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
Doorstop, West Perth
6 December 2024
TOPICS: Jewish synagogue attack, Mr Albanese visit to Perth, Sculptures by the Sea, production tax credits, Federal election date
E&OE
Senator Cash
Well on behalf of the Federal WA Liberal team, can I commence by condemning what was an utterly horrific attack on the Addas Israel Synagogue in Melbourne last night. There is no place for this type of behaviour in our country. And quite frankly, enough is enough.
I have spoken to members of the Jewish community here in Western Australia this morning, and they have expressed their utter dismay at what is now going on in Australia under the weak leadership of Anthony Albanese.
They said to me this morning, “Michaelia, Mr. Albanese made a clear commitment, not just to the Australian people, but in particular to Australians of Jewish faith.” Prior to the 2022 election, he said to them, and they took him on his word, that if he was elected, there would be no difference in policy in relation to Israel between the two major parties. Jewish Australians, they took Mr. Albanese at face value on his words, and as they said to me today, how disappointed they have been ever since the election of the Albanese government. Because since Mr. Albanese’s election in fact, even before the horrific attacks of October the seventh last year, Mr. Albanese and his government have fundamentally undermined our relationship with the State of Israel. Jewish Australians on a daily basis now fear for their lives, young children are being escorted as they walk through their school gates. They now have armed guards outside Jewish schools in Australia to ensure the safety of those going to school. I would put it to you, this is not the Australia that we want to live in. And as I say, Jewish Australians consistently now have expressed their sheer disappointment and their feeling of betrayal in the actions of Mr. Albanese since he became Prime Minister.
Last year, the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, and in fact, it was the 14th of November 2023 he wrote directly to the Prime Minister of Australia, and he made a very simple request that, noting the strong concerns of the Jewish community in Australia as a priority, the Prime Minister should convene a national Cabinet meeting dedicated to identifying and committing to practical measures to ensure the safety of Jewish Australians, promote social cohesion and better prevent and respond to anti semitism.
And guess what? The Prime Minister still in December 2024 has not responded to this letter. Shame on you, Mr. Albanese.
Mr. Albanese will be touching down in our great State of Western Australia later on today, in the first instance, he’s going to stand up and he’s going to con Western Australians by saying, my government’s going to provide $1.5 million to ensure that the Sculptures by the Sea continues.
Well, Mr. Albanese Australians, and in particular, Western Australians, we’re not mugs.
Sculptures by the Sea, that iconic event at Cottesloe Beach is not going ahead in 2025 because of the failure of Mr. Albanese and the Labor government to provide it with funding.
The Coalition ensured that this event went ahead year after year when we were in government, but since Mr. Albanese has been in government, he talks a big game when it comes to Western Australia, but this is the perfect example of him flying in to clean up a mess of his own creation.
And guess what? You can’t clean up the mess because the organizers have made it clear it’s not going ahead in 2025 because of the actions of the Albanese government.
Mr. Albanese will also, I understand, meet with a number of mining companies later on this evening, and he’s going to tell them how great the production tax credit legislation is.
Well, guess what? What Mr. Albanese also conveniently forgot to tell the people of Western Australia is that under his legislation, the framework legislation that was rammed through the Australian Senate last Thursday night – to be able to access the production tax credits, you’ve actually got to comply with the community benefits principles in order to either be considered.
The AMWU are absolutely delighted, because they have made it clear that means to be eligible to get a production tax credit, you have to have a union agreement.
Well, Mr. Albanese, again, Western Australians are not mugs. You stand up and you promise us one thing. You criticize the Coalition for saying we’re going to wait until we see the fine print. Well, guess what? Australians, we’ve now seen the fine print, and to be eligible for a production tax credit, the Western Australian companies will need to have a union agreement.
That is nothing more and nothing less than the Albanese Government, yet again, doing the bidding of the union movement. So Mr. Albanese, quite frankly, don’t treat Western Australians like mugs and we’re sick and tired of you coming into our state and cleaning up messes that you yourself created.
Journalist
The tax credits – will that affect West Australians more than any other state?
Senator Cash
Well, in particular, it was sold by Mr. Albanese as a great Western Australian policy. What I’d say with the dirty deal they did with the Australian Greens on Thursday night, the Australian Greens demanded that, in particular, gas and oil companies be excluded from this scheme.
