Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News – Credlin
27 March 2024
Topics:
Border protection, rushed migration legislation, religious discrimination, Stephanie Foster
E&OE
Peta Credlin
For more on this, I’m joined now by Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. We’ll start with that one actually, if we might, Michaelia Cash, because for me, the issue is less about a departmental secretary in tears. Only if we were in the room would we know that. But what she was apparently pulled into line about was her being transparent by the Australian people and releasing the crimes for which these 149 released criminal detainees have been put into jail for. Now, for a government that was elected saying they would be transparent, I think Stephanie Foster’s doing the right thing here and not the minister.
Senator Cash
Absolutely. What did Stephanie Foster do? She did what the government should have been doing, Peta, and that is, provide the Australian people with the truth. And I agree with those comments of Jane Hume. There are now serious questions for Minister O’Neil to answer – did she, or did anyone in her office, direct the public service to not provide the information to the Australian Senate? That is an incredibly serious question that needs to be answered. But I say to Stephanie Foster, thank you for doing what the government should have, and as I said, telling the Australian people the truth about the 151 hardcore criminals that this government – Ms. O’Neil, Mr. Giles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – let out into the Australian community under their watch. There are very serious questions now that need to be answered by Mr. Albanese as Prime Minister. What is his knowledge of what Ms. O’Neil did or didn’t direct the public service to do?
Peta Credlin
Clare O’Neil today wanted to make this all about Peter Dutton. You know, it was his catastrophic handling of the portfolio. It was ‘Peter Dutton this’ and ‘Peter Dutton that’. Now, they’ve invested a couple of years, Labor, in demonising Dutton as being tough and vigilant, you know, a cop in a suit sort of persona. I can’t see how they can flip it now and say he’s soft on all of these issues, and this is somehow his fault. Do you think it’s plausible that Dutton will carry the can with the Australian community?
Senator Cash
Peter Dutton is renowned as a principled and hardline politician. Peter Dutton can stand on his record and the record of the former Coalition government, in particular when it comes to the border protection portfolio. The last time I checked Peta, it wasn’t Peter Dutton who let 151 hardcore criminals, including rapists, pedophiles, and murderers, out onto the street. That is squarely on Mr. Albanese, Ms. O’Neil and Mr. Giles. But I have to say, that performance of Clare O’Neil today, she almost made Andrew Giles look competent. Running away from journalists on two occasions. Peta, all the journalists wanted to know was what we wanted to know last night. You have said you have urgent legislation; it must pass the parliament with no scrutiny. Can you just tell us what is the urgency? A very simple question, but one this government is unable to answer but Peta, can I just give you a few more dates? Because what we also found out last night was this: the government identified an issue in February in relation to this urgent legislation that we saw yesterday at 7:30am. They issued drafting instructions on the 5th of March. If it’s so urgent, why didn’t you bring the Coalition into your confidence back then? Because Peta, as we now know, the government cannot articulate the urgency. It is complete chaos and confusion when it comes to border protection in this country under Mr. Albanese and his hapless ministers, Mr. Giles and Ms. O’Neil.
Peta Credlin
Surely, she’s got to go now.
Senator Cash
Well, as I said, there’s poor performance in the portfolio. There’s a refusal to take responsibility, but I have to say, questions now being asked in relation to whether or not a direction was provided to a public servant to withhold information that the Senate had asked for on behalf of the Australian people. Well, I have to say, that takes it to an all-new level. I mean, this government Peta – remember what Mr Albanese used to say prior to the election? If you voted for me, you heralded in as a country, a new era of transparency in a government. This government is without a doubt the most secret of governments Australia has ever seen. And I say, has ever seen. I’ve never seen anything like it. I mean, look at what they’re doing, Peta, talk about religious discrimination and secrecy. How does an Attorney-General of Australia gag faith leaders from talking about some of the most important matters to them? I mean, on what planet do we now live, that the Attorney-General of Australia, sanctioned by our Prime Minister, says to faith leaders, we will only consult with you if you are sworn to secrecy in relation to what we’ve told you. Peta, this is farcical. As I said, Seinfeld could not script, at the moment, what is going on in relation to this government. But quite frankly, it doesn’t surprise me.
Peta Credlin
Michaelia Cash, thank you.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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