Patricia Karvelas, Host: Matt Thistlethwaite is the Assistant Foreign Minister and my guest this afternoon. Welcome to the program.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: G'day, Patricia. Thanks for having me on.
Karvelas: I want to start on fuel because it's really the biggest story in this country and the world. This announcement today that China is halting jet fuel refineries to pause exports. Are Australians in for extreme airfares next month?
Assistant Minister: Well, Qantas have announced that they're increasing their airfares as a result of cost increases associated with the war in the Middle East. But there's no need for panic in the Australian community. There's adequate fuel supplies, as the Minister outlined today. There's fuel coming into the country. Only about 20% of Australia's fuel that comes into Australia by import comes through the Strait of Hormuz. So, we have other supply channels and as we saw today, we have adequate reserves and we've released 762 million litres of those reserves today to shore up the system and ensure confidence into the future.
Karvelas: But just yesterday the CEO of Sydney Airport said the reliability of the 25-day supply of refined jet fuel depends on international shipping lanes and global refining capacity and geopolitical stability. We could be in big trouble here, right?
Assistant Minister: There's no doubt that the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is having an effect on global fuel supplies. We're seeing that not only in Australia but throughout the world. It's having an effect on supply and it's having an effect on the price at which it's sold at the bowser and to businesses. But we've planned for this. That's why our government, when we came to office, increased the stock of supplies for the rainy day. Well, we've got a rainy-day scenario now and we're using those supplies, 20% of the minimum guarantee reserve will be released to shore up confidence in the market moving forward.
Karvelas: Okay, can you clarify why the government just a couple of days ago was saying there was no crisis and now there have been two pretty substantial announcements, including dipping into our reserves just a couple of days later? Like, how can you say there's no crisis and then respond in a way that is clearly a crisis?
Assistant Minister: We don't have a crisis of supply. There are supplies coming into the country and we have the reserves in stock --
Karvelas: But why do we have to dip into our reserves if there is no crisis?
Assistant Minister: Understandably, some people are concerned by the ongoing war, and they believe that it may hamper their access to fuel supplies in the future. So, some people have been taking more than they need for their operations in certain geographical areas. And that meant, that's meant, that certain retailers have had shortages of stocks. But if there's no need for panic buying, that's the consistent message that we've had. People should only buy the amount that they need. They shouldn't have to stockpile because there are, there are fuel tankers that are getting to Australia with refined product that will continue to be sold into the market. As I said, only 20% of our fuel comes through the Strait of Hormuz. We're getting supplies from South Korea, we're getting supplies from Singapore. So, there's no need for that panic buying that's pushed up demand in certain areas and has resulted in restricted supply.
Karvelas: Are we in a fuel emergency?
Assistant Minister: I don't believe we are because we've got those adequate supplies coming through. If there was supplies being cut off to Australia, that would be a different scenario. But that's not the case here. Supplies are arriving in Australia on a regular and normal basis and they're feeding into the system. It's because we've had some of that panic buying in certain areas that demand has been pushed up and there's been constraints on supply. That's why we're releasing some of the reserve today to shore up confidence in those markets and to provide adequate supplies into the future.
Karvelas: Farmers were raising a lot of concerns. The government early on the week was quite dismissive to farmers. Was that a mistake?
Assistant Minister: No, we haven't been dismissive at all. Farmers are raising legitimate concerns and I completely understand that. And our government's had a very good dialogue with the National Farmers' Federation, and I thank them for their input and into the decisions that we've made, such as the one today. There's no need for a crisis. There's no need for panic buying. We've consistently said that and we've been working with organisations to ensure that we will continue to have adequate supplies into the future.
Karvelas: Just moving to the Middle East and of course you're the Assistant Foreign Minister, last night the Foreign Minister ordered all non-essential officials to leave Israel and the United Arab Emirates. You anticipate the security situation to get worse before it gets better, right?
Assistant Minister: Well, obviously that's why we've made that declaration. It's an area where there's the potential for further conflict and we take the safety and security of Australian citizens as paramount. We have no double standards when it comes to these announcements. So, at the same time as removing the officials and their dependents from the area, we make the same determination for members of the general public. We've had that in place for well over a week now. Do not travel warning and a warning to return home as quickly as possible. And Australians are returning home. Just over 5,000 have, sorry, 4,000 have returned home now on 29 flights. Another four today. So, Australians are making it home safe and sound.
Karvelas: This week we've heard from DFAT, you were just alluding to this, that most of the Australians who were transiting through the region have now left. So, largely the people left are the people who live and work there, right? What's your engagement with those people and what is the proportion that are going to come home?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, we're continually engaging with those people. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has set up a crisis centre, and I visited that earlier in the week and I spoke to the officials and the people that are working in that crisis centre and providing that 24/7 consular support. So, we've got about 13,000 Australians, mainly those who live and work in the region, who are now registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and they're getting regular email and text message updates with the latest sit reps and information to keep them safe. They've also answered about 5,000 calls from Australians throughout the region who need assistance. So, I want to thank the staff at the department. I know they've been working around the clock. Some of them have been working their normal day in their jobs and then doing a night shift on the phones to assist Australians. They've done incredible work.
Karvelas: I just want to change the topic. The Royal Commission into Antisemitism, your community is obviously right next door to Bondi. I know some of the victims of the Bondi attack are, of course, constituents, were constituents of yours. And Dennis Richardson, of course, pulling out. The question is this, he clearly was raising concerns that he wanted some of those intelligence failures to be addressed more quickly than waiting to the end of the year. Isn't he right that you need to actually, as a sort of a sense of urgency, deal with those issues?
Assistant Minister: Well, our government obviously wants to get to the bottom of how December 14th occurred and why the Jewish community was targeted in that manner. That's why we appointed Dennis Richardson. That's why we've appointed Virginia Bell. That was the request that was made by the Jewish community and other Australians for a Royal Commission --
Karvelas: But on the question of changing the way police and intelligence operate so we can avoid it, that's really what clearly he was frustrated about. Isn't he right on that?
Assistant Minister: The thing about a Royal Commission, Patricia, is that by necessity, it is independent of governments, and it has to be that way. And so it should be so they can provide frank and independent advice to the government and to the Australian public about what happened and what we need to do in the future to protect Australians. So, it's a decision for the Commissioner, it's an independent Commission, and it's one for the Commissioner to make. We've got every confidence that Virginia Bell is the right person for that job and will do a thorough job on those intelligence issues and ensuring that we get to the bottom of what happened in the security sense around why this event occurred.
Karvelas: Thank you so much for joining us.
Assistant Minister: Thanks, Patricia.