KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Donald Trump has just responded to Iran’s attack on a US military base in Qatar. He’s declared the strike was a weak response, saying he hopes Iran got it out of their system, and there will hopefully be no further hate.
SARAH ABO, HOST: Health Minister Mark Butler joins us live now from Sydney to discuss this and other matters. Good morning to you, Minister.
So, we have seen those developments overnight. Your calls, the government’s calls for de-escalation seem to perhaps be falling on deaf ears. Do you condemn Iran’s attack on the US base in Dohar?
MARK BUTLER, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGEING, MINISTER FOR DISABILITY AND THE NDIS: We do. The Australian Government does condemn this latest attack. We’re pleased at reports there are no casualties from the attack, but again, urge the Iranians to return to the table. It’s important for them but also for the region and the broader international community that we see a de-escalation in this conflict. Iran cannot be in a position where there’s the threat of a full-blown war or further escalation here. It now behoves them to return to the table.
STEFANOVIC: I’m glad you’ve got a position. I thought it might take you 24 hours.
BUTLER: We’ve got a clear position. The Prime Minister said as clearly as he possibly could yesterday we support the US strikes on the nuclear capability. This was a grievous threat to the region and to the globe more broadly, and so destroying that nuclear capability is something we do support. But we don’t want to see any further escalation. And Iran must return to the table and work with partners in the region, but also the Americans and the Europeans on a way forward to peace.
ABO: You must accept, though, Mark, that it does look weak when you come out 24 hours later with a strong position, as the Prime Minister did on behalf of the government. It's good to see you come out so strongly again straightaway this morning. Off the back of Trump's reaction, he says he expected this and countered this attack. Did Australia have any advance warnings of this strike? We have a base in the UAE, as you know. Is there any concern there?
BUTLER: Well, this happened overnight. I'm not aware of those reports. We don't comment on the location of our forces in that region. I do know that there were no casualties, Australian casualties, no broader casualties, as I understand it, from this attack. But, you know, we were very clear on Sunday. We made a statement from the government about the US attack on the Iranian nuclear capability, and the Prime Minister could not have been clearer yesterday.
STEFANOVIC: Look, just an update for those worried about loved ones in Israel and Iran. Does the prospect of peace bring about the prospect of them being rescued earlier?
BUTLER: We're working really hard on any opportunity to get people out of Iran and also Israel, but obviously as I think your viewers would understand this is really, really difficult. We've got about 3000 Australians registered for assistance to depart Iran and more than a thousand from Israel. We've been trying to do all that we can particularly in land crossings. We had a flight we thought might be able to leave Israel yesterday but because of the security situation that wasn't able to happen again, but our foreign affairs staff are working day and night to explore every possible opportunity to help Australians get out of there.
ABO: Alright, as always follow that advice on Smartraveller. Mark, let's swing to your portfolio now, shall we? And you have some very good news for Australians living with cystic fibrosis.
BUTLER: I'm so excited to be with patients and families again this morning to celebrate another expansion of the listing of this wonder drug Trikafta on the PBS. I mean, this just adds life expectancy, years and years of life expectancy, but allows kids to return to school and adults to return to work instead of facing a daily regimen of gruelling therapy and dozens and dozens of tablets. This has genuinely transformed people's lives, and as I said, added years and years to their life expectancy. But it's not cheap, it costs about a quarter of a million dollars every year. So listing it on the PBS is just again another demonstration the importance of our medicine system. So I'm really looking forward to celebrating with those kids and their families and their doctors.
STEFANOVIC: Good work, Mark.
ABO: Yeah, it'll make a big difference. Thanks Mark.