KIERAN GILBERT: What Im reading via the various news reports out of the region in North Korea and Japan is that this is the first time weve seen a North Korean missile launch over Japanese territory for nearly 20 years, so this is quite a provocative move.
SENATOR PENNY WONG, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE: Can I preface any remarks I make here and on this by saying obviously the governments not yet confirmed this, details are unconfirmed, so like you Im operating off the international reports. But on that basis youre correct, this is a highly provocative act. This is a deeply provocative act, a deeply disturbing act, and confirms yet again the greatest threat to peace and stability, not only in our region but globally, is the North Korean regime.
GILBERT: And we saw Shinzo Abe say that he will respond to protect his people. There were alerts for those in northern Japan to shelter, to enter bunkers and shelter in the face of what they thought was a missile heading towards their territory.
WONG: And our thoughts are with the people of Japan who have been subjected to this kind of threat and provocation. It reminds us all that we need to stand as one in the international community, not only in solidarity with Japan, but to continue to pressure this regime to observe internationally the UN sanctions which have been agreed and to continue to exert all diplomatic pressure necessary to get them to alter the trajectory which they appear to be on.
GILBERT: And just at this moment it seemed to be easing the tensions, particularly between Pyongyang and the United States, so this goes against what seemed to be the trajectory in that sense didnt it? Certainly President Trump believed to be thinking that the North Korean dictator was reining things in a bit.
WONG: Its always hard isnt it to read precisely what North Korea is thinking and doing? But certainly there appears to have been some space in some of the rhetoric and some of the testing so this is a very disturbing, provocative act, which we utterly condemn.
GILBERT: Now lets turn our attention to some other matters before we get onto some foreign policy issues which I do want to ask you about, particularly Marawi and the conflict there against the IS-linked groups. I want to ask you about this domestic issue of Katy Gallagher, your Senate colleague. Does she have questions to answer under Section 44 of the Constitution?
WONG: No she doesnt. Katy Gallagher is not now, nor has she ever been, a citizen of Ecuador. The relevant provision of the Constitution that is reported today is from 2008. Katy Gallaghers mother, who has passed away, was born in 1943.
GILBERT: So in relation to that comparison, does that also mean that Senator Joyce and Senator Canavan are in a similar position in the sense that those laws were passed after their parents were born and moved to Australia in fact.
WONG: Different factual circumstances apply to different people. Obviously Mr Joyce has self-referred to the High Court as was appropriate and that will be determined by the High Court. What I can tell you is Senator Gallagher is not now and never has been an Ecuadorian citizen.
GILBERT: So its not comparable to the Joyce matter in your view?
WONG: I dont believe so, and I think the facts of the case demonstrate that. As I said, the provision in the Ecuadorian Constitution, to which some reports refer, is a provision which was inserted in 2008. Obviously Senator Gallaghers mother was born well prior to that.
GILBERT: To that issue I mentioned, IS has released a propaganda video mentioning specifically Australia and it comes off the back of our Government deploying some military assets to the region in terms of surveillance planes. Has that played a part in putting us on the radar, so to speak, of these groups in the Philippines, of that Muslim IS-linked operation?
WONG: We have a national interest in ensuring our region is stable and secure. And regrettably, the fight for security and stability against terrorists is in our region, as well as places such as Afghanistan and Syria.
The reality is, we have a situation in the southern Philippines where we have groups which pre-existed the advent of Daesh, but which are now ideologically linked. I think you described them as inspired by and I think that is the right way to think about it.
This is a conflict we must win and we should work, as the Government is doing so, with the Philippines Government to ensure as the terrorists, these Islamic State-inspired groups are overcome.
GILBERT: So, do you share the view of a number of experts, academics, in, particularly this region, who warn against having foreign troops, Western troops, deployed in this? That we should be bolstering the Filipino Government to shut down this insurgency?
WONG: We should work with the Philippines Government to do what they think is best in order to quell this insurgency, and President Duterte has made very clear that this has to be a Philippines-led operation.
Of course, within the context of that, Australia should provide whatever support is required, and we would, as the Opposition, continue to work in a bipartisan way with the Government to ensure that occurs. This is in our national interest. This is about security in our region.
GILBERT: Indeed, and I guess you would share the view of the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop that as they lose ground in the Middle-East, this becomes more and more the centre of our focus as foreign fighters return home?
WONG: Certainly foreign fighters returning home is a level of risk and threat that were all aware of. As you know, the Opposition has supported Government legislation through the Parliament in order to deal with the foreign fighters risk, and that is an added layer of risk to the situation.
It is important to recognise though that is not the only vector of risk. These are pre-existing groups. One of them is Abu Sayyaf, who people might recall has a long and terrible history in our region. What is concerning is that they are now linking ideologically, as well as practically, to Daesh. So that increases the level of risk, it increases our need as a nation to ensure we work with our partners in the region to ensure stability and security
GILBERT: The Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong, thanks for your time this morning, appreciate it.