Journalist: National Security has been the focus for Federal MPs today with the Prime Minister, Malcom Turnbull, convening a meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet and opening what is to be the last sitting fortnight of the year, with a statement on the terror attacks in Paris.

Played excerpt from Prime Minister Turnbull’s statement.

Journalist: Opposition leader Bill Shorten also speaking in the House about those attacks in Paris. Well Karen Andrews is the Assistant Minister for Science and Federal LNP Member for McPherson. Karen Andrews there’s obviously a debate within Government ranks about how the West should respond. Former Defence Minister, Kevin Andrews, has called for an expanded military role. Is there division in the Government? The process is something the Prime Minister has really talked down.

Karen Andrews:  Look I don’t believe there is division at all, but as with most issues there are different points of view that should be, I believe, widely debated. Now I think that there is an opportunity to for us to have a fairly frank and open discussion about the way forward and none of us should be backing away from that discussion.

Journalist: And Karen Andrews what’s your preference then? Would you agree with Tony Abbott and Kevin Andrews that there should be an expanded military role for Australia?

Karen Andrews: It’s important to put it into perspective I think Emma and that is that we are the second largest military contributor already to the coalition efforts on the ground in Iraq, and that is important. We aren’t in a position to act unilaterally so anything that we did would be closely supported by and working in conjunction with our coalition partners. So we are not about to make any sort of knee jerk reaction and start making some grand statements at this point in time. But we will continue to work with our coalition partners on what will hopefully be a resolution to an incredibly difficult issue.

Journalist: You’re talking there about the need for a full and frank debate. Isn’t there the danger though that will muddy the message for people at a time when we most need clarity from our leaders?

Karen Andrews: Well, as I just indicated Emma, Australia is not going to be acting alone in the future, we haven’t done that in the past and we’re not about to start doing that. So we will be continuing to work closely with our coalition partners in a debate as to whether or not there should be more boots on the ground then certainly there will be people that have particularly strong views either way. I think we need to listen to them and I think that we need to take advice on what is clearly going to be very difficult decision for Australia to make into the future.

Journalist:  Looking at the debate about the refugee intake Karen Andrews that has also stemmed from the attacks in Paris, Cory Bernardi the Senator from South Australia has said that the Government should consider cancelling that refugee intake of 12,000 people that’s again been rejected by Minister Michael Keenan. Where do you stand on that?

Karen Andrews:  Well, I don’t agree. I think that we need to make sure we have the appropriate checks in place and they need to be full health checks and certainly full security checks and if there’s any doubt then we should not be allowing any refugees as part of that 12,000 additional intake into the country. So if in doubt they don’t get to come to Australia and we should be very very strong on that. But should we be making a decision to stop these refugees or any of those refugees coming in that we have already made a commitment to take, I think that would be harsh and the wrong decision at this point in time. However, we need to be mindful of any particular risks to Australia and act appropriately.

Journalist:  There are 3,500 Syria refugees slated to come into Queensland. Do you have any details about where they may go or do you know when we will get those details?

Karen Andrews: No, I don’t have any details particularly in relation to Queensland. I understand that there have already been some arrivals into Western Australia and I think it’s a family of five who will be resettled in Perth and they have already arrived.

Journalist: Ok, there’s been some criticism, Karen Andrews, of the programmes, Counter Violent Extremism Programmes that are being run in the communities and that the Federal Government funds. What should those programmes do?

Karen Andrews: It’s important to put it into perspective again and that is that with any education programme, and these are part of an education programme where we will be working with our younger people in particular, is that they do take time to have an impact. So there won’t be an immediate outcome and I think that’s what people are looking for at the moment and hence there’s a little bit of criticism. But what we have said is that we will maintain a strong multicultural society we will help institutions and sectors of our community to combat the violent extremist ideology where it actually emerges and they’re key parts of what our programmes are going to be into the future but they will all take time. Now I think that you have indicated that there are some issues online, I certainly recognise that we have to make sure that we are taking appropriate action to counter the amount of information that’s online that these people are accessing and is certainly leading to their radicalisation.

