Good morning, and welcome to The Briefing.
A leaked transcript of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s infamous phone conversation with US President Donald Trump in February has been published by The Washington Post.
In the phone call, Turnbull admits the refugee swap deal brokered between his government and the Obama administration “does not require [the US] to take any” refugees held on Manus Island or Nauru. “You can decide to take 1000 or 100. It is entirely up to you”, Turnbull told Trump. “The obligation is to only go through the process”. Turnbull explained that “the only reason we cannot let them into Australia is because of our commitment to not allow people to come by boat. If they had arrived by airplane and with a tourist visa then they would be here”.
