TRANSCRIPT – Sky News Sharri

Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia

25 March 2026

Sky News Sharri

Topics: Fuel crisis, logistics problem, rationing petrol

E&OE

Sharri Markson

All right and joining me now live from Canberra is Shadow Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash. Michaelia, great to see you again. We’re going to get into the fuel crisis, which is the biggest issue in just a minute. But first, I want to get a quick response from you about that word ‘hysterical’ that the Housing Minister Clare O’Neil threw at you. Let’s have a look at her comments again.

Clare O’Neil

“What we need to do is manage this calmly and methodically, not get personal and hysterical.”

Sharri Markson

As I already explained, this is historically a gendered insult. It is sexist. Was it appropriate?

Senator Cash

Well, the only person Sharri, getting personal there was, sadly, Minister Clare O’Neil. Why? Because, you see, you only get personal when you have no answers or explanations for why you have lost control of the fuel crisis. Clare O’Neil was trying to shut me down with an insult. Well, guess what? I’ve got news for Clare O’Neil. The Coalition will not be shut down from demanding accountability on behalf of the Australian people for why they are turning up to bowsers and they are dry. I mean, Sharri, that admission by Clare O’Neil this morning on national TV that there is, and I quote, more fuel in Australia circulating in the economy, or circulating around Australia now than before the war began, was utterly extraordinary. So there’s not a supply problem. The problem, therefore, is solely with the Albanese government. They know where the fuel is in Australia at any given point in time. What they are failing to do is get that fuel to where it’s needed the bowsers that have run dry. But Clare can insult me all she likes. I won’t stop holding this Government accountable.

Sharri Markson

And it seems like the premiers around the country are begging for some sort of national approach, national leadership here, when there basically is none. You know, as we’ve been saying, there’s 500 service stations around the country that have a supply issue.

Do you think Chris Bowen should now be rationing petrol?

Senator Cash

God bless Chris Bowen. Total failure. But let’s put that aside. He’s now ruling things out. Can I tell you, Sharri, what the Australian people want to know is, Chris, what in God’s name is on the table. You’re telling us what’s not on the table, but what is on the table. They are now heading into almost the fourth week of this crisis. First they are in denial Sharri, then they blame the Australian people for their lack of confidence and maybe filling up one too many times, and now they’re scrambling for answers, because they have had their heads in the sand. There is clearly a logistics problem in this country. Clare O’Neil has stated, and Bowen hasn’t denied this. There is more fuel today in Australia than what there was before the crisis. So Chris, bring in the logistics experts. Get out of the Canberra bubble. Stop listening to bureaucrats, because clearly they’re not giving you the answers you need. Bring in the logistics experts. You’ve got the evidence. You know where the fuel is. Get the fuel to where it’s needed – the bowsers that have run dry.

Sharri Markson

In the meantime, though, if they are saying this is a demand issue, that there’s panic buying, do you think there is a case for rationing fuel?

Senator Cash

Why are they blaming the Australian people who have clearly lost confidence in this government? If this government hadn’t have put its head in the sand, as I said, we’re almost going to be heading into the fourth week of this crisis, and had actually put in place solutions on day one, Australians wouldn’t need to get that extra tank of fuel. As I said, let’s not talk about what Chris Bowen is taking off the table. Let’s talk about what should be on the table.

Sharri Markson

But should they be rationing fuel? I mean, that’s what Pauline Hanson has said is needed. She said that today.

Senator Cash

Well hold on, why? Yeah, so well, the question I’d put to Pauline is this: why do you need to ration fuel when the government has openly admitted there is more fuel in Australia circulating now than there was before the crisis? The issue is not rationing fuel. The issue is this government’s failure to manage the crisis and to ensure that the supply that is there. The fuel is there. The government’s admitted: more fuel today than there was before the crisis, is actually getting to where it needs to be. There’s a logistics problem in this country, and Chris Bowen and Anthony Albanese, listen to some logistic experts and get the fuel to where it’s needed. Because, as you keep telling Australians, the supply of fuel is there.

Sharri Markson

Do you think this shows we rely too much on imported fuel?

Senator Cash

Oh, I think we’ve got to have a very serious question in Australia and Angus Taylor, you know, saved the last two refineries from going out of business. Yes, we absolutely have to look at sovereign capability and onshore capability. I come from Western Australia. It’s a disaster there at the moment, Sharri, because of this government’s failure to ensure the fuel that is in the country is getting to where it is needed. So absolutely yes, and that is why Angus Taylor has tasked Andrew Hastie with the portfolio of sovereign capability. If COVID taught us anything, we need more sovereign capability in this country. And I can tell you, as a Western Australian, I know that firsthand because of the impact that this government’s failure is now having, in particular on our farmers.

Sharri Markson

This fuel crisis is sparked by Iran attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump is now saying it’s time for the war to end, and he’s given, reportedly, a list of 15 demands to Iran. Are you worried that Tehran won’t agree to the conditions, which do include freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz? And do you also think that it is time for the war to end, that the objectives have been achieved?

Senator Cash

Everybody wants this war to end as quickly as possible. We all understood very clearly the objective of this war to ensure that Iran’s nuclear capability was ended once and for all, but not only that, to give the Iranian people their chance at freedom, freedom from the terror man, the Ayatollah, who for decades had slaughtered thousands of his people. I mean in 2019 you might recall, I mean Scott Morrison, at that point in time, we actually deployed, and we were part of an international mission to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz was protected. Why? Because we understood the importance of the strait to our national sovereignty and our national interest. So yes, we all want this war to end as quickly as possible, but let’s be very, very clear. We know why this war was begun. We stand by our allies, the United States and Israel, in relation to what they are seeking to achieve, but at the same time, we need to ensure those straits are protected because Australia is currently experiencing what happens when they’re not, but more than that, a government fails to ensure they have contingency plans in place.

Sharri Markson

Just very quickly. I mean, you mentioned Scott Morrison. I had him on the show last night, and he indicated he would have given the US and Israel better support than the Albanese government has. He also said he was gobsmacked that Australian submariners had been told to stand down during an attack on an Iranian warship. Do you agree with what he had to say?

Senator Cash

Well, as I said, Scott Morrison does speak from a position of someone who’s been in government and actually has sent and supported an international mission to protect Australia’s interests. What I would say is this, the Coalition is very clear. We must ensure our citizens are protected and our national interests are protected. We have said that we support the government’s decision to send a Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to the region. We support that. But what we have also said that is in relation to any provision of naval fleet. That is obviously a decision for Australia. It’s a decision for the Albanese Government based on the intelligence that they have. But at all times, we must act in the best interests of the Australian people and protecting our national interests.

Sharri Markson

All right, Michaelia Cash. Appreciate your time. Thank you.

Senator Cash

Great to be with you.