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
Interview with Chris Smith ADHTV
2 September 2024
TOPICS: Newspoll, interest rates, aged care staff shortages, live sheep export ban
E&OE
Chris Smith
Well, if the Federal Labor government wasn’t squirming already over the lack of public support they had this year, they definitely will after the publication of today’s Newspoll. It is bad news for the Prime Minister and Labor. Peter Dutton has no reason to celebrate either, because only 18% think that he would do a better job on the issue of inflation. Let’s bring in WA Liberal Senator Michaelia Cash on this and the other big political stories of the day. Senator Cash, welcome to ADH TV.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you, Chris.
Chris Smith
That Newspoll disapproval number for the PM is not flattering at all. That 54% is ever bigger. The visa approval target wouldn’t have helped through that period, would it?
Senator Cash
Let’s put it into context. This is still what you would call a relatively new government. It is a first term government, but what the polls today show is that Australians are waking up to the fact that Mr. Albanese – he promised them the world Chris prior to the election, but governing is actually hard, and Mr. Albanese has not put in place any policies, really, that are benefiting the Australian people. I mean, just look at where inflation is Mr. Albanese. Do you recall Chris prior to the election? What did he say? I’ll tackle inflation? Well, the bad news for Australians is this, he’s tackling inflation, but inflation is winning, and it’s as a result of the policies of the Albanese government.
Chris Smith
I want to get to that, which is a comment made by the treasurer just in a second, but I want to keep on this Newspoll, because why isn’t Peter Dutton gaining ascendancy when it seems as if Anthony Albanese has at best stagnated? Dutton’s disapproval rating is not far behind the PM’s at 52%. What is he or your side not doing enough of well?
Senator Cash
I’m going to disagree with you there, because, again, this is a first term government that has been in office for just over two years. You would actually expect Mr. Albanese and a first term government to be further ahead in the polls, given the election loss for us in 2022. I think what’s actually happening, though, is people are actually waking up to the fact that Mr. Albanese is just not a leader, and the recent backflip on the census is just proof of that. One week to actually have these questions being asked is divisive. A few backbenchers lean on him and suddenly, oh, backflip, we’re now doing that. What you will get with Peter Dutton, and he’s showing this more and more every day – you may not like Peter, but let’s put personalities aside. You need to ask yourself, what do you want out of your leader in Australia? And Peter Dutton – he has a history of showing that he is principled. He will stand up for Australia and Australians, and he’ll put in place the right policies that will ensure our country is better off. So I think at 50/50 there is a long way to go, but people are well and truly waking up to Mr. Albanese and the fact that seriously, he promised a lot before the election, hasn’t been able to deliver.
Chris Smith
It’s interesting what you say about the census, because I believe that this also exposes him as an absolute pushover. So he says something, and you hear it come out, we will do this or this won’t happen. And then five minutes later, he holds some kind of committee meeting, and he pushed over.
Senator Cash
And Chris, the biggest issue that Australians should have with that is this – what does Mr. Albanese stand for? You see, Peter, people can tell you what Peter Dutton stands for. Again, they may not like it, but a bit like John Howard, wow, a principled leader who knows what he stands for. Mr. Albanese, the unions tell him to do one thing he does that. The backbench tell him to do another thing he does that. The Australian Greens put their hand up and they say, Hey, do this. He blows in the wind because, as our leader, he’s got no moral fibre. He doesn’t have a basic foundation of beliefs. And that is really dangerous, Chris in particular, when a minority government may well be on the cards. It won’t be Mr. Albanese running this country. It’ll be the Australian Greens.
Chris Smith
I remember after the Budget, a lot of us were claiming in our various media outlets how dangerous it was to spend like they were spending out of that budget. How dangerous it was to increase a certain degree of wages at the time, and that this could only lead to a spike in inflation. Oh no, no, no, no. Both the Prime Minister and Treasurer said, we’ve got this under control. Well, now Chalmers is shifting blame for our economic woes, saying the RBA is smashing the economy. But I noticed today in the Australian, the economist Robert Gottliebsen, in the Australian, says the Treasurer must take the blame for our economic slowdown. They have ignited the inflation bushfire all year, haven’t they?
Senator Cash
$315 billion in additional spending over three separate budgets when they were elected. Jim Chalmers attacking the independent Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock. Hey, hold on the Reserve Bank Governor responds to government policy and what it does to Australia. And Michele Bullock has been very, very clear, she will tackle the inflation that is now, as she says, homegrown inflation. So instead of actually just bagging the Reserve Bank Governor or tackling her perhaps Jim really needs to say, Hey, hold on -I’m going to have a look in the mirror. I will listen to her and what she’s saying. Take a long, hard look at their policies, and perhaps start tackling inflation by actually putting in place better policies. Again, Jim, it’s time to look in the mirror.
