Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News Danica
1 October 2025
Topics: Asylum seekers given crayfishing boats, Shadow Ministry KPIs, Liberal leadership, Gaza peace deal
E&OE
Danica De Giorgio
I’m joined by Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Michaelia Cash. Senator, good to catch up. Can you think of any reasonable explanation as to why taxpayers are buying crayfish boats for asylum seekers? Does this not just encourage the trade? You know, come here on a dodgy vessel, if you fail, no worries, you’ll go home on a good one.
Senator Cash
Well, Danica, both Mr. Albanese and Mr. Burke have very serious questions to answer in relation to these revelations. I note, though, that they’re conveniently saying nothing, But the good news is we have Senate estimates next week, and I can assure you, we’ll be pursuing this in detail. As someone said to me today, the boats need to be stopped, not upgraded. I mean the Australian people, they expect policy deterrence, not incentives to come down to Australia. And in fact, as one of the crayfishermen actually said, he said, you know, the people smugglers end up with a pretty expensive vessel, so it’s difficult to see how this is anything other than an incentive to come down here on a crappy boat. But Danica, let’s be realistic. Mr. Albanese has never been strong on border protection. He hates boat turn backs, and this just shows you yet again this is a government that is weak when it comes to controlling our borders and the revelations that we all now see shouldn’t be of surprise, quite frankly, to anyone. Fix your policies. Don’t upgrade the boats.
Danica De Giorgio
Well, it’s just like the ghosts of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years. It just seems to dog every Labor government over and over again. Now look the opposition leader Sussan Ley has issued her front benchers with KPIs in an effort to bring discipline and policy direction. A spokesperson says it will enable the Coalition to develop a clear, credible policy platform to take to the election, drawing a clear contrast with Labor, rather than simply responding to the government. Senator, have you been issued with these KPIs, and how much of this is being driven by Liberal MP, Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who have been very outspoken on issues that do actually impact Australians?
Senator Cash
Well, Danica, this is something that Sussan, when she became leader, said she would turn her focus to. It’s now been reported. The letters have now arrived, but this is now about ensuring that each member of the Shadow Ministry is tasked, they are focused, they are ensuring that they are providing clear policy and that we are providing outcomes to the Australian people. But more than that, holding the Albanese government to account. So as I said, this is something that Sussan had said she would do. She has now done it. And I would have thought the Australian people would be pleased to know that you have a very focused opposition looking at ensuring that we have a positive policy agenda to take to the election. But not only that, we are clearly holding the Albanese government to account.
Danica De Giorgio
I just, I just question the timing of it, because yesterday, of course, Sussan Ley was in your home state of Western Australia, and actually avoided meeting Andrew Hastie altogether. I just wonder Senator, that his absence does that not speak volumes of where the relations are at?
Senator Cash
Look, I think Andrew Hastie, Sussan Ley, in fact, all of us, we’re all out there holding this government to account, but in particular, raising important issues. And Andrew, you know, he’s absolutely a loud voice when it comes to the impact of mass migration, in particular, on the ability of Australians to get into their own homes, certainly on high energy prices. I mean, you have said that under Sussan Ley, we have clearly said no to Labor’s ridiculous 2035 targets. I mean, I subscribe to what Chris Uhlmann has said, which is Anthony Albanese is putting Australians on a pathway to poverty. But also, one of the points that Andrew highlights, and certainly I agree with, and I know Sussan does as well, is that you can’t manufacture anything in Australia under Anthony Albanese. In particular, with the complex regulatory environment that is put in place, but not only that, with the increase in energy prices, which means people just don’t want to invest in Australia. So we’re all out there. We’re all loudly holding this government to account, as the Australian people expect of us, but not only that, they deserve us to be doing that in a focused manner.
Danica De Giorgio
Yeah, look, I couldn’t agree with you more there. Let’s talk about the Gaza peace deal on the table by Donald Trump. A senior Hamas official today has told the BBC that the group is likely to reject the plan, saying it serves Israel’s interests and ignores those of the Palestinian people. I want to ask you about Anthony Albanese’s response to this. He’s told Nine newspapers that his decision to recognise a Palestinian state actually helped encourage Israel and the United States to agree to this peace plan. What’s your reaction to that?
Senator Cash
Well, that is just embarrassing, and it’s almost like Mr. Albanese, he’s not just trying to rewrite history Danica. He’s actually trying to write himself into history. I mean, what a fool Anthony Albanese now looks like with his gesture politics last week in the United Nations. While he was grandstanding and rewarding the terrorists for what they’ve called the fruits of October the seventh, Donald Trump was working with the Arab nations and Israel to finally put a concrete plan for peace on the table, and Mr. Albanese, he has now been exposed as having no part in this whatsoever. But I’d also say Danica that Hamas have a very, very clear choice now. They need to be able to put people before terror. They need to make a decision, and everybody from Washington all the way through to Canberra should now be focused for the next few days on calling on Hamas to accept this deal. This is the closest that we have been to ending the killings, ensuring that the remaining hostages are returned home. But more than that, finally taking a step towards reconstruction in Gaza. So let’s face it, the ball is now in Hamas’ court. Are you going to put people before terror, or are you going to condemn the Palestinians to quite literally, what is going to be, unfortunately, a lot more pain? But as for Albanese, what an absolute fool he has now been made out to be. But what is worse, trying to write himself into history, that is just embarrassing. He had nothing to do with this deal. And in fact, as Marco Rubio had said, when the French government recognised a Palestinian state, Hamas walked away that day from the peace negotiations. So Mr. Albanese, you’ve contributed nothing towards a peace deal. In fact, you are lucky you didn’t do more harm than good.
Danica De Giorgio
Look, the ego, I just think, is astounding. You’re right, completely embarrassing on the world stage. But yes, now it’s up to leaders to actually push Hamas, because this war just cannot keep going on. Senator Michaelia Cash, good to catch up. Thanks very much for joining me on the show this evening.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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