Sunday, 8 February 2026

Transcript - Interview with 3AW, Sunday Morning Show

E&OE

Darren James: He is the Shadow Minister for Small Business of Australia, Liberal Member for Goldstein and more importantly former panel member of Sunday Morning.

Heidi Murphy: I don't know if he'll feel that more importantly, but sure. Is it still on his LinkedIn or resume, I might check.

Nick McCallum: Which has been downhill ever since.

Darren James: Let's find out. Tim Wilson, is that still on your resume that you were a former member of this show?

Tim Wilson MP: Absolutely it is Darren absolutely it is and proudly so.

Heidi Murphy: Oh, good.

Nick McCallum: He's had too many coffees already this morning.

Heidi Murphy: Most importantly though, would you say Tim?

Darren James: Is the Liberal Coalition a DB, a dog's breakfast like I'm saying?

Tim Wilson MP: I wouldn't quite use that expression but I think that there's time where people want us to be focused on them and not on ourselves and there's a big task to do that.

Nick McCallum: Are you confident, Tim, that this new deal that looks as though it's been struck, basically have The National Party Shadow Ministers suspended until March the 1st and then we're all back and friends again, do you think that is going to happen and it will repair the damage?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, there's always a legacy from any sort of relationship bust up, but when it comes down to it, you've got to focus on the future and what brings you together, right? And that's where I think we're all focused, which is the objective has to be how we change the government of Australia. Households are doing it tough. We've had inflation, obviously, and higher interest rates. That's where people want us focused and we've got to drive the conversation, hold the government to account and improve the nation, and we're going to be that solution.

Heidi Murphy: How optimistic are you this will be the last bust up?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I think The National Party has realised there are serious consequences and that it's not something you do lightly, so I don't expect another one. You know, Labor's going to try and bait us. We've got to make sure we don't take the bait.

Heidi Murphy: Difficult to resist because a hundred percent they will. But in terms of a trust between colleagues, will it take a while to rebuild that?

Tim Wilson MP: I don't think there's been a fundamental issue of trust. I think we need clarity in our vision and where we're going that brings people together. That is what is going to build a team and build a sense of unity and purpose. That's how you get people to move forward together, not based on personalities or anything else.

Heidi Murphy: There's still a fundamental though issue where Nationals MP from country parts of this country and inner city MPs like you will still have fundamental differences on crucial matters of policies to appeal to voters in your area and to appeal voters in Outback Queensland.

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I just need to clarify, inner urban MP, it's singular, that's me.

Heidi Murphy: Sorry yes, I did mean just you, you're the only one so far, but you want to be one of more.

Tim Wilson MP: I want to one of many, and I mean, I don't think whether you're in the outback, you are in rural or regional areas, or you're city areas, that what people are seeking is fundamentally different. People want to be able to get a good education for themselves and their kids. They want to get good job and buy a home, have a family and retire with security. It doesn't matter where you are in the country, they're the uniting purpose. We've got to have the policy that enlivens that. I think one of the biggest things going on right now is we have record small business insolvencies. Small business is really doing it tough. And we're going to have the policy that says we're gonna back in small businesses, family businesses, sole traders, and the self-employed because they're the future economic powerhouse of this country.

Nick McCallum: Well, if this new coalition agreement goes ahead, will this then give some breathing space to Sussan Ley and her leadership?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, of course, I mean, obviously, this has been a distraction from the core things that we need to focus on for the Australian people. And I just went through it before. So the more we're orientating it back there, the more, we provide leadership and answers to that the more likely we are to go on, not just and have electoral success, because it's not about us. It's about having success for Australia so that it is a country that prospers for every Australian.

Nick McCallum: Do you think Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie will now come on board and work towards that greater good rather than try to work towards an eventual takeover?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, in politics you'll always have people have different views about how to get there but the objective is still the same. So, yes, I believe they have and will because their focus, rightly so, is how do we win, go on and govern for Australians. So, the next generation of Australians can live a better future than they have inherited and at the moment that's the thing that's declining under this government.

