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
Channel 9 Today Show
Topics: Whyalla bail out, Government spending
20 February 2025
E&OE
Karl Stefanovic
Joining us to discuss today’s headlines is WA Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash and publisher and podcast host Sarrah Le Marquand, nice to see you both this morning. Michaelia you’re first up. The federal government will bail out Whyalla steel works, and it needs to be bailed out for all those workers in town, but there is some risk for taxpayers. Is it worth it?
Senator Cash
Look, we welcome the decision. These communities need certainty, but you’ve got to ask yourself, how did they end up in this position. How did manufacturing, end up going to the wall in Australia? And Karl it is the cost of energy. Labor’s renewables only pipe dream has pushed the cost of energy up in Australia, and you’ve just got businesses, including manufacturers now going to the wall.
Karl Stefanovic
But this was just badly run.
Senator Cash
Put that aside, though you’ve got to ask, why? Why can’t they afford to keep going? I was with a small business yesterday, Karl, $7,000 a month they are paying in their energy costs alone. We need to get the cost of energy in this country under control. We need to ensure we do have the sovereign capability to manufacture steel. But unless you get the fundamentals right, all you are going to see in Australia is manufacturers go into the wall. Government bailouts will need to occur. That is not a good spend for taxpayers to have to continually bail out. Mr. Albanese, I think, needs to actually take a bit of responsibility here and say the renewables only pipe dream is destroying manufacturing.
Karl Stefanovic
Sarah 22,000 locals, the PM, will be quick to get down there today. There is an election coming. He’s going to capitalize on this or is that just cynical?
Sarrah Le Marquand
Well, of course he is capitalizing. But if you were a local, you’re probably glad that he is. I think people living in Whyalla would think: hey you can be cynical all you like, we need bailing out. And I think that is the real issue here for us looking on. We can see that you have a town that’s built on one industry, and what does that mean for the absolute, you know, desecration of that whole industry, that whole town. But that’s right, how sustainable our bailouts. I mean, I lived in Whyalla for six months with my family, when I was in kindergarten. My father was in the merchant navy, and he was actually helping oversee the construction of a ship that was transporting steel, and so we lived there for six months. So I’ve got very strong memories of that town, and my heart really goes out to the people living there. So yes, I mean, be cynical. Absolutely. We know Albo is doing it for the votes, but you can’t begrudge that for the locals.
Karl Stefanovic
No, that’s for sure. It’s not exactly reining in government spending, though. Michaelia, what is your election promise bill at so far?
Senator Cash
We’ve got to get this economy back to basics. We’ve actually got to rein in wasteful government spending.
Karl Stefanovic
Where are you going to get the reining in?
Senator Cash
Well, hold on you’ve got to cut red and green tape. You know, Karl, some companies are paying up to a billion dollars in red and green tape compliance costs. That is unacceptable. Look at what Michelle Bullock said as recently as Tuesday, inflation in this country is home grown. 12 interest rates rises are the result of wasteful government spending by Anthony Albanese. I mean, your viewers would recall, for the first 18 months of Mr. Albanese’s government, he was concerned with one thing only, spending almost half a billion dollars of taxpayers money on dividing this country on the basis of race with his failed Voice. I mean Bill Shorten – $600,000 on a speechwriter. You’ve got to rein in wasteful spending. You’ve got to get back to basics and get Australia back on track.
Karl Stefanovic
I think it’s quite popular when you talk about reining in spending. Draining the swamp, as Elon Musk has set about doing in Washington, DC. It’s very different when you actually have to zero in. They’re popular until you have to drill into where it’s coming from.
Sarrah Le Marquand
It’s such a good point. Karl, I was just thinking about Elon Musk, which I really try not to do too often. But that trillion dollars, it’s impossible for the average person to get your head around a trillion dollars. How many zeros is at the end of that? And of course, Elon Musk, that is exactly what he’s charged with doing. So where do you begin? I mean, absolutely cut government spending. I mean, I can think of a few Comcars and other little perks that our federal pollies are basking in that could be cut. But I think we’ve careful when we’re talking about what’s the genuine fallout when we’re talking about this.
Karl Stefanovic
All right, billionaire businessman Clive Palmer, he’s back, baby. He wants to make Australia great again, announcing his Trumpet of Patriots party months out for the federal election. Michaelia, you back, Palmer for PM, wouldn’t you?
Senator Cash
Let’s be very clear. The choice at the next election – Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton. A vote for anybody other than Peter Dutton is a vote for Anthony Albanese, but in a minority government. Karl, your Australians will remember minority government well. It did not work last time.
Karl Stefanovic
Oh they work fine. What about Clive Palmer – you love him don’t you?
Senator Cash
If you want to get Australia back on track you need a majority government. I’m from Western Australia. I think you know, Western Australians’ views on Mr. Palmer. But the point being, though, it’s a clear choice at the next election, Peter Dutton, Anthony Albanese, and the last Australia needs is a minority government. God help us all.
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