Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, thanks for your time. What's your reaction to news of a two-week ceasefire, including the reopening, albeit temporarily, of the Strait of Hormuz?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: This is positive news. We've been calling for a de-escalation for some time. We want to see a resolution of the conflict. The potential of damage to civilian infrastructure in Iran was an extraordinary statement to make. And then also, the impact that would have arisen from an escalation with an Iranian response would have led to greater global economic damage. We're already seeing a substantial impact of a war which is on the other side of the world, but is having an impact on Australians here, like it is on citizens throughout the world.
GILBERT: Is this a relief, though, to see that news today?
PRIME MINISTER: This is very positive, and we hope that it leads to a permanent de-escalation and an end to the conflict, and a resolution that allows the world to go forward. Because this is having a big impact on ordinary citizens in Australia and in our region.
GILBERT: That language about 'a civilisation will die tonight'. You touched on it in your first answer, but what did you make specifically of that language?
PRIME MINISTER: I don't think it's appropriate to use language such as that from the President of the United States. And I think it will cause some concern, which is there.
GILBERT: When you say some concern, do you mean in Australia or worldwide among allies?
PRIME MINISTER: We've said very clearly that the conduct of any conflict must be within international law and that provides for making sure that civilians - who aren't parties to the conflict - are given every protection possible.
GILBERT: If that happened, would that be a war crime, what the President is talking about?
PRIME MINISTER: It's a long step between a tweet and that suggestion. What we have called for is a de-escalation, and that is what has occurred. And that's a good thing.
GILBERT: You spoke to the Chinese Premier last night, Li Qiang. Apparently, they intervened as well to help bring on this ceasefire. Can you reflect on that conversation, and are they playing a constructive role in all of this?
PRIME MINISTER: It was certainly a very constructive conversation that I had with the Chinese Premier last night. It went across the full range of topics. I don't go into all of the detail of private conversations that I have with leaders, but it was a very constructive conversation. It was primarily, of course, about the relationship between Australia and China. China, we know, is our most important trading partner.
GILBERT: Will the jet fuel continue? Because we do get a fair bit of supply from China.
PRIME MINISTER: We do. It was certainly a positive discussion about the importance of trade between our two nations.
GILBERT: Okay. Now, on the alliance, we've got a Sky News Pulse today that says more than 70 per cent of people surveyed, over 70 per cent think that Donald Trump has handled the war badly or very badly. Do you worry that this whole episode will undermine the alliance?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the United States is our most important ally. That's been a feature since John Curtin looked to America during the Second World War and then the US Alliance was formalised in 1951. They remain our most important ally. And the relationship between our two nations is a relationship on many levels between leaders, and I've had a constructive relationship with President Trump, but it's also between our armed forces, between our economies and between businesspeople and people-to-people links as well. We are two great democracies, and that will continue into the future.
GILBERT: The visit to Singapore this week, I'm advised the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit Australia at the end of the month as well. Can you confirm that? And secondly, is it all about the fuel question and trade question to make sure that they get - well, they get 40 per cent of their LNG, 60 per cent of their coal from Australia. They want to know that that's going to continue.
PRIME MINISTER: There are protocols in place around visits, of course, and Prime Minister Takaichi would be a very welcome visitor to Australia whenever that decision is formalised. We have had discussions about reciprocal visits. Our Deputy Prime Minister is in Japan today and talking with the defence minister -
GILBERT: So, they're working on it.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we announce these things in a formal way and I'm going to stick to that protocol. But one of the things about Australia is that we are a reliable supplier of energy, particularly for North Asia, for Japan, for South Korea, but also supplying LNG to Singapore to Malaysia. And we expect reciprocal arrangements. And what is occurring at the moment is we're reaching out to our partners in the region, making sure that that is emphasised, our common interests that we have. This issue, a global crisis, is impacting economies right around our region and around the world. And it's important that partners continue to work together and that's what we're working towards.
GILBERT: What's the long-term plan for liquid fuel security in Australia? You know as a former transport minister, 1,900 B-double equivalent trips up and down the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne every day, and there's no replacement for diesel just yet. What's our bulletproof plan for the future to ensure supply?
PRIME MINISTER: That's precisely what we've been working on with the Future Made in Australia agenda, with making sure that we've increased the reserves. We had the largest reserves that we've had in Australia for 15 years, going into this global event on the other side of the world. In addition to that, we've made sure that those fuel reserves are kept here in Australia, not in Texas, which is what the Opposition Leader did when he was the Energy Minister under the former government. And of course, four of Australia's six fuel refineries closed down under the former government.
GILBERT: Would you like it back up to 90 days supply? Have you got any sort of other vision in terms of what sovereignty you want over that?
PRIME MINISTER: What I want to see is a more resilient economy. That's something that I was elected on, the platform in 2022. It's something that we've continued to build on.
GILBERT: I understand you're not talking about the Ben Roberts-Smith case for obvious reasons. In terms of the impact, though, on the broader military of a scandal like that, the vast majority serve this nation with great pride and dignity and sacrifice.
PRIME MINISTER: We should give thanks every day for the men and women who wear our uniform, who are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation, to keep our Australian way of life going forward. That doesn't change. There's a reason why when you go from my office, right through this building, it looks towards the War Memorial. And the great planners of this great National Capital that we're in today had that in mind, making sure that the vision of people like Bean was realised going forward. And we give thanks to the men and women every day.
GILBERT: It is a difficult time for them.
PRIME MINISTER: It is a difficult time. And for people in the Defence Force, they see themselves as part of a broader family. And I certainly understand that that is the case, but legal processes, it's important that this not be politicised. And I have no intention of commenting on what is a legal process.
GILBERT: Prime Minister, thank you for your time as always.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, Kieran.
