Peter Stefanovic, Host: Joining us live now out of Canberra, the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. Minister, thank you so much for your time today. Are you any clearer as to how negotiations are going?
Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign for Foreign Affairs: Obviously, the President has made clear he wants to engage in dialogue and we think that's a good thing. This conflict has gone on for some time, having a very large effect on global energy markets and obviously Australians are feeling that at the bowser. So, we do want to see de-escalation and dialogue. And I think the US President is seeking to achieve that dialogue.
Stefanovic: Are you getting any more clarity, though, from your counterparts in the US about maybe not just the war but also the length of time this might take?
Foreign Minister: I have engaged with Secretary Rubio. And I'd make the point that he spoke overnight about American objectives and he outlined the military objectives which were to degrade Iran's naval, air force capability, to degrade their industrial base so they can't produce as many missiles and drones, and also to degrade their launch capability. And the US has done a lot of that and achieved a lot of those objectives. But we are moving into a different stage. And you'll see from the President's comments that he is seeking to engage in negotiations with the regime.
Stefanovic: Yes, but he's also threatening to tear down Iran's vital energy infrastructure, as pointed out in the introduction, as well as potentially its desalination plants. So, there's certainly not much in the face of that with regards to de-escalation.
Foreign Minister: This war is being conducted by the US, by Iran, by Israel. We've made our view clear. What we want to see is ultimately de-escalation and a resolution. We know that this is having an effect on not just Australians, but on global energy markets and is reverberating throughout the world. And that's in great part because Iran has made the decision within the first 72 hours to spread the conflict as widely as it could, attacking countries which were not part of the conflict, drawing them into the conflict and attacking civilian infrastructure, attacking commercial infrastructure and civilian targets.
Stefanovic: Is there any likelihood of another phone call soon between the Prime Minister and the President, given, as you point out, we're getting economically smashed by this war?
Foreign Minister: Ultimately, this conflict is something the whole world is looking at. So, it's not just Australia that's being affected, it's the global energy market. So, we will continue to engage with the United States as we always do. They're our principal strategic partners.
Stefanovic: Are you expecting American boots on the ground to secure Kharg Island?
Foreign Minister: That's a matter for the US. What we've made clear is that right from the start, that we would not be providing boots on the ground.
Stefanovic: Okay, so, I mean, that was the point of my question then, I suppose, because they might need some help with that, which would prompt my question, if the Americans have asked us recently for any more help?
Foreign Minister: We've responded to requests from the region, including from the United Arab Emirates, to provide defensive capability. What the Prime Minister has made clear, as have Richard Marles and I, is that our posture is defensive. So, we are providing assistance with the defence against the missiles that Iran is raining down on the countries of the region. I think we're over 2,000 missiles in the UAE, and you'll remember we have a lot of Australians in the region, and our first obligation is to work to keep people safe.
Stefanovic: Is the US winning this war, in your view?
Foreign Minister: Secretary Rubio said that they had achieved a great deal of their military objectives in terms of degrading Iran's military capability and its military industrial capability. Iran has responded by bringing other countries in and by working to hold the Strait of Hormuz hostage. So, that creates a different dimension on this conflict. And I think the United States is aware of that. Certainly the Government is aware of that, as are the Australian people, because they're feeling it every time they go to the petrol station.
Stefanovic: Are you concerned about what might be left behind, though, with whatever regime? And can there be any kind of guarantee that there wouldn't be future attacks on the West?
Foreign Minister: I think we know from history in the Middle East that the sort of guarantee you're seeking is very difficult, that there is a history of instability in the region. The history of Iran, for example, sponsoring terrorist proxies. We will always work to do everything we can to keep Australians safe here and abroad. And that's what we're doing now.
Stefanovic: Have you considered dropping sanctions on Russian oil as a last resort?
Foreign Minister: No, Pete, I haven't. No. We don't want to be providing Mr Putin with money to run his war machine, which would be enabling a continued attack on Ukraine and on Ukrainian citizens.
Stefanovic: I mean, Senator Antic has put that forward, because perhaps the times call for that now – excise cuts won't help. It would reduce it.
Foreign Minister: Senator Antic has made a number of comments which are very negative about President Zelensky. He's made clear that he's much more on Mr Putin's side. It's frankly quite a disgrace, given Australia's national interests, that we have members of the Coalition who are prepared to back in President Putin in this immoral war which is about taking territory from another country.
Stefanovic: Just a final one here, Minister. Do you think China has taken note of our fuel shortages? If the CCP was to ever make a move on Taiwan, it could quite easily cut off our supply routes.
Foreign Minister: Look, I'm not going to engage in those hypotheticals, Pete. You wouldn't expect the Foreign Minister to do that. It is reasonable to ask about our resilience in the face of energy shocks. And what you've seen is the Government working to strengthen Australia's resilience in the face of this. But this will be something we can continue to deploy if required. So, the announcement the Prime Minister made on Saturday, which is government underwriting private sector contracts to enable more supply to come into Australia to deal with some of the risk concerns, the risk premiums that companies are facing, that is about shoring up supply. My engagement with other countries, the countries that supply us with diesel, you saw the agreement between Singapore and Australia, that is about shoring up supply. So, we are very focused on strengthening Australia's resilience in the face of this energy shock.
Stefanovic: Foreign Minister Penny Wong, appreciate your time as always. Thank you.