Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News – Sharri
16 September 2025
Topics: Net zero, energy debate, Rubio/Netanyahu statement on Gaza, defence spending
E&OE
Sharri Markson
Joining me now is Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Michaelia Cash. Michaelia thank you so much for your time again. Do you personally support the commitment to net zero by 2050?
Senator Cash
Not at any cost Sharri, and that is what Mr. Albanese has signed Australia up to. Let me be very clear about what we are committed to, as I think all Australians are – reducing emissions. But I am also very, very clear, as has Sussan Ley been, we will not compromise Australia’s standard of living by doing so, and that is what Mr. Albanese has done. I mean, you’ve currently got Chris Bowen, the relevant minister, running around, waving around a scare campaign to justify Labor’s reckless policies, and yet the report that he refers to does not go anywhere near the transition costs that the Australian public are paying for. So we’ve been very clear. We’ve been very clear. We all want to reduce emissions, so tick that box. We agree on that. But what we will not do is compromise Australians and their living standards, which is what Mr. Albanese has done. Australians are currently paying around 39% more for their energy. Jobs are currently going offshore. But what is worse, and this is almost ironic, given Mr. Albanese’s scare campaign – emissions have flatlined under this government. So this is actually a test for Mr. Albanese. Mr. Albanese – explain to the Australian people, why you are prepared to sign them up to a legislated policy of net zero and you couldn’t care less about the cost. Well, guess what? We do care about Australia. We care about Australians. We care about emissions. But I tell you right now, we are not going to, as Chris Uhlmann has said, put Australia on a pathway to poverty, which is what Mr. Albanese climate crusade has done – a pathway to poverty. What a complete joke for Mr. Albanese to do that to Australia and Australians.
Sharri Markson
So just to be clear, do you think the Liberal Party – the official position should be to abandon net zero by 2050?
Senator Cash
I think we’re working through a process. We have a broad church. People have many views. I’ve been very clear on my view you should not sign up to a target that is now legislated without understanding the cost. Do you know Sharri what many people forget? This is an aspirational target. You can meet it if you can, and you shouldn’t if you can’t. Mr. Albanese legislated this in 2022 – we opposed the legislation at the time. Why did we oppose it Sharri – because we said, we will not sign Australia and Australians up to costs that we are not clear on. And Chris Uhlmann, as I said, he now sums it up – Anthony Albanese’s, climate crusade is now putting Australia on a pathway to poverty. I will never sign Australia or Australians up to a pathway to poverty. And what Mr. Albanese has done, he said, I don’t care. I’ve legislated net zero, and I don’t care about the cost. Well, I don’t agree with that, and I opposed the legislation at the time, as did the Coalition – people forget that.
Sharri Markson
I want to get onto a couple of other topics, but I just want to put to you the concerns of some of your other colleagues in the Liberal Party. They think that if they abandon the net zero policy it’ll make it impossible to win back the Teal seats and even other suburban areas. What do you say to them?
Senator Cash
I say it’s not about abandoning net zero, because ultimately, what is net zero? Net zero was an aspirational target. Some countries have said, yes, we can meet it by 2050 others have said 2060 others have said 2070. The United States has said, forget it. So for me, it’s about the cost. Of course, I want to reduce emissions. Everybody wants to reduce emissions, but what I will not do is blindly sign up to a target that I know is going to put Australia on a pathway to poverty. And I don’t think there’s any Australian out there who wants to be put on a pathway to poverty. We need to put the acid now on Mr. Albanese and Mr. Bowen. They need to be up front about the trillions of dollars in costs that their pathway to net zero is going to cost Australia. Because guess what? The Australian people Sharri are the ones who pay for it. I will always put Australians at the heart of the energy debate, and I want lower prices for energy, not net zero at any cost. Mr. Albanese couldn’t care less.
Sharri Markson
Yeah, and that is the sort of language we’ve heard from Chris Bowen, and I’m going to come back to him with my panel in a moment. I just want to ask you about we’ve seen US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu give a joint address. This was happening as we went to air last night our time. It was a powerful show of friendship. Have a look.
Marco Rubio
Hamas needs to cease to exist as an armed element that can threaten the peace and security of the region. And the people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated.
Sharri Markson
Michaelia, firstly, it seems that our leadership here has forgotten about the hostages, and they constantly call for a ceasefire instead of for Hamas to be eliminated by Israel, what do you think?
Senator Cash
What an incredibly powerful statement between the United States and Israel, reminding us all Sharri that Hamas is a terrorist organisation dedicated solely to the destruction of Israel, the only functioning democracy in the Middle East that is a great friend and ally of Australia. The point that Marco Rubio was making is that Hamas must be eliminated. They cannot be allowed to exist as a terrorist army constantly threatening peace and stability in the region. But also it was a reminder that there are still hostages, almost two years on, Sharri, in those tunnels being held by the terrorists. Now Hamas could end this tomorrow. All they need to do is lay down their arms, surrender, acknowledge Israel’s right to exist going forward and release the hostages. But I think for me, what the stark reminder with the statement by Marco Rubio was this? What a contrast it is Sharri with our Prime Minister. You’ve got Marco Rubio reminding us all that Hamas are terrorists. Well, next week, what’s Mr. Albanese going to do? He’s going to go off to the United Nations General Assembly. And he is going to give the terrorists of Hamas what they have described as the fruits of the slaughter of October 7th, 2023. He is going to recognise Palestinian statehood. I will continue to remind people of my very simple principle – Hamas are terrorists. You do not reward terrorists. Shame on you. Mr. Albanese. Instead of standing with a friend and an ally – a democracy fighting for not just its life Sharri but for the freedoms that we have and live on a daily basis – you reward the terrorists. That’s not what a leader does.
Sharri Markson
Couldn’t agree with you more – so well said. Just finally, because we’re just about out of time. But I want to ask you about ahead of Trump’s meeting with Albanese, you know, the government’s announced $12 billion to overhaul a Perth shipyard. This is in preparation for AUKUS submarines. But what I want to ask you about is, because of this spending, the defence minister Richard Marles is now claiming that Australia is actually spending 2.8% of GDP on defence. Do you think Marles is using an incorrect metric here?
Senator Cash
Well, Richard Marles needs to understand that Australians actually need defence capability, not creative bookkeeping. I mean, this is a government that will spin the numbers Sharri any which way they can to justify their policy. Let’s look at what the international measurement says. The International measurement, which is the standard that is used, says that Australia is spending around 2% not anywhere near the 2.8% in creative accounting, in creative bookkeeping that Richard Marles is referring to. So Richard Marles needs to get serious. He needs to deliver increased defence spending. We’ve said 3% and no less, which is our commitment. He needs to deliver the actual capability for us to defend our nation. Enough with the theatrics, enough with the creative accounting and the creative bookkeeping that does not defend Australia, actual investment by way of dollars and capability does. So I think Mr. Marles was just pulling the other one, quite frankly, because the international measurement completely blows his statistics out of the water.
Sharri Markson
And he’s obviously doing it ahead of the meeting to try and make it a bit easier with Trump.
Senator Cash
Correct.
Sharri Markson
All right. Michaelia Cash thank you so much for your time. Great to have you on again.
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