Topics: National Flag Day, reviving national pride, Dan Andrews’ visit to China, ISIS bride repatriation.

E&OE

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Quite a number of things I want to talk to my next guest about, Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor. Angus, good morning.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Glad to be with you, Stephen.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Um, first things first, the Australian flag has been deemed by the Australian Senate to be a prop. We had Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Senator Pauline Hanson told to remove Australian flags from their shoulders on Flag Day by a Senate President who didn't have the wherewithal to turn around and realise there was an Australian flag behind her.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Look there’s a group of people in Australia who want to degrade our flag, who are not interested in national pride, in fact, see it as a bad thing. They see patriotism as a bad thing, and this is a good example of it. I mean, it's a good thing they're not in the House of Representatives, because it was not long ago that Dai Le gave her maiden speech in the Australian flag, and she wasn't asked to take that off, of course! But good on Dai for doing that.

I mean, you know, we should be taking pride in our country and pride in our flag on National Flag Day, and I gave a speech on this. I mean, I think it's inappropriate that we always have two flags, other flags, adjacent to our Australian flag, and this is something we should be proud of. We should understand it; we should be teaching our kids about why our flag is the way it is. It’s wonderful history embedded in it and to see the Greens doing what they always do, which is mocking it, is just completely inappropriate.

 

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

The thing is, and I just want to play this, this was Nick McKim’s response to, well, this was his complaint in the Senate:

[Senator McKim]: “And I do want to make the point that if it's okay for Senator Nampijinpa Price to wrap herself in this flag, I would intend to wrap myself in a Palestinian flag and come into the chamber and exercise the same rights that Senator Nampijinpa Price is currently exercising.”

I mean, Angus, he couldn't even bring himself to call it the Australian flag, and the disdain in his voice when he said ‘this flag’ and then tried to compare it to the flag of a non-existent nation.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

I mean, look, honestly, we live in Australia. What is this guy? What is this guy on? Seriously, Stephen? And I just think pride in our country is something every one of us should participate in and be passing on to our kids and our grandkids, and to hear this is incredibly disappointing on our National Flag Day.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Well, something I'd ask you to raise in the Joint Party Room next time you have a meeting. I recently went to the Parliament gift shop. You can buy Australian flag lapel pins for $15. They're made in Australia. I reckon the Coalition, every MP and Senator should wear one into the chamber next time they go in.

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Yeah. No, that's a very fair comment.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Now we saw this military parade in Beijing this week, a pretty scary display. When you look at the technology and the might of the Chinese military, obviously sending a message to everyone else around the world, but for well, let's say one former Australian Premier, because Bob Carr seemed to be smart enough not to turn up to this thing, but Daniel Andrews, the former Victorian Premier, happily posing for photos with a group of notorious dictators.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

It's extraordinary. Look, we are facing the most dangerous times since the Second World War, that was on show yesterday in extraordinary terms. I mean, you know the weaponry we are now seeing, missiles that can reach Australia, can reach the United States, undersea autonomous drones. I mean, you name it, it was there, and it was designed as a show of strength by the Chinese Communist Party who, you know, obviously have clear ambitions. They've said that. That's unambiguous over Taiwan. And we have our former Victorian Premier who got into the parade and the obviously, the photos, not just with the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi, but with a whole series of other dictators and tyrants, from Russia, from Iran, from North Korea. I mean, seriously, this guy needs to decide whether he's Australian or not. It is completely inappropriate that he should do this. Now, even worse, former flat mate of, or just as bad, former flat mate of the Prime Minister, great friend of the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister refused, yesterday, twice in the Parliament, to condemn what Dan Andrews did, refused to condemn it and I think Anthony Albanese should be ashamed of himself.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Well, the one thing that I had a number of text messages from Labor MPs, who are just as appalled by this, but obviously they're bound by, you know, Labor Party rules, where they can't speak out against their own side. But I guess that's the saving grace, that there's also some good people on the other side of the house that are as amazed by this as we are.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, that's right, but actually, some, many have spoken out. The former Queensland Premier, Anastasia Palaszczuk, said this is a bridge too far. Michael Danby has called it a national embarrassment. Michael Costa said of Albanese not condemning it, he's weak and he's of the left, [it's] a farce, it's a disgrace. I mean, so Graham Richardson as well. So, there's no shortage of senior Labor figures saying this is completely inappropriate. Albanese should be condemning it, but Dan Andrews is his great mate, and I tell you what, it is clear that the Prime Minister of Australia has been more interested in meeting the President or the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party than he has been the leader of the free world the President of the United States.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Well, it's absolutely extraordinary, isn't it, but we also heard yesterday that there are rumours or suggestions that the Australian Government has a plan to repatriate these so-called ISIS brides. The Prime Minister dismissed that out of hand. What do we actually know?

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Well, there's serious questions to answer here, because yesterday in the Parliament, the Prime Minister denied there were plans, and now New South Wales Police confirmed that those plans are, in fact underway, and that they've been working with the [Australian] Federal Police on this. So, the Prime Minister needs to come clean. The first duty of any Australian Government and Prime Minister is to keep Australians safe. We've been consistent on this issue. We don't believe it's in our national interest to return these ISIS associated people and so the Prime Minister needs to explain what the situation is and what he's going to do about it.

STEPHEN CENATIEMPO:

Yeah, well, and sooner rather than later. Angus, great to talk to you this morning.

ANGUS TAYLOR:

Good on you. Stephen.

 

ENDS.