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
2SM Radio with Chris Smith
TOPICS: antisemitic Sydney nurses, Trump tariffs, power prices, gas/electricity legislation
13 February 2025
E&OE
Chris Smith
I’m joined by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Michaelia Cash. She has been following the ins and outs of what has occurred at Bankstown Hospital, and she’s on the line right now. Senator, welcome to the program again.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you, Chris and hello to your listeners.
Chris Smith
We’ve seen some horrific examples of antisemitism in recent months, but this vile video featuring two New South Wales nurses is next level, isn’t it?
Senator Cash
It’s not just next level. There can be no excuse for what has happened, and there can be no leniency. There is no room for ambiguity here. But Chris, the greatest worry I have is this – in 2025 we now live in a country where people are living in fear. People are worried about an attack on their home, their place of business, an attack online. And then what do we see yesterday in the great country of Australia, two nurses in the New South Wales Health System making vile antisemitic threats that include threats to kill Israeli Jewish patients. But you know, Chris, what all Australians are asking? Where is our Prime Minister? Why isn’t our Prime Minister on the front foot on this issue? He is in hiding, and it is an absolute disgrace.
Chris Smith
What do you expect him to do? Though, to be fair, Michaelia, it is a state issue. However, having said that, there are issues for this pair working in Federally funded hospitals outside of New South Wales. Beyond that, what do you want him to do?
Senator Cash
Well, in the first instance, as the Prime Minister of our country, he should be standing up and reassuring Jewish Australians across Australia that they should not feel unsafe in the hands of staff at a hospital because of their faith. This issue may have happened in New South Wales, but Chris, it will have national ramifications. I am from Western Australia. I spoke to Jewish people in Western Australia yesterday who said to me: “am I safe in our hospital system?” The Prime Minister must explain at a national level what he will do to now lead a national response supported by our Premiers, whether it’s National Cabinet or otherwise, to make it clear that we support Israeli people and Jewish people across Australia, and they are safe in our hospital systems.
Chris Smith
Yeah, I don’t know where this ends up. I do know there will probably be court cases, but you just have to wonder whether this also should come under the jurisdiction of the Home Affairs Minister, in reference to possibly deporting the Afghan-born male nurse?
Senator Cash
I think Chris, this incident has a long way to go, and as I’ve said, there can’t be any excuses, and there cannot be any leniency, whether it is charges being brought under New South Wales law under their hate crimes legislation, whether it is charges being brought under the recent laws that went through the Federal Parliament. As you say, looking at people’s status in this country. This is threats to kill, to send Jewish people in this country to Jahannam – to hell. It is unacceptable. There is no room for ambiguity. There’s no room for false equivalence. It is a matter of utmost seriousness that now needs to have the most serious of consequences.
Chris Smith
Let’s talk about an international issue, a large one. What’s your reading of Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariff whack of 25% and our chances of being exempt?
Senator Cash
Well, in the first instance, as you know, when we were last in government during President Trump’s first administration, there were threats on tariffs on aluminium and steel. We were because of our relationship, though, with the administration at the time, and this is where personal relationships are so important, we had Australia exempted from these tariffs. So that’s the precedent that the Albanese government must now meet. My greatest fear is this, the Prime Minister has made the relationship, though, as we all know, more difficult through his own previous comments. But more than that, the comments of Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the comments of now Ambassador Rudd in relation to now President Trump, they were of a deeply personal and offensive nature. So the relationship has been made that much harder because of comments made by this government. But we’ve said we’ll work with them, because this is about Australia and Australians. We successfully negotiated an exemption when we were last in government, and we would expect Australians should expect, at the very least the same level of exemption under Mr. Albanese.
Chris Smith
Has he got the wherewithal to submit a decent argument on our behalf?
Senator Cash
Oh, look, as I said, the biggest issue they are going to have is the deeply personal and offensive comments they made in relation to the first Trump administration, when Mr. Trump said, I’m running again as the Republican candidate that have continued on right up until election night. And the bad news for them was he was overwhelmingly elected by the American people as their President. So they need to get over the nature of the personal relationship. And in politics, Chris, you’ve been around politics for decades, what is one of the most important aspects – the personal relationship.
Chris Smith
Yes exactly. Maybe a big fat tariff on our metal is exactly what climate tsar Chris Bowen wants. He seems very excited to be whacking companies with a carbon border adjustment mechanism. Sounds like a carbon tariff to me.
Senator Cash
And it gets even worse. Let me update your listeners as to what is currently happening in the Australian Senate on what potentially could be the last sitting day of this Parliament. Labor, as you and I are talking, are sitting in a division in the Australian Senate. They have just done a backroom deal with the Australian Greens to kill off more gas in our system. That is what they do. So Australians need to wake up this ideological madness. It is an early warning – it is happening as we speak in the Australian Senate – of what a Labor-Greens-Teal minority government will look like. Higher energy costs, an unreliable grid, and ultimately, mum and dad Australia, you will pay more. As I said, Chris, as we speak, in the Australian Senate, they have suspended standing orders to bring on a bill that will literally kill off gas and put electricity prices up.
Chris Smith
They are numbskulls.
Senator Cash
Look, you are almost insulting numbskulls, quite frankly, because even a numbskull would say, mate, if it’s costing me more, I don’t like it. But Chris Bowen, I mean, I don’t know about you. Have you been to his social media videos?
Chris Smith
No.
Senator Cash: Oh – you’ve got to. You should play a few for your listeners. But you know, I’ve always believed it doesn’t matter what side of politics you come from, can you at least put the Australian people first? Can you at least consider, even if you have an ideological obsession with something, what is the ultimate impact on mum and dad Australia? The fact that, under the guise of potentially the last day of sitting, Anthony Albanese has licensed his Senators to do a backroom deal with the Greens to bring on a bill, and it’s not going to get a lot of reporting. Chris, that’s the bad news. There’s a bill in the Senate that’s going to be voted on that will kill off gas and put your power prices up. That is the reality of this Parliament. God help Australia if they are in minority government. I mean, we call him now Minister McKim. Minister McKim, and he loves every minute of it. Penny Wong’s now addressing the Senate, telling us how we should support this bill. Well, guess what, Penny, let me tell you what, Peter Dutton and the Liberal team don’t support higher prices on mum and dad Australia for their energy.
Chris Smith
Yes. Good to have you in there. I’ll let you go back in.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you. I will keep up the good fight.
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