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
Sky News with Danica De Giorgio
TOPICS: Chinese warships, national security, cost of living, citizenship ceremonies
28 February 2025
E&OE
Danica De Giorgio
I’m joined by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Michaelia Cash. Senator, thank you so much for joining me on the show this evening. Look, I’ve got to say, this week has been truly shambolic for the Prime Minister and on the eve of an election being called as well. But look, let’s start with the Chinese live fire drills off the coast. Today, the Prime Minister admitted that China did not give Australia a timely warning yet last week, said that they have given advance notice. So how does he not know this crucial and critical information in the first place?
Senator Cash
It’s a very good question Danica, and it is one that should worry all Australians. The first responsibility of any Prime Minister is national security, keeping Australia and Australians safe. And yet again, on the important issue of national security, Mr. Albanese continues to flounder. This is Australia’s reality. As at today, you have Chinese warships circling Australia. They’re about 590 kilometres south-west off the coast of Adelaide, and the Prime Minister says, basically, there’s nothing to see here. Well, guess what Prime Minister – the Chinese government, they know you are a weak leader. They are now testing Australia’s boundaries with a show of military power in our exclusive economic zone. So Danica, this is a weak Prime Minister who when it comes to keeping Australia and Australians safe, but more than that, showing that he has the spine to stand up to China and demand an explanation – he shrugs his shoulders and he says, there’s nothing to see here. It is not good enough.
Danica De Giorgio
No, it’s not. And then he rolls out his other ministers to try and patch it up. And it has made it just even worse. He was in hiding yesterday.
Senator Cash
And what’s worse is you have the Chief Intelligence Officer himself saying this is unprecedented. Well, that should have all Australians worried. You then have the Prime Minister last week clearly stating to our people, we had notice. Well, guess what, Danica, that was false. So the Prime Minister has either, again, deliberately misled the Australian people, he’s either shooting from the hip, or alternatively, he is, yet again, not over his brief. Perhaps even it is all three. But again, what it shows the Australian people is that when you literally have Chinese warships circling our country – I flew in last night to Perth airport. I can tell you when I got off that plane, Western Australians raised that with me. They are concerned, and you have a Prime Minister who, yet again, cannot provide the assurance to the Australian people that as the leader of our nation, he has the capability, to stand up for us and to ensure that our sovereignty is respected. But ultimately, to keep us safe.
Danica De Giorgio
Yeah, absolutely, it’s an absolute failure. Now I want to ask you about this, because the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has been given an SOS of sorts by Labor MPs worried about their seats in the New South Wales Hunter. He’s been raced up there to campaign for them. Senator – what does it say about Labor’s campaign when the Prime Minister is not wanted on the campaign trail in these key marginal seats?
Senator Cash
Well, I think that’s pretty obvious. The Prime Minister’s leadership, post the election, is up for grabs. There is no two ways about that. Here in Western Australia. as you know, we’re in the middle of a State election, and Roger Cook, quite frankly, doesn’t want anything to do with Albanese. I think Albanese is going to be making an appearance here in Western Australia. But I have to also say this, Danica, I mean, how’s it going to play out? Jim Chalmers comes to your electorate, the Treasurer of Australia, who has presided over the cost of living crisis that Australians now live on a daily basis. I mean, can you imagine Jim going to a shopping centre and saying to people coming out – how do you feel? Do you feel better off today than you did when I was first elected? I mean, this is now the problem with Labor. They have failed Australians in so many regards. They continue to fail Australians. And the recent incident with China is yet again, another failing on the national security front. I mean, there was a woman the other day and she just rolled her eyes and said, you know, they keep telling us everything that they have done for us to allegedly ease the cost of living. And then she said this: “you know, when I go to the shops, a block of cheese, still costs $11. And that really sums up where Australians are left. They were promised the world and they were delivered a cost of living crisis. But as we know from the comments of the Reserve Bank Governor, unfortunately, inflation in Australia is home grown, which means it lies squarely at the feet of Anthony Albanese, but also the treasurer of Australia, Jim Chalmers. I don’t know if I’d want Jim campaigning next to me if I was in a marginal seat.
Danica De Giorgio
No. You know, it’s complete desperation on the part of Labor when you’ve got to get the Treasurer up there. And as you said, I’m not sure what sort of a difference it’s going to make. Now look, I’ve got to ask you about Tony Burke, because he’s taking his citizenship ceremony, tour of the country to your home state. Now he was in Perth yesterday. There he is, front and centre, posing for the cameras again. Senator, look Tony Burke must think that we don’t know what he’s up to. I mean, come on, if this is not deliberate, there were Labor MPs at that event in Perth yesterday. What does it say about the state of play in Western Australia, when you’ve got Tony Burke desperately rushing over there to give citizenship to people.
Senator Cash
Well, I think what’s worse is – what does it say about this government’s attitude – the Albanese Government, Tony Burke and the rest of the Labor Party about citizenship? The greatest thing that you can offer a person who is not Australian is citizenship, that blue passport, which we have by birthright. You give that to another person when they become an Australian citizen. They assume all the rights and privileges that you and I have Danica every single day, and the fact that Tony Burke, as the minister, has demeaned this process, has politicised this process and has basically gone on a mass vote buying exercise in the lead up to the election – quite frankly, it is un-Australian. But more than that, there are now really serious questions to be answered by the government, because you’ve had almost 13,000 people welcomed to these citizenship events. Bearing in mind they could only be held after Tony Burke handed over his diary to his department and said only on days when I am available. But the questions now arise, though, has there been any compromising of the citizenship process itself? Have there been any compromises in the security checks that need to be done before a person is actually given, as I said, that great privilege of Australian citizenship? But I think the broader picture is this – Mr. Albanese, Tony Burke, the rest of them, they have no respect, quite frankly, for Australia. They have no respect for Australians. It is completely un-Australian. What they have done to politicize the giving of citizenship, I have to say, I quite frankly, don’t know how much lower you can actually go.
Danica De Giorgio
Yeah, and Tony Burke’s the one saying, where’s your patriotism? Well, I would ask you the exact same thing of Tony Burke, extraordinary. Shadow, Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash, thank you so much for joining us on the show this evening. Really appreciate it.
Senator Cash
Great to be with you.
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