Joint transcript, E&OE, proof only
Minister for Foreign Affairs, The Hon Kevin Rudd MP
Attorney-General, The Hon Robert McClelland MP
Parliament House, Canberra
Subjects: Middle East; ALP review.
4.30PM, Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Minister Rudd: Both the Attorney General and I have just been speaking to the New Zealand Foreign and Minister and Foreign Minister McCully about the needs which New Zealand has at this terrible time.
The Attorney-General will speak to what Australia is doing to support our Kiwi friends and I'll begin by outlining what we are doing in terms of consular assistance for Australians who are in New Zealand or specifically in Christchurch at this time.
First of all, in terms of numbers, we currently have 350 registered as being in Christchurch. We have an estimated 8000 Australians in the Canterbury region, of which Christchurch is part.
The Australian High Commission in Wellington is seeking urgently to confirm the safety and welfare of Australians registered in and around Christchurch and has commenced contacting registered Australians.
We would urge all Australians who have not yet registered to do so because it enables us to confirm their wellbeing. If people have concerns for the welfare of Australian family members and friends in Christchurch the first step should be to contact them directly. If you are unable to contact them and still hold fears for their welfare, you should then contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - 24 hour consular emergency centre on 1300 555 135 . That centre is being augmented with staff progressively during the course of the day. It is now operational.
If you are in New Zealand you should cal +61 2 6261 3305 . That is the consular emergency centre, or the High Commission on +64 473 6411. Reflecting the degree of concerns which Australians have about loved ones in New Zealand, the consular emergency centre has so far received more than 2000 calls in the first few hours of operation, that is as of 3:45pm today.
Finally I'd report that I have discussed the circumstances on the ground in Christchurch with the Australian Deputy High Commissioner who is there for other purposes with two other embassy staff.
They will now disengage from their pre-existing responsibilities in Christchurch and they will move to the centre of the city to establish a temporary crisis centre for Australians in downtown Christchurch. That is underway. We don't have details as to where yet, we do not have details as to when they will be able to officially commence operation but there are three staff and we will deploy them for these purposes.
Attorney-General: Yes, as a result of making contact with New Zealand officials, Australia will be sending over, in the next few hours, an advance rescue team and that will be followed up over the course of tonight. It's 6:30pm New Zealand time now, those will be followed up during the course of tonight with a heavy urban search and rescue team from NSW. It will be a total of 70 strong of expert search, rescue, medical and engineering specialists and abilities including search dogs despatched to that team it will be available and ready to undertake duties at first light tomorrow morning in New Zealand.
South Australian and Queensland have also offered search and rescue capability and it is likely that we will work with them to have a second team available in the hours following that.
In addition, we have indicated that should additional medical assistance be required that there are those resources available, that will be able to send over medical expertise including nursing, surgeons and other medical staff but we're waiting for confirmation from New Zealand as to whether that is required. I should also indicate that as always the Australian Defence Force is proving every assistance in transporting our emergency teams over to New Zealand.
But essentially the message we have given our counterparts in New Zealand is that we are here and ready to give them any assistance that is required and they have of course expressed their appreciation.
Rudd: Before taking any questions, in the conversation we've just had with the New Zealand Foreign Minister we also indicated that the principle we would apply would be subject to their wishes to maximally deploy all assets that we have to New Zealand as a matter of urgency tonight.
Given that we know in these circumstances that time is of the essence. That is now being worked through between Emergency Management Australia and it's new Zealand counterpart and that all relevant deployable assets in Australia are either ready, being made ready or in that state of readiness.
The Foreign Minister agreed with that principle, our agreement was not knowing the precise dimensions of the destruction on the ground that it was far better to throw everything at it and if we subsequently discover that we have thrown too much at it nothing is lost. If we subsequently discover we've not thrown enough at it then I'd rather not have to answer that question.
Ok over to you if you have any questions.
Journalist: Could you say what the most deployable assets are?
Attorney-General: Yes it will include the equipment for shoring up buildings, engineering expertise, it will include obviously those with search and rescue capabilities with the abilities to send down microphones on tubes, microphones and cameras down into crevices, sophisticated sound devises to listen for noise in any collapsed building. And as I've mentioned rescue dogs - as I say they're fully equipped and they're self sustainable for a period of ten days and include the rescue engineering expertise as well as doctors as well for assistance.
I could also indicate that Emergency Management Australia is part of that advance team and the Government is sending over two liaison officers that will assist in the coordination of further assistance which may be required.
Journalist: What is the status of the airport, are you able to get flight in tonight and is the airport fully functional?
Attorney-General: The advice I have is that they're still checking that out but they are hopeful that the tarmac itself if even though not all the buildings and facilities are up and running. So Defence are still scoping as to whether the defence aircraft down on the tarmac if not they will go to a nearby airport.
Rudd: There is a nearby airport which was mentioned before. They are anticipating incoming flights this evening and flights which cannot be physically landed in Christchurch will be landed in the adjacent airport and based on the dimensions of the aircraft which was heading that way I assume therefore from what we've been told that the strip is capable of sustaining large aircraft.
