Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
4BC Radio with Gary Hardgrave
TOPICS: Albanese government signs Gaza statement, US-Australia alliance
22 July 2025
E&OE
Gary Hardgrave
This ongoing dreadful situation in Gaza continues to be major focus of international attention, and I get it, but there’s a lot, a lot of history here. I don’t know why Australia has joined 24 other countries signing a statement calling for the end of the war. Okay, great. Let’s end the war. But it’s drawn criticism from America. We tried to get a meeting with Donald Trump, and we now have the US ambassador to Israel, saying, I don’t know why Australia is signing – this is crazy – choosing the side of terrorists. That’s what we’re doing in signing this criticizing Israel. It just makes no sense. Michaelia Cash, she is the Senator for Western Australia, but more importantly, the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and joins me right now. I mean, Senator Cash, you must be devastated the government’s gone down this path.
Senator Cash
Well, it is disappointing Gary, that once again, the Albanese government is supporting a statement attacking Israel. And I mean the Albanese government’s decision to blame Israel for Hamas’ disruption of the flow of aid is appalling. But Gary, what I find disturbing is that Hamas has welcomed the statement signed by the Albanese government. I think a lot of people seem to have forgotten that it was Hamas who commenced this war on October the 7th, 2023. They could end the suffering of the people of Gaza by freeing the remaining Israeli hostages and laying down their weapons. But more than that, Israel is a democracy. They have a rule of law. They have an independent judiciary. What is Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation dedicated to the destruction of Israel?
Gary Hardgrave
This is the point – the government, our government, the Australian Government, the sixth oldest continuous democracy in the world. That’s Australia, has sided with and given comfort to terrorists. What are they thinking?
Senator Cash
It is a very, very good question. The international community should be, on a daily basis, calling on the listed terrorist organisation Hamas, to end the suffering of the people in Gaza, because, you see, they could do that. They could do it tomorrow. They free the remaining Israeli hostages, and they lay down their weapons. But unfortunately, the situation in Australia is: we know that the Albanese Labor government, chiefly under Foreign Minister Wong, has substantially departed from the long held bipartisan approach to Israel. I mean, Foreign Minister Wong, you know, has reaffirmed yet again, that Labor’s view that Palestinian statehood can happen before a negotiated deal. I mean, Gary, there can be no recognition of a Palestinian state with the listed terrorist organisation Hamas still in control of Gaza. I mean to recognise Palestinian statehood, and I believe in a two-state solution, but if you recognised it now, it would be rewarding a terrorist organisation. But more than that, on the recognition of a Palestinian state that would reward terrorism.
Gary Hardgrave
And Michaelia Cash, I mean, it is not a Palestinian-Israel argument. It’s not a Muslim versus Jew. This is terrorism versus the free world argument.
Senator Cash
This is correct. So ultimately, people need to remind themselves, what is Hamas? They are a listed terrorist organisation. They do not recognise Israel’s right to exist. But more than that, their goal is the destruction of Israel. Again, Hamas were the ones who started this war. The war began because of Hamas’ abhorrent attack on Israeli civilians. They bear responsibility the listed terrorist organisation for the continuation of this conflict. So perhaps, instead of signing statements blaming Israel for what is Hamas disruption of the flow of aid, instead of signing statements where you once again blame Israel, perhaps the Albanese government needs to stand up on a daily basis and actually call on Hamas to end the suffering of the people of Gaza, which they could do, but they choose, on a daily basis, not to.
Gary Hardgrave
And you know, the other thing is that it sends a bad signal, not just to the United States, and I’ll get onto them in a moment, but even to the broader Middle East, because Arab countries were heading for an outbreak of peace with Israel. We know before October 7, 2023 when that dreadful Hamas terrorist attack started this dreadful war, almost two years ago, that Saudi Arabia, for instance, a lynchpin important part of the Middle East, was keen to actually have a negotiated way forward.
Senator Cash
Correct. I mean, the Abraham Accords, that’s what they were. All about Arab nations working with Israel going forward. And unfortunately, that’s where we should be focusing, the working relationship, not on, you know, signing statements, attacking a country with the rule of law, with an independent judiciary, who is a friend, whom we have a very important relationship when it comes to the exchange of security information, On what planet Gary do we end up where, as a government, they have a listed of terrorist organisation welcoming the statement that they signed.
Gary Hardgrave
Yeah, it’s quite a day. It’s quite a look. These things tend to be binary, either this or it’s that it’s on or it’s off. You’ve got Mike Huckabee, the US Ambassador of Israel, he’s sharing consternation about the statement. We’re trying to negotiate a way forward with the US, whether they’re not quite the biggest market, but they’re a very important market and investor in Australia, plus our shared history, I just find it extraordinary that we’re deciding to upset America on yet another front. I mean, this really does say something bad about our relationship with non-terrorist countries.
