Key Points
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government is not helping any families linked to the self-proclaimed IS group to return home.
- She said she wants to see Australia "prioritised" when it comes to fuel supplies from Asia.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong could not confirm if any families linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group were on their way back to Australia, but said they could be arrested when they arrived.
"What I can say is this, these are Australian citizens and the government is not assisting them to come home," she said in Adelaide on Monday ahead of a trip to Asia where she will be seeking to secure more fuel for Australia.
"And if they do come home, they will face the full force of the law."
One woman has already been banned from returning to Australia under a temporary exclusion order.
Wong indicated no further temporary exclusion orders had been issued.
Securing energy supplies
Wong is scheduled to arrive in Japan on Monday night, and will also visit China and South Korea, seeking to shore up Australia's fuel supplies.
As with previous trips led by her and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Wong will seek to leverage Australia's food and natural gas exports in exchange for more fuel.
"We want to remain a reliable supplier and we want to see Australia prioritised when it comes to diesel, petrol and fertiliser," she told reporters in Adelaide before her departure.
"The Strait of Hormuz supplies about 80 per cent of the oil to our region, so Australia and the countries of the region are disproportionately affected. That means we've got to work together," she said.
Wong will meet her counterparts in Tokyo, Beijing and Seoul as part of the trip.
"The Australian government remains committed to a stable and constructive relationship with China, which is in the interests of both our countries," she said in a statement before her departure.
"Australia and China have a comprehensive strategic partnership and benefit from deep economic ties, with our trade relationship underpinning supply chains, investment and livelihoods in both economies."
The Asian tour will finish with a trip to Seoul, where the foreign minister will meet with her South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun.
South Korea is one of Australia's prime sources of refined fuels, including petrol, diesel and aviation fuel.
The trip follows Albanese's recent visits to South East Asian nations to shore up fuel supplies driven by the war in the Middle East.
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