Topics: Labor’s proposed CGT changes, The Teals, Penny Wong’s comment on Gaza activists

E&OE.......................    

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SHARRI MARKSON: And now live from Canberra, Liberal Senator Dave Sharma. Dave, great to see you. So the Albanese government is bundling the $250 tax offset, so $250 back in people's pockets, along with these changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. Will the Coalition still vote against them?

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DAVE SHARMA: Well, look, I think we'll, we'll attempt to split the legislation, Sherry, either in the House, where we're unlikely to be successful, I grant you that, but in the Senate where we might have better chances of success. The government has just landed this on us today. Look, this is a poison pill from them. I mean, they know how unpopular their tax increases are. They're trying to put it in with these tiny sweeteners, a $250 tax offset that you won't see a for little over 2 years, and that will be eaten up twice over by bracket creep, and trying to get us to swallow with that tiny bit of sweetener, the abolition of the capital gains tax discount, which will hurt small businesses and startups, the abolition of negative gearing, a minimum 30% investment tax, which will hit students and anyone else who happens to own shares or ETFs. This is a bad government— the government should— bad budget, rather. The government should just go back to the drawing board and listen to some of their own backbench MPs on this. Mm.

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SHARRI MARKSON: But they'll, of course, use it politically to say that you voted against tax cuts. I also want to ask you about this story today about the Teals, that the Teals are looking at forming their own party. You, of course, were the MP for Wentworth. You ultimately lost to an independent. What do you think of this discussion that they're having to formally form a party?

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DAVE SHARMA: Well, look, I think many of us know they've been a party all along. I mean they've got the same funding network, they run on the same platform, they coordinate closely in Parliament, they run on the same colour, they have the same marketing materials, they have the same digital advertising consultants. I mean, they're a party in all but name. And I think this sort of community independent thing they've pulled is one of the biggest roosters in politics of all time. So, I wish them all the best. I think, If they did form a political party, at least they would be being a little more transparent and upfront with the Australian people that they do coordinate, that they do have, centralized guidance in how to respond to issues, that they do share policy positions and donors and everything else. I think that would be a more honest thing to do.

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SHARRI MARKSON: I mean, there's reports that some moderate Liberals might be considering joining them. Do you know of any?

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DAVE SHARMA: I don't, and I have heard nothing to suggest that is the case. I don't— I think every Liberal I know wants to make, make sure that we are the next government and that we are a competitive opposition.

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SHARRI MARKSON: There was some breaking news in the Senate in the Legal and Constitutional Affairs estimates this afternoon at around 5:00 where the Attorney General's Department confirmed that consent to prosecute the ISIS brides was granted back in December. So the evidence met their threshold Do you think there are now questions given this about why they were allowed into the country?

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DAVE SHARMA: Yes, I do. Look, I wasn't in that estimates hearing, so I'm obviously just hearing the reports second-hand, but we made the case as an opposition that there were a number of avenues available to the government to prevent these people from re-entering the country. They could issue temporary exclusion orders, and we know in at least one case that's been successful in preventing someone from returning, but The Foreign Minister could also refuse to issue a passport on national security grounds, and that is an avenue that the government didn't seem to pursue. You would think if there was a dossier of evidence suggesting these people can and should be prosecuted, that would constitute national security grounds for refusing to issue a passport.

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SHARRI MARKSON: Just very quickly, Dave, we saw Penny Wong come out strongly when— about the treatment of the Gaza activists from that flotilla in Israel last week. But then we saw this horrific footage of how they were being beaten in Spain. And as far as I've seen, not a word.

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DAVE SHARMA: I've seen that footage as well, Sharri. Look, I've seen the Israel government has denied that any of these people were mistreated in custody. I don't see why they would have an interest in doing that. I think the video of one of their ministers was quickly condemned and reprimanded by the Prime Minister of Israel. And I saw the photo, that footage in Spain as well. I also saw someone, I think an Israeli Foreign Ministry account, urging the Spanish authorities to investigate this.

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SHARRI MARKSON: But the hypocrisy of Penny Wong, very quickly.

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DAVE SHARMA: Oh yeah, look, I mean, I just— this Labor government, this Labor movement, and we saw it at the Victorian state conference over the weekend, they never miss an opportunity to criticise Israel. But if it comes to any other country, Iran, violating the human rights of its own people or any other violation or issue of concern around the world, there's nothing to be said. But they have a— they seem to have a spotlight always on Israel. And they're always on a hair trigger to criticize Israel and its behaviour.

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SHARRI MARKSON: Yeah. This was just such a direct comparison. All right, Dave Sharma, thanks so much for joining us.

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