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 with Andrew Clennell
24 November 2024
TOPICS: Misinformation Bill, WA/Federal election timing, Bail 9 release, ICC Netanyahu warrant
E&OE
Andrew Clennell
Joining us before the final sitting week of the year is the Shadow Attorney General, Michaelia Cash. Michaelia Cash, thanks for your time. And what do you make of the government’s decision to pull its misinformation bill?
Senator Cash
Well, in the first instance, Andrew, did you ever think that in your lifetime or my lifetime, an Australian government would seek to censor the Australian people? This bill is not about misinformation and disinformation. This bill is about the Albanese government silencing the Australian people. This bill is about the Albanese government giving bureaucrats the ability to say whether what you and I say is misinformation or disinformation. Never in my life did I think that an Australian government would proceed down this path.
Andrew Clennell
They say you wanted to do it. They say it was a 2022 election promise?
Senator Cash
110% that is wrong. In fact, I would say that’s misinformation and disinformation. But you know nothing less is expected from the Albanese government. But Andrew, the more salient point is this, you now have a Prime Minister, Mr. Albanese, who’s tabled in the parliament a bill to censor free speech in Australia. He cannot get the numbers to ram it through the Senate next week, but Australians need to understand every Labor Party member in the House of Representatives voted for this bill. The only reason the Australian Greens are not providing their support to Mr. Albanese is because they think the bill does not go far enough. They want even further censorship the Australian people.
Andrew Clennell
How did your proposal differ? You say they’re 110% wrong. Yours was very different. So how was your proposal going to be different?
Senator Cash
Well, in the first instance, we never sought to censor the Australian people. Our bill was very much focused on working with the media companies to ensure that they had better practices in place when it came to the type of information that they allowed on their sites. But Andrew, I just want to be clear on one thing, because Australians are about to go to a Federal election, and they need to understand, whilst the bill has been pulled this week from the Senate, all credible commentators are saying Australia is heading for a minority government, and that could well be a minority government with Labor and the Greens. Can you honestly imagine the greens and the demands they would place upon Mr. Albanese in relation to the type of censorship bill they want to see going through the Australian Parliament? And so while yes, this week, Australians have a reprieve from the censorship of free speech in this country, we have a Prime Minister who has nailed his colors to the mast. He believes in censorship. But what is worse if, in a minority government with the Australian Greens and some of the Teals – Kate Chaney, member for Curtin, she voted to censor the people of Curtin and the Australian people. I can’t even begin to imagine the deal that would have to be done to keep the Australian Greens happy.
Andrew Clennell
Do you think the WA election is going to be moved?
Senator Cash
Oh, well, I have to say, wasn’t that an interesting conversation? So Roger Cook, the WA Premier, comes out and bells the cat in relation to Mr. Albanese. He says, Mr. Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, has asked him to seek advice as to whether or not he can move our fixed term election. Mr. Albanese does an interview Andrew, and he says, Well, no, I never had such a conversation. In the second interview, he had to clean up that mess, because he’d actually misled the Western Australian people. But more than that, Mr. Albanese cannot be trusted. The Western Australian election date is March the 8th. He’s known that now for four years. He needs to come clean with the Australian people. And I have to say, Andrew people are really getting tired of the games Mr. Albanese is playing in relation to the next election. Is it in March? If it is in March, just tell us.
Andrew Clennell
He said in that interview with me, it was May, but then backtracked. Do you think you should know? Do you think he should name a date.
Senator Cash
I think Mr. Albanese needs to stop playing games with the Australian people, but in particular the Western Australian people. I mean the audacity of the Prime Minister to do an interview after Roger Cook has confirmed he spoke to Mr. Albanese, and Mr. Albanese made a request of him to give a blanket no as the answer to the question, only in the next interview to actually have to clean up his mess and say, Well, I did. To me that actually shows the character of Mr. Albanese as our Prime Minister. If you had a conversation Prime Minister with the Premier of Western Australia, be up front with the Australian people.
Andrew Clennell
How would WA people take an election being moved to have a Federal election? How do you reckon that would go down?
Senator Cash
Not well. Our election date has been locked in. We have fixed term elections as you know, in Western Australia. It has been locked in, it has been known for the last four years. The games that Mr. Albanese is playing in Western Australia, quite frankly, are a reflection on him. As for a policy discussion – his policies clearly show Mr. Albanese has walked away from WA. But to actually then mislead us – you either did or didn’t have a conversation with Premier Cook. Premier Cook says you did, quite frankly, it is a reflection on Mr. Albanese’s character as Prime Minister that he couldn’t say that in his first interview. Western Australians should bear that in mind when they’re voting at the next federal election.
Andrew Clennell
Let’s talk about the Bali nine. You’re a former Attorney General. What’s your reaction to Anthony Albanese asking for their release? And that’s apparently about to occur?
