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Penny Wong condemns Russia’s deadly missile attacks
The foreign minister is speaking in Adelaide.
I’ll start by saying Australia stands with Ukraine. We condemn Russia’s deadly missile attacks and reports have indicated that Russia has fired up to 100 missiles in Ukraine which will constitute the largest such attack against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine since the invasion began.
We know that Russian reckless use of force against Ukraine is illegal and immoral, we also know that the reckless use of force is dangerous for the region. The missile strike is deeply concerning. It’s a stark reminder that any conflict comes with the great risk of miscalculation.
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Caitlin Cassidy
Since the storms hit central west New South Wales on Sunday, the Orange Ex-Services Club has been acting as a makeshift evacuation centre for flooded Eugowra residents.
Hundreds were flown to the relative safety of the regional hub after taking shelter in Eugowra’s show-grounds. It’s still only accessible by boat.
When evacuees wander in, the club’s CEO Nathan Whiteside says they’re given a voucher for a meal and clothing before they’re re-homed – many of them arriving soaking wet, with nothing but the clothes on their back.
On Monday evening, he reckoned there were around 60 people at the services club for a meal and a chat – many of them shell shocked, having endured 24 hours of trauma. The following day, dozens more continued to arrive.
We had 200 residents evacuated to here, so a third of the town is in Orange. We’ve been referring them to professional help but the staff are helping as well. We had staff walking dogs up and down the street while owners had dinner, and checking on each other.”
The club has also been accepting donations – water, vouchers and money, mostly. Bedding and pillows have to be stockpiled. There’s nowhere to take it.
Whiteside visited Eugowra on Tuesday to drop off items. He says it’s hard to describe what he saw outside of cliche.
I’ve never been to a war-zone, but that’s what I envision it’s like. There were houses washed away, 800 metres from where they should be. Cars and caravans dislodged, moved and ruined – including police cars, ambulances. It came up so quick trucks had to evacuate. Apart from the show grounds, it’s gone through everywhere.
One man built hit house 20 years ago on a mound at a 150-year-flood-height. The water went a metre through his house. It’s never been there before, and it hasn’t just trickled through. It’s come out of nowhere. What I was was just devastating for someone who knows the town as a kid. It’s only a little town, but it’s going to cost a fortune to rebuild it.”
In Bali, Anthony Albanese has also commented on the reports a Russian missile landed in Poland and killed two people:
I also will comment on the tragic news that we had from Russia’s missiles attacked on Ukraine overnight, deeply concerning. Russia’s reckless and dangerous use of force promote danger for the entire region and we have seen that and I send my condolences to Poland on the loss of life.
As the Secretary General and President Biden as said that we need to have a full investigation as to how this has occurred in the circumstances, it must take place and we should consider what is an international community is an appropriate response.
Christopher Knaus
The watchdog scrutinising national security laws will question senior police and government officials about Australia’s use of indefinite detention powers for high-risk terrorist offenders.
The criminal code allows for the “continuing detention” of terrorist offenders where courts are satisfied they pose an unnaceptable risk of committing a serious terrorism offence if released at the end of their usual prison term.
The Independent National Security Legislation Monitor is currently probing whether the laws are proportionate to national security risks, whether they are consistent with Australia’s human rights obligations, and whether the law currently give adequate procedural fairness and safeguards for such offenders.
The inquiry has already held public hearings in June. But it has just announced a new public hearing on Monday, when it will question senior officials from the Australian federal police, the department of home affairs, and the attorney-general’s department about how the laws are being used. Australia’s human rights commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, will also give evidence.
Penny Wong is asked about Donald Trump’s announcement he will be running for president in 2024 as the final question and says:
I won’t comment on US domestic politics by will say to you that our lines and relationship with the United States is based on shared values, our shared security imperatives and a faith in democracy.
Q: What would that look like and how would it work?
Penny Wong:
Ultimately it is a matter for China how it seeks to respond. I would say that we are complementary economies. We believe there is mutual benefit in those trade blockages or those trade impediment being removed, and we will continue to assert that, that has been my message to China since we were elected and it was consistent with that. Also [that was the] message [from the prime minister] with his meeting with President Xi Jinping.
