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 Afternoon Agenda with Kieran Gilbert
Topics: Qatar, Catherine King, Daniel Andrews, Privacy Act
28 September 2023
E&OE.
Kieran Gilbert
Let’s return now to the politics of the day. I’m joined live by the Shadow Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash, who joins us live from Perth. Let’s start with the latest on the aviation inquiry today. A lot happening on that front. They’ve invited Catherine King to appear. Is that unheard of to have a lower house minister have to front up before a Senate committee?
Senator Cash
Well Kieran, can I tell you, this now has more twists and turns, this sorry saga, than a Stephen King novel. What started out as a very simple question – why did the government knock back the additional flights from Qatar – has turned into a sorry saga of secrecy and evasiveness. So yes, I think it is appropriate that Catherine King be called before the inquiry. To answer your question, there is precedent for lower house ministers to appear before an inquiry and it’s certainly in fact not unusual for Senate ministers to appear before inquiries. Unfortunately, what you saw today with Catherine King effectively blocking a department from giving evidence, I think now demands that she herself front the Senate inquiry and answer some very, very simple questions; questions to date that the public are screaming out for answers for – why did you deny us cheaper airfares – but for some reason, this government can’t answer.
Kieran Gilbert
When you look at this scenario, the minister was given the brief from her department in January. No decision until mid year. So I guess that the big question is what happened in that intervening period, convinced her one way or the other?
Senator Cash
And that’s exactly right. Because when you also see the evidence that was given by the Virgin CEO, I mean, she said she was under the assumption that everything was going ahead, that the negotiating mandate would be given. Then nothing happens for five to six months. I mean, is that incompetence? Is it laziness? I just don’t know. But I find it very difficult to believe. And then a decision is just made, and then we find out that a department is informed of the decision before the Prime Minister. We also find out, and Qatar’s evidence is, they heard about the decision through the media. So again, what started out as a very, very simple question – why did you knock back the additional flights from Qatar – and why did we ask that question – cheaper flights for Australians, more opportunities, in particular for our farmers to get produce on flights going out of Australia, and more opportunities for the tourism in Australia. As I said, it is now just a web of secrecy and evasiveness, which you have to say is a little ironic given the statements, in particular Mr. Albanese made before the election, that his government would literally be a government that took on board transparency like no other. This is actually now astounding.
Kieran Gilbert
Can I just ask you another thing? I’ve just received notification of another area of exports to China has had sanctions removed that Aussie hay exports are going to resume. So that’s Aussie hay exports. This follows obviously the relaxing across a number of other sectors. You’d welcome that development this afternoon, that news that we’ve just got to hand?
Senator Cash
Oh, well of course I would. But that is also why when you look at the work that the former Coalition Government did in actually opening up new trading opportunities for Australia, in particular so we did not have all of our eggs in one basket. And in particular, COVID highlighted that. I mean, we signed free trade agreement after free trade agreement after free trade agreement. And why did we do that? So our exporters could have those additional opportunities. We obviously had a position in relation to China, and in particular, you know, the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison made it very, very clear, we would never compromise our principles when it came to China. Certain decisions were then made. But of course I would welcome the decision to reduce those trade barriers. Of course I do.
Kieran Gilbert
So yet another step in the right direction when it comes to stabilising that relationship. Let’s turn closer to home. We saw the McGowan departure in WA. Huge boots to fill for Premier Cook, a big profile. Now Daniel Andrews, gone. Jacinta Allen having that task. But those COVID era premiers gradually departing. In terms of Victoria, does it mean that the Liberals should be back in the game? And are there any federal implications from the departure of a figure like Daniel Andrews?
Senator Cash
It’s a really good question, because when I look at it, Daniel Andrews did incredibly well out of Victoria. Did Victorians do well out of Daniel Andrews? I would argue the answer to that would have to be no. In particular in relation to, you know, Melbourne being the most locked down city in the world. Well guess what? Daniel Andrews and Mark McGowan have got off Scot-Free in relation to Prime Minister Albanese’s so called “COVID inquiry”. I mean, you’ve actually got to be kidding me. Both McGowan and Andrews get to walk away from answering any questions in relation to how their states performed during COVID and why they made certain decisions. I have to say, it just exposes Prime Minister Albanese as running a protection racket for his mates and nothing more. But I would also say I think Prime Minister Albanese runs a very similar government to Daniel Andrews. He certainly doesn’t consult, and just talk to anybody, in particular in the business community or the small business community, everything they say just falls on deaf ears. He has one agenda, and that is implementing the union agenda. He likes to indulge in distraction, well that would be the Voice, and he certainly doesn’t seem to have any regard, Mr. Albanese, for the cost of living crisis that Australians are going through. Very, very similar to Daniel Andrews. So Daniel Andrews did well out of Victoria, but I just don’t think Victorians did well out of Daniel Andrews.
Kieran Gilbert
Just finally, there’s a review of the Privacy Act, and this is relevant to your responsibilities as Shadow Minister. The Attorney-General has suggested that exemptions for small business – up to a turnover of $3 million a year – might be removed in terms of privacy requirements. What are the implications of that?
Senator Cash
Just look at the reaction of small business today. I mean they’ve literally said, “How much more red tape can you wrap us in before we actually put our hands up and say, ‘Why would you want to be a small business under Anthony Albanese and Labor?'” In the digital age, do we want to ensure that a person’s personal information is protected properly? Absolutely. But at the same time, do we want to impose what are complex regulatory environments and systems on small business? I would have to say, please work with small businesses, Mr. Dreyfus, to understand the impact on them. Because Kieran, one of the recommendations that the government has agreed to, in principle, is for every business to put in place a senior employee to take care of privacy. Well Kieran, you tell me, go down to your local cafe and ask them, how’s that going to work for you? Go down to your local nail salon, ask them how’s that going to work for you? Go down to your local mechanic, how’s that going to work for you? Again, there is so much more to work through here. But I do really worry under this government, small business just does not seem to get a breather. And this is just another layer of potential, you know, complex regulation that small businesses in Australia, they just can’t function with.
Kieran Gilbert
Michaelia Cash, talk to you soon. Appreciate it.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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