Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News Sunday Agenda
26 November 2023
Topics: Israel, immigration detention, nuclear power, renewable energy, IR legislation, sitting week
E&OE.
Andrew Clennell
Question re Israeli hostages being released from Gaza.
Senator Cash
Look, I think it’s incredibly welcoming news for Israelis. But obviously the ceasefire is only for a short period of time before, obviously, the fighting will resume again. But what we always have to remember, Andrew, is why we’re in this situation. There was an unprovoked attack by Hamas on Israel. They slaughtered innocent Israelis. So everything that is now occurring is at the foot of Hamas. They are responsible for this, and Israel must defend itself. But certainly, I mean, the scenes that you played just briefly before they are welcome scenes in terms of hostages finally being released.
Andrew Clennell
And your leader Peter Dutton has been critical of the Prime Minister’s stance on this conflict, and also the Foreign Minister’s stance. The PM was at the Holocaust Museum in Melbourne, the opening during the week, really lending his support to Israel. Then there was a controversy over some Palestinian visitor visas being granted 860 or so, but the government said they’ll also 1300 such Israeli visitor visas granted. What’s your stance at the moment on the way the government is handling this issue?
Senator Cash
Well again, Andrew, it’s not about how the government is handling the issue now. It’s about what the government should have done on day one. And on day one, Australians did not know where the Prime Minister stood; they did not know where the foreign minister stood. You cannot have it both ways in relation to this debate. As I said, this was an unprovoked attack by Hamas on innocent Israelis. The Prime Minister should have come out immediately, in a strong way, and stood alongside Peter Dutton, and absolutely condemned Hamas and stood with Israel.
Andrew Clennell
What about your view on where he’s at now?
Senator Cash
It is the appropriate response that has been taken now. But again, where was the Prime Minister condemning Green Senator Mehreen Faruqi recently for her despicable posts on social media? The Prime Minister still, within reason, wants to have it both ways. But we know why. It’s because Labor is internally divided on this issue. As I said, on day one, our prime minister, as leader of our country, should have come out and strongly condemned Hamas and backed Israel’s right to defend itself. He’s now scrambling to look like he’s taking a position. Sometimes, though, it’s too little too late, regardless of what your position is now. And I talk to Jewish people all over Australia, as I’m sure you do, too. And they continue to express real disappointment in how the Prime Minister initially handled this matter.
Andrew Clennell
Alright, let me move now to this issue of nuclear power. It appears you’re preparing a nuclear power policy for the next election. You’re certainly heavily considering it. This poll revealed this morning shows less than one in five Australians are opposed to the moratorium on nuclear power being lifted. Just 18% are opposed to that. Are these sorts of poll numbers helping drive your policy on this?
Senator Cash
Well I think what they show is, in particular in relation to the stance taken by Peter Dutton, is you actually have to take, as the Coalition has taken an “all of the above” approach to reducing emissions. What you’re seeing at the moment, it’s been played out recently, is Chris Bowen and Labor’s ideological approach to renewables only is the wrong way to go. You need to have everything on the table if you really do want, over the longer term, to reduce emissions, to keep the lights on and to keep prices down. It’s also a fact, Andrew, and you see Chris Bowen out there all the time criticizing Peter Dutton, not even having a conversation on nuclear. It is a fact that around the world, countries who adopt a mix of energy sources actually have lower electricity prices than those that are going down the path of renewables alone. So Chris Bowen is completely, totally and utterly out of date when it comes to clearly a) where Australians are at, but more than that, as we approach COP 28 in the coming days, I mean, the bad news for Australia and Australians, Australia is now being seen as an international outlier because of its ideological stance and its renewable only approach. I mean Chris Bowen, how embarrassing to be going to COP 28 and Australia is being seen as an international outlier, in particular, when it’s reported that our friends and allies are going to be signing for the first time ever, a communique on nuclear energy. And guess what, under Chris Bowen Australia is not even in the room. So the poll is a welcome sign that Australians actually get the Coalition’s approach, “all of the above”, it’s all got to be on the table if you are dinkum about keeping the lights on at the lowest possible price and reducing emissions.
Andrew Clennell
What’s your reaction to Chris Bowen’s plans to underwrite the renewable energy industry? Will the Opposition be opposing that?
