Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Transcript - Interview with Peter Stefanovic, Sky News

Topics: Leadership, small business insolvencies, protests

E&OE

Peter Stefanovic: Joining us live now out of Canberra is the Shadow IR Minister Tim Wilson. Tim, good morning to you. Is this spill going to happen?

Tim Wilson MP: That is not my focus. My focus is on the constituents in Beaumaris, the Jones family and the Morton-Bowles family. You know, you just need to look, and you saw the story before about the parents of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles who have had the insult of a $185 fine handed in a secret court case in Laos to the people who are alleged to have been perpetrated of their murder through methanol poisoning. I know everyone wants to talk about leadership spills, but this actually matters more and has a material impact, and we're hearing directly from the families about the horror and how they're having to relive the trauma of the tragic death of their daughters.

Peter Stefanovic: Ok no doubt about that and I think that's a good point, but we're talking about the future of the Opposition here because you can't ignore those polls, Tim.

Tim Wilson MP: I'm not ignoring anything and I want to be clear about that. You know, I've seen the polls like everybody else and things go up and down in political cycles. But what the Australian people and what the polls are showing to me is that there's a bit of middle-finger voting going on where Australians are looking at their parliament and people are not focused on the Australian community, what they want out of our political system and how it's advancing their lives, and whether it's these sorts of important issues that I've raised this morning or people who are struggling to get ahead where they don't feel Australia is delivering a culture where hard work pays off or they have control of their own lives is central to what we need to be because that's what people want from our leaders.

Peter Stefanovic: But does a boil not need to be lanced here? I mean we're talking about Sussan Ley and she was identified yesterday through a Newspoll as the most unpopular leader of a major party since 2003. So can things really continue under her leadership?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I've said consistently I think we need to do better and that we need to raise the standard of political debate that Australians want us to raise it to because it's not about us, Pete. It's actually about the Australian people and where they're aware the political movement that is enabling them and empowering them to live out their best lives. They want us to be focused on how we're building a culture of respect for society, one where hard work pays off, and more importantly where people have control over their lives, and we've got to be enlivening that policy. We had record numbers of small business insolvencies in the last year, and the response from the Minister for Small Business, Anne Aly, was to call all those people dodgy. We have a parliament that misunderstands where the Australian people are, and people are desperate for leadership.

Peter Stefanovic: Are you aware of numbers being counted behind the scenes?

Tim Wilson MP: Well I'm not specifically aware of numbers but there will always be numbers being counted behind the scenes. This is politics. Again, this shows you that people's priorities need to be with the Australian people. When you have a record number of small business insolvencies, people who literally lost their livelihood, 40,000 since this Prime Minister took office, that's where people want our focus to be and to be able to give them a pathway in the sense of hope for the future.

Peter Stefanovic: In any spill though, would you vote for Sussan Ley or Angus Taylor?

Tim Wilson MP: I've said consistently I back the Leader and that's not going to change because my focus is precisely on how we advance the best interests of the Australian people to ensure that we have a culture of respect where hard work pays off and more importantly where people have control over their lives.

Peter Stefanovic: Tim, might you be the Morrison in this and charge up the middle?

Tim Wilson MP: That's cute, Pete. But there will always be speculation about people in different positions. I think the Australian people have a pretty good now for those focused on them and the important issues that matter to them.

Peter Stefanovic: Are you interested in leading the party?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I've said consistently I'm ambitious for Australia and I play a role in that conversation, but I'm happy to do whatever role the party decides that I should do as part of a team because people know instinctively Peter, that you can't just have one person running the show. You've got to have people focused, clear-eyed with policy for delivery because we're not actually about enlivening us and enlarging our standing. It's got to be about how we do it for the Australian people.

Peter Stefanovic: Well, would you like to be someone's Deputy?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, the same answer as I just gave. Whatever position I'm in Pete, that's the one I'm going to drive the agenda. I can tell you that we've got exciting stuff coming up in the small business portfolio. And no, I can say this explicitly and get ready for it because I know that's what's going to matter. And I'll do that whether I'm in my current job on the backbench or any job more senior than I have currently.

Peter Stefanovic: Okay, a couple of quick ones to get to just before we go. Tim, your thoughts on these protests in Sydney last night again, less than two months after a terror attack and less than 10 kilometres from the scene in Bondi.

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I think it shows some really disturbing priorities. You know, we've currently got about 30,000 people being murdered by the government of Iran for wanting to stand up and be self-determining. I don't see that group of people protesting for Iranians to be able to live their lives freely. Iran has engaged in state-sponsored terrorism in Australia and is actively financing Hamas, which goes out to kill Israeli. But more than that, you know, when you see things like the slogan globalise the intifada, people need to understand what that means. That means murdering of Jews and the genocide of Jews. It means treating women as second-class citizens and flogging. It means murdering homosexuals through state-sponsored murder through the most gruesome way possible. If you want to associate with that sort of agenda, you need to get your head read.

Peter Stefanovic: Well, just on that, Australian of the Year, former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, she's reported to have said from Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada last night. What are your thoughts on that sort of language?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, as I said already, if you side with that agenda, you are saying you want the genocide of the Jewish people, you want women to be treated as second-class citizens, including public flogging and murdering homosexuals by the government in the most gruesome way possible. It is not for me to answer for those comments, it is for her to answer those comments.

Peter Stefanovic: Inflammatory, yeah?

Tim Wilson MP: Resolutely, but she needs to answer for them because I simply cannot see how any Australian of goodwill can support that agenda.

Peter Stefanovic: Well, I mean, we're talking about again, it's quite a prestigious honour she was given a few years ago as Australian of the Year. Do you have to start looking at whether or not that title should be stripped?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, that's a question for the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, because obviously the Government are the ones who confer this status or this title. And when it comes down to it, we know the consequences of the agenda that's being run. And the Government's got to make a decision about whether they want to tacitly sanction that.

Peter Stefanovic: OK, we will leave it there. Gone over time. But Tim thanks, as always, for your time.