Chris Smith
Yeah, and stop your spending, which obviously is part of the DNA. Energy executives are saying today that Australia will have to import LNG to get through next winter, which will spike prices as well. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister and climate change Minister were in Collie, in your state WA yesterday, bagging nuclear and selling a battery project. I have said this so many times recently. They are dumb and dumber when it comes to energy, aren’t they?
Senator Cash
Well, let’s have a look at what Mr. Albanese promised again. Good at promising prior to an election, cleaner, consistent and cheaper power. Let’s now dissect that it’s not cleaner because last Friday, putting out the trash on a Friday, Chris Bowen released the emissions data. Emissions are now 1% higher since Labor took office. So it’s not cleaner cheaper – wow – gas is up 33%. Certainly not cheaper, this renewables only experiment. And as for consistent Chris, some parts of the eastern states are facing blackouts in the summer. So seriously, Mr. Albanese, you can say what you like. Mr. Albanese, you can bag as much as you like, but actually, look at what the evidence shows. It’s not cheaper, it’s certainly not consistent, and it’s absolutely not cleaner. Bag as much as you like, but Australians aren’t mugs. They know what they’re paying under the Albanese government, and it’s a lot more since they were elected to office.
Chris Smith
Exactly and when it comes to energy, I’m sorry, but they are embarrassing themselves with forecast after forecast that is wrong. Telling us that I will shut down this coal power station and we’ll shut down this and we’re doing a great job at reducing CO2 but of course, CO2 emissions are going up. Anyway, I want to go on to aged care. But this is quite frightening, that by the time we get to 2030 the aged care sector will be short of nurses by 13,000 This is from the Federation. It’s a long way from Anthony Albanese’s silly promise of a nurse on duty, 24/7.
Senator Cash
Well again, Chris, look at what Mr. Albanese said before the election. It doesn’t matter what portfolio it was, Mr. Albanese promised Australians the world. They believed him. They voted in him. But the sad reality, again, in aged care is there is a massive workforce shortage looming. And instead of standing back and saying, Okay, what can we do to actually get the workers into the aged care pipeline, they’re just placing more regulation on the sector. So in four weeks time, you have the additional staffing requirements commencing. Now, I was with someone in aged care from rural Australia the other day. It’s a horrible meeting when they sit there saying to you, Chris, we actually may have to close because we are not going to be able to meet the requirements that the Albanese government have put on us again. In about four weeks time, you have the additional care minutes commencing again. Instead of wrapping the sector in additional red tape, what are the safeguards that the Albanese government are going to put in place? I’ll answer the question. It’s none. But to recognize, in particular, the shallow markets in rural and regional Australia, and to be able to say, slow down instead of them closing, perhaps we actually just have to relax the regulatory environment. But again, note, they’re addicted to red tape, and the bad news is for those in aged care, it may actually come at the expense of your aged care home.
Chris Smith
I noticed a few of your photos on one of your social media sites over the weekend, you wrote, “The Prime Minister has sold out WA farmers by banning the live export of sheep, destroying an entire industry in the process, more than 3000 Australians work in this industry. They face losing their jobs and families under financial stress.” They will have to leave country towns. Labor doesn’t even pretend to care about farmers in WA – do you say the bush is just not in their DNA?
Senator Cash
Correct. And that’s the problem Labor, despite everything Mr. Albanese said, and I can tell you, Western Australians are sick and tired of Mr. Albanese touching down and saying, Oh, I’ve now been in WA on 23 occasions. Well, guess what? On every single occasion, our state goes backwards. But when he touched down 24 hours ago, it was an opportunity to apologize to the farmers of Western Australia for making them the butt of his jokes in Canberra. He has closed down their industry that will have an impact on their lives and livelihoods. That’s bad enough, but to actually then make them the butt of his jokes at a dinner in Canberra. Quite frankly, I just think that speaks so loudly about the integrity of our prime minister. But the one thing Mr. Albanese also can’t answer is this, you’ve closed down the live sheep export industry. What about live beef? I bet, if there is a minority government, no, I just bet, forget the minority government, if Labor is elected, there’ll be enough pressure on Mr. Albanese from the left to also close down the live beef industry, the live beef export industry. If they can do it once. Chris, guess what? – they can do it again. And all Australians need to wake up to this reality, because ultimately, if we’re not in the market, as you know, they will buy elsewhere, and the countries they buy elsewhere from have lower standards than Australia.
Chris Smith
Senator Cash, thank you very much for your time.
Senator Cash
Always good to be with you, Chris. Take care.
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