What has I think horrified both Robert and myself, looking at the television which all of you would have been looking at as well, when you have so many large building which have collapsed like wedding cakes into rubble, and it's the middle of a working day we have great fears. Hence the Attorney's predisposition, certainly the Prime Minister's predisposition and my predisposition is to throw everything forward as rapidly as possible.
Journalist: Christchurch hospitals have been swamped and some of them have been damaged. Will Australian hospital beds be available if needed?
Attorney-General: We've indicated that assistance would be available if needed. And they will let us know if that is needed but the initial indications are that it may well be that our medical professionals will be sent over there. As opposed to transporting injured people from New Zealand to Australia but that would also be available if necessary.
Journalist: Have you been given any indication of fatality numbers at this stage?
Rudd: Not formally. I've seen the reported numbers attributed to Prime Minister Key but we have not had official numbers conveyed to us. In adding to Robert's answer before the bottom line of this Government is that these are our New Zealand mates and we therefore we pull all stops out, and beds or whatever. And they know that and we're trying to push as much forward and e as supportive behind the scenes as possible.
Attorney-General: I can say that we're pretty integrated - the New Zealand Emergency Management Minister John Carter sits with State and Territory Emergency Management Ministers on our natural disaster preparations, they undertake exercises and regularly communicate with each other so the emergency responders are able to work together very comfortably. So in that sense we will be able to get on the ground and get working very quickly.
Journalist: It is known there is a female sporting team in Christchurch. Do we know specifics on groups of Australians, specific groups that are missing, unaccounted for?
Rudd: No at this stage and we are always careful about the release of such information until we confirm things but we have received no reports of which I am aware. It is good and important that we happen to have three consular staff in Christchurch, albeit for other purposes. Full time for this task. Also based on this information we have phone lines down. That's land lines and we also have electricity to practically the entire city based on advice.
I'm sure our consular team will do a professional job as they always do in circumstances such as this.
Journalist: Do... as to how many Australian are holidaying in the region?
Rudd: That data always provides two things: 1. Those who are formally registered and 2. The Department's - based on embassy advice - best estimate. The first number is the one I mentioned before. Some 345 I think 350.
But frankly what we're worried about is we have 8000 Australians who are estimated to be in and around that part of the world.
We all go to New Zealand; we all go to the South Island. It's a wonderful part of the world so here we are at the end of our summer, they'll be truckloads there. So we're worried and obviously we're throwing everything at it on a consular side and Robert on the search and rescue side.
Journalist: re there any plans to ... foreign nations...
Rudd: We have the usual arrangements in place with Missions, with countries who don't have Missions in New Zealand. They will all be deployed. This is a large scale humanitarian disaster and we need to act as one.
The good thing with our Kiwi mates, as Robert said before, is from the Emergency Management side it's fairly seamless and from the political side it's fairly seamless. I think the thing we're up against is ...of what's occurred.
Journalist: Have Consul's assistance been able to contact anyone registered?
Rudd: My advice is they are in the process of so doing. Remember that we bearing mind also I'll head down there to the crisis centre at the Department of Foreign Affairs straight after this. We are also wrestling with the volume of incoming calls from concerned Australians. As I've said over 2000 calls in the first few hours. That's why when you're reporting really emphasise 1. Try and ring yourself. 2. Here are the DFAT numbers 3. If you are in New Zealand here are the other two sets of numbers. Just getting that basic information out to folks really helps.
Ok folks are you ok with that?
Journalist: Just Minister on Libya, have you met with the Libyan Ambassador to Australia today and what's your understanding of his status {inaudible}?
Rudd: I directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to call in the Ambassador to register our absolute condemnation of the use of violence in the streets of Benghazi and Tripoli and furthermore indicated to the Ambassador that we expect international norms to be adhered to.
Your question goes to the status of the individual concerned - that is the Ambassador - and I know there have been reported statements via the Cultural Counsellor at the Libyan Embassy.
My advice is that the Libyan Embassy continues to function with a representative of the Libyan Government and further enquiries on that matter should be directed in the first instance to the Embassy itself.
Journalist: Has the Cultural Counsellor Dr Sven sought political asylum or any sort of assistance from the Australian Government?
Rudd: I sought advice on this matter just prior to coming here. And the advice I have is that we have no such request at this time. Let's just be very clear about it - we've had Libyan diplomats around the world walking away from their government and I believe for entirely understandable reasons... disassociating themselves with the extraordinary measures that have been taken on the streets, the slaughter of unarmed civilians.
But on the specific circumstances here, it is as I've just answered the question.
Journalist: If Dr Sven sought assistance, what sort of assistance would the Australian Government give?
Rudd: Well we have a full and proper process concerning requests for asylum in general and what's often referred to as political asylum in particular. Those processes will be applied as they're applied in all such circumstances. And we go through the rules, as we would in any such case and whether it's from the individuals you refer to or any others.
Thanks folks.
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