Zoe McKenzie MP
Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Early Learning
Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health
Member for Flinders
TRANSCRIPT – SKY NEWS NEWSDAY WITH KIERAN GILBERT
Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Topics: Iranian Ambassador expulsion & IRGC terrorist listing; antisemitism; Porepunkah police shooting; Linda Reynolds defamation case outcome
KIERAN GILBERT: Let’s return to the national news now, and with me, Zoe McKenzie and Andrew Charlton, with the big development, the historical development really, the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador. He’s gone, or he’s going to be expelled within the next couple of days. Do you welcome the, first of all, effectiveness of the agency [ASIO], Zoe, and the swiftness with which the Government has reacted to it and responded to it?
ZOE MCKENZIE: Absolutely, in terms of our intelligence agencies in particular, as someone who used to sit on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, have great faith in what they do and where they’ve been doing it. They’ve been focused on antisemitism for quite some time, there have been many instances that they have had to investigate clearly and deeply, and I believe the Government has responded quickly to the provisional final advice that they believe there was a connection between the Iranian Ambassador or Embassy and two particularly egregious instances of dangerous antisemitism, both in Melbourne and Sydney. So, all faith in our intelligence agencies. Question: could something have been done earlier? Absolutely, there was a Senate Inquiry back in February of [20]23 that pointed to the human rights failings of Iran, it’s a case that both Senator Claire Chandler and my former colleague, Keith Wolahan, had been raising repeatedly in this Parliament, and whether the IRGC should be banned in Australia. I’m glad there’s movement now, but it’s fair to say there could have movement two years ago already.
KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah, well the members of the Coalition had been calling for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to be prescribed as a terrorist group. In hindsight, should it have been done sooner?
ANDREW CHARLTON: No Government has been tougher on the Iranian Regime than this Government. The action that we have taken is the strongest action that the Australian Government has taken against diplomatic post in this country in the post-war period. We received this advice and acted immediately to take this strong action, send a clear message to Iran that Australia will not tolerate this type of activity on our shore.
KIERAN GILBERT: And what’s your message to the Jewish community in Australia? Obviously, it’s been a difficult time in the last little while, and the fact that they’ve been targeted in their own country by a foreign entity is shocking.
ANDREW CHARLTON: Yeah, I mean this is an awful message to the Jewish community in Australia, to know that they have been attacked by a foreign regime on our soil, a place that they have come to make their home, a place where they want to feel safe, they’re raising their families. In my city of Sydney, my heart goes out to the people running the business there in Bondi who are providing a service to the community, good people doing their best, raising their family, and have now become caught up in the actions of a rogue regime around the world, seeking to sow discontent in this country.
KIERAN GILBERT: Is there some reassurance though, in the fact that the Government has been…I know its copped flak from elements of the Jewish community, and leadership, and so on various issues, including the recognition of Palestine. But, in terms of the vigilance in this regard, should there be some reassurance for the members of the Jewish community?
ZOE MCKENZIE: We have been highlighting that there have been myriads of acts of antisemitism since the 7th of October [2023], and we have been constantly asking this Government to act more emphatically to speak out against antisemitism. Again, it has taken the action of the intelligence agencies to make this move, to get the Government to move, but they have moved swiftly, I will grant them that in relation to this particular issue. But there are many other issues of antisemitism that could have done with much stronger leadership by our Prime Ministe in order to say this is just not acceptable in Australia. Of course, I will reiterate what I’ve said before, which is the recognition of Palestine, at this point, seems to be vastly inconsistent with trying to maintain social cohesion and to get rid of antisemitism in our country.
KIERAN GILBERT: Let’s look at the shocking developments in Victoria, northeast Victoria, the death of two police officers. Zoe, first to you on this, this so-called ‘sovereign citizen movement’, criminals really, is what it is, if you’re acting outside the law, and the alleged murder of these two officers by this individual, Dezi Freeman. He’s not a sovereign citizen, he’s an alleged double murderer.
ZOE MCKENZIE: Absolutely, very concerning what’s happening in Victoria. I feel for the families of those two police officers, but I feel for the police that are currently trying to find Mr. Freeman, wherever he is in regional Victoria.
KIERAN GILBERT: I’m just going to go live to Linda Reynolds now, I’ll come back to Andrew Charlton.
[LINDA REYNOLDS DOORSTOP INTERVIEW]
KIERAN GILBERT: We’ve got our panel still here, Zoe McKenzie, Andrew Charlton, great to see you both. Obviously, that was developing news there, it’s been a very difficult time for Member Reynolds. Any reflections on that? Obviously, as I say, its breaking news, hard to keep track of it all.
ZOE MCKENZIE: It’s important for Linda [Reynolds]. This really overshadowed the amazing contribution she had made to the Australian public policy and the Australian Parliament for many years in the Senate, and, indeed, many years before that as a Senior Staff as well. And I’m mindful that it was also particularly difficult for her Chief of Staff, Fiona Brown, who I believe through her testimony proved that she had done everything right. Andrew and I couldn’t hear what was happening in the press conference, so I won’t make any statement about the defamation case and its outcome, only to say I’m glad for Linda [Reynolds] that maybe a line will be drawn on the matter now, and she can get on with her post-Parliamentary life and success.
KIERAN GILBERT: Indeed, yeah, and I’m aware that you both couldn’t hear what was said, but Linda Reynolds did say she felt vindicated by the events of today.
ANDREW CHARLTON: Well, this is an awful chapter in Australian political history, and let’s remember that at the centre of this story is a young woman who was found to have been sexually assaulted not very far from where we’re sitting right now, and everybody who’s been involved in this case has been hurt by it. As Zoe said, I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to comment on what has just happened, but I will say I think this is important to say to the Australian people that in the years since that event took place, a lot of progress has been made in this building, a lot of staff have worked very hard, a lot of politicians on both sides of politics have worked very hard to make this building a safer workplace for everybody who works in it, and I think we should honour that, acknowledge there’s more work to do, but recognise that progress that has been made.
KIERAN GILBERT: Thank you both for your reactions to it, I know that it was a very fluid situation, and we could see that with the cameraperson also struggling to get a still shot, but it is big news so thank you for your immediate reactions to it.
ENDS.
