1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Joining us on the line is Brendan O'Connor, the Shadow 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: Minister for Defense. Good morning to. 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 2: You, Good morning Katie, how are you very well? 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: And Brendan, we were just talking about how the Northern 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Territory is such a great place to be at the moment, 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: and well you were meant to be here but unfortunately 7 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: stuck in Victoria. 8 00:00:19,120 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 2: I know, in fact, I was really hoping to participate 9 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 2: in the Run with Dad run you've got on Sundays now, yes, 10 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: and we've scheduled all of these work events and we 11 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 2: were wanting to be part of that great, great initiative 12 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 2: that I know you were very very much part of 13 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 2: in terms of creating, and it's a great and it 14 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 2: would just be lovely to get out of the sort 15 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,160 Speaker 2: of the cold climbs of Melbourne, but unfortunately the pandemic 16 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 2: has restricted our movement. But I wish everyone who participates 17 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 2: on Sunday all the very best and have a great day. 18 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,959 Speaker 2: And we'll be watching with envy from afar. 19 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: I know. Well. And then you've got Luke Gosling, your colleague, 20 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: your labor colleague. He's stuck in Howard Springs at the 21 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: moment at Quarantining he's going to be running in the 22 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,639 Speaker 1: spot on his balcony. 23 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: He told me, Yeah, he's free, enthusiastic and he's going 24 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: to Look. It's really good that he's been how it 25 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 2: springs obviously with those that have fled Afghanistan and Kabul, 26 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 2: and obviously as a former ADF personnel, he he really 27 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:26,800 Speaker 2: feels for the Defense force personnel and and those Afghan 28 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: nationals who work so closely with our defense forces and 29 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: was very much involved working with the government by that 30 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 2: to try and make sure we did whatever we could 31 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: to get those people out. Now we did we you know, 32 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 2: we wish we could have done more, but I think 33 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: there's been a great effort by people in the last 34 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 2: stages to get people out. 35 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: Brendan, as the shadow Minister for Defense, what have been 36 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: some of those conversations that you've had, you know, with 37 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: with servicemen and women who served over in Afghanistan following 38 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: on from what's happened in recent work. 39 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 2: They've been quite harrowing. Look, can I just say the 40 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: extent to which former defense personnel have been involved working 41 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 2: with the government and the opposition federally to identify, locate 42 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 2: and assist those Afghan nationals and Australian citizens. I'm like 43 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 2: add in some cases be to be evacuated from Kabul 44 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 2: has been remarkable because of course some of these who 45 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: work so closely with those who work with the ADF 46 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:38,119 Speaker 2: have personal mobiles and have an ability to contact them. 47 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: So the combination of defense personnel working with the Department 48 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 2: of Foreign Afairs and trade work with the Minister's officers 49 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 2: and the Shadow Minister's officers has certainly provided great support 50 00:02:53,120 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 2: to this really important attempt to ensure that we are 51 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 2: able to have those leave a very dangerous city in Kabul. Now, 52 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: of course there are some there are quite considerably more 53 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 2: people that have yet to leave Afghanistan, and of course 54 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: whatever we can do in the future through any diplomatic means, 55 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 2: if we can assist in providing support for them in 56 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 2: the future, then of course would look to do so, 57 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 2: and I think the government generally is on board with that. Obviously, 58 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: we need to make sure that there are security clearances 59 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: and the like, but we know that there are some 60 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 2: very good friends of Australia and not everyone was able 61 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 2: to get out of Kabul in the last days of 62 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: that on the end of the war. 63 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: Formally, yeah, it has been such a difficult situation and 64 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: I tell you what, for all of us in Australia, 65 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: watching on our TV screens, through the news and hearing 66 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: about it, it's been pretty distressing and we are glad. 67 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: We think about two hundred people around overnight on one 68 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: of those flights and are now in quarantine at Howard Springs, Brendan. 69 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: We also know though this week, the federal Labor Party 70 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: has actually said that it would launch a new force 71 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 1: posture review to evaluate how the military is positioned to 72 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: meet the country's strategic threats. That is what Labor will 73 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: do if elected at the federal election. What exactly does 74 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: this mean and what would this review include? 75 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 2: Well, it is to be assessing where, effectively where our 76 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 2: defense personnel on our assets are located. The last occasion 77 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 2: that there was a defense force posture review was in 78 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 2: twenty twelve, conducted by the then Defense Minister Stephen Smith. In fact, 79 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 2: it was that review which led to the United States 80 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: Force Posture Initiative and Our North which was the program 81 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: that began under Promeinister Guillard and President Obama. And it 82 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 2: was that initiative that led to the Marine Rotation Force 83 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 2: in Darwin. So as you might recall it's started then 84 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 2: and by the way, it's the bipartisan positions supporting the 85 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: Marines in the Northern Territory. What we have now is 86 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: we have a new administration in the United States. The 87 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 2: Biden administration is conducting its own global posture review in 88 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 2: terms of where it places it's personal and assets. And look, clearly, 89 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: most of the areas we have got personal located will remain, 90 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,239 Speaker 2: but there is whilst without preempting the review, there's clearly 91 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 2: more to be done in the North and Northwest, and 92 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:36,359 Speaker 2: I think that means for the future of the Northern 93 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 2: Territory and for Western Australia and other parts of Australia. 