Nick McCallum: And how worried are you and how worried is the party room about One Nation and votes leaking to One Nation now, which they clearly are?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I think there's a bit of middle finger voting going on at the moment to the political system and that's what is driving that behavior. Our focus, our solution to that will be when we put forward a clear comprehensive policy program that actually focuses on every Australian their pathway to get ahead. There's a lot of self-employed and small business people who are struggling at the moment and they're looking at the political system, they're look at the government saying, you don't have answers, we want answers. We must be that answer.

Heidi Murphy: Can I ask, although you're a federal MP, we've got a state election coming up this year, would you be anticipating a bit of middle finger voting in that election?

Tim Wilson MP: I don't think so, because people know the high cost of middle finger voting in the Victorian election. They know that this Labor government has been in power for a long time. They don't have the problems of this term, let alone the next one. And I think Jess Wilson's providing a really clear pathway for Victorians, and I think you're going to see more of it rolled out. I'm looking forward to having a Wilson Liberal government in Victoria.

Heidi Murphy: Not Tim Wilson! Are you a related to Jess?

Darren James: Do you dream of one day having a Wilson government in Canberra and a Wilson Government in Melbourne?

Tim Wilson MP: Let's face it, I think that would be highly entertaining for everybody. The objective is that we have a Wilson government in Victoria and a Ley government in Canberra.

Darren James: And on your own electorate, obviously, your electorate takes in part of areas where there's very strong Jewish community. Do you welcome the President of Israel, who will be in your electorate, we believe, later in the week, and are you concerned about the protests?

Tim Wilson MP: So, of course, I welcome the head of state of another nation who is our ally and friend. Let's remember why this visit is happening. It's happening because the President is coming to give comfort to the Jewish community in Australia after the Bondi terrorist attacks. And I think it should be fully embraced by our government, where there's a reality that we've seen the biggest rise in social division and antisemitism in this nation's history, we've seen the biggest rise spike in racism in this country under this Prime Minister. And we need him to be part of leading the conversation about how to unite the country. And I'm really disappointed that they're kind of running and hiding from this rather than embracing it.

Heidi Murphy: How concerned would you be about protest action?

Tim Wilson MP: I've no doubt there will be protesters, there are always rat bags around, but to be blunt as well, you know, these people are all out protesting against Israel. I don't see them going out and protesting for the 30,000 people who were murdered in Iran by the Mullahs against the persecution of women and homosexuals. And I look at these people and say, where are your priorities? When it comes down to it, do you have a country like Iran where the government is oppressing its people? If you really care about human rights, go and protest and stand up for those people's rights because they're people too.

Nick McCallum: Tim can I also ask you about the hate speech laws and I know there are a lot of areas where there's gray in in in freedom of speech but there is one expression which is constantly used called globalise the intifada. Now to me it that's really straightforward that is attack Jewish people which is clearly wrong it is clearly antisemitic and yet the Victorian Police Commissioner Mr Bush says that doesn't quite reach the level of hate speech. I don't understand that. I don't get it. Do we need to tighten up even more, particularly from the state's point of view?

Tim Wilson MP: The challenge, and we don't have the same sorts of laws at a federal level, there's a misunderstanding in the community that we passed some recently in federal parliament we didn't. The challenge always when you design laws around restricting speech is you need clear tests that need to be objective in their nature, and so the challenge is if you design a law that captures that, even though I absolutely find it abhorrent and condemn it resolutely, it's very hard to design a lot to capture that then won't captures a lot of other speech. So I'm always open to looking at proposals, but it'd be bloody hard.

Nick McCallum: I know, it's bloody but I would have thought that particular expression is pretty straightforward in that that is definitely antisemitic

Tim Wilson MP: It's definitely antisemitic and this is always a challenge with free speech is that there are a lot of things that people say that are antisemitic that are lawful. The question is what is the point where you take it to make it criminal and that's if you capture broad terms that are designed to be broad and deliberately dodge around the law, then if you try and capture that then you'll capture free expression for a lot of other people too. So it's a really challenging thing to do.

Darren James: Hey, Tim, good to catch up again. Don't make it so long next time.

Tim Wilson MP: Well, you guys just need to call me every Sunday morning. I'm free around this time.

Darren James: I'd take you up on that, believe me. And yes, I know how it works with politicians, all of a sudden the phone goes off occasionally.

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I think everyone's entitled to private time, but I'm also happy to chat and shoot the breeze.

Darren James: Good on you Tim.

ENDS