Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News Sunday Agenda with Andrew Clennell
TOPICS: women’s health policy, Victoria by-elections, mandatory minimum sentencing for terrorism, Coalition IR policy
9 February 2025
E&OE
Andrew Clennell
Joining me live is the Shadow Attorney General, Michaelia Cash. Michaelia Cash, thank you for your time. Let’s start with this announcement by the government this morning involving more funding for women’s health, including for treatment of menopause and more PBS subsidising of contraceptive pills and menopausal medication. What’s your reaction? Does the Opposition support it?
Senator Cash
Yes look, we will support the announcement, and in fact, we’ll match the announcement when we’re in government. I am pleased, Andrew, that when I looked at the announcement, it very much builds on the work that we had already done as the former government. You may recall that we announced the 2020 – 2030 National Women’s Health Strategy. The number one priority in that was actually maternal, sexual and reproductive health. So this very much builds on that. But also I’m pleased to see that it builds on the historic investment that we had made in endometriosis and pelvic pain, and you might recall, at the time that was being championed by Nicolle Flint. We established the very first endometriosis-specific clinics, and I see that this announcement does, in fact, expand them. So again, we support the announcement, and I really am pleased, though, that it is a building on of the work that we had done already as the previous Coalition government. But in particular, we had established nationally those endometriosis-specific clinics. Can I just say Andrew, though, the one thing I am worried about – I am someone I think most people know I’m pretty upfront – you know, I’ve managed a chronic health condition now for over 30 years. I do spend time in doctors’ surgeries. What is the one thing that is constantly now raised with me – the fact that it is so difficult now to find a GP that can bulk bill. 88% bulk billing when we left office – currently, 77%. The conversation I have is people have never found it harder to find a bulk billing doctor. It is more expensive in terms of their out-of-pocket costs, but more than that, the worrying statistic, and this is what Labor hides from. In 2023/24 – 1.5 million Australians didn’t see a doctor because they couldn’t get bulk billed. So whilst, yes, we support the announcement and will match the government, it doesn’t actually assist in terms of getting access to a doctor.
Andrew Clennell
All right, that’s interesting, because obviously the government’s made a number of announcements about more bulk billing. They would claim they’ve lifted.
Senator Cash
Andrew, look at the statistics. The statistics don’t lie. 88% when we left office, 77% now. Out of pocket costs, they are up, and the statistic is 1.5 million Australians avoided seeing a doctor because they just couldn’t afford to and couldn’t find that bulk billing doctor. There’s a crisis in primary care.
Andrew Clennell
They are about to go to a campaign saying, your guy wanted to introduce $7 co-payments on doctor visits.
Senator Cash
We are going to have a lot of scare campaigns.
Andrew Clennell
Is the Opposition promising to lift bulk billing places? Is that likely to be part of your policy?
Senator Cash
Look at how we performed in government. Bulk billing under us was at 88%. Look at how Labor has performed in government. Bulk billing under them has dramatically fallen to 77%.So we’re going to have a lot of scare campaigns, Andrew, in the lead up to the next election, and what we will be dealing in is facts. The facts support the argument and they disprove the scare campaigns that Labor are going to run. There is a crisis in primary health care. People are finding it difficult to get access to a bulk billing doctor. 1.5 million Australians avoided seeing a doctor in 2023/24 and that is something that Labor refuses to actually acknowledge. But worse than that, is doing nothing to address it.
Andrew Clennell
There is a perception that Peter Dutton does need to win the votes of more women to win the election. Do you have your own plans for policies which will appeal to women?
Senator Cash
Well, in the first instance, Peter Dutton has been very upfront that we will continue to develop and announce our policies, in particular in the women’s health space. And Anne Ruston has just been doing an outstanding job in talking to people across the board in that regard. But I have to say, as a woman who speaks to other women, I can tell you what the one issue is that they continue to raise with me, and that is, of course, the cost of living crisis. Whenever you go into a shop, you see a lot of women in shops, and a lot of women with children in shops. They’ll come to you first hand, and they will say how expensive it is, how their mortgage repayments are killing them, how their energy prices are now crippling them. So the answer is yes, this is a cost of living election. You ask any person, do you feel better off today than you did when Mr. Albanese was first elected? And the answer is no. It is as simple as that. So you know, when it comes to women, I can tell you the women I speak to – cost of living front and centre of every single conversation.
Andrew Clennell
Indeed. Are you heartened by the state by-election results in Victoria?
