Kieran Gilbert, Host: Let's go live to the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite. Matt, thanks for your time. The Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson said today when he was asked about the ceasefire and whether we should be calling for Lebanon to be included in it, he said that when you've got a dispute over a ceasefire, one from the Islamic Republic of Iran, having a view, and then our friends and allies, the US and Israel, with another view that Lebanon wasn't included, that we should be siding with our friends and allies, what do you say to that as the government has called for Lebanon to be included in this fragile ceasefire?
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Well, as you point out, Kieran, it is a fragile ceasefire, but nonetheless it's welcomed. Australian consumers, I think, certainly welcome it. Hopefully it'll provide some relief at the bowser because it's been having a dramatic effect on people's cost of living. So, that's our number one priority, is working to ensure that we're catering for Australia's needs and reducing fuel costs. So, in that respect, the ceasefire is welcome. The Strait of Hormuz should now be opened by Iran and provide unimpeded shipping. We believe that the ceasefire should be regional. In other words, that Lebanon should be included for this reason, that has the best chance of ensuring a lasting peace and ensuring that the ceasefire isn't temporary, hopefully becomes permanent. And that is the way that we're going --
Gilbert: You're not siding with Iran?
Assistant Minister: Well, we're ensuring that you get a lasting peace and that, I think, is what Australians want and would expect our government to do. The best chance at ensuring that this two-week ceasefire becomes permanent is to ensure that the region is covered and the hostilities are ended. We want to see a de-escalation because the longer this goes on Kieran, the more effect it will have on Australians at the bowser. And that's starting to flow through to things like grocery prices. So, when we're talking in the context of putting the interests of Australian consumers and Australian households first, the best way to achieve that is for a lasting ceasefire.
Gilbert: The Sky News Pulse this week had the question of those surveyed in relation to the war. More than 70% of Australians surveyed said they think that Donald Trump is handling the war badly or very badly. Are you worried about the implications for our relationship with our most important security partner out of this, that people will lose faith in Washington?
Assistant Minister: No, I'm not, because the Alliance is strong and it will continue to be into the future. We're just about to start the annual rotation of Marines. The US Marines come to Australia during the dry season in the north and they train with Australian troops. We'll have record numbers of them coming here this year. Operation Pitch Black will occur later in the year between our air forces and involve the air forces of other allies within the region. So, the relationship is strong. And that was confirmed with the Prime Minister's visit to Washington last year, where the President said, in respect of AUKUS, it's full steam ahead. So, I mean, I know that the conflict is difficult for the world, difficult for the international economy, but we will get through this and I'm confident that the Alliance will remain strong.
Gilbert: The Prime Minister is on his way to Singapore now to help shore up the ongoing imports of refined oil. My understanding is that the Japanese Prime Minister will visit, Takaichi, will visit later this month into early next month for a visit to Australia. Again, obviously, energy is a big focus of that. The Prime Minister didn't want to confirm that visit yet. Obviously there are formal things that need to play out, but I've heard that this is happening. So, obviously it's various relationships. You've been a part of this as well, that we need to continue to ensure that the fuel does continue to arrive beyond mid-May. The Energy Minister said it's shored up till then, but obviously you're looking to June, July and beyond?
Assistant Minister: Yeah, that's right. Even if the conflict ends tomorrow, Kieran, it'll have a long tail, and it will have an effect on fuel prices and supply. So, we want to make sure that we're planning for the future. That's what the National Fuel Supply Plan is all about. And we do have well into May in terms of supplies, but we want to look beyond that. And we get most of our fuel from Southeast Asia. Singapore is our largest supplier of fuel. And that's why the Prime Minister is heading there today for those negotiations. I met with the Japanese Minister for Trade and Commerce last week on the sidelines of the WTO meeting where we sought assurances and there was a cordial and a friendly meeting between one of our great allies in the region, Japan. So, although, although the plan is delivering results for consumers and for Australia, in terms of supply, we want to make sure that we're looking to the future and we're locking in as much supply as we possibly can for as long as we possibly can.
Gilbert: What do you say to the argument from some in the Coalition and beyond that you're too focused on renewables, that the safeguard mechanism, for example, should be dumped? That's what Dan Tehan says, the Shadow Energy spokesperson, says that we need to be focusing on abundant supply and remove the safeguard mechanism as part of that?
Assistant Minister: Well, I think that this conflict has proven that we need diversification of supply. We need more supply of different energy products for Australian consumers, and we're working on both. Don't forget, it was the Coalition that took our fuel reserves to the United States as Labor, that brought them back. So, they're now secure here in Australia. And we acted quickly to beef up those suppliers and thank God that we did, because we've had to call on them in recent weeks. But at the same time, we need to be exploring new energy options, particularly around heating, around lighting and the like, for households and businesses, and renewable energy offers those options. So, it's, it's not a case of one or the other, it's a case of doing both and ensuring that you're planning for the future.
Gilbert: Yeah. And in that probably should lift the ban on nuclear as well along the way. I mean, I know it's an ideological problem for Labor, but it's inexplicable, particularly given with AI quantum computing and so on. There will likely be great advancements in that space too. And we do have a geologically very stable continent. Makes sense to at least remove the ban?
Assistant Minister: The Australian people determined that at the last election, where they clearly said that they favoured Labor's policies. The issue with nuclear, Kieran is that we haven't had a nuclear industry here in Australia –
Gilbert: It’s not locked in stone, is it?
Assistant Minister: Well, we haven't had a nuclear industry here in Australia, and to establish one will be very, very costly. And there are nations that are building nuclear power plants at the moment where the costs of those programs have blown out extraordinary terms. And the United Kingdom is one of those. It's a much cheaper and more viable option in Australia to work on renewables because it's a cheaper option, but we can bring it online faster and that's what we need to be doing, bringing more energy supplies online.
Gilbert: That's how it is, that's how it is today, 2026, things change. Technology's erupting. The ban should be lifted in, I think in common sense would suggest that. But anyway, we will see how it all unfolds. The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, thanks. We appreciate your time as always, talk to you soon. Thank you.
Assistant Minister: Thanks, Kieran.