SENATOR PENNY WONG, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE: Its great to be here at the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID) Conference and deliver a speech about development assistance and I just want to make a few points about this important area.
Australia currently has the lowest level of international aid that we have ever had, in comparison with our national income. We have the lowest level of development assistance in our history. And thats a very sad thing. Its a sad thing for the people who rely on our development assistance and its a bad thing for the country because we have an interest in stability and prosperity and the alleviation of poverty, particularly in our region.
What I have said today is we really need to restore bipartisanship to the aid program. We had decades of bipartisanship in Australia and Tony Abbott tore that up. We need to restore that and I call on members of the Coalition, members of the Liberal and National Parties to do the right thing, restore bipartisanship to this program and work together to ensure we can get Australias development assistance back on the right path.
Can I also comment today on the Prime Ministers extraordinary intervention from overseas. It is clear that Malcolm Turnbull has not only lost the respect of the Australian community hes lost authority inside his own party. The spectacle of the Prime Minister from overseas engaging in the internal brawl inside the Coalition about who will get the spoils of office is just a reminder that the Coalition is so divided that they are only able to focus on their internal fights. Not on the things that are important to Australians and their families but on their internal fights. Thats what we have seen from Malcolm Turnbull today from overseas.
JOURNALIST: You have said you are disappointed aid from Australia is at its lowest level. To what level would you like to see it restored?
WONG: The point I have made in the speech is that given we are at the lowest level of aid as a proportion of our national income in our history, that cannot be turned around by one Budget, or even one term of Government. It requires bipartisan support. That is how we have always run the aid program. That is how we have always managed to continue putting it on the right path. That is what we need.
Now we went to the last election, obviously, with a commitment to increase aid for a range of programs. What we want to ensure is that development assistance is put beyond party politics. We think that is in the national interest.
JOURNALIST: Malcolm Turnbull is in Israel and at a press conference he made a remark saying that Australia is committed to the territorial integrity of Israel. Do you agree with that?
WONG: The Australian Labor Party has had a long standing position about a two- state solution. We have long said that we support Israels right to exist behind secure borders, we support Israels right to security. We also support the creation of a Palestinian state, and we have said that actions that are inconsistent with a two-state outcome are not conducive to peace and stability in the region.
JOURNALIST: Does there need to be a full audit of MPs citizenship given now a former Senate President has been caught up in this?
WONG: A couple of points about that, can I say how disappointing it is in fact more than disappointing that Senator Parry took so long to make the appropriate inquiries. It really is implausible to believe that he could sit there referring people to the High Court, as we all did in a very serious, considered way people stood forward in the Senate and said I need to be referred because of my potential citizenship by descent that he could sit there referring people and not consider his own circumstances. It really is an abrogation of his responsibility and frankly Malcolm Turnbulls responsibility as the leader of the party. The Liberal Party shouldve been checking this, as the Labor Party has.
In terms of an audit Id make this point and it is an important one. I understand people are concerned about this, and Australians are right to be concerned. Ultimately the only body under our Constitution that can determine if an MP or a Senator has dual citizenship and is not entitled to stand is the High Court. That is why we have a process of self-referral. That is also why the Labor Party given a number of our candidates are born overseas or are second-generation migrants we have made sure we have processes in place whereby before nominations Labor candidates have been vetted to ensure these matters are dealt with. It is disappointing that other parties have not taken the same approach.
JOURNALIST: Thereve been rumours floating around that there may be more to come. Do you think that therell be more?
WONG: I cant speak for the Liberal and National Parties or for One Nation. We did see an extraordinary series of explanations from former senator Malcolm Roberts about whether he was or wasnt or whether he could choose to believe he wasnt a British citizen.
What I can speak for is the Labor Party and I can say we have very thorough processes before people are nominated. Ive been through those processes, every candidate has been through those processes and we are confident we have no concerns.
JOURNALIST: Would you accept Ian Macdonald as Senate President if he were nominated?
WONG: (laughs) Oh look, thats an invitation isnt it? Obviously this is a matter for the Liberal Party, although I see that theres now a fight between the Liberal and National Parties about whos going to get this.
If you want another example of what theyre really focused on, have a look at this fight. Its a bit like the fight about whos going to be Acting Prime Minister while Malcolm Turnbull was away, which took a couple of days of him delaying his trips to sort that one out, I wonder how long this one will take.
But I would say this, I think people can look at the way Senator Macdonald behaves in Estimates and in the chamber and they can draw their own judgement about whether or not hes the appropriate person.