Channel 7 Sunrise, Canberra - interview with Natalie Barr

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NATALIE BARR Your main focus at the moment of course, the fate of the Bali Nine pair Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, their latest legal appeal was rejected yesterday. You have met both Bali Nine parents. How did that affect you personally?

JULIE BISHOP Well it's not about how it affects me. My concern is that two young Australian citizens who committed grievous crimes but have now been rehabilitated in the most remarkable way should have their lives spared. And I am appealing to President Widodo and to the Indonesian people to show mercy. They are generous and forgiving people and I hope that they will extend that to these two young men who are making a valuable contribution to prison life in Indonesia.

They have been rehabilitated over ten years in the Indonesian prison system and they are now giving back. Mr Chan is now a trained priest, he is providing spiritual guidance and support to other prisoners. Mr Sukumaran is now an accomplished artist, he is taking painting classes, including master classes. So they are making a valuable contribution to the rehabilitation of other prisoners. Ten years after their very grave crime, I believe they should be given a second chance. So that's my focus.

NATALIE BARR It looks bad though, doesn't it? With all these appeals failing? If they are executed, what will your next move be as Foreign Minister with Indonesia?

JULIE BISHOP Nat, I am focussing on seeking a permanent stay of execution for the two men and I'm not thinking about what would happen if we don't achieve that. There are, of course, options available to us and other countries whose nationals have been executed have taken certain steps. But our focus at present is to ensure that we are providing all the appropriate consular support to the men and to their families and that we are making the appropriate representations at all levels of the Indonesian Government.

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