E&OE TRANSCRIPT
SUBJECTS: Vandalism at electorate offices
KARL STEFANOVIC, HOST: Now to breaking news at home, you're looking at an image right now of Bill Shorten's office in Melbourne, which, as you can see, has just been hit by graffiti.
SARAH ABO, HOST: And Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten joins us now, Bill good morning. Thank you for joining us. When did this attack happen, do you know?
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: It was spotted by the Australian Federal Police at 4:30 in the morning. So, it must have happened at some point in nighttime before 4:30 in the morning. This is just, you know, crude vandalism. The real issue, vandalism at the end of the day, never hurt anyone. The real issues are, of course, the dreadful scenes we're seeing in Gaza and Israel. But I don't know why people think that carrying on and escalating aggro in this country helps people in the Middle East, or indeed helps the case you're trying to make in Australia, it just turns people off. This is not the Australian way.
STEFANOVIC: Bill, there have been a couple of other offices and other shops in the area which have also been vandalised, all at a time when everyone is calling for the heat to be taken out of this, how are we going to do that?
SHORTEN: Well, by calling out stupid behaviour. I think the reference to “dial it down” was I said on a radio interview that I thought that everyone needs to dial down the aggro in Australia. That's not a judgment about what's happening in the Middle East. People are entitled to have very strong views at the shocking scenes that they're seeing and the distress they're feeling. There's nothing wrong with calling for peace in the Middle East. That's fine. But what Australians don't want, in my opinion, is to have those arguments transmitted here on, you know, higher and higher escalation. I've been in protests and demonstrations. I understand the power of protest. That's democratic. But there is a line and people in Australia don't want the arguments over there being brought to Australia. Not that people shouldn't express views about what's happening, but who do you convince by putting cowardly, gutless graffiti on an office? I can tell you what, in my area most people will say, what are they doing? Turns people off, not on.
STEFANOVIC: Bill Shorten, appreciate your time today. Thank you so much.
SHORTEN: Thank you.