I mean, this is an incident which is being wrought upon innocent civilians and it is an act of terrorism. I think it's justified in seeking to protect and liberate its citizens and to act against Hamas. MARLES: Well, I think Israel is justified in acting to defend itself in this moment. TRILLING: The Israeli Defense Minister has ordered the complete siege of Gaza, the cutting off of food, fuel and electricity. We are reticent, as you would understand, to talk about individual cases, but we are very much monitoring the situation and trying ascertain the safety of Australians who are currently in Israel. We don't have any reports at this point around any Australians being killed or hospitalised. There's about 10,000 Australians who live in Israel, a number of them are dual nationals and there will be other Australians who are there as tourists. MARLES: Well, obviously we're working very closely with our Embassy in Israel to ascertain the safety of Australians. TRILLING: Do you have any updated information about whether any Australians are caught up in this on the ground? In this moment, we very much stand in solidarity with the people of Israel. MARLES: Well, this is a tragic act of terrorism which has seen the loss of, at this point, more than 900 innocent lives and Hamas needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms because these are acts of profound evil. Firstly, your reaction to the latest events in Israel and Gaza? RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: Good afternoon, Jo. JO TRILLING, HOST: Minister, good afternoon. I look forward to your questions.SUBJECT/S: Hamas-Israel conflict, Voice to Parliament referendum Senate Inquiry into Bilateral Air Service Agreements Cocos Islands airfield upgrade. So, I’m used to debate about these issues in the House and I’d welcome it in Senate. They are not only wonderful people, they’re also wonderful and opinionated economists themselves. My husband and son are watching us on CSPAN from the other room. You can count on me to do that in a bipartisan way. Members of the committee, these are very ambitious goals, and I know we will need to work together. We have to re-build our economy so that it creates more prosperity, for more people, and ensures that American workers can compete in an increasingly competitive global economy. That’s our first task but then there’s the longer term project. As treasury secretary, I think there will be a dual mission too, helping Americans endure the final months of this pandemic, keeping people safe while getting them back to work. This is especially true for people of color.Īt the Fed, I became accustomed to the institution’s dual mandate, to promote stable prices and maximum limits employment. We were living in a K-shaped economy, one where wealth built upon wealth, while working families fell farther and farther behind. People worry about a K-shaped recovery, but will be for COVID-19, infected a single American. In the long run, I believe the benefits will far outweigh the costs, especially if we care about helping people who’ve been struggling for a very long time. But right now, with interest rates at historic lows, the smartest thing we can do is act big. Neither the president elect, nor I, proposed this release relief package without an appreciation for the country’s debt burden. We’ll need more funding to make sure unemployment insurance checks still go out and to help families who were at risk of going hungry or losing the roof over their heads. Over the next few months, we’re going to need more aid to distribute the vaccine, to reopen schools, to help states keep firefighters and teachers on the job. And as the president elect said, last Thursday, our response must be too. 18 million unemployment insurance claims are being paid every week. The pandemic has caused widespread devastation. Without further action, we risk a longer and more painful recession now and longer term scarring of the economy later. Economists don’t always agree, but I think there is a consensus now. When economist looked back on the pandemic, I expect they’ll conclude the Congress’s actions, reverted a lot of suffering, but more must be done. And this committee, I believe, has viewed it the same way, especially during these last few years. Economics is sometimes considered a dry subject, but I’ve always tried to approach my science the same way my father approached his, as a means to help people. My parents had been children of the Depression and they had a visceral reaction to economic hardship. Those remained some of the clearest moments in my childhood. He knew about their lives, about when they’d been fired, or couldn’t pay. He was the kind of doctor who treated the whole patient.
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