Andrew Clennell, host: Joining me live is the Assistant Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration Minister, Matt Thistlethwaite. Thanks for your time.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Hello, Andrew.
Clennell: Let's talk about the war. Firstly, Australia's decided to back the US in this conflict. Was there any thought given to offering Australian assistance to the US?
Assistant Minister: Well, obviously Australia supports the actions of the United States. This has been a murderous and dictator-based regime, and something had to be done, so we support that. I can't speculate on requests or anything like that. Obviously we don't talk about national security requests, but at this stage Australia is not involved because it's not our region, it's not our action. We have Australian troops, about 100 based in the region. They've been there for a long time, but there's been no request.
Clennell: Are they all safe?
Assistant Minister: We're keeping them as safe as we possibly can and they're our priority and our concern at the moment. They're predominantly at the Al Minhad base and they've been there for a number of years, well over a decade. So, they're well ensconced within the region and they have policies and procedures in place to keep Australians as safe as possible.
Clennell: Donald Trump wants it done in four weeks. That reminds me of Iraq and George Bush's major combat operations are over. Is he being optimistic?
Assistant Minister: Well, I can't speculate on how long it's going to take. Obviously the President has made that, made that determination today. Whether or not that plays out, we'll wait and see. But obviously our concern at the moment is for Australians in the region and we're telling them to register with Smartraveller to get those regular updates and to try and stay as safe as possible.
Clennell: Do you think people could be trapped in Dubai and Qatar and elsewhere, UAE, for some time after they were basically in transit and can't fly out. What's your best advice on that?
Assistant Minister: Well, the best advice is to register with Smartraveller and there's a crisis hotline that's been set up 24/7 if people need emergency assistance. But my best advice is to register with Smartraveller because then you get the daily emails from the Department of Foreign affairs and Trade about the latest situation. How long this will go on for, we don't know. The airspace is shut at the moment --
Clennell: You can’t do emergency flights, because you need airspace to be open.
Assistant Minister: Because the airspace is shut. So, at the moment, the best thing that people can do is register.
Clennell: On the issue of ISIS brides, has Tony Burke got a problem here when one of his good mates, Jamal Rifi, is trying to get them back? I mean, it's not a great look, is it for Tony Burke?
Assistant Minister: We've said all along there's been no repatriation from Australia. We haven't provided any assistance whatsoever --
Clennell: He met Jamal Rifi about it, he met one of his mates about it.
Assistant Minister: Tony Burke has said consistently that there has been no assistance from the Australian Government, no repatriation --
Clennell: Well, they got passports, why did that happen? Surely not by osmosis?
Assistant Minister: Well, every Australian citizen is entitled to a passport --
Clennell: Jamal Rifi went to the embassy and got passports. Is there no way that could have been prevented, in your view?
Assistant Minister: That's the operation of the law. And obviously, as an Australian Government, we have to uphold the law --
Clennell: Surely Tony Burke knew his mate was, maybe this isn't a question for you, I don't know, but don't you think Tony Burke would have known his mate was going to the embassy to get passports for these 34?
Assistant Minister: Well, Tony said that there is no repatriation. I've never met with Jamal Rifi about this issue --
Clennell: What have you met him about?
Assistant Minister: I can't recall meeting him at all.
Clennell: He's never made representations to you as Assistant Minister?
Assistant Minister: No.
Clennell: Ok. In the Senate today, the government put up a censure motion against Pauline Hanson in terms of her recent comments with our host, Sharri Markson, on there being no good Muslims. Does this run the risk of martyring her a bit? Playing into her hands a bit, do you think? Why is this necessary for the government to do this?
Assistant Minister: Pauline Hanson's modus operandi since the time she came into Parliament 30 years ago has been to seek to divide Australians and pit one against the other. She first started on attacking Asian Australians, now she's moved on to Muslims. I can't condone any Australian political leader that seeks to spread hatred and division because it can lead to what happened in Bondi in December and I lost five constituents from my community in that shocking terrorist attack. We can't condone --
Clennell: She’s kind of on the other side of that debate.
Assistant Minister: Yeah, but the principle is the same, Andrew, that you're seeking to whip up hatred and division and stoke fear within the Australian community that can lead to actions such as that, and that can never be condoned.
Clennell: It can't be condoned. I totally agree. But what does the censure motion do? What's the point of it?
Assistant Minister: It's an expression of the Senate that her words were out of line and don't reflect the mainstream Australian values. We're a nation that has benefited from migration and multiculturalism and we have a principle in our migration system that is nondiscriminatory, that we don't attack one race of people, one ethnic group, because of their religion or their background. If we go down that path, then it's a slippery slope to a very divided nation.
Clennell: My next and last question was about Bondi. What's been, you know, your electorate is nearby, what's been the reaction in your community to the attacks and the aftermath? And do you think they're looking forward to a Royal Commission to provide some answers?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, they certainly are. And I met with leaders of the Jewish community last week. On Friday, I'm attending a Shabbat dinner again this Friday. I'm in regular contact with them. They appreciated the meeting that they had with the Royal Commissioner, Virginia Bell, where she sat down with victims and their families and explained how the process would work. Also explained that they couldn't take evidence because of the criminal trial that's going on. They were very comforted by it. I think they've got a lot of confidence in the process and we're obviously awaiting the interim report and the outcomes.
Clennell: Did you encourage the PM before he called the Royal Commission to call one?
Assistant Minister: No, I consulted with him about the views of my constituency --
Clennell: Which were that there should be one.
Assistant Minister: Well, I certainly explained that I had representations from the Jewish community, but I have every confidence that the Prime Minister took the right approach. He took his time to consult, and he made the right decision at the end of the day. So, I've got every confidence that he did the right thing.
Clennell: Matt Thistlethwaite, thanks so much for your time.
Assistant Minister Thanks, Andrew.