Q: Prime Minister before the Janes report, did Australia know that Russia had made a request to station planes in Indonesia? And my second question is, on the weekend, [WA premier] Roger Cook said that Australia’s the Liberals’ aggressive diplomacy led to the economic coercion. Is that true? Was the Australian government of the time responsible for China’s economic coercion, or was China responsible for that?

Albanese:

On the first issue I don’t intend to run a complete running commentary, but what we what we do know, what we do know is what the Indonesian government have said themselves, which is that this is not being….

Q: My question about the request

Albanese:

You’re assuming the Janes report is correct, and there is no basis for you assuming that secondly…

Q: Are you saying a request was never made?

Albanese:

I’m saying, I’ll act diplomatically with our friends in Indonesia. That’s what I’m saying. I on the second issue.

China is, of course, responsible for actions which China took. China is responsible.

But I make this point as well that some of the rhetoric that was given by the Australian government was not conducive towards having a constructive relationship and the 20 per cent of or $20 billion of trade impediments hurt Australian jobs. It hurt the lobster industry, for example, in Geraldton.

It hurt the barley industry in South Australia and in the other eastern states as well. It hurts so many industries, in the wine industry, in Tasmania, the Hunter Valley, South Australia, Margaret River, we have engaged in a way diplomatically, where, when our approach to China is to co operate where we can, to deal respectfully, to not dial things up to 11 at every opportunity, to disagree where we must, and we do so disagree on a range of issues.

We have different political systems, but we deal like adults in our international relations. This isn’t and we don’t.

We don’t ever try to seek domestic political points through our international diplomacy, which is one of the reasons why we don’t go into relations between other countries, including Russia and Indonesia have had, of course, a different relationship from the relationship between Australia and Russia over a long period of time.

We understand that. We don’t comment on all of that detail.

What we do is we act in Australia’s national interest, which is also, might I say, at this uncertain time in the world, Australia has an opportunity to play a role as adults in the room at a time where there is uncertainty, in global markets, in our economy, in International Relations, in so many areas as well. We’re respected around the world as a middle power.

That is how I have acted, and that is how I will continue to act.