Interview with Jonesy and Amanda - WSFM 101.7

AMANDA: Our Foreign Minister Julie Bishopjoins us now to explain the history of the universe for us all. Good morningJulie.

JULIE BISHOP: Good morning, great to be with you both.

JONESY: Great to have you, touring the facilities, picking up slack.

JULIE BISHOP: All of that.

AMANDA: So, what does it mean? When they say it is solving a very big anddangerous problem, I know that Kim Jong-un has before made these claims andbacked out of them, is this the great news we want it to be?

JULIE BISHOP: It is most certainly an historic event notonly because it is the first time a sitting US President has met with a NorthKorean Leader, but it is also the first positive development involving NorthKorea in over a decade, building on that earlier meeting between the SouthKorean President and Kim Jong-un. North Korea has committed to completedenuclearisation and a lasting and stable peace on the Korean Peninsula. I amcautiously optimistic that the goals can be achieved but we now have to seeNorth Korea actually take genuine concrete steps to dismantle its illegal ballisticmissile and nuclear weapons programs. We have got to remember that North Koreais in defiance of numerous UN Security Council resolutions that ban it fromcarrying out ballistic missile tests or developing a nuclear weapons programand it has done both over recent years.

JONESY: When was the last time KimJong-un was out of the country? I know he went to school in Switzerland orsomething when he was young, but when was the last time he was out of thecountry?

JULIE BISHOP: Overseas sightings are very rare. He hastravelled to China, you'll recall he travelled on a train to China, and then hemet with President Moon at the Demilitarised Zone between North and SouthKorea. But this would be one of the rare outings and that is what made it sucha spectacle, to see President Trump meet with Kim Jong-un in Singapore. The sightseeingthe evening before was truly remarkable. The serious aspect of this is NorthKorea has posed a threat, not only to our region, but globally. The instabilityit causes by having a nuclear weapon program, the ballistic missile testingover the Sea of Japan - these pose real threats. Now President Trump hasbrought him to the negotiating table and that in major part was as a result ofthe sanctions that were imposed on North Korea. These economy-wide sanctionsover the last nine months have really started to bite, probably the NorthKorean elites in particular, and that is why Kim Jong-un has come to thenegotiating table, but there is a very long way to go. One summit meeting wasnever going to achieve everything and there are many other issues that need tobe discussed over coming months, possibly years.

AMANADA: President Trump has said that heand Kim Jong-un have developed a very special bond and that he wants to inviteKim to the White House. This is in the same week that one of the PresidentTrump's aids has said that Justin Trudeau earns a special place in hell. Sohe's courting North Korea and yet he is having trouble with his allies?

JULIE BISHOP: There is a lot of hyperbole around atpresent. The US and Canada are debating trade issues and I hope they resolvethem as soon as possible. They are the closest and dearest allies, andneighbours, as well and I am sure that they will resolve those trade tensions. Butwhat we are dealing with in the case of North Korea is a regime that has poseda risk to the world and President Trump has at least got Kim Jong-un to thenegotiating table. We now want to see the concrete, genuine steps that NorthKorea will take to complete a denuclearisation and that can then hopefully leadto a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. But I emphasise we would want tosee North Korea to make a commitment to do this and then do it. They have beendown this path before. They have made agreements. They have even hadindependent inspectors into North Korea and then they have kicked them out. Thisis the opportunity for North Korea to change its ways.

JONESY: Foreign Minister, can you do a favour for me, if you don't mind?Last night on A Current Affair, they had a Kim Jong-un impersonator –

AMANDA: I am sure it was the real thing.

JONESY: No, it wasn't, it was a guy that looked like Kim Jong-un-

AMANADA: It looked very much like him.

JONESY: Endorsing Tracey Grimshaw to win a Gold Logie. Have a listen.

AMANDA: Kim Jong-un endorsed Tracey!

JONSEY: Amanda has gone mental on this. Because she is…

JULIE BISHOP: Amanda wants President Trump?

JONESY: She has been nominated for a Gold Logie. All morning she's had herhead in her hand saying it's all over.

AMANDA: It's all over, Kim Jong-un's done it.

JONESY: No, but I'm just saying, if the Foreign Minister Julie Bishopendorsed you-

AMANDA: I would relax entirely.

JONESY: That would be better than a KimJong-un impersonator.

AMANDA: Very much so.

JULIE BISHOP: But you don't want a Julie Bishopimpersonator, you actually want me to do it.

JONESEY: We want the real deal.

AMANDA: The real thing.

JONESEY: I want the whole thing.

AMANDA: It would mean a lot to me, justto say, 'Amanda for gold'.

JULIE BISHOP: Amanda for gold.

JONESY: So, there you go. See?

AMANDA: Foreign Minister, you've made myday.

JONESY: Now, will you shut up about it?

AMANDA: I think he was talking to me then, not you.

JULIE BISHOP: I hope so. I took it as directed to you, buthey, you never know.

JONESY: Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop. Thank you so much for joining us.You're welcome back any time.

JULIE BISHOP: That's wonderful and I am looking forward toseeing you up there on the stage getting that Logie.

AMANDA: How great are you. Thank you so much.

JONESY: It's a lot. It's happening.

JULIE BISHOP: Bye Amanda.

AMANDA: Thank you.

JONESY: Thanks Julie. Julie Bishop there.