Journalist:  So the programmes that the Government’s funding need to be an online presents as well, is that what you think?

Karen Andrews: That’s certainly a part of the issue at the moment and we’ll certainly be making sure that we do what we can to provide appropriate support in that area.

Journalist: The issue of leasing our assets to foreign entities has come up with the Port of Darwin being leased to a Chinese company for 99 years, also there was, you know in some sort of what looks like a contradictory move the Government knocking back the pastoral company S. Kidman and Co .Now, a Queensland Senator, the Nationals Matt Canavan, is calling for an enquiry for more scrutiny on the leasing of Australian assets to foreign buyers is this something that concerns you?

Karen Andrews: Well, I think that the first thing to say is that the Government is definitely acutely aware of the sensitivities regarding foreign investment, particularly in strategic national assets and particularly critical infrastructure, and of course there are issues with our farms so I think there’s a range of things that we need to look at with foreign investment. So there has been some discussion about needing to review the legislation and I think that we do need to make sure that we keep our eye on the legislation to make sure that it is appropriately administering what Australian’s expect and most Australian’s I think are very conscious, particularly with our farming lands that we need to maintain the ability to feed ourselves into the future and maintaining control of our farming land is critical to that.

Journalist: Well, I see Karen Andrews that the Greens have agreed to a Coalition proposal which would increase Foreign Investment Review Board's scrutiny of sales involving farms and agricultural business. The Government has also agreed to establish a register of all foreign investment in water within 12 months. What is the aim of that overall, why are we doing that?

Karen Andrews: Well water in particular is critical to us, it’s critical to our farming needs and it’s critical to us being able to produce the produce that we need here for our future wellbeing as well as for our export markets. I actually think it’s a positive step forward that we will be establishing a register of all foreign investment in water within 12 months. I think we need to know what’s happening with water, who owns it and that needs to be available to the public so that they can see that Australia is going to have the ability to access the water that it needs and it’s not being sold off.

Journalist: Now the Education Minister, just looking at a different issue Karen Andrews, Simon Birmingham has suggested that people be able to pay for child care by the hour instead of the daily rates. I can see the benefits for that but I’m also wondering about the very complicated paperwork that will follow for the centres. Is that seriously being considered?

Karen Andrews: Yes it is, and can I say that we certainly don’t want to do anything that’s going to increase red tape. But it is appropriate to look at child care needs into the future and I think that there’s a very strong argument that if you are only using four, six, eight hours of child care that you shouldn’t need to pay for twelve hours. So I think that there’s a very logical and a very rational emphasis into the future.

Journalist: For the centres though, I can see it’s not going to be easy to make that work financially because they may have half a day where they’ve got a child that’s a paid spot and they need to fill the other half of the day.

Karen Andrews: Well what I would say to the child care providers is that they need to look at their business models in particular. Now I’ve long been an advocate of some changes to the way that work is performed and particularly part time work and we have an increasing number of people that are looking for part time work and casual work, and they need to be able to access child care in accordance with the hours that they are working in particular. There would be some mothers that would prefer to work five half days rather than two or three full days and one of the barriers to that has been being able to access child care for less than the 10 or 12 hours a day, so I think that what’s being proposed is a very good step forward.

Journalist: I understand that the congestion of the M1 is of great concern to you at the moment. What in particular?

Karen Andrews: Well, I have been lobbying to get the M1 widened all the way through to Tugun for the last five years. The money that was allocated in 2007 was moved forward to further north to Logan and further north even of that in 2010 by the Labor State Government and basically I can’t even get the Minister for Transport, Mark Bailey, to meet with me to discuss anything to do with widening the M1 in the Southern Gold Coast and it’s a disgrace.

Journalist: All right Karen Andrews thanks very much for your time today.

ENDS