Sonya Feldhoff, Host: We welcome the Foreign Minister, who of course has made a 24-year career of hosting this fantastic event along with all the other things that she does. Of course, Senator, South Australian Senator Penny Wong is the woman who is taking on the role as Foreign Minister and of course is the host for this breakfast. Good morning to you, Senator.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good morning, great to be here.
Feldhoff: It is always a rush and you're part of this great influx of people who come for this event and we will talk about this event, which I know is very special to you, but of course, on top of your very busy life, this last week has been busier than most. Can we start there if possible? Because obviously we've seen in the last 36 hours or so, so many Australians returning from the Middle East, but there are still tens of thousands of Australians stranded in the Middle East. Can you tell us what options there are to help those people at this point?
Foreign Minister: Look, thanks very much and thanks, Sonya. Thank you for being here. I know that it's always pretty full-on having to do – We can't hear me, am I back?
Feldhoff: Yes, we've got you now.
Foreign Minister: Thanks for being here and I know that doing radio right in the middle of this foyer with thousands of women walking past you is not always the easiest circumstance but it's fun. Look, what isn't fun is the many thousands of Australians who are in the Middle East and the fact that this conflict has spread so widely and so quickly. I think, in fact we now have 11 countries which have been drawn into it, have been attacked by Iran. I spoke to the Foreign Minister of the UAE and he sent me a message overnight to tell me where the flights were. So we've had a second flight arrive in Sydney last night. We had a third flight which has just landed in Melbourne. We've got another flight which is arriving later this morning, it's the first flight from Abu Dhabi. And what my counterpart told me is that we've got four Emirates flights over the next 24 hours; two to Sydney, one to Melbourne and one to Perth. Now, obviously all of this is subject to change, but I want to just say how grateful we are to the United Arab Emirates for working with us, for getting the flights on and for providing accommodation and meals to Australians who are there.
Feldhoff: Is that a limited window, though? Because we're talking about tens of thousands of Australians stranded, aren't we?
Foreign Minister: This is why, although we are working on contingencies, why I keep saying the fastest way to get people home at scale is for commercial flights to open and we're really relieved, as I'm sure their friends and family and they are, that we are seeing these windows open, because that gives us the capacity to move people at scale. We've got about 24,000 Australians in the United Arab Emirates, fewer in Qatar. But that gives you a sense of the scale. Not everyone will want to leave, there are some who live there and who don't wish to leave, but of course we've got a lot of Australians for whom that is the hub to go on to Europe and other destinations and I think every day about 11,000 people come in and out of Australia from those ports so that gives you a sense of the scale.
Feldhoff: Now, the Prime Minister confirmed yesterday that Australian military assets were deployed to the region. Can you explain what they were and what their role is?
Foreign Minister: Look, I'm not in a position to, and you'd understand why, we don't advertise to those who might have bad intent where Australian personnel and Australian assets are, but I said earlier in the week we were looking at all contingencies and this is part of our contingency arrangements.
Feldhoff: All right? Now, I know you can't say a lot, but there are reports that two Australians were on the US Navy ship that destroyed the Iranian naval ship off Sri Lanka. What can you tell us about that situation?
Foreign Minister: What I said yesterday is that the operation of that vessel is a matter for the United States and unfortunately, I'm not able to speak about where Australian personnel are deployed. What I would say is we are not engaged in these strikes on Iran, and that remains the government's position.
Feldhoff: Well, they were part of an AUKUS deployment, is my understanding and we're here in South Australia. I'm not sure that South Australians factored things like that into our AUKUS situation. So, what can you tell us about that?
Foreign Minister: Well the Deputy Prime Minister made clear to the Parliament when we, as we progressed AUKUS, we have a very clear sovereignty framework which ensures that the position of the Australian Government is reflected in the aspects of the AUKUS agreement. And because obviously, we are engaged in a joint venture, as it were, a joint endeavour with the Americans and with the United Kingdom, which will go for many decades, but we also want to retain our sovereignty and so he's been up front with the Parliament about that sovereignty framework.
Jules Schiller, Host: Penny, can I just ask a question?
Foreign Minister: Oh, I didn't know you were there.
Schiller: I am.
Feldhoff: Jules is still in the studio.
Foreign Minister: Oh, Jules, you're not here! I thought – I'm sorry. That totally – I was a little – for your listeners who did not see, I had almost fell off my chair. Where was this disembodied voice coming out of?
Schiller: There's this ANU poll out today, and I find this extraordinary that one third of Australians are either ambivalent towards democracy or sceptical of its benefits, and young Australians are more likely to be sceptical of democracy than older Australians and I'm guessing that might be because of generational inequality or the housing market. I mean, that's shocking to me. I mean, as a member of our government, are you surprised that democracy is not seen as, you know, the best form of government?
Foreign Minister: Well, I think there's two things, isn't there. There's actually having a lived memory of history where, you know, you see the alternatives to democracy and also people's sense that what they want and what they need is not being sufficiently listened to by the democratic system. And, you know, that's, that's something that's in great part on us. We've got to do better at making sure, even if governments can't do everything people seek, that we explain it, right? But I just remind people, whether it's Iran or Afghanistan or other regimes where women are excluded from society, where girls in Afghanistan are not permitted to have the sort of educational opportunities that Australians are. I mean, we see around the world examples of what happens where we allow, where democracy is crushed and I think it's important for us all to see that.
Feldhoff: You're listening to the voice of Foreign Minister Penny Wong. She's here to host the South Australian International Women's Day breakfast that remains the biggest one in the country.
Foreign Minister: I know!
Feldhoff: We're going to hear later from Katherine Bennell-Pegg, which will be marvellous, and we're hoping that she'll be the first Australian in space. I think the Prime Minister has four weeks to decide about whether or not we will back her to go onto a European space mission. Can you tell us where that's at, at the moment?
Foreign Minister: Well, Katherine's a really impressive woman and we were really pleased, the Government, the Australian Government, obviously supported her to do her astronaut training. I understand that time frame is not quite as rigid as has been reported. So, you know, I'm hopeful that we can, this can be worked through at all levels of government. I think Australians would like to see an Australian in space.
Feldhoff: What would it cost to support a bid for her to do that?
Foreign Minister: You know you'd probably better ask her that. She's just standing over here, she's probably more across that than I am.
Feldhoff: You're hosting this breakfast for the 24th time. I mean, what does it mean to you to continue to do that?
Foreign Minister: I love this and what I really love, I love the energy. I love that the women and girls and some men in Adelaide really make this part of their year. And we have, as you said, I'm really proud that Adelaide hosts the largest International Women's Day breakfast in Australia. That's something we should all be really proud of.
Schiller: Just one quick question on the text line. A lot of people are scared that Australia will get drawn into this Iranian war. Are you also concerned about that?
Foreign Minister: What I've said, and I think the PM when he stood up with Prime Minister Carney spoke about this, obviously there's the purpose of the conflict, which is degrading Iran's nuclear capability and capacity to sponsor terror and engage in aggressive action outside of its borders and we've seen that here in Australia when they participated in an attack on Australians on Australian soil. But I've made clear, and so the Prime Minister has made clear, the limits of our engagement, including, I think we were asked, would you be sending troops into Iran and we made clear we would not.
Feldhoff: Penny Wong, thank you so much for joining us today.
Foreign Minister: So great to be here.