Melissa Clarke, Host: Authorities are now investigating the training and connections the Bondi gunmen may have had both in Australia and overseas. Police have confirmed the father and son alleged killers travelled to the Philippines weeks before they killed 15 people at a Jewish community event on Sunday. A senior counter-terrorism official has told the ABC that the pair received military-style training on a southern island known for hosting terrorist groups. Penny Wong is the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Penny Wong, welcome back to Radio National Breakfast.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good morning, Mel. Good to be with you.
Clarke: With the benefit of hindsight, do you think this attack could have been prevented?
Foreign Minister: Well, look, the country is in shock, and the country is in pain, and the country is grieving, especially Jewish Australians. At the same time that we have felt so much pain, we have also seen the best of Australia, and we know we're stronger and all safer when we stand together, and that's what we must now do, to come together to ensure we act with resolve, to protect all Australians and to protect, in particular, our Jewish community, and to confront at all levels—government, community, media—antisemitism.
Clarke: I do want to come to some of those broader issues, but specifically looking at some of the information we now know about these two men, we know they travelled to a known terrorism hotspot in the southern Philippines and took part in a training camp. Is that the sort of activity by Australian citizens, something that Australian authorities or our intelligence partners should be able to detect?
Foreign Minister: Well, I know it has been confirmed that the attackers travelled to the Philippines prior to this attack. Obviously, as the NSW Police have said, their visit and why they were there, where they went and so on, is part of the active investigation. So, some of the matters that you're referring to are not matters that I can comment on at this point in the investigation, Mel.
Clarke: Is there any further update then that you can give us following your conversation with your Philippines counterpart yesterday?
Foreign Minister: Well, look, one of the things I've been doing has been to engage with my foreign counterparts. We're grateful for their condolences and solidarity, and one of the counterparts I engaged with was Foreign Secretary Lazaro. We appreciate her condolences. You probably understand I can't go into all details of our discussion, but I can say that we, Australia and the Philippines, are long-standing partners on regional security and on related matters, and that will continue.
Clarke: I appreciate there are limits to what you can say at this point, but we have heard from the FBI Director Kash Patel saying that the US is providing requested intelligence to Australia. We know that the US has a significant presence in the southern part of the Philippines. Would it be fair to presume that the US is offering assistance or coordination where required?
Foreign Minister: What I can say to Australians is our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are engaging with all relevant foreign counterparts in order to make sure we have the fullest investigation possible.
Clarke: You're listening to Radio National Breakfast, and my guest is the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong. Minister, has the Government done enough over the last two years to combat antisemitism in Australia?
Foreign Minister: Look, we have taken many actions, including criminalising hate speech, but what I would say to you is that we all understand we need to do more. We will dedicate every resource required to making sure Jewish Australians are safe and protected. But as Jillian Segal has said publicly — the Antisemitism Envoy whom I spoke with on Sunday night — if we are to confront antisemitism fully, then the Government needs to act and so too does all of the community. And we need to draw inspiration from, I think, firstly, the principle that we are stronger, more united, when we are united, and also, from the example of Ahmed al-Ahmed, you know, a Muslim Australian migrant who ran towards danger to save his fellow Australians, and that is the spirit all of us must bring to this.
Clarke: Jillian Segal said yesterday that there should be a formal statement from the Government about the implementation of her recommendations in her report that your Government received in July. Likewise, your colleague Josh Burns told the ABC yesterday that he wants to see a timeline and an agenda around dealing with those matters. Will the Government give a formal response and a commitment to all of the recommendations in that report?
Foreign Minister: I think the Prime Minister made clear yesterday he had met with Ms. Segal about her report and what she has said publicly, and certainly that reflects her discussions with me, is that, she recognises that whilst we have acted on and will continue to act on the implementation of the plan, that there is more to do, and we will work with her and all governments through National Cabinet to make sure we confront antisemitism. But as I said, it's something all of us must do. So, Government has our responsibility, and we accept that, but we all need to act.
Clarke: So, will there be a formal written response to the report?
Foreign Minister: Well, look, I'll leave that for the Prime Minister to discuss with Ms. Segal. I'm sure those discussions yesterday went to what the next steps are, but people should be in no doubt about our resolve as the Prime Minister said on Sunday night, we are determined to eradicate antisemitism in our country, and we are determined to work to bring Australians together. I keep saying this, but it is true: we are stronger when we are more united and there is much in our community that we can look to that gives us hope and inspiration, whether it's Ahmed al-Ahmed, or those who ran towards danger, or those who are rolling up their sleeves to donate blood, or the first responders who responded, some of whom were injured.
Clarke: Yesterday, the former Prime Minister, John Howard, made some personal criticisms against you and the Prime Minister. He said the decision to recognise a Palestinian state was premature and needlessly provocative, and he questioned why you didn't visit areas of Israel most directly affected by Hamas's assault. What's your response to the former Prime Minister's criticisms?
Foreign Minister: Look, this is a time where we are grieving, and I offer my condolences to those Australians, the Jewish Australians, who have lost loved ones. I offer my support to those who are recovering in hospital, and I'm not going to get into a political debate.
Clarke: Is there anything you would do differently in hindsight over the last two years?
Foreign Minister: Look, I think people would have seen, consistently, the Government, the Prime Minister, all Ministers, including I, being very clear about the unacceptable antisemitism in our society. I've made that public statement many times. But as I said to you at the outset of this interview, we all have to do more, and I accept that.
Clarke: Foreign Minister Penny Wong, thank you very much for joining me on Radio National Breakfast this morning.
Foreign Minister: Good to speak with you, Mel.