Stephanie Borys, Host: Let's bring in now Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite. Thank you for your time this afternoon on Afternoon Briefing.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: G'day, Steph. Thanks for having me on.
Borys: Now we've got confirmation from Chinese state media that they've completed this missile test. How concerned is the Australian Government about this announcement?
Assistant Minister: We're deeply concerned by this test. It has the potential to destabilise what is a very peaceful region. And we've certainly conveyed those concerns to the Chinese government, both in Beijing and in Canberra as well. There's an international protocol for these types of tests and Australia has consistently been calling on China to sign up to that protocol, which provides for notification and information about where and when the tests will be conducted. So, we'd again urge China to follow the protocol in the future.
Borys: In terms of raising concerns about what has occurred, for example, would the Chinese ambassador here in Canberra be called in to have a discussion about this?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, we certainly speak to the Chinese ambassador and indeed our ambassador based in Beijing will convey our concerns to their Foreign Ministry. And I dare say that given that you've seen the New Zealand Foreign Minister make a similar statement, I think you might see other Pacific nations as well express their concern. So, it's deeply worrying for our region. We're a region that seeks to be a peaceful one, where Pacific nations work together to maintain that peace and stability.
Borys: Now, do you think that there is any sort of link between what has occurred today and the fact that Australia and Fiji made the announcement about that new defence alliance?
Assistant Minister: We don't believe that there's a link. I would have thought that a launch such as this would take quite a bit of planning and timing, but the motivations behind it, I think, are a question for the Chinese government. I think that the Australian people, and indeed the people of the Pacific would like to know the motivation behind it. And that's a question that China will have to answer.
Borys: On the alliance that was announced today, $1 billion in Australian funding over a decade will be spent. Can you give us specific examples of how some of that money will be used?
Assistant Minister: Under the Vuvale treaty, there's three basic heads to that agreement. Firstly, security, so there's the defence cooperation, policing cooperation that will be undertaken and importantly, combating transnational crime. We're unfortunately seeing drugs going through the Pacific, generally they're coming from Latin America through the Pacific nations like Fiji headed for Australia. So, we'll be working, our police forces, will be working together to combat that. There's an economic element to the agreement as well. A lot of that is around working together to combat and adapt to the effects of climate change. So, that will be adaptation programs and the like. And as well, upgrading infrastructure, vital Port infrastructure for Pacific Island nations is crucial. So, Fiji ports, Fiji telecommunications infrastructure and their health infrastructure. I visited the hospital in Suva that Australia is rebuilding in partnership with the Fijian government. That's a good example. And finally, people to people links. So, increasing work together in education, giving more Pacific Islanders the opportunity to study in Australia, develop their skills. We've got the PALM labour mobility scheme that Fiji participates in and indeed the great sporting relationship that we have as well. So, they're the three elements of the Vuvale agreement.
Borys: And if we look at recent defence treaties that have been signed, for example, with PNG, with the PNG agreement, people from PNG will be able to join the Australian Defence Force. Will this be extended to Fiji too under this deal?
Assistant Minister: Look, at the moment it's only PNG that we're working on, but there is potential for that to expand in the future. But at the moment our focus is on the PNG element of that and PNG nationals being able to join the Australian Defence Force. We already have quite a few Fijian defence force members and indeed wider Pacific Islands defence force members that train with and embed with the Australian Defence Force for periods of time. And indeed ADF personnel will work and train in the Pacific as well. The Pacific Patrol Boat Program that Australia provides those vessels for Pacific nations. We do a lot of training with those navies prior to handing those vessels over and being crewed by those countries. So, that's the flavour of the relationship that will only grow stronger under this treaty.
Borys: Ok, if I can turn your attention to another topic now, if you don't mind. Gambling was a big focus last week when Parliament was sitting. As you know, the government's gambling laws will go to an eight week Senate inquiry and that's following widespread criticism that they're just not tough enough. Now there is a push from some of your party members, your branch members to go further, what have you heard from the party base?
Assistant Minister: Well, I think it's important to not forget that these are the strongest anti-gambling laws that Australia has ever had --
Borys: But a lot of people say they don't go far enough. And that call is not just from across different political parties, it's also from Labor members too.
Assistant Minister: Well, we think that we're making progress and that they do go far enough in the context of this, particularly gambling advertising. If you want to sit down with your family now, and I do quite a bit on a Friday night, we watch footy together as a family, that means that you will have the choice now, you will no longer have to watch gambling ads during a footy broadcast or a cricket broadcast in the summer with your family. You'll be able to choose to opt out of that system. And that's a choice that Australians have never had before. They've been rammed down their throats, often quite too much. We're now cutting that back and making sure that Australians have the choice. And that's further than any other government has gone, as well as all the other things we have put in place --
Borys: I'm so sorry, with that opt out, a recent survey found less than 1% of people could actually find the opt out button on the SBS On Demand platform, for example. So, does the government maybe at least need to look at making sure that opt out option is front and centre, that you don't have to go searching for it?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, that's legitimate, legitimate feedback. And I think that we'll be able to work with those platforms to make sure that if there is a sporting broadcast that hopefully that pops up straight away, people don't have to go searching for it, that an individual can find how to opt out straight away, that's reasonable feedback that we'll work with the platforms on. But again, I'd reiterate that we're now giving people the choice, Australians the choice on whether or not they want to see any gambling advertising. We're cutting back on stadiums being named after gambling companies, on professional athletes being used to endorse gambling companies. There'll be no sponsorships on jerseys, there'll be no advertising on radio when school times are on. So, it's the most significant measures that a government has ever put in place to cut back on gambling advertising in Australia.
Borys: I just want to go back to the fact that, you know, some Labor members don't think that they go far enough. And a debate on tougher gambling restrictions does seem likely at the Labor National Conference. Do you think that's something the government would at least take into consideration.
Assistant Minister: Well, I just went to the NSW State Labor Conference on the weekend and there was a motion moved there around poker machines and cutting back on the use of poker machines in NSW --
Borys: I'm talking about online gambling advertising. So, pokies aside, gambling, do you think there needs more of a debate on that?
Assistant Minister: And that's the point that I'm making. That was a grassroots movement at an ALP conference where that measure was aired. And if the same thing happens at the National Conference, then we certainly welcome that debate. The Labor Party is a very open organisation when it comes to our conferences. We allow the media in, we allow observers in to look at the way that we make our policies and our platform. And that will be the case in Adelaide in a few weeks' time and that debate will be welcome. But at the same time, we'll be pointing out that as a government, we've taken very, very strong actions to ensure that we've gone further than any other Australian government to reduce the harmful effects of advertising around gambling in Australia.
Borys: Now, just before I let you go, the Prime Minister has apologised for answering a question on a podcast about who he would shag, marry or date. Why was that apology necessary and do you welcome that apology?
Assistant Minister: Well, the Prime Minister made a judgement that he wanted to apologise, that he meant no offence by those comments. But I'm very proud to be part of the Labor team that's led by this Prime Minister that's seen only last week the introduction of six months paid parental leave for Australians, all the changes that we've made around women's health, particularly the endometriosis clinics and pelvic pain clinics throughout the country, listing menopausal drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, all the changes that we've made around assisting Australian women in the workforce. We've got the lowest level of income inequality in Australia, gender inequality in Australia when it comes to income. I'm very proud to be part of the team led by the Prime Minister that's made such an advance around women's rights in Australia.
Borys: Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite, thank you for joining Afternoon Briefing.