94 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 2: I think you're going to see more activity and more 95 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 2: presence of ADF assets and personnel over time. But that's 96 00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 2: really for the independent review to determine. But you can 97 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 2: see for the shift if you like, to the Indo 98 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 2: Pacific generally, and the fact that the United States is 99 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 2: conducting INSIE defense posture review, it's timely then I think 100 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 2: the austract that considers doing the same and to that reason, 101 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: Anthony Albanesi announced on the seventieth anniversary of ANSAs on 102 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 2: Wednesday that would be looking on sorry, on Tuesday, they 103 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: would be looking to do that. 104 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,239 Speaker 1: And has the Morrison government committed to doing the same 105 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: or you know, do you think that, no matter who 106 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: is elected at the next federal election, that realistically this 107 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: is something that needs to happen. 108 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 2: Look, they haven't formally made such an announcement, but I 109 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 2: do believe given the twenty twenty Strategic Update of the 110 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 2: in terms of our national security in the ADF, I'd 111 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 2: be very surprised if the Government's not seriously contemplating that 112 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,039 Speaker 2: when it comes to national security Cody, as you know, 113 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 2: we certainly would rather work in a very in a 114 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 2: bipartisan manner, and I do believe the Government would be 115 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 2: considering this. But certainly Labour's made a decision that we 116 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 2: would be conducting such a review if elected, and of 117 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 2: course impress upon the government consider doing the same, so 118 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 2: that the two major parties would be you know, would 119 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 2: sort of have the same position. That would be of 120 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 2: course the preferable situation. But I just think it's timely. 121 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 2: I think we had a review under Kim Beazley in 122 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,960 Speaker 2: the mid eighties and then of course in twenty twelve 123 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 2: and of the Guillow government and I think it's now 124 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 2: timary ten years on, it's time that we look to 125 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 2: do the same. 126 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: Well, very often here Brendan that the Northern Territory and 127 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: indeed the top end, so Darwin is strategically important when 128 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: you talk about the defense force. But you know, if 129 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: we were to do a review like this, how what 130 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: do you think or what kind of changes do you 131 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: think we could anticipate for us here in the Northern Territory. 132 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 2: Well, I just think if you you know, again without 133 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 2: preempting the review itself, that there is a greater like 134 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: that we look to the north and northwest. I think 135 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 2: it's fair to say that there might have been more 136 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 2: of a focus on the Pacific, but that now this 137 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 2: Indo region is clearly delineated as a priority for the 138 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 2: United States, and not just the United States, the Quad partners, India, Japan, 139 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: our regional partners. The fact that that's becoming more more 140 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 2: of a focus, if you like, globally, then our northern 141 00:08:20,800 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 2: coastline and our northwestern coastline will be will be seriously 142 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 2: considering what we do. Now You've got some very significant 143 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: bases in the territory and some very significant assets of 144 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 2: the Australian Defense Force. Well, I can't help but think 145 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 2: that's only likely to increase given the need to focus 146 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 2: on the Indo Pacific region, given that the fact that 147 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 2: the United States is certainly refocusing its posture and reviewing 148 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 2: it currently, and I just can't help but see that, 149 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 2: if anything, the territory will play even a large role. 150 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 2: It already plays a very important role, but it's given 151 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 2: its location, it's likely the player greater role in the future. 152 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 1: Well, Federal Shadow Minister for Defense, Brendan O'Connor, it's always 153 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: good to catch up with you. Thank you very much 154 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: for your time and hopefully soon enough Victoria is out 155 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 1: of the situation you guys are in and you're able 156 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: to travel to the territory again. 157 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 2: Oh thanks Kadie, and all the best for Sunday. 158 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: Thank you very much. That's Brendan O'Connor there, who is 159 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: the Federal Shadow Minister for Defense. And yeah, interesting stuff obviously, 160 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: that announcement by Anthony Albanezi a little earlier in the 161 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,959 Speaker 1: week that they are going to launch or that Labor 162 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: would launch a forced posture review to evaluate how the 163 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: military is positioned to meet the country's strategic threats. If 164 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 1: they were in power after the next election. But as 165 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: you've heard there from Brendan O'Connor as well, he does 166 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: really think that it needs to be a bipartisan approach 167 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: when you're talking about national security here in Australia.