James Glenday, Host: Well, for more on this, story, the Foreign Minister Penny Wong joins us again from Canberra. Minister, welcome back. Thanks for your time.
Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good to be with you.
Glenday: Is there anything at all new you can tell us about the missing Australians?
Foreign Minister: I can, unfortunately, the information is really the same as last night. We have some 43 Australians who are unaccounted for. We are urgently working with the authorities to gain any information we can. And we hold grave concerns for their safety. And obviously those concerns worsen every day that goes by. Can I say how much my thoughts, the thoughts of all of us, are with the families and friends of those who are unaccounted for. This is just such a distressing time, and I know this is so difficult for the families and friends of those 43 Australians.
Glenday: Yeah, one of those Australians, the partner of one of those Australians, Michael Keats, a NSW man, has posted on social media saying that she believes he's dead and she's paid tribute to him. You'd be hearing a lot from the ground. I know this is such a difficult search and rescue operation, but is it, are we now at the point where it's unlikely we'll be finding more people alive?
Foreign Minister: As I said, every, well, first, can I say, in relation to Mr. Keats. Can I express that my thoughts are with Mr. Keats' families. It's such a distressing time. In terms of, you know, where we are at, as I said, every day, every hour makes our, only increases our concern for those who have not been found and who remain missing. And that is many Australians. There's 43 Australians and you can imagine how many families and friends are, you know, traumatised as a consequence. I would say that Australians have been exceedingly generous and my, you know, my thanks to your viewers who have contributed. We have had some $2 million in donations from Australians personally to this. The government has matched that and more. But if you consider that that was only launched on Friday, the number of Australians in difficult times, have put their hand into their pocket to contribute. It really says something about us as a country.
Glenday: Yes, and we'll bring up a QR code we have, if you'd like to donate at home, we'll bring that up in a moment. A Sydney woman Foreign Minister has started a petition. She's calling on the government to try to send more specialised support to the region. I'm sure this is the sort of thing that is actually being discussed in government. Has it been requested, though, by Nepal?
Foreign Minister: Well, more than that, we've offered it. I mean, I spoke to the Nepali Foreign Minister on the weekend. I appreciated him taking the time to call, given everything he's dealing with. I thanked him for his assistance with Australians and the work that the embassy and the additional people who we've sent to Nepal are doing to find any information we can. I was very clear with him about what we could offer. We could offer search and rescue. We could offer humanitarian supplies. And he was very clear that Nepal's priority was not search and rescue. They've deployed some 20,000 Nepali individuals to obviously to engage in search and rescue. What they wanted was more humanitarian supplies and that's what's being delivered. So, in addition to the aid that we provided, we are sending an RAAF plane today which will have supplies in it, including shelter kits, hygiene kits, solar packs, those sorts of things which are needed in disaster zones when shelter and infrastructure breaks down.
Glenday: Just before we move on, I will just bring up this QR code. If you'd like to donate to the people of Nepal, you can use that QR code there. You can head along to abc.net.au/gives. Just to another issue, Minister, there are fears that quite a few leaders are not going to be at the Pacific Islands Forum. Now, New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters says a lot of things to be fair, but he's suggesting that China could be behind this. Is that a reasonable assumption?
Foreign Minister: I'd make a few points. The first is I've been very upfront that we are in a state of permanent competition, permanent contest in the Pacific. Second, we, Australia, does regard the Pacific Islands Forum as such a key part of regionalism, so important to ensuring that the Pacific can make decisions for itself about its region. And it is of greater importance at a time of that competition. Obviously, leaders make their own decisions about their travel and there are a range of reasons why some leaders have not been able to attend. Australia's view is this is a very important forum. And I know the Prime Minister who has arrived, I'm sure is looking forward to engaging with his counterparts.
Glenday: Just on an adjacent issue, in the Solomon Islands, there are more leadership ructions. Matthew Wale has been very friendly to Australia since coming to power a few months ago, and indeed even before then. Would you be disappointed to see if he is ousted in favour of a more pro-China leader?
Foreign Minister: Look, the decisions for the leadership, the direction of Solomon Islands is a matter for the government and the people of Solomon Islands. You know, we respect their sovereignty. We also recognise that we are close neighbours, we are close partners. That we are the principal development partner of Solomon Islands and we want to continue to respond to their priorities. The stability and prosperity of the Pacific contributes to Australian stability and our prosperity, and that's how we approach the Pacific.
Glenday: Just before I let you go, the ABC published an interview last week with the Israeli commander who ordered that strike on the convoy that killed Australian woman Zomi Frankcom. World Central Kitchen has this morning hit back, demanding an independent investigation into this attack. Is that ever going to happen? Will Zomb Frankcom ever get justice?
Foreign Minister: First, I want to say that I thought those comments were disgraceful and utterly disgraceful. And I don't even want to go into some of the detail of them because I don't want to give them any credence. But I think they were not only disgraceful, but extremely distressing for Mal Frankcom and Zomi's family, as well as all those who knew and loved her and worked with her. Second, we do want to see full accountability for the deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues. They were humanitarian workers working to deliver aid and they are protected under the Geneva Conventions. And we will continue to press for justice for Ms Frankcom and her colleagues.
Glenday: Penny Wong, thanks for your time this morning.
Foreign Minister: Good to speak with you.