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 Newsday with Kieran Gilbert
TOPICS: Cyclone Alfred, election timing, Ukraine support
6 March 2025
E&OE
Kieran Gilbert
I know you’re on the other side of the country, but this is an issue that’s obviously dominating the nation’s thoughts at the moment. What’s your thinking now, as we await the brunt of Cyclone Alfred tomorrow?
Senator Cash
Oh look and Kieran as you said, I’m sitting here in Perth, where our situation is fundamentally different. So for the people of Queensland, our thoughts are with you. Our prayers are with you. Please, as Peter Dutton in particular has clearly stated, listen to the authorities, do what the authorities tell you what to do. They know what’s best in these circumstances. I did hear a bit of the Prime Minister’s interview with you. I have to say, what I thought was disappointing about that interview is that, instead of playing a cat and mouse game with the Australian people, “will I or won’t call an election on Sunday or Monday”, this is a potential natural disaster that is about to hit parts of Queensland. We want our Prime Minister governing, not campaigning. I think the Prime Minister should give a very clear message to Australians, but in particular to Queenslanders, they don’t need to worry about our federal election over the next few weeks. We are scheduled to go back to the Parliament. March 25 is when the government has scheduled to bring down the Budget. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, Kieran, but also listening to the Prime Minister. I mean, if he thinks the economy is going so well, if he thinks Australians are actually doing okay under an Albanese government, let’s go back to Parliament. Let’s open up the books. Let’s be transparent. Let’s see what the Albanese government has really done. So, thoughts and prayers with the people of Queensland.
Kieran Gilbert
No indeed. From what he said, though just a moment ago, he’s focusing on, he’s not focusing on votes. He’s focusing on saving lives. To me, that says as much as we can guess. I mean, we can guess what he’s saying that he’s not going to go to an election on Sunday.
Senator Cash
Kieran, guessing is not good enough. You’re the Prime Minister of Australia at a time like this, as Peter Dutton has clearly articulated, you need to assure the Australian people you are focused on governing, not campaigning. You have an opportunity to rule out calling an election. You can make a commitment to be transparent with the Australian people. I mean the Prime Minister and his comments on their so-called fiscal responsibility. Does this Prime Minister not understand that real government spending as a percentage of GDP is now at a record high of 28%? I mean, when you listen to Anthony Albanese, it sounds as like everything’s going okay. The reality check for him is, as a woman said the other day, they keep telling me what they’ve done for me by way of cost of living. The only problem is, every time I go to a shopping center, a block of cheese is still costing me $11.
Kieran Gilbert
So in terms of his efforts, though, with the governing side of things – you’re saying, governing, not campaigning, while the message you believe should be clearer, there’s really, it’s hard to criticise where the federal government’s at in terms of their support for the Minns and Crisafulli governments right now, given they’re already, they’ve been talking non-stop, the Prime Minister and the premiers of those two affected states.
Senator Cash
Absolutely, as a Prime Minister should do. All support should be provided as and when is required. I think what is disappointing, though, is the national messaging system that Mr. Albanese had said, in times of national disasters, would be stood up in 2024 – it still has not been stood up today in March 2025. Thank goodness the emergency services on the ground, the local ones in Queensland, did not turn off their own text messaging system, because that would have been a disaster. But again, be clear with the Australian people, be up front with the Australian people. Stop playing a game of cat and mouse. Be clear, don’t call an election. Stop people actually having to worry at a time when potentially, they are worrying about their lives and their livelihoods. Let us get on with governing. Let us go back to the Parliament and do what we are paid to do, which is to pass legislation to guarantee the funding of Medicare, to protect salmon industry jobs, in particular in Tasmania. But more than that, if the Prime Minister, as he’s just said on your program, Kieran, really does believe the economy is going so well, let’s produce the Budget. Have a look at it and be transparent with the Australian people.
Kieran Gilbert
And finally, on the support for Ukraine. Are you surprised the Prime Minister is not ruling out boots on the ground as peacekeepers?
Senator Cash
I thought you put that pretty clearly to him, and what he could have said was, no Kieran, I either misspoke the other day or I made a mistake. And let’s face it, when it comes to national security, what does worry me about this Prime Minister is he is not over his brief. He’s not over the finer details. Peter Dutton and Andrew Hastie, they have made it very, very clear we are absolutely committed to peace in Ukraine. We are absolutely committed to providing them with the support, and as you know, we provided them with the Bush Masters. But when it comes to Australian troops on the ground, we have said no – we believe that this is a responsibility, in particular of the European countries, and of those countries in NATO, they are closer to where Ukraine is, and they have a role to play. So I have to say, I was a little surprised. You clearly put it to the Prime Minister. He umm-ed and he ahh-ed, whereas, unlike Peter Dutton and Andrew Hastie, he could have given you what they gave, a clear commitment. “Yes, support will continue to be provided to Ukraine. However, the role of Australia is not to provide the troops on the ground. That is for those countries, in particular in Europe, who have a role to play.”
Kieran Gilbert
Michaelia Cash, we appreciate your time. Talk to you soon. Thanks for that.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you, Kieran.
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