Newschat on the Today Show

KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST:    Well, this morning, peace in the Middle East, but not in Australia. Over the weekend, we saw protests in Sydney… protests in Melbourne…and this from Lidia Thorpe.

[Excerpt]

LIDIA THORPE, SENATOR:    If I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point. I am not there to make friends. I am there to get justice for our people.

[End of excerpt]

KARL STEFANOVIC:    To discuss, I'm joined by Minister Amanda Rishworth and Deputy Liberal Leader Ted O'Brien. Good morning, guys. Nice to see you on this Monday morning. Amanda, good to see you. Good morning. You turned that temperature down. I mean, burn down Parliament House – how does that sit with you?

AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS:    Those comments are clearly inappropriate. People have the right to protest, but it must be done in a respectful way. And any comments that inflame violence and hatred are inappropriate. I think if the fighting can stop in the Middle East, we need to make sure that we are turning the temperature down here at home. And, of course, people want to see the end of the violence and they don't want to see tensions brought here into Australia.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Should the protests stop now?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    Well, look, people have the right to protest, but it needs to be done in a respectful way. We have the right to peaceful protest in Australia, but we do need to make sure it doesn't inflame hatred, violence, and I think that's the core of it.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Ted?

TED O’BRIEN, DEPUTY LIBERAL PARTY LEADER:    Well, it should be a time for hope and peace and not for hatred and protest. Unfortunately, we're seeing the latter, and I just don't understand, Karl, why the government won't take a stronger line on this. These protests go against our values, which should be uniting Australians right now. They are completely inappropriate, and they should be called out as such. As for Senator Thorpe, I mean, there are four to 5000 Australians who work in Parliament House at times of the year. To be making those sorts of statements are absolutely appalling. And then to hear the roar of the crowd, how wonderful it would be to burn down a workplace which happens to also be the Parliament of Australia, that is deeply concerning.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    What would you do about it, Amanda, then?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    I think Lidia Thorpe knows better than to make comments like that, and we probably should know not to give her as much attention. Quite frankly, these were completely inappropriate comments. We don't want to see things inflamed here in Australia. And I think we've got to make that clear and get on with bringing people together.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Couple of quick ones. Amanda, you've faffed around on AUKUS so much, Australians have gone absolutely cold on it. Overall support at just 18 per cent.

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    AUKUS is an important national project. It's a project which is in our national interest, but will, of course, create 20,000 direct jobs over 30 years. I mean, this is an important project. We've got to keep working at it, and we'll do just that because it is in our national interest.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Ted, Sussan Ley has faffed around so much on policy, Australians have gone cold on her.

TED O’BRIEN:    Oh, look, polls up and down, Karl. At the end of the day, it's like watching the stock market and your shares. What really matters is core business, and core business for us is keeping Australians safe, which is why we believe in AUKUS, which is why we're furious with the government for letting us down on AUKUS. You can't beat up on nuclear technology for three and a half years and then wonder why the Australian people don't like nuclear submarines. I mean, come on. Keeping people safe is the number one job of a government. That's the core business and that's what we're focused on.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    All right. Just before we go, the Prime Minister and his better half, Jodie, have left the country on a holiday. There's a media blackout on where they've gone, but they were spotted, Amanda flying economy. I mean, Richard Wilkins would be appalled. They've got every right for a little holiday, haven't they?

AMANDA RISHWORTH:    The Prime Minister, as anyone else, has the right to have leave. He hasn't made it a secret. In fact, I think he put out a media release that he was going on leave. He certainly announced it on breakfast TV over the weekend. He's entitled to have a break, and I hope he does get just that.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Just be careful in Hawaii, Teddy.

TED O’BRIEN:    Well, if he really wanted to show things off to his bride, he should have come to the Sunshine Coast, Karl.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Yes.

TED O’BRIEN:    We’ve got it all. We’ve got the weather, we’ve got the beaches, we’ve got the Hinterland. We’ve got the people, the cafes and the restaurants, and the Sunny Coast is where you should be coming, PM.

KARL STEFANOVIC:    Hear, hear. Everyone should go to the Sunny Coast to see you at Christmas, Ted. Thank you, guys.