MINISTER HOCKEY: There is no room for intemperate language in the Republican debate. Talk about ethnic cleansing and Nazism has no place in this debate. We need to get back to the real issues which are can Australia have an Australian head of state for the 21st century? Should we have a person as our head of state who lives in Australia, who is Australian and who represents the interests of the Australian people?
JOURNALIST: Tony Abbott repeated his ethnic cleansing claim this morning. Have you spoken to him about it?
MINISTER: Yes I have.
JOURNALIST: What did you say to him?
MINISTER: I said there was no room in the debate for comments about ethnic cleansing. It is inflammatory. It is unnecessary. It is irrational.
JOURNALIST: And what was his response?
MINISTER: I am not going into the rest of the conversation?
JOURNALIST: Does it upset you that no less a person than the Foreign Minister, who should know about ethnic cleansing, is sharing a platform with him and by his appearance is endorsing that sort of attack?
MINISTER: If we want to talk about ethnic cleansing, then we need to be very mindful of the feelings of a lot of Australians and people around the world who have been victims of ethnic cleansing. There is no room for intemperate remarks about in this debate about ethnic cleansing, about Nazism, about any of the other issues people are trying to put on the table. It is simply ridiculous to talk about those types of issues. We want to talk about why Australia should have its own head of state, why Australia should have and Australian as head of state. Someone for the future of our country and that is the main focus of the debate.
JOURNALIST: You are taking strong line against Mr Abbott's comments. Isn't it time that the Prime Minister pulled him into line?
MINISTER: I am not going to get into individuals' comments. I am focusing on what is the real debate here, and the real debate is about Australia becoming a republic. About having one of its own as head of state. It is not about whether individuals are throwing red herrings into the river. It is not about the flag. It is not about whether British people have a right to vote in this election. It is about an Australian as our head of state. That is what the debate is about and that is what the Australian people will be focusing on 6 November.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hockey, were you invited to sign the 'no' petition?
MINISTER: No, I wasn't.
JOURNALIST: Do you know of any of your colleagues who, perhaps might not have been inclined to, but did so because of pressure from above?
MINISTER: Well, members of parliament have a great capacity to make up their own mind, and I don't think on this issue it is any different. What is telling is the fact that only one-quarter of the members of parliament actually signed the petition, and that says it all. Thank you.
JOURNALIST: Mr Hockey, there was a very weighty bunch of people up there supporting the 'no' case today. Why don't we see the 'yes' people out there in a similar way, in public, instead of having these meetings behind closed doors?
MINISTER: There are no meetings behind closed doors, other than our discussions with very eminent Australians such as Doug Anthony and others about the way forward. We are spending our time with the community, talking with the community about what it means to have an Australian as your head of state. That is what we are focusing on.
JOURNALIST: So, you are not observing a moratorium whereas they have thrown it out the window?
MINISTER: Moratorium?
JOURNALIST: Well, as Mr Howard said in the party room last week, a moratorium on this issue and on inflammatory comments.
MINISTER: Well, inflammatory comments are unnecessary in the debate, and that is exactly what I am saying. There is no room for inflammatory comments. What we should be focusing on is the best interests of the Australian people. And that is what they expect us, as their elected representatives, to focus on.
JOURNALIST: But do you think the 'yes' ministers need to step up their activity in view of the fact that the 'no' people have been very high profile at the moment?
MINISTER: Well, watch this space.