Karl Stefanovic:
Well, Donald Trump has somewhere over the rainbow this morning. Check this out.
[Excerpt]
Donald Trump:
They basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the [beep] they’re doing. Do you understand that?
[End of excerpt]
Stefanovic:
Treasurer Jim Chalmers joins us now live in Brissie. Jim, good morning to you. Thanks for your time this morning. What did you make of the f‑bomb diplomacy?
Jim Chalmers:
Good morning, Karl. I’m not going to quibble with the language that President Trump used. I think it reflects the gravity of the situation and just how important it is that all parties stick to this ceasefire. The ceasefire is a really important development. We want to see all parties adhere to it, and I think President Trump’s blunt language reflected just how important that it is but also the magnitude, the gravity of the situation. The stakes are very high in the Middle East and for the globe and for the global economy more broadly. And I think we saw that in his comments.
Stefanovic:
The stakes are high, and I can’t quite comprehend how Albo isn’t in The Hague rattling Donald Trump’s cage for a meeting.
Chalmers:
We’re being well represented there by the Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles. He’s also the Defence Minister. This is a gathering primarily about the defence arrangements in Europe. We are well represented. The Prime Minister engages regularly and enthusiastically with world leaders, including in Canada just last week. There are other opportunities for us to meet with our American counterparts.
In fact, within the hour I’ll be having another discussion with my counterpart, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and so there’ll be lots of opportunities for us to engage with the Americans. And the Deputy Prime Minister, as always, will do a great job representing Australia at the NATO summits.
Stefanovic:
What could be – Jim, what could be more important right now than our Prime Minister meeting with the President? Look at what’s at stake for this country.
Chalmers:
No doubt there’ll be opportunities for the Prime Minister to engage with President Trump. He’s had a number of discussions already in the life of this second Trump Administration. But, as I said before, Richard will do a terrific job representing Australia and Australia’s interests at the NATO summit –
Stefanovic:
Jim, Jim, it is a little –
Chalmers:
– and there’ll be other opportunities for us to engage with the Americans.
Stefanovic:
I mean, Donald Trump’s just not that into Albo, is he?
Chalmers:
I don’t know how you want me to respond to that, Karl. I doubt that’s the case. They’ve had a number of very warm conversations since President Trump returned.
Stefanovic:
No face time, though?
Chalmers:
They’ve had a number of discussions, including a very warm discussion after the Prime Minister Albanese was returned for a second term. They had a discussion when President Trump was returned for a second term. They’ve had discussions about trade and tariffs. I’m looking forward to continuing that engagement quite soon this morning when I talk to my counterpart, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Stefanovic:
Look, the thought of Richard Marles – you’ve mentioned him – is he actually going to get face time with Donald Trump? I mean, that whole thing is quite – the kid from Geelong. I’m sure he’d be packing death if he walked into a room with Donald Trump.
Chalmers:
I’m not sure about that, Karl. I think Richard does a very good job confidently representing Australia and our interests on the world stage, and that’s what he’ll be doing at the NATO summit. It’s not clear whether there’ll be a brief opportunity for the two of them to have a conversation. But regardless, it’s important that Australia is there. It’s important that we are represented by the Deputy Prime Minister and also the Defence Minister. It is an important opportunity for Australians to engage, and we will make the most of that opportunity.
Stefanovic:
Do you know how embarrassing it would be for the Prime Minister if Richard Marles got to meet the President before he did face to face?
Chalmers:
I don’t see it that way at all, Karl. I genuinely don’t see it the way that you see it. I think that would be a good opportunity, a good development. It remains to be seen whether that will happen.
Stefanovic:
All right.
Chalmers:
But this NATO summit is not primarily about a discussion between the Deputy Prime Minister and the President of the United States. This is a discussion about defence arrangements in Europe and beyond. We’ve got an important agenda there.
Stefanovic:
Okay.
Chalmers:
We sent the Deputy Prime Minister and he’ll do a terrific job representing us.
Stefanovic:
All right. You mentioned before, too, that you’re meeting with the US Secretary of Treasury. That’s an important meeting. But what’s the point if Trump makes all the calls?
Chalmers:
I think it is an important opportunity to talk about areas of mutual interest, to raise concerns that we have, for example, with developments on trade and tariffs, but not just to discuss that. I mean, this is a dangerous time for the world’s economy. And Australia is well placed and well prepared to deal with all this global economic uncertainty, but we’re not immune from it. That’s why these discussions and this engagement is so important. No doubt we’ll talk about trade and tariffs. Certainly, I intend to raise that.
Stefanovic:
Okay.
Chalmers:
We’ll also talk about international tax arrangements and measures before the US Congress as well as the important opportunities to work together in areas like critical minerals.
Stefanovic:
Okay. Treasurer, can you give us the latest on these repatriation flights as well? They’ve started.
Chalmers:
I think Liz did a good job a moment ago of summarising developments over the last 24 hours or so – 118 Australians and one New Zealander out of Tel Aviv. There are, as Liz accurately reported, more than 3,000 people in Iran, about 1,200 in Israel who have indicated a preference to get out of those difficult parts of the world right now. To get 118 Australians plus a New Zealand friend out is a good development. I pay tribute to the people from DFAT and Defence who have been working so hard with their Ministers Wong and Marles to make sure that these sorts of flights are possible to get people out of harm’s way.
Stefanovic:
Yeah.
Chalmers:
We’re doing everything we can to get people out of harm’s way. The skies have opened up over Tel Aviv to make these flights possible. There are some limited commercial flights as well. But we’ve tried to cover all of the bases – RAAF planes available, charter flights in the private market, commercial flights will open up as well.
Stefanovic:
Okay.
Chalmers:
And that’s why more than 100 Australians have been able to get out.
Stefanovic:
Are you going to charge the Kiwi?
Chalmers:
I knew you’d ask me something like that, Karl. I was reluctant to raise the fact that we had one Kiwi friend on the flight because I knew you’d focus in on that.
Stefanovic:
No, it’s very neighbourly. Very neighbourly.
Chalmers:
But 118 Aussies as well. It’s very neighbourly. We love our Kiwi friends across the ditch.
Stefanovic:
Thanks, Treasurer. Appreciate it.