SUBJECTS: Queensland floods; AUKUS; National security; Solomon Islands; Diplomatic positions

PENNY WONG, SHADOW MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Thank you very much for coming. Can I start by first saying it's good to be back here in Brisbane and in Queensland, but obviously it's a pretty difficult time for many Queenslanders. We see more flooding and a lot of rain. So I say to everybody, Queenslanders have had a tough time. Please stay safe. And can I acknowledge, again, the extraordinary work of the frontline emergency service personnel, the workers and the volunteers who do so much at these times.

But I want to talk to you today about a report that's in the Nine papers, which contains some really extraordinary revelations about the extent to which Scott Morrison is prepared to play politics with Australia's national interest. So, the story confirms that despite President Biden and his administration making clear that they wanted very clear bipartisan support on the AUKUS agreement, including the Opposition to be briefed. But Mr. Morrison held back. He held back. Now what this confirms to Australians is that this Prime Minister will do and say anything to save his political skin. He will bulldoze anything to save his political skin. Our alliance with the United States is the bedrock of Australia's security, that's why it's had bipartisan support for decades. But it seems that Mr. Morrison thinks this is just another political card to play.

As I said, the US Administration made clear from the outset it would only consider pursuing the AUKUS arrangement for the nuclear propelled submarines with solid support from both parties. They made clear - if the reports in the newspapers are correct - the administration made clear they wanted the Labor Party briefed, because that's actually the right thing to do. It's actually the right thing to do. But Mr. Morrison refused for five months - five months. And you know why? Because his reflex is always to put his political interests - Mr. Morrison's instincts are always about his own political skin, even when Australia's national interest is the issue. I have to say I've been in politics a long time now and it's pretty difficult to imagine any other Prime Minister doing this. It's a reasonable request from our most important ally. Mr. Morrison bulldozed his way past the US Administration. Now, we all know why he did it. He thought it was in his interests. And you even saw him in the debate trying to, again, mislead Australians about the AUKUS partnership and Labor's support for it. Labor supported AUKUS from the beginning. We were briefed the day before the announcement - the afternoon before the morning announcement. And we identified the same issue that the US Administration had, which is: this is a multi-decade project. This is a project that's going to have to be stewarded by both parties, governments of both political persuasions. That's why we wrote - Anthony Albanese wrote to Scott Morrison saying 'let's have a bipartisan process'. But, of course, that was refused. Mr. Morrison will do and say anything to save his political skin. Mr. Morrison will bulldoze anything to save his political skin and is even prepared to refuse the request of the US Administration. Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: Would Labor actually raise any objections, though, with the AUKUS deal had the government consulted Labor before signing that agreement?

WONG: I think the point is that the US Administration wanted to make sure there was deep bipartisan support for a project that would subsist for decades. That's pretty reasonable, isn't it?

JOURNALIST: But Labor supports it now?

WONG: Yes we do. We supported it from the beginning. But the point is - and it goes character - you've got a Prime Minister that was asked by an American administration, that's our most important security ally: 'We're going to give you extremely sensitive technology, extremely sensitive technology. We want you to make sure you bring the Opposition into this early because this project will have to be supported by governments of both parties because it's a multi-decade project.' It's a very reasonable request. What is Mr Morrison's explanation for not doing that?

JOURNALIST: If there's our objection to it now, isn't the point...

WONG: What is his explanation?

JOURNALIST: If there's no objection to it now then isn't the point moot? I guess, because...

WONG: No the point goes to character. The point goes to what Australians can see about this Prime Minister; he's prepared to say no to an American administration because he thinks it's in his political interest. It says something profoundly important about the extent to which he is prepared to put his political interests above national security.

JOURNALIST: And if the US asked the Labor Government to consult with a Coalition Opposition on any matter, would you as Foreign Minister do that?

WONG: I have always taken the view that there are things which are above politics and above partisanship. I've always taken that view. And I think if you look at my political history, you will see that and national security should be above partisan politics. And the point that Anthony made in his letter to Mr Morrison that said, 'let's set up a bipartisan process to steer AUKUS'. It was refused. Mr. Morrison refused. He said, 'I will brief you when it's necessary'. If you really cared about this capability, and making sure it was delivered no matter which government is in place over the next 20 or 30 years, why won't you make sure you build that kind of deep, bipartisan expertise and leadership groups?

JOURNALIST: Can I just ask you a question about Solomon Islands: will you, as Foreign Minister, visit Solomon Islands? And if so, how soon would you go should Labor win on May 21?

WONG: The first thing, and this is public, if Australians do give us the privilege of forming government, is, obviously, there's a Quad Dialogue - a leaders level dialogue in Tokyo. So obviously that is the first priority in terms of visits. But I think you should anticipate a lot more energy and resources in relation to both South East Asia and the Pacific. And you should anticipate that there will be - when other leaders and foreign ministers wish to engage, you should anticipate we will do so early.

JOURNALIST: Would you go for three months? Six months? Would you try to go sooner rather than later?

WONG: I would have hoped much earlier than those timeframes.

JOURNALIST: And obviously, the Prime Minister spoken before about the red line and you've been critical of that. Would you commit to drawing a red line? If so, what would that red line be? What would the consequences be?

WONG: Yesterday, I asked the Foreign Minister a very similar question. And she was unable to explain what the government's position was. And I think, on these issues, it's a bit like the AUKUS announcement, it would be a good thing if there could be some consistency of message from the government, some clear leadership. We have made it clear, and this is bipartisan, that neither Australia nor the remainder of the Pacific family, the Western Pacific family, believe it's appropriate for there to be a persistent PLA presence as a consequence of the security pact which has occurred under the Morrison Government. And Prime Minister Sogavare has expressed those views. And we look forward to those views being reflected as we go forward. I think the problem for Mr. Morrison is he says things in Australia that even his Foreign Minister hasn't been able to explain.

JOURNALIST: Do you see national security as an issue that that Labor can take votes away from the Coalition on?

WONG: I think see national security as the first responsibility of government

JOURNALIST: Is it an area that the Coalition...

WONG: It's the first responsibility of government and that is how Labor approaches it. But what is clear from the papers today is that that is not how Mr. Morrison approaches it. He sees it as an opportunity for political advantage.

JOURNALIST: In terms of diplomatic posts: would Labor see to change any of the current ambassadors in their roles?

WONG: We've got an election that we've got to try and win. We've got a lot of people out there in the electorate - electorates across the country - who we've got to talk to about our plans for a better future and why we think Australia deserves more than they're getting from this government, whether it's on fee-free TAFE or making sure we've got the opportunity to skill Australians for the jobs of the future on climate. Because I can tell you, as someone who spent a decade fighting Barnaby Joyce and Tony Abbott to do something on climate change, it is only the Labor Government, which will deliver real action on climate change.

JOURNALIST: The British High Commissioner role is vacant at the moment. Can you...

WONG: Did George finally agree to leave, did he? He sort of moved in permanently.

JOURNALIST: On that point, can you rule out putting a former Labor politician in that role?

WONG: I'll tell you what I can - we will put people in who can do the job. And my recollection is, and I'll check and come back to if I am wrong, that the Coalition have made some 17 or 18 diplomatic appointments on which all but one are former Coalition MPs and Senators.

JOURNALIST: Just on that point, are you concerned that those high profile roles have been filled by politicians rather than career diplomats? And would you seek to change that?

WONG: I've answered this previously when I've said you need a mix. The problem is there isn't a mix, there's just an avalanche of jobs to the boys under Scott Morrison.

Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra.