The Project

WALEED ALY: The Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne is fresh from meetings in Washington and joins us from Adelaide, Minister, thank you very much for your time. This is all starting to sound a bit scary. We know that North Korea has been testing its nuclear capacity for some time now. Do we actually know what they're capable of?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well good evening Waleed. Congratulations on your 2,000th episode. I've been on a few, it's a terrific show.

Well, we know that within a couple of years unchecked, North Korea will probably have the capability to hit continental US and Australia with nuclear warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles, so it's a very serious issue, probably the most serious hot spot in the world, certainly for Japan and South Korea, Australia, the US and China; it’s our number one concern. And the number one country that can do something about it is China.

STEVE PRICE: So defence has briefed you and said if this capability is realised that they could actually hit Australia. What part of Australia would they be able to reach?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well, I wouldn't be revealing any of the briefings I've had from defence, but I can tell you that the expectation is within a couple of years, if we don't check their growth of their missile testing and their missile capability, they will be able to hit the western US, and northern Australia. So it's obviously critical to us to work closely with the United States and Japan and South Korea to make sure they don't have that capability. And China, which is the country that the Hermit Kingdom has been closely aligned with over many, many decades, they have a key responsibility to use their influence and leverage to ensure North Korea is as good an international citizen as they're capable of being, obviously they're coming off a pretty low base.

PETER HELLIAR: So what do we do to defend ourselves? Is it time we built some nukes? You're the Minister, let's get involved, bring jobs into SA, don't worry about the submarines, Mick Fanning can't defend us all. What are we doing?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Well we are increasing our capability by $195 billion over the next ten years Pete and only this week I announced a surface to air missile defence system costing $2 billion that we would have operational in Australia which will protect our deployed personnel and bases, potentially in Northern Australia. We obviously have a missile defence capability in Australia. We've obviously looked after ourselves for some time. Our Joint Strike Fighters, our Frigates, Air Warfare Destroyers, the submarines when they come online and the Collins Class that’s there now, they have are interoperable with each other and the United State so we’re a very well defended nation but what we need to do in the immediate term is try and bring North Korea under control as much as that’s possible and therefore we support the United States in their very firm rhetoric and actions and call on China to take the necessary action to protect the world from an unpredictable North Korea.

CARRIE BICKMORE: Well Christopher this is all very terrifying, so let's end on a happy note before we let you go. Thanks for contributing to some of the episodes over the last 2,000 episodes; I know Pete is very thankful that you’re part of our show.

PETER HELLIAR: Yes, You've always been part of the front "liiinnneeee" of this show. (LAUGHTER)

CARRIE BICKMORE: Have you got a favourite moment Christopher?

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I think the beanie moment, when you made me wear that for the whole of the show was fun, it was a fun moment.

CARRIE BICKMORE: You chose to.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: I think that was a very good charity thing to do and I've enjoyed my interactions with Steve Price, particularly the last one.

CARRIE BICKMORE: Well, we welcome you back on the desk Christopher. We will leave it there. Thank you so much for your time.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE: Pleasure.