Senator Cash
I have grave concerns for the Australia-US Alliance. And Mr. Albanese, it well and truly now appears that has been put on the back burner. And now your listeners would know that the Australia-US Alliance is the foundation, the bedrock of our security as a nation. The United States, they are our greatest ally. But more than that, the United States is the leader of the free world, Gary. Australia and Australians, we belong to the free world. I think it is incredibly concerning that it has now been, I think it’s 259 days since Donald Trump won the United States election and the Prime Minister, he really needs to step up, you know, lead Team Australia and get a meeting. I mean, other world leaders have met with President Trump. Why have they met with him – to protect their national interests? Mr. Albanese talks a big game about standing up for Australians, but he still hasn’t secured a meeting with President Trump. But what does that actually mean? It means no assurances on AUKUS. It means no action on steel and aluminium tariffs, and it means no progress for Australian jobs and industry. So I have real concerns now, and I know that these are now echoed by respected commentators in this place that Mr. Albanese, for reasons only known to him, is seeking to undermine or diminish our relationship with the United States, and I think that is a very precarious situation for Australia to be in in 2025 looking forward when you have growing conflict, when you have an increasing list of issues between the United States and Australia. In 2025 Gary, our relationship with United States should be stronger to than ever. This is the foundation of why we have been a secure and lucky country. That is the relationship we need to be protecting.
Gary Hardgrave
For months on this radio program, Michaelia Cash, I’ve said that what Anthony Albanese needs to do to get a meeting with Donald Trump is to bring something to the table. And I know because of people assured me yesterday that the Opposition continues to support our ambassador. But surely sacrificing a pawn like the current ambassador to get Donald Trump’s attention that we’re thinking differently, would be a step forward. Surely, we’ve got to do something – show Donald Trump we’re interested in that relationship, because at the moment, I think Donald Trump’s saying you can sing all you like you’re not going to come inside the castle.
Senator Cash
And this is an issue that I have that well and truly, the relationship with our greatest ally of the United States has been put on the back burner. But I also reflect on when the Coalition was in government under the first Trump administration. As you know now, under that administration the President as you know, has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium because we had a good relationship between our ambassador, our prime minister, and our ministers. With the Trump administration, we were able, as you know, to negotiate no tariff on those products. But again, Foreign Affairs is often about relationships. I think the unfortunate reality for Mr. Albanese as our Prime Minister and Senator Wong as our Foreign Minister is the comments that they have previously made are about President Trump. They’re obviously disappointing comments. Mr. Trump, I have no doubt, is aware of them, and coupled with literally placing this relationship on the back burner, that does not, you know, bode well for Australia going forward.
Gary Hardgrave
Well again, you know, I know you’re not going to change your policy on this station, but I say to you that people ringing this program keep saying: Get rid of Kevin Rudd, maybe Donald Trump will say you’re serious now. I mean, why would we hold on to a bloke who called Donald Trump the village idiot, and why would we allow Penny Wong to do things like signing this kind of almost an MOU with Hamas. This kind of decision making doesn’t help us with our US relationship. China for six days is fine. I got no problem with talking to China for six days if that’s, you know, going to make a difference.
Senator Cash
And that’s interesting. I have to say on China – I mean, you know this well, the Coalition, of course, wants China and Australia to have a strong relationship. They are our greatest trading partner. However, it is now for Mr. Albanese to explain to the Australian people, what did you actually achieve? Because it would appear that the trip to China has delivered nothing. It appears, you know, the trip was, or the visit was more holiday than hard headed diplomacy. I mean, there was no action on national security threats from China, live fire exercises by the Chinese military near civilian airspace off our coast, the naval circumnavigation of Australia. And the Prime Minister, you know, he dismissed it as a lack of notice. Are you kidding me? Australians deserve a Prime Minister who will speak clearly, act firmly and demand respect. But Mr. Albanese has failed to secure even the most basic of assurances in his trip to China.
Gary Hardgrave
Well, he flipped off a stage.
Senator Cash
No, he didn’t. No, he didn’t. Gary, come on.
Gary Hardgrave
And Australia has flipped off the world stage too.
Senator Cash
Oh and that is my worry in particular. When you put the key relationship you need to be able to properly protect Australia and Australians – that protection for over 70 years now, the US-Australia relationship has been so important. It is the foundation of our national security. We are a part of the free world, and we are incredibly proud of that. The Americans, they are the leader of the free world, and we urgently now need to turn our attention to prioritising the United States-Australia alliance.
Gary Hardgrave
No doubt, good to talk to you.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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