TED O’BRIEN
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FAIRFAX
TRANSCRIPT
NEWS24
FIRST EDITION, INTERVIEW WITH PETER STEFANOVIC
11 August 2026
E&OE………………………………
Peter Stefanovic
Shadow Foreign Minister, Ted O'Brien is here with us now. If it is a hold, I think it's a 97% chance today, Ted, that the RBA holds. So, there's a three there, so Warren Hogan and he's in the 3%, but what does that mean if it is a hold?
Ted O'Brien
Well, Pete, I think on one hand people might celebrate the fact that it's not going up further, but let's not forget that you know the average mortgage holder is paying around $30,000 more under the Albanese government. $30,000 more, the average mortgage holder, because interest rates have gone up so high, and why have they gone up? It's because the government keeps spending money. So, look, here's hoping for mortgage holders across the country that rate doesn't go up further, but it doesn't take away the need for the government to stop its spending spree because inflation is still well above that 2.5% target that the bank has.
Peter Stefanovic
Okay, let's race through a couple of policies here, Ted. Migration. Is a deal done between Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor. Pardon me. Not on migration. I'm sorry, I made a mistake there. Not migration, gambling. Gambling is a deal done?
Ted O'Brien
Hell of a news flash, Pete. We are so far apart on immigration. I tell you, they just open the doors and let everyone in. The more, the merrier for the Labor Party. That's not our view. I promise you.
Peter Stefanovic
Okay, on to gambling. Is it a deal close to being done?
Ted O'Brien
Well, certainly the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader have been meeting. The Coalition's been very constructive on this, but there's more discussions yet to be had. Of course, we'll be talking with colleagues too in the party room. But the way that we come at this, Pete, is as liberals do. I mean, we believe in in personal choice, the freedom to choose. So, you know, it's not a sin to punt. But at the same time, we recognise that gambling can have harmful effects. We believe in the importance of families, so footy time has got to be family time. So, we've got to protect children, and we believe in law and order, which is why we want to make sure there is not predatory inducements, you know, illegal behaviour. So, there's some of the basic principles we're applying as constructive discussions.
Peter Stefanovic
I guess, and I was talking to Dan Tehan about this yesterday, Ted, about inducements and bonus bets, and we've you know, we compared notes. What we've benefited from them in the past, but I mean, the Greens wanted them gone entirely. And if there's going to be change there on inducements, where do you draw the line there? How do you have some and not others?
Ted O'Brien
Yes, and this is why you need to ensure that we've got these discussions going on because there's a big difference between you know a predatory illegal inducement, as you've seen some of the reporting. You know people being offered drugs and you know sexual favours, all these sorts of things, and basically a straight out promotion that the average punter you know might say, “oh yes that's a good idea, I might do that.” I don't think I think there are two you know, ends of the spectrum there, but of course it's everything in the middle, right? And that's why you need these fulsome discussions. That's why we're being so constructive.
Peter Stefanovic
Let's go to Pauline Hanson, Jonno Duniam, he said that he's open to Pauline Hanson's returned fighters bill. As I mean, he's in the Conservative side of the Liberal Party. You're on the moderate, are you with him?
Ted O'Brien
We are absolutely open to be working with anyone who's going to make Australians safe, Pete.
Peter Stefanovic
So you're open to Pauline Hanson's bill here?
Ted O'Brien
We are open to working with anybody who is going to make Australia safer. I don't sort of particularly care where they come from, and that's always been the case, and I mean Angus Taylor has made that very clear too. Australians are feeling unsafe, and if you look at the Jewish Australian community in particular, it has been abhorrent their treatment. We have a real problem in this country. We have a government that is lacking any moral compass, a government that does not know the importance of this issue to the Australian people. Now, of course, we're developing our own policies. Yeah, if somebody brings something forward, yeah, if someone brings something forward, that's okay. But we're not going to be political about it. We're just going to do what's right for the Australian people.
Peter Stefanovic
Yeah, I mean, and I raise that because I mean, I've spoken to other members of the Liberal Party in recent weeks, and they said, "Well, no, we're not going to get behind that because we've got our own one. So, One Nation can get with us." Now it seems like you're open to going over their side.
Ted O'Brien
Well, we're yet to see all the detail, right? So, if at the end of the day ours is a better bill, of course we'll be pursuing ours over it. But I think the right thing to do by Australia is not to be overly political on these issues. If somebody wants to genuinely bring forward a bill, absolutely, let's engage in good faith. Have a look at it.
Peter Stefanovic
There you go. All right, you're trying to mend bridges with the Chinese diaspora here, declaring today, Ted, that politicians have a moral responsibility to protect Chinese Australians from Beijing's political pressure. Just as they must shield Jews from anti-Semitism, can you elaborate on that?
Ted O'Brien
Well, Pete, it's not mending ties so much as ensuring that Chinese Australians know that they're not alone should Beijing decide to extend its long arm into Australia. There's been a lot of concern at the moment from you know Australians who are from Chinese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Mongolian, Tibetan backgrounds about some new laws from the People's Republic of China that basically suggests that China's new ethnicity laws will allow it to define sovereignty beyond its borders. Now this implies that Beijing might be able to target people in a country like Australia, who they deem to be ethnically Chinese. It's vitally important that Chinese Australians know that the rest of Australia stands with them. They are equally Australian, and the values that unite us as a country of freedom, equality, of fair go-that applies to Chinese Australians as much as it applies to anyone else.
Peter Stefanovic
This sounds like lessons learned from the last election, Ted.
Ted O'Brien
Well, that that might be political commentary, Pete, from you, but this is this is serious stuff, to be honest with you. And when you do talk to people from these diaspora communities, you do realize how frightened some of them are.
Peter Stefanovic
Okay, I've got to go. But have you done the census yet? You finished.
Ted O'Brien
Sorry, have I done a census? No, I haven't. But I'm really looking forward to it.
