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 Credlin
1 August 2024
TOPICS: Released detainees, CFMEU, Cabinet reshuffle, ASIO, Department of Home Affairs
E&OE
Peta Credlin
Senator, welcome. I mean, this was a firestorm for the Government earlier in the year. Andrew Giles tells the Parliament he’s fixed things, he’s had a mop up direction put in, and then we find this happens – clearly it’s not fixed anything.
Senator Cash
Well not only that, Mr. Albanese as the Prime Minister should also be taking responsibility for the failed direction. Peta, at the time, Peter Dutton said: “The direction as drafted by Mr. Giles will fail because you are not making ties to the community a secondary consideration.” So Labor were on notice, despite the warnings from Peter Dutton and the Opposition, despite saying to them, ‘this is what you need to do’. All talk. They told the people of Australia they’ve solved the problem, but what have we now seen? A child sex offender, one of the many released out into the community by Andrew Giles, is allowed to stay in Australia. If I was Mr. Albanese, I would be fronting the Australian people and saying: “I have directed my new minister, Tony Burke, to withdraw the Giles direction and implement what the Coalition had said, what Peter Dutton had said, needed to happen.” So this is quite frankly, it is failure on behalf of Giles. But more than that, it is failure on behalf of Mr. Albanese to keep Australia and Australians safe. Peta, this is a child sex offender. Quite frankly you don’t get more disgusting.
Peta Credlin
If you can drive a truck through the first direction, and then under pressure, he issues another direction, why 8 months on, are they not even trying to use the preventative detention orders that you pass through the Parliament in a rush in December? They have not even put an application in, Michaelia Cash.
Senator Cash
And this is the issue Peta. I’d say to the Australian people, judge them by their actions, not their words. Labor are not committed to the safety of the Australian community. Labor have clearly shown they are prepared to put the alledged rights of child sex offenders, pedophiles, murderers and a contract killer, before the best interests of the Australian community. Peter Dutton told Anthony Albanese what he needed to do to ensure that the AAT had the clear ability to deport these people. Mr. Albanese did not listen. But Peta, he deliberately did not listen because the heart is not with the Australian people. It is with protecting the rights – and their actions show this – pedophiles, child rapists, murderers and a contract killer. Judge them by their actions, not their words.
Peta Credlin
By moving Tony Burke out of industrial relations – that’s the other string to your bow, your other responsibility as the shadow minister – by moving him out of that portfolio, in and around all of these revelations about the CFMEU, he’s not going to get any questions asked in the Parliament – he’s changed portfolio – and this talk that they’re going to get tough with this militant union, I mean, it’s all smoke and mirrors just to buy them time to get through the election.
Senator Cash
Absolutely, again, judge them by their actions, not their words. Tony Burke had one job for Anthony Albanese when he was appointed minister, and that is to deliver the construction industry to John Setka and the militant CFMEU. He’s checked that off. The only losers here are a) the members of the union, but b) the Australian people who are being robbed blind by Anthony Albanese, because Mr. Albanese knows exactly how much more the Australian mums and dads are paying for their hospitals Peta, their roads and their schools. It’s 30% more because of his actions. Tony Burke – big tick to Tony – did exactly what Anthony Albanese needed, and what happens to Tony? He gets a promotion. So all Mr. Albanese has said, again judge them by their actions, not their words. If you deliver the CFMEU’s agenda, big tick, and then I give you a promotion. What an absolute disaster for mum and dad Australia.
Peta Credlin
The Prime Minister today was under questioning about moving ASIO out of Home Affairs and back to the Attorney-General’s portfolio and even took a swipe at Malcolm Turnbull. Have a listen.
Anthony Albanese
Malcolm Turnbull’s wrong. And every expert in national security says that he’s wrong. What every national security expert and people I spoke to, including people who were national security advisors at the time, past and present, ASIO Director-Generals, have all welcomed the move.
Peta Credlin
Yeah, it’s rare that I agree with Malcolm Turnbull, as you know, Senator, but I think putting ASIO into Home Affairs. creating contestability around the Cabinet table with the Attorney-General who signs off on warrants – putting it all on the one minister is dangerous. I think that was the right move, and I disagree with the Prime Minister, a lot of national security experts supported that move at the time. But again, judge Labor by their record – they have gutted Home Affairs. They have gutted Home Affairs at a time when we’ve never had more serious threats.
Senator Cash
And this is the issue. In the first instance, you actually now have the Attorney-General marking his own homework. Caesar judging Caesar. That is the practical reality of this move. And I don’t think Australians believe that the Attorney-General of Australia should be allowed to mark his own homework, but you are right. All this does, again judge them by their actions, not their words, is deliver on Labor’s long-held belief that they do not want a strong and powerful national security agency. They do not believe in strong national security. You look at the reasons Peta, and you’re all over them as to why we created this agency. Because we always believe, on the Coalition side, the fundamental responsibility of any Commonwealth Government is to keep Australia and Australians safe. That is why we created a strong and powerful portfolio of Home Affairs. Labor fought against us every step of the way. Their commitment to national security I would have thought, in relation to releasing 150 hardcore criminals out into the Australian community, is pretty clear. They must be thrilled with this portfolio change. And all Mr Albanese is doing is trying to rewrite history quite frankly, because not everybody agrees with this move. And if you recall under Rudd and Gillard, they actually also at that time, had this on their agenda. They just never implemented it.
Peta Credlin
You’re not wrong, Michaelia Cash. Thank you as always.
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