Senator Cash: Look good on Brad Battin and good on the Liberal Party in Victoria. It was a resounding result for them. And as Brad Battin said last night – you know, the feedback that they have had whenever they’ve been out on the ground is that Victorians, and in particular in the West, have been let down by state Labor. The reality also is, for Victorians, and we know this, is they are being let down under the weight of both a State Labor Government and a Federal Labor Government. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. There’s still a long way to go in this Federal election. But certainly from a Western Australia perspective, I mean, we’re actually in the midst of a state campaign, and Andrew our state candidates are feeling incredibly frustrated at the moment because they knock on someone’s door and they say, I’m the Liberal candidate for… and the only thing people want to talk about is how let down they feel by Mr. Albanese. But as I said, there’s a long way to go, but this is a cost of living election, and it comes back down to you’ve got to honestly ask yourself, do you feel better off today than you did when Mr. Albanese was first elected? And when you look at even the most recent household cost of living index, that’s an increase of 19.4% as I said. The statistics alone justify the failure on the economic front, and in particular the failure of Australians by Mr. Albanese since he was elected.
Andrew Clennell
Are there any federal implications from the Victorian results?
Senator Cash
Oh, look, we’ll have a very good look at them. And as I said, the feedback in Western Australia, certainly from our state candidates, is people want to talk about how let down they feel by Mr. Albanese. Look, it was a strong result for the Liberal Party in Victoria, but it still was two state by-elections. But certainly when I talk to my Federal colleagues, James Paterson in particular, I mean the feedback he gives me is similar to when we’re out and about in Western Australia. People do feel let down by the Albanese government, and they have very good reason to be when you look at the cost of living crisis that we’re under.
Andrew Clennell
All right. So it does raise the question, particularly when you talk about things being 19% up, and we’ve all experienced a bit of that. Why you aren’t further ahead in the polls? And one reason, potentially could be everyone knows the US and the UK have had exactly the same inflation problems. And the other issue could be, people aren’t convinced by your leader yet. So what do you say to all that?
Senator Cash
I would say that ultimately, again, people need to ask themselves, when you go to vote at this election, you are going to have a choice. At this point in time, the choice is going to be between Peter Dutton, who has clearly led the way when it comes to showing strength of leadership on national security and the protection of Australia and Australians, or this is, this is now the reality for Australians, Andrew, you will not be getting an Albanese majority government. There is no credible political commentator who is now saying that that option is on the table. You will be getting Mr. Albanese despite everything that he says, governing in minority with Adam Bandt and the Australian Greens. So people say to me, do you think it can get worse for me Michaelia? And the answer is yes. I think more and more people are looking to Peter Dutton for the strength of leadership. He has clearly set out a plan. We’ve released our vision for Australia in terms of our priorities. But more than that, when you have a crisis of antisemitism in this country, when you have acts of domestic terrorism, what is the one thing people look for? They look for strength of leadership and the reality of Mr. Albanese, and you saw it in the Senate, in the House of Representatives, when they literally had to capitulate to Peter Dutton on the issue of mandatory sentencing for terrorism. There is one person that Australians are looking to and have looked to for leadership in protecting them, and we all want to feel protected Andrew and Peter Dutton is that person.Anthony Albanese – he’s appeared drowsy. He’s appeared disinterested. The fact that he can’t answer a basic question about when he was first informed of a potential mass casualty event, a caravan filled with explosives. That is not a leader. Peter Dutton, more and more every day, you may not like him, but the decision atthe next election is not about liking a particular person. The decision you need to make at the next election is – do I want a strong leader who backs me, that’s Peter Dutton, or do I want a leader who, quite frankly, Andrew, the question I posed the other night is, does Mr. Albanese even care anymore?
Andrew Clennell
Look, it’s almost like you’ve read my questions. I’m getting onto the antisemitism thing in a minute, Michaelia Cash, but you just caught me there when you said you may not people may not like your leader. Why wouldn’t they like him? Why do you think some people don’t like him?
Senator Cash
I think he’s had incredibly tough portfolios in the past, but I think more and more people – I mean Peter is out and about every single day – I mean, I walk into functions with him, and people who’ve never met him before come out saying, wow, what a lovely, decent person he is. He has a sense of humour, he’s self-deprecating. But more than that, this is a man who is principled, who knows what he believes in, who has a proven record in tough portfolios of making decisions that is or that are in the best interests of Australians. I think the more people become aware of Peter’s background, and in particular, you know the fact that, you know he was a policeman. He was someone who has dealt with the hardest of cases in the past. He was someone who, like so many Australians, gave up so much so that he could, you know, save up for his first home. I think he resonates now with the Australian people. They acknowledge now that he’s had tough portfolios, but guess what? In those portfolios, he only ever made decisions that are in the best interest of the Australian border. Since becoming the Leader of the Opposition, he has led the charge yet again in national security and in keeping people safe. So as I said, the choice is pretty clear for people. Do you want a leader who is principled and who believes in you? Or….