Senator Cash
Well, given it is such a significant decision, I think it’s almost inexplicable that Mr. Albanese has not stood up in front of the Australian people and explained exactly what he has done. As of this morning, the Australian people, despite all the news reports, are in the dark. Let’s be clear in the first instance, these individuals, Australians were part of a heroin smuggling ring to bring back into Australia in excess of eight kilos of heroin. Drug offenses are some of the worst offenses our society sees because of the devastating consequences on people, including death. But quite frankly, given this seems to have escalated over the last 24 hours, it is now for Prime Minister Albanese to stand up in the front of the Australian people and say: What is the deal? What has he extracted in relation for the deal? What is Australia giving up in relation to the deal. How much is it going to cost the Australian taxpayer? Will they continue to serve their prison sentences because they have been sentenced to life imprisonment in Indonesia? Will they continue to serve them out in Australia? And if not, why not?
Andrew Clennell
Well, Don Farrell indicated they would. Don Farrell indicated they would, for what it’s worth, I guess Stephen Jones was out talking, confirming that Anthony Albanese lobbied in relation to it.
Senator Cash
Well, I thought the details were very light, both from Stephen Jones and from Don Farrell. If nothing else, Mr. Albanese, needs to be up front with the Australian people. What is the nature of the deal to bring back Australians who have been convicted as part of a heroin drug smuggling ring sentenced by an Indonesian court? This is a timely reminder, Andrew. Seriously, Australians go to Bali all the time. You are reminded, as you are flying in, Indonesia has the death penalty for drugs, they have severe penalties.
Andrew Clennell
Do you think they should be left there?
Senator Cash
It is for Mr. Albanese to explain to the Australian people. He’s advocated on their behalf. He has allegedly done this deal, even though Indonesia itself doesn’t have prisoner transfer agreements. He needs to be up front with the Australian people. What’s the nature of the deal? Who’s paying for it? What’s Australia giving up in return? And will they or won’t they continue to serve the balance of their sentence in Australia? I mean, it’s a reality that Mr. Albanese, when it comes to dealing with criminals, Andrew, let’s face it, he doesn’t have a great track record. He let 215 non-citizen, hardcore criminals out into the Australian community. A number of them have committed offenses and have gone back inside. But seriously, when it comes to criminals, Mr. Albanese hardly has a good track record.
Andrew Clennell
Well let me just ask you this again. Do you think the Bali nine, the five remaining, should remain in a Bali jail?
Senator Cash
Let me be very clear, if the Albanese government has information that as the Shadow Attorney General and the Shadow government, we are not privileged to, well, then he needs to explain what that is. If you’re asking me, would this have been a priority of a government I am in. A priority for me is dealing with the cost of living crisis that the Australian people are under as a result of Mr. Albanese and his government’s actions. Again, as I say, I am a Western Australian. I have been to Bali many, many times. Indonesia has tough sentences when it comes in particular to drug smuggling. I think this is a timely reminder for any Australian about to get on a plane over the Christmas period and go to Bali. It is Indonesia. It is their laws under which you are being tried, and their sentences are tough.
Andrew Clennell
What do you make of the revelations? By myself this morning, the government intends to not go ahead this year with its gambling advertising reforms.
Senator Cash
I’ve only just seen that just prior to coming in into the studio. I mean, look, Andrew, like so many things with this government, for the first 12 months of the Albanese government, they did nothing. And why did they do nothing? Because they were literally singularly focused on the $400 million Voice referendum, a referendum that Peter Dutton told the Prime Minister at the time, was not needed because he knew the Australian people did not want to divide this country on the basis of race. But despite all of that, Mr. Albanese ploughed ahead with the Voice referendum. It was overwhelmingly rejected by the Australian people. They said no to Mr. Albanese. And then after that, after 12 months of doing nothing else, suddenly the Albanese government woke up and they realized we’re in government, and government is really tough. And ever since then, Andrew, in all honesty, the legislation these people that they table in the parliament is slow, sloppily drafted – the unintended consequences of what they do. I mean, this government doesn’t seem to know what its priorities are, other than dealing with you know, as I said, a $400 million referendum that this country couldn’t see. But again, you need for them to explain why yet again, they are unable to bring a piece of legislation that they said they would to the Australian Parliament.
Andrew Clennell
Just briefly what do you make of the government’s reaction to the International Criminal Court’s decision that an arrest warrant should be issued for Benjamin Netanyahu? Would you like to see Australia totally out of the ICC?
Senator Cash
In relation to the reaction completely, totally and utterly shameful and yet again, Australia is at odds with our greatest ally and security partner in the United States of America. President Biden’s statement. Andrew short and simple, it is utterly outrageous the issuing of the warrants, and there is no moral equivalence between Israeli leaders and Hamas terrorists.
Andrew Clennell
Should Australia pull out of the court?
Senator Cash
We can’t rule that out now, and certainly given the actions of the ICC, we certainly do have grounds now to reconsider our membership of the organization. But very quickly, Anthony Albanese, Penny Wong pick up the phone to Prime Minister Netanyahu and tell him that he is welcome in Australia any time, and that we stand with Israel, not with the Hamas terrorists. Their response is weak, but more than that, to yet again, put us at odds with our greatest ally and security partner, the United States of America should disturb all Australians, Andrew.
Andrew Clennell
Michaelia Cash, thanks so much for your time.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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