Q: On that note minister, can you please explain to the general public the significance of the parameters the’s meeting with China and what the significance means for Australia?
Penny Wong:
OK. Australia’s relationship with China has been in a difficult place, we know that. And since the government came to power we have said that we think it is in the interests of both countries, Australia and China for that relationship to be stabilised.
We know there are differences that we need to manage, differences that will need to be dealt with but those differences are best managed through and including engagement.
So we will co-operate where we can, we will disagree where we must and we will engage in national interest and it is a good thing that we are seeing dialogue again, at the leader level as well as previously.
Q: Do you hope that the improved relationship with China, do you hope that they might help intervene with Russia to pull them back from the conflict?
Wong:
I have said this before. I have said at the UN General Assembly on behalf of the country, that while all of us should care, not just for human reasons, about the conflict in Ukraine but because we know that history tells us that peace and security requires the rule that one country not invade another be followed so we should all care about countries, small and large.
Secondary, I have said that the world does look to China which is a great power and a G5 nation and a permanent member of the Security Council to use its influence to end a war that is not only illegal and immoral but a war that risks security, and we all want peace.
Q: On the Prime Minister’s meeting with President Xi Jinping, do you think China will be more inclined to reassess heavy trade sanctions on Australian goods after last night’s meeting?
Penny Wong:
Ultimately that is a matter for China. I have made clear in two in-person discussions with the Chinese Foreign Minister ahead of the G20 meeting, that we believe it is in both our countries’ interest to stabilise the relationship and we believe that unimpeded trade is also in the interests of both countries.
Q: What does President Xi Jinping’s words meeting China halfway actually look like?
Wong:
I have expressed the view that we should move together. And we know that we live in the same region, we know that we have strong economic complementarity and we also know the Australian government and Australian people, there are differences between Australia’s interests and China’s interest which we will have to manage. There are differences which go to our national interest, our national security and we will manage them but it is better managed wisely and it is better managed with dialogue and that is what we intend to do.
Q: What does he mean by those words though, meeting halfway?
Wong:
I can control what we say and I can give you an indication of what what I say means.
Q: Has Australia offered further help Ukraine going forward?
Penny Wong:
Obviously we are a very large contributor to Ukraine both in humanitarian assistance and military support. I know the prime minister has engaged with counterparts not only in this visit but also at the G20 and we will continue to do what we can in relation to Ukraine.
Q: What kind of response does the world need to see from NATO today?
Wong:
I think the NATO allies are demonstrating the sort of response we would want, there is calm, consultation, a lot of engagement and if you look at both the public statements and what we know privately, there is honestly very good engagement from NATO partners and that is what we want. Peace is secured by countries working together and peace is secured by leaders maturely handling these sorts of situations and I think you can see from both the Polish leadership, President Biden, other members of NATO, that sort of leadership.
Penny Wong is being very careful not to cross any lines here.
You asked a question that asked me to be drawn on the investigation and I would again say to people, particularly at this time, it is very important that we are careful and prudent and cautious about how we report this and how we talk about this. And I would heed what the Polish president has said, that there would be an investigation to ask people to be both calm and prudent.
Q: Has there been, and they appreciate you are probably in discussions with the Prime Minister, has the Australian government got any contingencies or got any concerns about potential escalation in the conflict in Ukraine?
Penny Wong:
We’ve always been concerned, the whole world is concerned about what is occurring in Ukraine in its own right and the consequences of escalation and miscalculation.
And if you look at what we have said, what NATO partners have said and what the US have said, what the Europeans have said, we are condemning the illegal and immoral invasion but we are also saying, there is always a risk of escalation and miscalculation, that is why Russia should withdraw.
Q: Where were these missiles launched from to the best of Australia’s knowledge?
Penny Wong:
This is why it is important for us to be prudent and careful. As the Polish government has said, they will undertake a proper investigation into the origin of these missiles and I would urge people to, as the Polish government has, to await the outcomes of that investigation.
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