Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News with Kieran Gilbert
6 October 2025
Topics: PNG defence treaty, October 7 anniversary, Gaza peace plan, Liberal party leadership
E&OE
Kieran Gilbert
Shadow Foreign Minister, Michaelia Cash joins us live in the studio. It’s been a big day on foreign policy matters. I want to ask you about the October 7 anniversary looming tomorrow. Let’s start with the developing news today, though, the PNG treaty, the defence treaty, has been inked. Do you welcome that?
Senator Cash
Look we do. I mean, there were a few false starts, admittedly, however, it has now been signed. We certainly welcome the defence treaty between both Papua New Guinea and the Australian governments, and we fundamentally do want this to succeed Kieran. Why? Because the security in the Indo-Pacific, it is fundamental to Australia’s ongoing security and our prosperity. I mean, you’ve heard from previously, Mike Pezzullo, we do face in our region, challenges, in particular from authoritarian powers and the Chinese Communist Party, who they themselves would like to influence our region, but in a way that is not consistent with our values. So certainly, to see the agreement inked today, the signing of the treaty is welcome by the Coalition, yes.
Kieran Gilbert
Do you give the government a tick as well for that? You know, for getting that done?
Senator Cash
I do, and there’s a little bit of an explanation, and we can pursue this at estimates as to why the false starts. But ultimately, under the former Coalition government, you had the Pacific step up. You then had us signing a comprehensive economic strategic partnership. And now you have the next step in that process, but an incredibly important one, partners of choice, really, when it comes to security. It is now, though, it has to go before the Joint Standing Committee on treaties, so we look forward to now really analysing the details. But as I said, we welcome the signing of the deal. It is an important treaty.
Kieran Gilbert
On to the Middle East peace plan, because we’re talking about these, these significant historic moments. We’ve had one locally with the PNG defence treaty. What’s your read on the 20 point peace plan? Is it going to work?
Senator Cash
It is utterly incredible. It is pragmatic, it is bold. It is already, though, delivering results. If you have a look at what President Trump has achieved to date, he has isolated Hamas, the terrorists. That is a good thing. The ball is now squarely in their court. But I think again to reflect on what Mike Pezzullo said, he brought the Arab states together, and even the Muslim majority Arab states in terms of backing in the peace deal. This is the closest that we have got since October 7, 2023 to a constructive step forward that could actually signal an end to the war. But more than that, the rebuilding and reconstruction of Gaza. So you may not agree with President Trump on a lot of things, but in relation to this, this is probably, as you said, if this is successful, this is a point in time in history which should be celebrated.
Kieran Gilbert
When we look at two years on from October 7, it is, well, it’s poignant in the sense that there are still dozens that remain in those tunnels and so on, the hostages and so many lives lost since the atrocity, the appalling atrocity and terrorist attack of October 7. How do you reflect on that two years now?
Senator Cash
I think in the first instance, you have to as a society, remember what occurred on October the 7th, and why a listed terrorist organisation dedicated to the destruction of the democracy, Israel, committed the most heinous of atrocities, raping, murdering over 1200 Jewish people, but also taking hostages. And people need to remember Kieran. This just wasn’t an attack on Jewish people. It was an attack on Western culture. They hate it. They want to see the end of it. Jump forward two years, though, and in particular, given what occurred recently in Manchester and what is currently before the Supreme Court in New South Wales, I think sadly, the flames of antisemitism, they still burn bright in many parts of the world, and that is something that we must continually stand against, fight against, and speak out, because Australians need to remember antisemitism begins with the Jewish people. It doesn’t end with them. It then goes towards you and I, as members of the free world. This is about values. Do you believe in Western values? If you do, stand united in condemning antisemitism or be careful what you actually wish for.
Kieran Gilbert
Can I finally ask you a question about Andrew Hastie? He’s stood down from the front bench. He’s copped a bit of flak, reportedly from Peter Dutton in the election review. What’s your assessment of all of this? Obviously a distraction from where you want the focus.
Senator Cash
Certainly a leaked report from a third party. I honestly don’t pay a lot of credence to. Election losses, let’s be real here, are never about one person. They are about a number of issues, and in particular, I would say our failure to properly counter Labor’s 11 out of 10 disgraceful social media campaign and attack against us, but ultimately, I get up every morning, and my one focus is on holding this atrocious government to account. The Australian people, they are not interested in the internal deliberations of the Liberal Party. What they are interested in is an effective opposition, and that is what we should all be focused on.
Kieran Gilbert
Is Sussan Ley getting a fair crack?
Senator Cash
I think she has the toughest job in history. Not only has she taken over as opposition leader after an election loss, she’s taken over as opposition leader after one of the most, in fact, the most devastating election loss of all time. So Sussan is giving us the space that we need to have policy debates. That is a good thing. But at the end of the day, our focus needs to be squarely on holding this government to account, not on ourselves. That is what the Australian people expect.
Kieran Gilbert
Indeed. And Scott Morrison, I had him on the program earlier, he said that Sussan Ley has done a good job in her economic argument, economic message recently in that keynote speech. Do you think that that’s the broader view within your party that they want to give her the space to try?
Senator Cash
Absolutely, we have all made it very, very clear, Sussan is our leader. She has our backing. There is one fight here, and that fight is with the most left wing, socialist, disastrous government, quite frankly, in Australia’s history. That is where our fight has to be, holding them to account.
Kieran Gilbert
And rebuilding, I guess.
Senator Cash
Absolutely, after such a devastating loss, I think it would surprise a lot of people if we didn’t actually have those reflections you need to but at the same time, remember, you’ve got one job – holding this government to account.
Kieran Gilbert
Shadow Foreign Minister, Michaelia Cash, great to speak today.
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