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 Sydney with Chris Smith
TOPICS: Trump tariffs, China praise of Albanese, woke school curriculum, $600m for regional roads
3 April 2025
E&OE
Chris Smith
Let’s go straight to WA – Senator Michaelia Cash, who’s on the line right now. Michaelia, welcome to the program.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
Chris Smith
On a big news day, with Donald Trump going hard on another raft of tariffs, although we were expecting 25% and Australia copped just 10%. So we need to put it in some context here. It’s against our imports. The Prime Minister has come up with a resilience kind of scheme, a number of measures that I’ve mentioned to my listeners. What are your thoughts on his reaction to that?
Senator Cash
Well, in the first instance, I’d say you know, Donald Trump’s decision or the American administration’s decision, it is a blow, Chris, to Australian exporters impacted by the decision, including our beef producers. And Peter Dutton has said this morning, he is prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Prime Minister to send a very clear message to the Americans that we do not find this acceptable at all. I mean, your listeners would know we are a trusted and reliable trading partner with the United States, but one of the issues that has become incredibly apparent, in particular since the election of President Trump is that under Mr. Albanese, it does appear we have a dysfunctional relationship with the United States. So rather than continuing to pursue Australia’s interests, Mr. Albanese congratulates himself on one phone call two months ago, and the issue we now have is Donald Trump is a negotiator. He expects you at the negotiating table, and unfortunately, with Mr. Albanese, that’s something we seem to have exited.
Chris Smith
What are your thoughts on the way Anthony Albanese has responded into terms of establishing a new economic resilience program and also providing $50 million to affected sectors.
Senator Cash
Well, as I said, look, we have said we are prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Prime Minister to send a very clear message to the Americans that we don’t find this acceptable. We’re also prepared to consider whatever Mr. Albanese announces, and he’s only made the announcements recently this morning, and in particular, those impacted by the President’s decision here in Australia. But I think more broadly, one of the issues that we do have, as I said, is Mr. Albanese has failed to stand up when Australians needed him. He has not been proactive enough in fighting for our interests. He was too slow to visit Washington and argue our case. President Trump is a negotiator, and he has shown by his actions that he doesn’t have a lot of respect for Mr. Albanese. The American administration have not taken further phone calls from Mr. Albanese, and one of the things that Mr. Albanese fails to understand is former coalition Prime Ministers engage directly with the President to successfully secure Australia’s exemptions to tariffs, as you know, on aluminium and steel. Hope is not a strategy. And we can’t afford a government that shies away from the tough conversations or fails to defend our economic interests.
Chris Smith
Meanwhile, just on the issue of the Chinese vessel that seems to be floating around on our southern coastline, the Chinese Communist Party through its state media heap praise on Anthony Albanese while criticizing Peter Dutton for beating the drums of war. I doubt whether Chinese praise is a badge of honour, is it?
Senator Cash
Well, not only that. I mean, Peter’s not beating the drums of war. He is defending Australia, and that is his job. We are not seeking to be overly critical or aggressive, but defending our shores and security, Chris, it is the right thing to do, and Australians would expect us to do that. You have to stand up for Australia, and as Peter Dutton has done, you have to speak out when such incursions occur. And certainly we will not shy away in representing the position of Australia in a calm and a measured way. I mean, it is a fact when you’re on that global stage, you do not gain respect by cowering in a corner and pretending there is nothing to see here. Quite frankly, Mr. Albanese, when it has come to these issues, he has been weak on the issue. I mean, what did he say in terms of that the incursion and the ship? “I’d prefer it wasn’t there.” I mean, that is a weak and insipid response.
Chris Smith
Weak as water.
Senator Cash
This is just it. We value our trading relationship with China. Let us be very clear there. I’m in Western Australia. I’m a Western Australian. We absolutely value our trading relationship with China, and that should be in the demonstration of our constructive relationship. But I have to say, the Prime Minister of Australia, you also need to defend Australia, to defend our shores, to defend our security. And that is what Peter Dutton has made very, very clear that he will do. We have a right to provide a firm but respectful response on these issues, unlike Mr. Albanese, who pretends there’s not an issue. Well, guess what? That won’t make it go away.
Chris Smith
I want to talk about education. Catholic schools have called for the ideological national curriculum to be abolished because quote it’s “indoctrinating” students. A very strong stance against woke rubbish, this.
Senator Cash
Well, let’s make it very clear what you will get under a Peter Dutton Government. Peter has been clear. We want to make sure that our kids, the future of Australia, doesn’t matter whether they’re at primary school, secondary school, or even young Australians at universities, you are receiving the education that your parents would expect you to receive. I mean, at this stage, seriously, Chris, you’ve seen academics who are out as part of protests on the streets and teachers similarly. That’s now been translated into our classrooms. It is not something that we support. We support young Australians being able to think freely, being able to assess what’s before them. But let me be very, very clear. Peter Dutton, me, Sarah Henderson, the Coalition team, we do not support Australians and young Australians in particular, being indoctrinated with something that is the agenda of others. And if we’re elected to government, that is the approach that we would take. You educate our kids. You do not indoctrinate them, and we have had enough of indoctrination.
Chris Smith
For my 49 other stations that we broadcast to between nine and 12 every morning, the Coalition has gone in to bat for the bush.
Senator Cash
Absolutely, 110%. Let’s face it, Mr. Albanese, not only has he walked away from the mining and resources sector, he is the most anti-resources and anti-agricultural Prime Minister this country has ever seen. I can tell you now, under Peter Dutton, we’re going to back those sectors in every step of the way. What’s Albanese doing? Making decisions Chris to appease inner-city green voters along the eastern seaboard at the expense of my home state, but also our regions. We’re going to back our resources sector in, back our agricultural sector in, but more than that, we are going to back our farmers in with this $600 million investment to establish our new agriculture and mining resources roads program. We are going to update, upgrade those roads in regional Australia, because Australia is a big country. We transport by road. And guess what? We are going to make sure we have improving access for higher productivity – vehicles, flood immunity, resilience upgrades. We will back in mining resources and agriculture under a Peter Dutton Government.
Chris Smith
Good to have you on the program.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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