Mr. Albanese agreed with the Australian Greens. But secondly, this is where the devil is always in the detail with the Albanese government.
When this was looked at in the Senate inquiry, the major employer groups raised very serious concerns with the fact that in order to even begin to be able to get a production tax credit, companies have to comply with the community benefits principles, and one of those principles is as the AMWU has delightfully stated, is you will have to have a union agreement. Well, quite frankly, what a con job for Western Australians.
Since Thursday night, I’ve had a number of companies call me saying, Why did Mr. Albanese tell us this and be upfront with it when he announced it in their budget? And that’s because with Labor, the devil is always in the detail.
And guess what? Now we know what the devil is. You’ve got to have a union agreement.
Journalist
Who are those companies you’ve spoken to?
Senator Cash
They were the employer associations, and in particular, you just have a look at the submissions they made to the inquiries, the AI group, the BCA, even ACCI. I mean, they’ve now raised serious concerns because they were not told this. They were not told this by Mr. Albanese and the relevant Minister when this was first announced. But as we’ve always said, the devil is always in the detail with the Albanese government. And as I said, as the AMWU have gleefully stated, a requirement will be a union agreement
Journalist
On antisemitism and the synagogue firebombing overnight as well. I mean, the government has appointed a special envoy. What more does it need to do?
Senator Cash
Well in the first instance, why did the government mislead Australians, and indeed, in particular, Australians of Jewish faith? Prior to the election, Mr. Albanese gave a very clear commitment, not just to Australians, but in particular to Australians of Jewish faith, there would be no difference between the two major parties in matters pertaining to Israel. You can’t get much clearer than that commitment. And yet, since his government has been elected to office, and most recently only, but a few days ago in the United Nations, they have progressively undermined not just our relationship with Israel, but our relationship with the United States. There’s nothing more that Mr. Albanese can do other than to clean up the mess that he has created. As I said, I’ve spoken to Jewish Australians. I continually speak to them. They feel so let down and betrayed by this Prime Minister. He told them one thing he has done another. Quite frankly, it doesn’t matter what Mr. Albanese says in relation to what occurred last night at the Adass Synagogue in Melbourne. It doesn’t matter because Mr. Albanese is now a Prime Minister that has shown Australians – don’t worry about what comes out of my mouth. I will say and do anything to get a vote. This is a man that has shown that he must be judged by his actions and his actions and his government’s actions in relation to Israel show that he needs to be condemned.
Journalist
In relation to the letter, was there any response to Peter Dutton?
Senator Cash
No, there was not. Mr. Albanese has not responded to Peter Dutton’s letter of the 14th of November, 2023. What a joke.
Journalist
There’s been a rise in teenagers being radicalised online? Do you think the ban on social media could help that in any way?
Senator Cash
Absolutely, and that was one of the reasons that Peter Dutton has been out there for some time now saying that this ban must go through. I’m the first to acknowledge the benefits of social media. However those benefits now need to be carefully considered against all of what we are seeing – the detrimental effects, whether it’s the online bullying, you know, whether it’s in particular, young people getting eating disorders, whether, as you say, Crystal, it’s the radicalization of young people, – enough is now enough. For the protection of our young people we need to ensure that social media companies are held to account, and that is why Peter Dutton has been out there, and he’s been talking to parents. He’s been meeting with parents who have lost their children to suicide. Enough is enough, quite frankly, and those social media companies need to be held to account. And more than that, these laws were put in place to protect our children who so desperately do need this protection.
Journalist
The federal government says the Creative Australian funding should be at arm’s length?
Senator Cash
The Federal government says a lot of things. Quite frankly, why is it that Coalition government was able to ensure that whilst we were in office, our Sculptures by the Sea went ahead year after year, whether it was funding by the Catalyst program or funding via the RISE program, we ensured that it went ahead. Mr. Albanese and his government have known for some time that creative Australia would not be providing the funding to ensure that this iconic event in Western Australia went ahead, and at the last minute, purely after a the Coalition has come out and said, we will commit to ensure the funding goes ahead in 2026 and 2027 the public backlash at the Albanese government for failing to provide the funding for 2025 does Mr. Albanese sweep in today to pretend that he’s the great Savior of this event? Well, guess what, Mr. Albanese too little too late. Don’t treat Western Australia’s like mugs. And in any event, as the organizers have said, it can’t go ahead in 2025 – that time period’s gone.
