Trudy McIntosh, Host: Foreign Minister Penny Wong, thanks for your time.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good to be with you.
McIntosh: The confirmation today, Ambassador Kevin Rudd will be departing his post in March. He still had a year to go. Why now?
Foreign Minister: Kevin's made a decision to take up an opportunity at the Asia Society, both as the Global President, but also to head up a very important Centre for China Analysis. And we are very grateful for what he has done for the country. He's done an outstanding job, and we are really impressed with the amount that he achieved in the time he was Ambassador.
McIntosh: I note you didn't announce today his replacement as Ambassador. I don't imagine you're going to announce it for me here today. But in terms of who you're considering, does it have to be someone of the calibre of a former Prime Minister, given the importance that was placed on that in terms of the American side, they appreciate that sort of high-level engagement?
Foreign Minister: Well, as the Prime Minister said today, you know, we will make an appointment in due course, and we will, and are, looking very carefully at the sort of skills and attributes that are required. And one of the things that Kevin Rudd was able to do as Ambassador was to build relationships with both Republicans and Democrats. He obviously, his tenure was over a period where we saw both a Democratic and a Republican administration, and his ability to traverse that has been a very important aspect of his role.
McIntosh: And you're conscious of that, picking his replacement, that potentially we're coming to another presidential cycle in the term of this Ambassador, that they have to be able to cross the full range of American politics?
Foreign Minister: We will make an appointment of someone with the skills and attributes that we think are needed for the country.
McIntosh: I wanted to move to Iran. We've seen this brutal crackdown on the streets against the Iranian people here. These protests, analysts say they could mark the most significant threat to the Iranian regime we've seen in many decades. Would Australia support US military intervention?
Foreign Minister: First, I would say the words you used are the right words. It is a brutal crackdown, and it is, I mean, what's important to recognise is this is the people of Iran rising up against an oppressive regime and the regime responding with violence and the killing of its citizens, and that's unacceptable. I've seen comments from the White House about these matters. I think President Trump, so many world leaders, including Prime Minister Albanese, have made clear to the Iranian regime this is unacceptable. We stand with the brave people of Iran who are standing up against an oppressive regime.
McIntosh: But what could countries like Australia do, though, to shift the dial, or is this something the Iranian people necessarily need to do themselves?
Foreign Minister: Well, we have taken stronger action against Iran than any previous Australian government, both in terms of the number of sanctions, the scope of sanctions, the targeting of sanctions, the listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador. So, that is amongst a number of other diplomatic measures we have taken. So, we have taken a strong action to date.
McIntosh: I wanted to move on to President Trump more broadly. He's certainly a disruptor on the world stage in terms of his willingness to use military force. We saw it in Venezuela. It's our closest strategic partner. I wondered if you've considered what red lines you wouldn't want to see the US cross. I'm thinking of Greenland. The team around him and the President himself continuing to muse about a potential use of military force against a NATO ally there. Would that be a red line for Australia?
Foreign Minister: Well, two points. First, the future of Greenland is a matter for the people of Greenland and the people of Denmark. That is our view, and we have consistently made that view clear. The US remains our closest strategic partner, our most important security ally, and that will remain so. Now, over the 75 years of the alliance, there's always been times where we may have had differences of views, differences of perspective, and that will remain so. Australia has its position, but we all understand the importance of continuing to maintain that alliance and that engagement. And you've seen the government doing that confidently and responsibly and methodically.
McIntosh: Would you have any concern about telegraphing that publicly in terms of President Trump, that Australia setting out that to be a red line could potentially harm us in other ways?
Foreign Minister: Well, I don't, I think we maintain our principled position, and we will continue to do that. We will also continue to approach the United States and our relationship as responsible partners and with regard to Australia's national interests.
McIntosh: Tomorrow will mark the one-month anniversary of the Bondi terror attack. The central charge coming from the Jewish community in the wake of this has been that the Albanese Government in the years prior had failed to stem the scourge of antisemitism here, and that after the attack, it took weeks for the government to heed those calls from the community for a Royal Commission. Can I put it to you, their claim the government has failed Jewish Australians?
Foreign Minister: Look, Bondi was a horrific attack, and we saw 15 lives lost, people injured. An attack, as the Prime Minister said, motivated by hatred and people with guns in their hands who wanted to kill Jewish Australians. It was horrific, and the whole country stands with the Jewish community. Antisemitism is unacceptable, and it's a scourge on who we are. It's an attack on who we are. And I think you would have heard me say this over the last few years. Prejudice of all forms, antisemitism, these are anathema to who we are as Australians, and we all need to stand against them. Now, we have listened to the Jewish community in the establishment of the Royal Commission, and you've seen yesterday the Attorney-General, the Home Affairs Minister and the Prime Minister put forward what will be the strongest laws against hatred in this country --
McIntosh: Could they have come prior to the attack, though? If these laws are necessary now, would some members of the Jewish community think you should have done this prior, it shouldn't have taken a terror attack to necessitate these sort of changes?
Foreign Minister: Look, you know, we look back also to 1998, when one of the murderers arrived in Australia. We look back to the, you know, when was it that they became radicalised and adhered to ISIS and extremist Islamic ideology. There are all these things that I think need to be looked at. You know, we did act on hate speech and hate symbols, but I'm a strong supporter of these laws which are coming forward. You know, I think that in these times we need to stand very strongly against hate speech and those who seek to preach and incite hatred and violence. And that's what these laws do.
McIntosh: We've seen the Prime Minister invite Israel's President Herzog to come to Australia. Do you have any update on when that could happen?
Foreign Minister: Well, I'll leave that for the Prime Minister to announce. But, yes, obviously that was a discussion that we had as part of the many discussions over the last month. I think it is a good thing for President Herzog to come to Australia. I think that is, as was put to me by members of the Jewish community, it was an important signal of the importance for many, for the Jewish community of our relationship with Israel.
McIntosh: And I'm sure you noted with, you would have seen the comments from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the wake of the Bondi attack. He's been incredibly critical of the Albanese Government, the Prime Minister and yourself. What is the state of the relationship with the Netanyahu government at the moment? How can you rebuild ties with one of Australia's –
Foreign Minister: Well, I'm not going to get into, you know, responding to some of those political comments, but I would say we continue to engage, obviously, the invitations being extended. I engaged with my counterpart, Minister Sa'ar after Bondi. I briefed him on what had occurred. I briefed him on the investigation, and I also communicated with him about the Royal Commission. So, you know we are in dialogue, and that's as it should be.
McIntosh: Are you confident you can rebuild ties?
Foreign Minister: Well, those ties exist. And we will continue to engage respectfully with the government of Israel, as we do with all other governments.
McIntosh: Foreign Minister Penny Wong, thanks for your time.
Foreign Minister: Good to speak with you, Trudy.