Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
TRANSCRIPT
19 February 2024
Topics: WA GST deal, illegal boat
E&OE.
Kieran Gilbert
Welcome back to Newsday. Let’s go live now to Perth and joining me is the Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. Thanks for joining us, you got the Labor government in WA today for their cabinet meeting it’s timely that we get to have a chat. Before we start I do want to play you this from the Prime Minister at his news conference earlier regarding WA and its share of the GST.
Anthony Albanese
I reckon you should get a tat and get a signature on the tat – I’d be happy to sign your arm if you like. If you’re going to take it seriously and if we’re going to have a start, let’s do a good one, let’s go to a tattoo parlor we can get it tattooed on or or we can if you like I can do it by texture whatever you would like? I’ve got pens, here you go here got give us your arm. [Writes on journalists arm about GST.] You want something permanent, let’s get serious.
Kieran Gilbert
Michaelia Cash, that was in response to this front page in the West Australian. He signed the commitment, no change to WA share. Did you welcome that move by the Prime Minister today?
Senator Cash
Well Kieran, he might be over in my great state, trying to sooth Western Australians and convince us that he actually cares about us but there’s a liar in the Lodge and his name is Anthony Albanese. This Prime Minister’s litany of broken promises should have every Western Australian questioning – is this man actually for real? Quite frankly, it would not matter what he says. Because just after he signed that pledge, if you play the next bit of the interview, he says in relation to his backflip on the tax cuts and I quote – I changed my mind for economic reasons. Well, guess what? There’s a liar in the Lodge, his name is Anthony Albanese, and I do not believe him.
Kieran Gilbert
He’s gone a step further though on this occasion. He knew that this would lead all the WA bulletins tonight, writing on someone’s arm. And it’s the theater of politics, I guess. But it’s a step further than what he ever did for the stage three tax changes?
Senator Cash
Oh, no, no, hey, hold on – with the stage three tax changes, they supported them in the parliament, they actually went to the election saying they would not change them. They promised over 100 times, including the week before he did the Olympic backflip, that they would deliver them. 97 occasions prior to the election, what did he say on energy costs? Reduce your electricity bill by $275. So I’m sorry Kieran, there is a litany of broken promises. There is a liar in the Lodge, his name is Mr. Albanese and quite frankly, I don’t believe a thing this man says. He will change his mind if it is politically convenient and it suits him. And that just happens to be the track record of Anthony Albanese in government as Prime Minister of our country.
Kieran Gilbert
It’s not just on tax though. He’s obviously wanting to reassure West Australians in terms of the defense industry, that there will be a continuous shipbuilding industry in WA. That’s going to be a significant part of tomorrow’s surface fleet review. And as I revealed a bit earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister has in his foreword he has said in his foreword to this review – this will see Navy equipped with a major surface combatant fleet twice as large as planned when we came to government. So again, good news for WA isn’t it?
Senator Cash
Well again, they’re just words Kieran, they’re an announcement. The one thing I have learned with this government, and I know Western Australians have learned with this government is the devil is always in the detail. In the first instance, when will they be delivered? Secondly, will there be any new money? Thirdly, how are you going to crew these vessels? Again with labor and I give them credit, they are so good at the announcement Kieran, but you scratch the surface, you look for the detail and you are left wanting every single time. So, we will carefully consider the announcement tomorrow but again at this stage, it is merely an announcement and nothing more.
Kieran Gilbert
Asylum seekers arriving in the remote north of WA they’ve been transported to Nauru. The government is firmly committed to Operation Sovereign Borders. The Prime Minister says it’s Mr. Dutton now jeopardizing the national interest with the rhetoric around this issue?
Senator Cash
Well, how are they firmly committed to Operation Sovereign Borders when the first thing they did when they got into government was repeal one of the key pillars, temporary protection visa’s? How are they committed to Operation Sovereign Borders when in their last budget, they ripped $600 million out of border security, which even the commissioner says is now stretching their capability. How are they committed to national security and border security when they’ve let out 149 hardcore criminals who have no right to be in this country into the community? And what have we now learned from Senate Estimates? They actually couldn’t care less, everything they said prior to Christmas, they haven’t done since then. So believe you me, this is just the people smugglers testing what they know is a weak Prime Minister. They’ve seen this playbook before. And in fact Kieran, 2013 in Geraldton – Western Australians know this playbook well, because asylum seekers made it to Geraldton. This time around, they’ve made it to Broome. A weak Prime Minister, not committed to either national security or Operation Sovereign Borders. And unfortunately, the people smugglers know that.
Kieran Gilbert
Michaelia Cash, will talk to you soon. Thanks.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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