Andrew Clennell, Host: Joining me live now is the Assistant Foreign Minister, Matt Thistlethwaite. Matt Thistlethwaite's in Perth. Thanks for joining us. Let's get an update on Nepal and Tibet. Can you tell us, is it 42, not 43 Australians now missing? I believe we've located someone in Tibet. Can you confirm the death of Michael Keats as reported by his partner?
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Hi, Andrew. Yes, that's correct. We've located an Australian on the Tibetan side of the border. That person is safe. Consular officials have made contact with the person and they've been able to phone their family. Obviously, that's a huge relief for their family members, but we have to be realistic, I think, about the situation. Although we're doing everything we can to locate as many Australians as possible, as every day goes on, the task becomes much more difficult. In terms of the Keats family, obviously we respect their wishes and the statement that they've put out, but at this stage that's unconfirmed. So, we have to follow protocols and we wait for consular officials to provide us with identification.
Clennell: Is there a belief in the Australian government and amongst the 42 families that are missing that there's a likelihood many of them are dead or are communications so difficult there that it's just impossible to tell?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, the area is difficult to communicate with. There's been road closures. Obviously they've been wiped out. The power is down and telecommunications are very, very limited. So, we're continuing to work as best we possibly can with our consular officials and the Nepalese search parties. But obviously, as every day goes on, it becomes much more difficult. So, we're thinking of those Australian families who are holding out hope and waiting for news of their loved ones. We're working very closely with them. We're maintaining regular contact. There are a number of family members that are actually in Nepal, and our Ambassador has met with those families on a regular basis. I'll be doing another consultation on Friday with both leaders of the Nepalese community and the Tibetan community as well to keep them updated.
Clennell: What sort of assistance is Australia giving Nepal and might it give Nepal?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, we've offered assistance to both China and Nepal. Nepal has taken up our offer. They requested hygiene kits and solar lights and blankets and the like to sustain people who were in that region. So, there's actually an Australian Air Force plane on the way there now with those supplies. We've provided over $8 million worth of humanitarian assistance to the World Food Program and other organisations that are providing much needed food and water supplies. We're in regular contact with the Nepalese government. We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is needed.
Clennell: So, they haven't asked for manpower?
Assistant Minister: No, we offered that, but they didn't request that. There's 20,000 officials and people that are trained. Obviously, Nepal is in the Himalayas. It's a region that is very, very dangerous. So, they have experts who know that terrain very well. They thanked us for our offer, but they said what we could do is supply that equipment that was vital, particularly the solar lights, so that they could search through the evening. And we've responded to that and provided that equipment.
Clennell: Just wanted to ask about the Pacific Islands Forum, where the Prime Minister is now. Do you think it was unhelpful for Palau to invite Taiwan there?
Assistant Minister: Well, that's a decision for Palau. They're a sovereign government. They can make their own decisions. Obviously, the Pacific Islands Forum is very, very important regional forum for Australia. We participate every year. We take it very seriously. That's why the Prime Minister's there, the Energy Minister, the Pacific Minister. Huge agenda to talk about, particularly the effects of climate change on the Pacific and what we can do together and regional peace and stability. And we've made concerted efforts to work with Pacific nations to improve the policing, the regional security through the treaties that we've entered into with Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and other nations. So, it's pretty important, and obviously there'll be a lot discussed over the course of the week.
Clennell: How much of a forum is it when we don't have the leaders of Vanuatu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Fiji or Samoa?
Assistant Minister: Those countries are represented. Obviously, it's up to the individual nations to make their decisions about which representatives they send. The important thing is that all of those Pacific Island nations are represented and they're around the table discussing those important issues and hopefully coming up with some solutions to what are some pretty challenging times in our region. With climate change, with increasing geostrategic competition in the Asia Pacific, these are all challenging issues that will be discussed.
Clennell: How much are Chinese threats or the threat of Chinese disapproval to do with these absences, in your view?
Assistant Minister: That's a matter for the individual nations involved. Some Pacific nations recognise Taiwan, others recognise China. That's completely up to them. They've got their own processes. What's important is that the Pacific Island nations, the member states, come together on a regular basis and discuss issues that affect our region. And I think it's important that we emphasise the notion of one Blue Pacific that was outlined by the Fijian Prime Minister when he spoke at the National Press Club earlier in the year. And that notion of Pacific nations working together to find their peace and stability in unity and working together, and that'll be the focus of the conference over the course of the next couple of days.
Clennell: They're not even showing up at the moment. But let me ask about something else, Resources Minister Madeleine King. She said yesterday at the tail end of a radio interview that misinformation, social media and online bots were involved in the campaign for Secret Harbour, which Labor obviously lost in Western Australia. Do you believe that?
Assistant Minister: A disappointing result for us. There's no hiding from it. We understand the implications and we know that people are struggling with cost of living and that's why we're putting in place a lot of policies to assist with cost of living. In respect of the social media campaign, I didn't follow it closely enough to comment on that, but obviously Madeline is very informed and very close to that, to that campaign. But I will say this. When we post things on social media, you do get people comment. And when you go in and look at who's making those comments, often they are, they're bots. And you can tell that from the profile of the person. So, it is disappointing that those bots may be located in other countries and that individuals are seeking to influence outcomes in Australia. And that's why we have very, very strong foreign interference rules and rules around how people engage internationally with our political system.
Clennell: Now, I've just got to sneak this one in. You'll have about 20 seconds to answer. Sorry about this, Matt, but yesterday Pauline Hanson had a crack at you saying after you said Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers were telling the truth about One Nation being dangerous and a threat. A picture was taken in Bendigo alongside a video game character that blows itself up saying, kill Pauline Hanson. Do you think you should take any responsibility for that, as Pauline Hanson has said?
Assistant Minister: Well, obviously, we don't want any type of incitement such as that. And language such as that around killing any Australian political leader or politician is completely unacceptable. But they weren't the sort of words that were used by the Prime Minister and Jim Chalmers. They were challenging One Nation regarding their policies and the effect that those policies would have on Australian society. And we should keep politics in this country at a level of discourse around policies and what they mean for the Australian people.
Clennell: Matt Thistlethwaite, thank you.