THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE PERSONNEL
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CANNING

TRANSCRIPT
INTERVIEW WITH CLINTON MAYNARD, 2GB

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2025

Topics: Chinese warships conducting live firing exercises off the coast of Australia

CLINTON MAYNARD: Andrew Hastie is the Shadow Defence Minister and joins us. Thank you for your time, Andrew.

ANDREW HASTIE: Good to be with you, Clinton.

CLINTON MAYNARD: What does this actually mean, Andrew, live firing?

ANDREW HASTIE: That means that the ships are firing munitions or rockets or whatever it is they have on board at a potential target that they put in the water. So it's very significant. You need to clear both airspace and the waters around you from anyone else because it's a dangerous thing that you're doing when you're live firing. A lot of planning needs to go in place, a lot of communication needs to go in place. I haven't been briefed on this, but what I'm reading in the media is very concerning. The bigger picture for your listeners, of course, is that China has spent the last 30 years or so building a blue-water navy. A blue-water navy is a navy that has global reach, that can project around the world. They're projecting power now into the Pacific region, and I think they're using gunboat diplomacy to test US allies like Australia. This latest provocation from the Chinese navy comes after two years of weakness from the Prime Minister. And so my question to the Prime Minister is, when will the Prime Minister and his Defence Minister, Richard Marles, stand up for the Australian national interest and insist on mutual respect from their Chinese counterparts?

CLINTON MAYNARD: It's pretty extraordinary when it gets to the stage that a military operation is being conducted so far south, near our waters, that we have now commercial pilots told to avoid the area. But the point you made there, that there needs to be communication, is that because our relationship with China is not where it needs to be, that there hasn't been formal communication?

ANDREW HASTIE: This is just part of a pattern. Over the last two and a half years, we've seen how ADF personnel on routine, lawful patrols in the region are targeted by the Chinese military with dangerous and provocative movers – with flares, chaff and sonar. And this is another flex on the Australian Government and the Australian people. It's a demonstration of strength by China towards a country they see is led by a weak leader. That's why we've called on the Prime Minister over the last two years to stand up for the Australian national interest and raise this peer to peer with China's leadership. He hasn't done that and that's why I think this keeps happening.

CLINTON MAYNARD: It needs to happen. Thanks for your time, Andrew.

ANDREW HASTIE: Thanks, Clinton.

[ENDS]