Senator Cash
Seriously, Chris Bowen is a minister who has never seen a taxpayer dollar that he can’t spend. And in this case, it’s lots of taxpayer dollars. He’s actually writing a blank cheque to throw at energy companies, but get this, commentators are now saying that potentially the blank cheque could cost Australian taxpayers, because it’s their money – it’s not the government’s money, Australian taxpayers money tens of billions of dollars. And Chris Bowen says for confidentiality reasons he can’t actually even tell Australians how much this is going to cost. But again, what it says is a) it’s an admission that the current system is not working, if the government has to go down this path, but b) again, it goes back to you have a government that has an obsession with a renewable only ideology, which is being shown, it is not the right approach to take.
Andrew Clennell
When are we going to see the nuclear energy policy from your side. At what point next year will we see that, and in fact, more policy generally from your side?
Senator Cash
Well again, Peter’s been very upfront with the Australian people. Ted O’Brien, our shadow minister, he is having the conversation that Labor will not have with the Australian people. He’s actually going to them and asking them what they think. And obviously, the recent poll that you’ve now showed shows, they are at one with the position of the Coalition that it needs to be an all of the above approach. But Peter has also said, we will release our policy in good time for the next election, which at this point in time, is not due until May 2025. But we have been very, very clear. We are not beholden to a witless ideological approach, like the Australian Labor Party is. We will take a sensible all of the above approach to ensuring that we do lower emissions, we reach net zero, but at the same time, we keep the lights on. I think Australians do like to know that when they flick the switch, Andrew, the lights are actually on and they’re paying the lowest possible price.
Andrew Clennell
It seems the government had the intention when it came to these last sitting weeks to have the IR reforms go through. You’ve obviously blocked that, for the time being anyway. But this has given them some time to get industry groups on board with some of the changes. Is that giving him a bit of an advantage?
Senator Cash
No, not at all, because the majority of industry groups are saying the legislation is still fundamentally flawed. This is a piece of legislation that you could actually just drive a truck through. So the Minister Tony Burke, a band aid here, a band aid there, and they’re not even band aids when you actually look at what is being announced. We also have not seen what the actual sections will look like, so no, the majority of industry groups are on board. This is a bad piece of productivity sapping legislation that should not be supported. And a band aid here, a band aid there, Andrew, doesn’t do much to improve the legislation.
Andrew Clennell
Alright what do you think about the situation with these immigration detainees who’ve been released? The government’s refusing to detail how many have ankle bracelets. We’ve had Sam Ibrahim welcome his release in the newspapers in Sydney this morning. What do you make of it all?
Senator Cash
My understanding is there’s now 116 that have been released, not the 93 that the Australian people knew about last week. But what a complete total and utter debacle for this government. They were concerned more about the rights of rapists, murderers, paedophiles, child sex offenders and a contract killer, and getting them out onto the street than they were with the safety and security of Australians. So now you have these people out on the streets. And the basic questions the Coalition is asking on behalf of the Australian people, where are they? What are they doing? But more importantly, what are you doing to monitor them? The government cannot answer basic questions. So again, you have a prime minister of this country who is failing, when it comes to his fundamental responsibility to protect Australia and Australians.
Andrew Clennell
They’re actually using a tactic the Coalition didn’t use, aren’t they? They’re saying it’s operational matters. Scott Morrison used to do that all the time.
Senator Cash
Oh please, the government were not prepared for this outcome in June of this year, when Justice Gleeson gave a very, very clear indication that they were on shaky ground. They should have already had options prepared. The High Court brought down its decision and their response is, “Oh, we’re really sorry. We got told we were going to win that case.” Not good enough. A Federal Government prepares for every single contingency unless, of course, you either don’t care or you’re incompetent. And I’m giving Labor a tick on both of those things. They don’t care. And they are incompetent.
Andrew Clennell
Just finally, it appears that the government doesn’t probably need the last Senate sitting week, which is not this week. It’s next week. Do you still want the parliament to sit for that? And why?
Senator Cash
Absolutely. Because we still have a significant amount of legislation that we need to get through. And unless the government’s planning on guillotining legislation in the Senate this week, we will need that second sitting week. But I have to say you only look at canceling a week in the parliament, and the government’s already done that this year, if you don’t like transparency, if you don’t like accountability. Well guess what? I want to hold this government to account, in particular in relation to the debacle on immigration. So I look forward to doing, basically, what the taxpayer pays me to do, to be in this place and to work. And shame on Labor for thinking that they can get away with canceling a sitting week of the parliament.
Andrew Clennell
Michaelia Cash, Thanks so much for your time this morning.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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