TRANSCRIPT
NEWS24, FIRST EDITION, INTERVIEW WITH PETER STEFANOVIC
Thursday, 17 September 2026
E&OE………………………………
Peter Stefanovic
The Opposition has held a meeting with the former Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi. Angus Taylor and Ted O'Brien were both in the virtual meeting to discuss the current political situation in Iran. Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Ted O'Brien joins us live. So, what's happened here, Ted?
Ted O'Brien
Good morning to you, Pete. Look, it was a very good discussion with Mr. Pahlavi. As you probably know, we've got 93 million Iranians living in a place where they are brutally attacked. In January this year, we had around about 40,000 people killed. 40,000 people killed by the regime that is meant to care for them, and so much as we are rightly focused on the Strait of Hormuz, we're rightly focused on the conflict in the Middle East at the moment, centred on Iran. We've got to remember the human rights issues here, and so we're speaking with Mr. Pahlavi. We're speaking with somebody who has a very clear and loud voice of opposition to the IRGC, the terrorist organisation in Iran. So, it was a positive conversation. It was good to hear his vision for a democratic Iran, and ultimately, our belief is that's a matter for the Iranian people. They need to be in power to decide.
Peter Stefanovic
I guess that's the question I was going to ask: Are you backing this guy in to lead Iran?
Ted O'Brien
No, we're not backing anyone in because our belief is, it's up to the people of Iran. You know, we ourselves, Pete, live in the greatest democracy in the world in Australia, and we have a belief system. One of those beliefs is that people need to be empowered, and so the form of government in a future Iran and who leads in a future Iran is a matter for the Iranian people.
Peter Stefanovic
Okay, and you're inviting him out here?
Ted O'Brien
Yeah, look, we are inviting him out here. Today was a good discussion virtually, and he has accepted our invitation to visit Australia. You know, this has been called for by 1000s of our Iranian Australians, and I think we need to continue to have these discussions about what a new Iran would look like, that's absolutely critical, not just for the people of Iran, but stability in the Middle East, but also the Iranian Australians around the world.
Peter Stefanovic
Okay, Ted, I just got to get your response to this breaking news from Matt Keogh, who has backed down. He says, 'we've been listening carefully, and today the government is taking the proposed $5,000 threshold off the table.' So that's the allied cap. Have you got a thought on that? Just breaking now.
Ted O'Brien
It's welcome news. Clearly, they have been listening carefully to the roar of discontent, especially among the veteran's community, thank you to Michael McCormack and Phil Thompson who took up the fight here in the Parliament. But now they need to do more. They need to scrap their toxic taxes. They need to stop trying to tax businesses, families, retirees, startups. If Labor really wants to listen to the Australian people, scrap the toxic taxes, and back in the Coalition's plan, which is really to deliver the greatest tax cut we would have seen in generations.
Peter Stefanovic
Should that be enough to save the Minister's job? I mean, veterans had called for him to stand aside. Talking about Matt Keogh here.
Ted O'Brien
Oh, look, I think he would be doing the right thing in truth, if he did just stand down, clearly the Prime Minister doesn't have the strength of character to dismiss him. So maybe it is time for he himself just to bow out.
Peter Stefanovic
All right. Well, let's see where that ends up. Ted O'Brien, appreciate that, thank you.
