KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Let's bring in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, live now in Canberra. PM, good morning to you. It's been a dark, dark 48 hours, hasn't it?
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Karl. It certainly has. This was a shocking attack. More than one thousand fighters entering southern Israel and engaging in indiscriminate, killing and murder, as well as capturing citizens, taking them back into Gaza to hold them as hostages. The death toll is quite horrific. More than 600 Israelis and now many Palestinians killed in Gaza as well. This has been a real shock, not just to Israel, but to the world. Hamas deserves to be condemned, and has been by the world for its engagement in this action. Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself, as it will.
SARAH ABO, HOST: Prime Minister. We heard from Senator Wong earlier. She's spoken to her counterpart in Israel. Have you had the chance yet to speak with Benjamin Netanyahu?
PRIME MINISTER: I think the Prime Minister of Israel has the task at hand that he's focused on. We've put in a request for a phone call with the Prime Minister, but I understand that his priority will be organising the defence that needs to occur here. I have spoken to the Israeli Ambassador to Australia, he's there in Israel, as well as to our DFAT officials who are on the ground there. I do say, I'm sure Penny probably gave this number, but Australians concerned about relatives can ring 1300 555 135. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are working with their counterparts to get what information we can. This has been quite a traumatic and devastating period for Israel and for the world.
STEFANOVIC: No matter what way you look at it, it's just horrendous what has happened. There are thousands and thousands of Aussies in Israel at the moment. What are the plans for support and maybe moving towards getting them out if they desire, but also in terms of support for Israel?
PRIME MINISTER: We'll provide whatever support is needed for Australian citizens, as Australia always does. We've provided political support for Israel, which is what the request has been at this time. And I think across the political spectrum here, this isn't a partisan issue. This is one where clearly Hamas has been the aggressor here and has chosen, obviously, over a long period of time, an attack like this requires substantial planning. In addition as well, the concern about thousands of rockets being shot into Israel, a very dangerous escalation could occur here as well. There's reports as well of Hezbollah firing rockets into Israel. So, this is a very dangerous time in a volatile part of the world.
ABO: We've seen absolutely horrific, devastating scenes, hostages being taken. Penny Wong urged restraint yesterday. Prime Minister, do you agree with her?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, of course Israel will defend itself, but of course there should always be restraint when it comes to the targeting of civilians. And everyone engaged in this exercise should make sure that they bear that in mind. But Israel, of course, has to respond here to this attack on their land and it is quite an extraordinary situation. This is the most devastating day in 50 years.
STEFANOVIC: PM you might have heard last night in Lakemba, Palestinian protesters gathered. The tone was one of the people there, you can see there, his tone was pretty celebratory. Your reaction to that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, there's nothing to celebrate by the murder of innocent civilians, going about their day. Some of those who've been captured were young people attending a rave, enjoying life, enjoying each other's company. There's nothing to celebrate here.
ABO: Yeah, it's absolutely awful. Alright, let's come back home now. And it's going to be a very big week for your team and Yes campaigners. Pollsters across the country for weeks and months now have been saying that the Voice is done. Do you have any regrets in the wake of that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, what we're doing is taking the request from Indigenous Australians to give Australians the opportunity to vote Yes to two simple things: recognition of First Australians in our constitution, we're the only country in the world that doesn't recognise our first peoples in our founding document, the only former colony, and secondly, to have a non binding advisory committee. There's nothing to fear here, everything to gain, because if we keep doing the same thing, we should expect the same outcomes. So, by listening and getting that engagement with Indigenous Australians you will get better outcomes. And you'll get something else as well, you'll get responsibility for those outcomes. I want to do things with Indigenous Australians rather than to them or for them with the best of intentions, that's what's been happening for over 100 years. And we know that there are just such wide gaps which aren't being closed in so many areas.
STEFANOVIC: PM, the pollsters are saying it's done effectively. The majority of Aussies still don't even know what they are voting for. They just don't buy what you are selling. Do you take responsibility for that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Karl, this is not done. What I won't do is pre-empt the Australian people. We have five days in which Australians can have a look at what the question is. The constitutional change is very clear. It just says recognition, says there'll be a body, it may give advice on matters affecting Indigenous Australians and the Parliament remains supreme. So the advice will go up, all the Parliament and Government, the decision-making process doesn't change. But you get better outcomes if it's an informed decision making process, which is what this is about. There's been a whole lot of misinformation out there. It's hard to change the Constitution, we know that that's the case, only 8 out of 44. But this has been a request for a long period of time. John Howard was talking about Indigenous recognition in our Constitution back in 2007. Successive Coalition governments have said they would do something, under Ken Wyatt as the Minister under the Morrison Government, was elected in 2019 and nothing happened. And as Paul Kelly is singing, if not now, when? When are we going to get around to recognising first Australians in our Constitution? It's a modest request.
STEFANOVIC: It doesn't sound like you're in a real celebratory mood in regards to the Voice. Still some days to go. It looks to be having a negative impact on your party's support, too. Are you collateral damage in all of this?
PRIME MINISTER: Not at all. This is about an idea, not about an individual. I'm a conviction politician, Karl. I have my values. I say what they are. And you know the other thing that we do, Karl, I said multiple times in the lead up to the last election that we would have a referendum. We are doing so. I say what I'll do and then I do what I say.
STEFANOVIC: All right, PM. Good to talk to you this morning. Appreciate it.