Andrew Clennell
Let’s move on to this capitulation by the government on mandatory minimum sentences your area, you would have been involved, I assume, in Senate negotiations on this. What happened?
Senator Cash
Yes, I was. It’s a very good question, given that Murray Watt only last week, I think it was last Monday – he made it very clear Labor would not be introducing mandatory minimum sentences. You had wide reporting that Mr. Dreyfus as the Attorney-General, had made it very, very clear to leadership that he would not support such a change. But the issue Mr. Albanese had was this – yet again, Peter Dutton was seen as leading the way on national security. Mr. Albanese again, he appears drowsy. He appears disinterested. We had made the announcement we were going to be pursuing these changes. We had drafted the necessary amendments, and then, quite literally, the government came to us and said they would agree to our amendments. The negotiations occurred, and then, obviously, the changes went through both the houses.
Andrew Clennell
My question was, why – you don’t know why?
Senator Cash
I can only assume because they literally – there is a crisis of antisemitism in this country, and as I said, Mr. Albanese is now seen as a failed leader. So it was obviously panic stations all around. But ultimately ask Mr. Albanese, ask Mr. Dreyfus – why did you capitulate at the last minute to Peter Dutton?
Andrew Clennell
I’m pretty sure Mr. Dreyfus didn’t support it internally. But anyway, do you think this will work? Do you think this will stop the crime we’re seeing these sentences?
Senator Cash
I think it sends a very, very clear message to anybody who, a) is contemplating an act of domestic terrorism, or b) is stupid enough or disgusting enough to be out there displaying a prohibited hate symbol, including the swastika and and the Nazi salute. Or who is going to indulge in property damage in the most disgusting of ways. Go for your life. But guess what – we’re on to you, and you will serve a minimum time in jail. It is simple as that, you need all tools at your disposal, and this sends a very clear message. But Peter Dutton in particular, is serious about national security, but also domestic terrorism and antisemitism.
Andrew Clennell
Are you expecting an interest rate cut next week and will it do anything to the prospects of the Coalition?
Senator Cash
There’s always speculation, obviously, but ultimately, this is going to be a matter for the Reserve Bank. But what I would say is this, of course, we all want to see interest rate cuts, Andrew, but take a step back. An interest rate cut is not going to do anything to alleviate the person on the average mortgage who has had to find around $50,000 extra because of the 12 interest rate increases under the Albanese government. An interest rate cut is not going to help a household that is saying, you know, household living expenses go up by 19.4%. It’s not going to help the Victorians who’ve just sent a clear message to Jacinta Allen. The energy crisis is killing us. It is no longer about one interest rate cut in particular when core inflation still remains persistently high and average inflation has a four in front of it when under the coalition, despite COVID, it had a two in front of it. So it’s about getting the fundamentals right.
Andrew Clennell
Did you say average inflation? Average inflation has a four in front of it? Did you say that?
Senator Cash
Over the time in government. If you compare the Coalition, versus the Albanese government.
Andrew Clennell
Anyway, finally. Do you anticipate? When do you anticipate? Should I say the Coalition will release its IR policy? Are you seeking to wind back multi-employer bargaining, the law as it relates to casuals and the right to disconnect legislation?
Senator Cash
We have already made announcements in relation to casuals and the right to disconnect, and it’s not about winding them back. The changes both to the definition of casual and the right to disconnect, they are complicated. They have had, a chilling effect in particular across small businesses. And we have said, yes, we will seek to repeal them. I did a small business forum in Friday in Sydney with Gisele Kapterian, our candidate in Bradfield. I mean, if Mr. Albanese does not understand the cost, the complexity and the confusion that our small businesses are under, not just because of the changes to industrial relation laws, but just the weight of regulatory burden. If he doesn’t understand 27,000 small businesses have gone insolvent under him, well then shame on Mr. Albanese. So will we be unashamedly pro-small business as we go to the next election? Yes, we will. They are the backbone of the Australian economy. One in two people are employed in them. And if you’re not one of those people, I can guarantee you probably go into a small business on a daily basis. So will we do what we can to get rid of the cost, the complexity and the confusion? Yes, we will. And as I said, in that regard, we will seek to repeal those incredibly confusing changes to ensure that our small businesses are able again to prosper, to grow and do what we want them to do, Andrew, and that is just keep on creating more jobs for the rest of Australia. It’s as simple as that.
Andrew Clennell
Michaelia Cash thanks so much for your time.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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