Journalist
So has he been embarrassed into well?
Senator Cash
In the first instance, what I’d say was, where are all the Labor Federal members and senators saying to Mr. Albanese, this is an iconic Perth event, an iconic Western Australia event. Millions of people have gone to it over the years. It hasn’t received funding via Creative Australia we need to find an alternative source of funding. So clearly they have actually turned their back on Western Australia. And as for Kate Chaney, well, she’s clearly one of the most ineffective Federal members I have ever come across. This event is held in her seat. Where’s her advocacy? There has been none.
Journalist
The organisers threatened to cancel it every couple of years, though every couple of years they say funding has run out and successfully managed to get more funding. It’s a pretty good trick from them, isn’t it?
Senator Cash
No, not at all. This is an iconic event, and as I said, we have ensured that year after year it has been funded. Unfortunately, under Mr. Albanese and Labor, they’ve walked away from WA. This is an iconic event that you know, people from all over head down to Cottesloe Beach. It is a great way to bring the community together, but in particular, to expose people who maybe otherwise would not be exposed to art, to the arts and the creative community. So again, Mr. Albanese, you talk a big game when you’re in Western Australia. But yet again, by your actions, you show you treat us like mugs and Albanese Labor, you walked away from WA.
Journalist
While he’s here, should he rule out an election date that would clash with WA state election?
Senator Cash
It’s a really good question Jess. So let’s be very, very clear about what Mr. Albanese should do while he’s in Western Australia. He should apologize to all of those companies who thought they would be eligible for a production tax credit without having to unionize their workforce and get a union agreement. So that’s the first thing he should do. He should, secondly, apologise to Western Australians for his failure to ensure that the iconic Sculptures by the Sea would be able to go ahead in 2025. Thirdly, though, Mr. Albanese needs to apologize to Western Australians for the great con that is the Nature Positive legislation and leading Western Australians to believe, in one statement that it wouldn’t be going ahead, but in the next statement, saying that if Mr. Albanese is re elected, this job destroying legislation will be going ahead under a future Albanese government. And God help Australia and Western Australia, if it’s going ahead under an Albanese government governing in minority with the Australian Greens.
Journalist
Are you prepping for a March Federal election?
Senator Cash
We’re ready to go at any time. What I would say, though, is, again, Mr. Albanese, why did you mislead Western Australians? It was what actually Premier Cook who came out and said, well, hold on, Mr. Albanese has spoken to me about moving the WA State election. Mr. Albanese denied that in an interview, only to have to race back and give a second interview because he realized you’ve been exposed, and actually had to admit to Western Australians – yes, I did speak to Roger Cook. So quite frankly, that goes to show the character of our Prime Minister. He is prepared to mislead Western Australians in relation to discussions that he has had with our premier, Roger Cook. Western Australians know Mr. Albanese knows our election day is the first Saturday in March. We have four year set terms. So why does Mr. Albanese put Western Australians into so much distress in terms of, will he rule out or rule in a March 8 election? So Mr. Albanese just needs to come clean with the Australian people, when is the election going to be?
But from our perspective, it just doesn’t matter. We are ready to go. And the question that we posed to Australians, and as I was out in Baldivis last night with one of our state candidates, Dylan Mbano, for Baldivis and as we went from shop to shop, we asked people, do you feel better off today than you did two and a half years ago, when the Albanese government was elected and people now look at you in sheer sorrow and just say no.
Journalist
Are there armed guards at Perth Jewish schools?
Senator Cash
It’s probably more so happening in the east, but certainly at Carmel School in particular. I mean, they’ve always had security. But when I spoke to a lead member of the Jewish community this morning, as they said, they’re on high alert today, there will be more security. But in particular, I mean tonight, Shabbat in the Jewish community, and what this obviously means for Shabbat celebrations, for Shabbat dinners around the country. But again, when I spoke to them this morning, what was the one thing they made clear to me was just how betrayed they feel by the Prime Minister of Australia for his weakness in standing up for the State of Israel. But more than that, the betrayal that they feel because he gave a clear commitment prior to the election to the people of Australia, to the Jewish community in Australia, that there will be no difference in the policies of the two major parties when it comes to matters affecting Israel. And yet, from the day he was elected to office, in particular, since October the seventh, there has been a fundamental change, and they feel completely betrayed at what he said and what and what he has done.
Thank you very much.
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