https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfUjT0rJSww 

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 SHARRI MARKSON, SKY NEWS

TUESDAY 30 JULY 2024

Topics: Drop in surveillance flights under Labor; Illegal Maritime Arrivals; Peter Dutton’s visit to Israel; Israel conflict.

E&OE…

SHARRI MARKSON: Let's bring in now Shadow Defence Minister, Andrew Hastie. Andrew, great to see you again. Why do you think the Albanese Government is dedicating fewer resources to boat and aerial surveillance?

ANDREW HASTIE: Well, Sharri, we've seen surveillance flight hours and maritime patrol hours go down under this government. They're underinvesting in Operation Sovereign Borders, and all that does is send a signal that we're not serious about protecting our borders. It signals weakness to the very people we're trying to stop – the people smugglers. The best way to deter people smugglers is to demonstrate you're serious about protecting the borders and in order to do that, you need to have a fairly heavy surveillance presence both in the air and on the water. Under this government it's gone down, and since the 2022 election, we've had 19 boat arrivals. Just in the last two months, we've had about five boat arrivals with 150 odd people illegally arriving in our waters. That's a problem and we're going to see more of it, particularly with Tony Burke now the Home Affairs Minister.

SHARRI MARKSON: The Prime Minister has said that it's the Coalition that's talking up this problem, that's sending the message to people smugglers that Labor's now weak on this issue and that there'll be more boat arrivals. What's your response to that accusation?

ANDREW HASTIE: I think Anthony Albanese is not someone who takes responsibility. His job as the Prime Minister is pretty simple – it's to keep our borders secure, it's to keep our country safe, and it's to build our prosperity. He's failing at the first hurdle, he can't even keep our borders secure. So what does he do? He points at the Coalition and says that we're creating something out of nothing. Well, I think the record speaks for itself. The Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years showed people smugglers that Labor can't be taken seriously on border protection and as we've seen since the May 2022 election, we've seen 19 boat arrivals. I think the evidence is in – this government is weak on borders, and people smugglers are working this Prime Minister out.

SHARRI MARKSON: When I spoke to your colleague, James Paterson, today, he accused Albanese and Tony Burke of launching what he called 'unhinged' attacks on him. Here's what they both had to say.

*EXCERPT PLAYS*

SHARRI MARKSON: Andrew Hastie, what do you think about this sort of character attack?

ANDREW HASTIE: I hear two deeply insecure men attacking my colleague who's very competent, is across his brief and has created all sorts of challenges for this government by keeping them accountable in his role as Shadow Home Affairs Minister. I'm pretty sure James Paterson will be framing those quotes, because all it demonstrates is that this government hates when we call them out. They know he's competent and as I always like to say, the flak is thickest when you're over the target – James is consistently over the target when it comes to Labor's border protection policies.

SHARRI MARKSON: Now, what about this decision by the Prime Minister to break up the Home Affairs portfolio? I mean, he's stripped ASIO, the top spy agency, out of it, he's moved it to the Attorney General's. His reason that we just showed you earlier was because it needs to go with the AFP. But ASIO and the AFP were both under Home Affairs when he took office. What do you think about this dismantling of what was once a super ministry in charge of our national security?

ANDREW HASTIE: They've completely dismembered Home Affairs, you're absolutely right. I think this has been on the cards for some time. I was the chair of the Intelligence Committee when we passed the enabling legislation for the Home Affairs portfolio. Mark Dreyfus back then, who was the Shadow Attorney General, he made it very clear that he didn't support this, and it's no surprise now that he has broken down the home affairs ministry, he's stripped out the operational agencies – the AFP and ASIO – he's brought them into his portfolio so now he gets to run operations and also issue warrants. I think there was a healthy tension at the cabinet table, Labor have dismantled that, and I think we're poorer for it as a result.

SHARRI MARKSON: I mean, it's obviously not something you would announce now but do you envisage that the Coalition would strengthen Home Affairs again if it did get into government?

ANDREW HASTIE: I'm sure that's something that Peter Dutton and James Paterson and the rest of the team will be considering in coming weeks and months, yes.

SHARRI MARKSON: Just finally, you are Shadow Defence Minister and there are concerns tonight as we go to air that Israel and Lebanon are on the cusp of war. This after the tragic murder by Hezbollah of 12 children in Majdal Shams. Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate, he says it will be a direct strike, and has warned this will be coming, we don't know precisely when. Are you concerned that the Iranian backed Hezbollah are provoking, and have been provoking for months now, Israel into a broader war that could escalate?

ANDREW HASTIE: I think Hezbollah, of course, are always seeking to provoke Israel, along with Hamas and if you read both of their charters, as I have done, they're committed to the destruction of the State of Israel. These aren't people who want peace, they're not going to negotiate, and they'll continue their attacks on Israel forever, essentially. Israel has to defend itself, we've been very consistent as the Coalition, Israel has a right to defend itself. Of course, it's terrible to see those 12 children killed, innocent kids killed, along with all the innocent life that we've seen lost over the past nine months or so. But the best way to defeat terrorism is to show strength, and Israel has every right to defend itself after this latest attack.

SHARRI MARKSON: And of course, Peter Dutton is actually in Israel at the moment – a four-day trip. He met overnight with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. I mean, Andrew, what does this say about the Coalition's commitment to Israel and the Jewish community here in Australia?

ANDREW HASTIE: I think it demonstrates that Peter Dutton is a friend of Israel, he's a friend of the Jewish community here in Australia. He's been very consistent in calling out terrorism and condemning it, he's been very consistent in upholding Israel's right to self-defence, and I think that demonstrates that we are committed to maintaining the one democracy in the Middle East, and that's why Peter's gone all the way over there to meet with their officials and to demonstrate his support in person. There's nothing like a house call, Sharri, as you know.

SHARRI MARKSON: Yes, a very significant trip, a huge signal of solidarity. If only our Prime Minister would have made such a trip, like many other Western leaders did after October 7. Andrew Hastie. Thank you very much for your time.

[ENDS]