Oliver Peterson: Australian correspondent on Australia moving to recognise a Palestinian state

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.

It will join other countries like Germany, France and the UK.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he wants a two state solution that recognises Israel and Palestine's right to exist. 

Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says it's likely Australians will be mixed about this statement.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oliver Peterson six PR Perth Live Presenters with us Ali Hey, Heather,
I can not at all a surprise that Albanez has
taken this position.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Right, It's not a surprise, and he said he had
a very short and sharp conversation with Benjamin Etnia who
in the last.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Couple of days.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
But Australia will recognize the right of the Palestinian people
to a state of their own, which is predicated on
the commitments Australias received from the Palestine authority. Prime Minister
arguing that this is the best chance for peace in
Gaza and he will take this to the United Nations
General Assembly in New York next month when that official
recognition will be made. He's made it very clear there

(00:36):
is to be no role of Hamas in any Palestinian
state moving forward. But a big change I suppose in
what Australia is acknowledging a Palestinian state and policy direction
from the governments. Prime Minister though, was saying again that
this is the best chance for peace and that he
will be taking this forward.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Is he going to get broad support for this or not?

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Look, I think he will gets I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
That's a very very good question that you ask, Heather,
because he will get broad support within his own rank
and file. Yes, the opposition is already saying you cannot
do this, and I think Australians are on the fence
with this at the moment. I do believe that a
lot of Australians are very concerned about what he's continuing
to go on in Gaza at the moment. But I

(01:25):
think it's a little bit I hate to say this,
out of side, out of mind for a lot of
Australians at the moment, and it's been going on for
so long that it just it almost unfortunately get swept
under the carpet, which it shouldn't be done. But this
is a bold statement obviously the Prime Minister, and as
I said, he's been under an internal pressure even going
back to the days of the former Foreign Minister Bob Carr.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
He put this forward back in twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
Fourteen at the Labor National Conference and he's been advocating
at every opportunity that this would happen. So I think
it'll be very interesting and when I jump on with
my show a little later today here on six, power'll
be very interesting to hear what the took back in
the feedback's.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Like, did we get much deeper tell on what that
phone call with BB was like.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
No, he wouldn't go into much detail at all, other
than he's had the call. He's let him know what
he thinks and why this is going to happen.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
He said that.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Countries like Australia that as you've heard now Benjamin Etna,
who's come out and criticized Anthony Albanese before that, saying
to have European countries and Australia march into that rabbit
hole just like that.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
He's disappointing and it's actually shameful.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
So Penny Wog our Foreign Minister, she's also been on
the phone to Marco Rubio of the Trump administration to
let him know. And obviously, as we know, we are
in a very interesting situation politically with the Trump administration
over the Orchest Deal. Whether this declaration by the Australian
governments in any way jeopardizes any of that or did
it have any conversations with the Trump administration before Anthony

(02:48):
Albanese he made that call this morning.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
Hey, I am shocked that your evs don't pay road
user charges.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Well, see we're copying you we're copying what you're doing
in New z So we're going to look at that.
We've got that big roundtable, this whole Productivity Commission roundtable
thing that a Jim Chalmers is trying to get everybody
talking about what we can do to make the country
more productive.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
He wants to scrap the fuel excise.

Speaker 2 (03:09):
And put on that road user charge, which I know
you announced in New Zealand just last week. I assume
we're probably going to be basically copying what you are doing,
because that's what we do. New Zealand does something good,
we take it, we do it, we claim it as
our own. So the idea is that we'll get rid
of the fifty one six cents a lead a fuel excise.
And yeah, the EV's obviously, I meant everyone's buying evs

(03:30):
at hybrids at the moment, so you have to pay
a bit more.

Speaker 3 (03:33):
But you know what, I think it's fair. You use
the roads, you pay.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
For it, mate, It's beyond fair. Those things are pothole makers.
I totally think so Holland heavy yees so heavy mate,
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
It's lovely to talk to you.

Speaker 1 (03:44):
As always. Oliver Peterson six pr Perth Live presented.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drave.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
Listen live to News Talk said B from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio