yesterday that we are looking at a highly volatile situation in Egypt which will continue for some time to come.

NEWSREADER: How do you think this current impasse – because it is an impasse, people are not leaving the streets – how is it going to be solved? Is it going to be by violence?

KEVIN RUDD: Well our repeated call to the Egyptian Government, including in my own conversations with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, have been that our fundamental requirement – and that of the international community – is that the right to peaceful protest must be upheld, that there should be no violence meted out to protesters, either by the military, or by other agents of the security forces, that this is a fundamental and universal right for people to protest peacefully.

Of course what now happens – we are uncertain as to the precise way in which the people will respond to this most recent statement by the President. But as I say again, those who have been predicting in the last 24 hours or so that this would represent some fundamental shift in Egyptian Government position are wrong. This seems to be a continuation of the status quo.

NEWSREADER: What are your diplomats advising you about where the army's allegiance lies?

KEVIN RUDD: Well I don't go to the content of our diplomatic communications, or that of other countries. But what we have noted so far ourselves as the government, observing these events in Cairo, is that the military has tried for a long period of time to remain as politically neutral as possible. There are of course obvious direct allegiances, not just to the president, but also to the new vice president Mr Suleiman. But we think it's absolutely important and fundamental for the Egyptian people – and the international community's reaction to what's going on in the streets of Cairo – that the army maintain order, and protect the Egyptian people in exercising their right to peaceful protest.

This is fundamental. It's universal. And the eyes of the world are watching.

NEWSREADER: Why do you think the US Administration appears to be somewhat out of step with the events that are taking place?

KEVIN RUDD: Look, I don't provide gratuitous public commentary to the United States about its foreign policy, and its reaction to the events in Egypt.

NEWSREADER: Have you been in touch with Hillary Clinton then?

KEVIN RUDD: I spoke to Hillary Clinton briefly on these matters some time ago when – well last weekend in fact when I was in Munich. The bottom line is this, that the United States Administration has been very plain about the fact that fundamental political change has to occur in Egypt. President Obama has been clear about that.

Of course, at the end of the day, this still very much hangs on the actions of the Egyptian people themselves and their own political and constitutional processes.

Remember this is a large country. It's more than 80 million people. It has a very large army. It has a well-established set of security forces. And the forces for democratic change and demanding democratic transformation have been building and building and building in recent years and decades, and I believe bubbled to the surface through the contested outcome of the parliamentary elections only a few months ago.

But this is very much a matter which has to be resolved by the Egyptian people. The position of the international community, led by President Obama and others, is to insist upon fundamental political change and for that process to begin now and for the process to be peaceful.

NEWSREADER: Mr Rudd, on another issue, are you disappointed that Julia Gillard now seems to be backing away from many of your hospital reforms?

KEVIN RUDD: What I know for a fact is that these matters will be discussed with the Premiers when COAG meets on Monday, and therefore it will be important to see what deal emerges through those negotiations.

The bottom line is the nation needs fundamental health reform, fundamental hospitals reform. A lot of work has gone into this in the past, in terms of getting the balance right between the states and the Commonwealth , but I believe the Australian people want to see that fundamental reform and this will hang ultimately on the negotiation and the product of that negotiation between the Prime Minister and the Premiers.

NEWSREADER: Kevin Rudd, thanks very much for joining us on ABC News 24.

KEVIN RUDD: It's a pleasure.

END

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