THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TV INTERVIEW
SUNRISE
MONDAY, 23 JUNE 2025

Topics: Middle East conflict.

NATALIE BARR: The Federal Government has stopped short of endorsing America's bombing in Iran, instead calling for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy, adding now is the time for peace. That's in stark contrast to our Opposition who quickly backed our American allies saying they supported the strike action taken. President Donald Trump has warned of far greater attacks against Iran unless the country re-enters negotiations to pursue peace. For their take, let's bring in Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, good morning to both of you. Tanya, does the government support the strikes by the US against Iran?

TANYA PLIBERSEK, MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES: Well, yes, we do support the strikes, and I know the Foreign Minister is going to be on your program later this morning to go into more detail. We certainly don't want to see full scale war in the Middle East. It's a very delicate and difficult time and we would absolutely encourage Iran to come back to the negotiating table. We've been saying that for some time now, along with the rest of the international community. Nobody wants to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon. We know that they have been enriching uranium towards that goal, and we certainly don't want to see them developing a nuclear weapon. But now is the time for reinvigorated efforts towards diplomacy because a full-scale war in the Middle East would be a terrible thing for all of us internationally.

BARR: Barnaby, I noticed the Coalition came out very strongly voicing its support for the bombing against Iran and we haven't heard from the Prime Minister yet in person.

BARNABY JOYCE: Well, I think that it goes without saying that Iran was up to no good. You don't bury facilities if you don't want people to find out what you're doing inside them. And so they were enriching uranium. We've got a big concern now between 400 and 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and enriched uranium. The atom bomb at Hiroshima was 64 kilograms of enriched uranium. So, it gives you an idea of what's there. We don't even know if it's in Iran. It could be elsewhere which is a major concern, I think it goes without saying that the United States has done an incredible service in destroying these facilities we hope and we have to support that because we could not let this go on. But as a sense of, this is strange coming from me, there is a small chance, as Tanya said, that this could get completely out of control and that will be devastating for the globe. We don't know how China's going to play this, whether they come to some side deal about virtually free oil. We don't know where North Korea is on this. We don't have to worry too much about Russia. It's got it’s plateful. But this could go south in the most tremendous way for Australia. And I did see a sense of gloating and hubris from the United States. That's all right if it's the end of the game, but if this takes the next step, we're all going to be involved, and it will be unfortunately and tragically and horrifically something we've never seen before.

BARR: From Iran's point of view, it doesn't sound like it's the end of the game, although the US is calling it, you know, for it to be an end. Should we be concerned that Iran's Foreign Minister has just touched down in Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, Tanya?

JOYCE: There you go.

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, we know that a lot of countries that are autocracies are very keen to work together and talk together and it's never a good thing when that happens. Look, our real concern immediately, Nat, has to be on making sure that Australians who are caught in the Middle East can make it safely home. A big focus of the Australian Government is on the many thousands of people who are still stuck either in Iran or Israel. It's a very difficult situation at the moment. Airspace is closed, it's difficult to get people out. We have been encouraging Australians who are caught in Iran, if they can make it to Azerbaijan, there's consular staff waiting there that can assist them. But it's a very nerve-wracking time for the Middle East, for countries in the Middle East and for Australians here who are watching this increasing escalation.

BARR: What sort of assistance, if any, would we expect to give to the US, Tanya?

MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Look, I'm absolutely not going to speculate on that. The Foreign Minister will be on your programme in a little while. You'll have the opportunity to talk to her directly about that. But this is something that as the Australian Government, we take very seriously. I think Barnaby's point is well made. There shouldn't be any kind of celebration or gloating about this. This is a very dangerous time internationally. We don't want to see Iran develop a nuclear weapon. The international community has been very clear with Iran that it should stop pursuing its uranium enrichment program. There's been no question about that. And you know, this step has been taken now to ensure that they don't continue on the path to developing nuclear weapons. The time now is to try and avoid further conflict and to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.

BARR: Barnaby if the US calls and asks for our help, do we give it?

JOYCE: Well, you can't have an opt in, opt out agreement. We have major problems on our back door, and that is Taiwan, that is in our arc, that could be part of the encirclement of Australia. And if we have a weak United States or bad alliances or bad agreements, that is actually worse for us than it is for the United States. And so this is the circumstances that are before us now. And we've got to realise it. You know, it's, Australia has to, as I've been saying for so long, we have to become as powerful as possible as quickly as possible because of circumstances like this. And just as you've said, if you're now hearing that the Iranian Minister is in Russia, they're not there for a cup of tea. They're there for the next step. And it's where this next step goes. And will China use the distraction in the Middle East as a forerunner to what they have said quite clearly, they want to do in Taiwan? If that happens, is the United States of America, going to be able to engage on two fronts? And we have a military alliance with the United States? We can't step away from that. The biggest fool, if we step away from that is us, because we're the ones who, let's be frank, our defence force is way, way, way below what it's got to be. And if we don't have the United States as an ally, we have nothing. And the people listening to this, you're in real trouble. Real trouble.

BARR: Okay, look, we don't know the details, but that is breaking news right now, that Iran has landed in Moscow for a talk with Putin. We don't know what Trump's response will be to that because as we all know, he says he is a friend of Putin. So, we will get that when we can. Thank you very much. We'll talk to you very soon.

ENDS