Topics: Venezuela, Royal Commission into the Bondi Attack, The Ashes

 

E&OE

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Joining me on the line, Angus Taylor, Shadow Defence Minister. Mr Taylor, good afternoon to you and compliments of the season.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Thanks, Shane. Good to be with you.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Let me just start by asking you the Coalition's position on the overthrowing of Nicolás Maduro?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, I strongly support the action taken against Maduro. We live in a world where dictators and despots need to be held to account for their crimes, when that's possible. The United States has taken the decision to make an intervention here, and Maduro clearly was running a vast, industrial-scale criminal enterprise selling drugs to young Americans. No doubt some of those drugs ended up here as well, and they've taken action. We agree with so many of their values as Americans and Australians. We have a lot in common, and I think it's important we work together against dictators and despots who are bad for the world.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Do you have concerns with regard to how the US plans to, I guess in Donald Trump's words, run Venezuela and what that might look like?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Look, I'm not going to speculate on where that ends up, other than to say we'll always support a shift back to a democratic regime, which clearly this wasn't. I mean, Maduro had lost an election. He hadn't been recognised by the United States as a legitimate head of state, and in many other countries, because he seized power illegally. And, of course, I think what we all want to see is a shift back to a country where prosperity is possible. This regime has done the exact opposite of that. And democracy, has in the past succeeded in Venezuela and much of Latin America, it's incredibly important we see that resume.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Are you surprised that the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, hasn't come out in support of the US? Or, at the very least, given his opinion on what transpired, to at least make Australia's position known on the world stage?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, he's always very slow to condemn left-wing autocrats, and that's what Maduro was. And this is where this government and this Prime Minister, I think, is seriously weak. We've seen it with the Bondi tragedy before Christmas. It is incredibly important we stand by the values that have made us succeed and helped us to succeed as a country, and the other countries who share those values. And it's unbelievably important, in my view, that we stand by those values at all times. And this is a Prime Minister that I think has been weak on taking on despots and dictators, and he's just another example of it.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

I mean, you can be left-wing, Mr Taylor, but by the same token, Emmanuel Macron in France is seen as left-wing. Keir Starmer in the UK is certainly seen as left-wing. But my point is that they have both come out and are happy that he's been deposed, yet Anthony Albanese remains silent.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Yeah, that's exactly right. I completely agree. We are in a world now, and I see this as Shadow Defence Minister every day, which is way less certain than the world of the past generation, where there are very active and mobilised leaders – autocratic leaders – around the world who are acting against the interests of our country and other countries that share our values. And it is so important that Western countries now work together and condemn this sort of behaviour. And in this particular case, you had a so-called leader of a country, not recognised as that, but he was clearly – he anointed himself, at least – running an industrial-scale criminal enterprise. I mean, seriously, how can we be supportive of that kind of regime?

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Can I just ask you, taking it a step further, President Trump, and we know that he can shoot from the hip, but he’s today put Colombia on notice, and what has happened in Venezuela over the weekend could happen in Colombia, currently under the leadership of Gustavo Petro. Is there a concern now that we could see a very dangerous situation evolve on the northern shore of South America? Because Venezuela is one thing, but then to go into Colombia, that changes the perception again.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, you know, he hasn't done it, and we'd be speculating, so I'm not going to speculate on a hypothetical at this point.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

He has put it on the radar, though.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Yeah, but Donald Trump puts a lot of things on the radar, you know that, and we all know that. But he acted on Venezuela, and that is the issue in front of us now. And I think it's right and proper that we support this intervention, and that we support a process for Venezuela to get back to where it needs to be, and have the democracy and prosperity that we have in this wonderful country we live in.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

While I've got you, do you think a Royal Commission into what transpired at Bondi is now inevitable? Given that we had the victims' families, the families of the victims, write a letter. You had business leaders write a letter at the weekend. It was our most prominent sports stars signing a letter to the Prime Minister demanding a Royal Commission. It just seems as though the Prime Minister has got his back against the wall now when it comes to a complete and transparent investigation into our worst terrorist attack?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Well, of course it should be inevitable. I mean, and this is just an extraordinary thing that has occurred in our country, and we need to understand how the radicalisation of these two men occurred,  how to prevent it happening again, how to make sure our intelligence and security agencies are in the position and have the posture that prevents a repeat of something like this. I mean, these are incredibly important questions which haven't yet been answered, and the Royal Commission is the right way to do that, and he should get on with it. But as always with this Prime Minister, he's dragging his feet, he's weak and he's not prepared to take on what is a completely unacceptable situation for Australians. Look, I hate to say it, and we should all be touching wood, but the last thing we want to see is a repeat of this. And we need to know, we need to know how we make sure we don't repeat it. We need to take action in the meantime, of course. But this deserves a Royal Commission.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Before I let you go, just to end on a much, much lighter note, I always shudder when I see ministers and shadow ministers on Instagram, Mr Taylor, and I saw this on Instagram a short time ago:

 

“Question: Player of the series?

 

Taylor:  Ah, it's got to be Head. It's got to be Head.

 

Question: One thing the Ashes series teaches politicians?

 

Taylor:  Never underestimate your enemy.”

 

Were you talked into that, or was this something of your doing?

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

No, I'm a cricket fanatic. And I tell you, you shouldn't underestimate your enemy because we're seeing the Poms in a bit of a resurgence right now. Although I've been away from the cricket for a little while for this interview, but I think we're making a few. But look, it's always a great thing, the cricket. I wish it had gone a few more days in the past matches, but we look like we're getting a five-dayer this time around.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

I think it's a good example, too, that at the end of the day, no matter our disagreements, we can always shake hands at the end of the game as well.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Exactly.

 

SHANE MCINNES:

 

Angus Taylor, Shadow Defence Minister, I appreciate you making yourself available today.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

 

Great to be with you.

 

ENDS.