Monday, 2 March 2026

Topics: Iran, inflation, CFMEU-Labor cartel

E&OE

Sharri Markson: Joining me now is Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson. Tim, thanks for your time. Now this is Penny Wong's default position to call for de-escalation while America and Israel do the heavy lifting to fight terror on behalf of the international community. What do you think of the response from the Albanese government?

Tim Wilson MP: Well let's be honest Sharri, none of it's really surprising because they suffer from moral relativism and equivalence. They can't actually understand that the job of what the United States is doing and Israel is doing is not just defending their own interests, they're defending the entire regime of global and international stability and peace and stability around the world. Iran's regime has been an exporter of terrorism, including into our own country. It is a nation that treats its own citizens very cruelly and brutally. Of course, it's been financing and sponsoring attacks on Israel, including October 7, and of course, subjugates women and murders homosexuals. So there's kind of no ambiguity about the evilness of the regime and the Islamic regime. Of course we don't want to see it escalate. That's not in question. But the first thing we should really be signalling is our strength and support for our allies in standing up for global peace and stability.

Sharri Markson: Now, I just want to turn to the position of the Liberal Party briefly. I'm going to come back to Iran with other guests. Don't worry. But Tim Wilson, this is the first time you've been on the program since you've become Shadow Treasurer. We've seen a Newspoll today in The Australian. The Coalition's primary vote lifted to 20 per cent, so still very low. Labor's has dropped to 32 per cent. But Tim still looming over both major parties is the political threat of One Nation. Do you think this is fuelled by cost of living pain and also the immigration debate post-Bondi?

Tim Wilson MP: Well research actually shows quite clearly that there's a lot of middle-finger voting going on where, you know, a lot voters feel like they want change, they're very unhappy with the government and they're expecting us to rise to the challenge and they don't feel we have, so they've been looking at other options. You know, I don't disabuse myself of this. I think that we need to do better. We need to send very clear messages to the Australian community that we're hearing their frustration and we need actually perform at a level to hold the government to account. This is not a popular government, but people want change. They want us united and focused to deliver that change and to build a better future for Australians. You know, there's mixed views about how we've performed so far, but the only call I see from this is do better, and that's my intention.

Sharri Markson: One of the biggest areas is the economy. You know, we're in a cost of living crisis. We've had an interest rate rise. Inflation is still rising, whereas it's come down in most other developed nations around the world. Australia is in one of the worst positions of OECD nations. Do you, you know, there hasn't been an opposition to the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, from the Coalition. Do you think you can take that fight on the economy up to him?

Tim Wilson MP: Well, I have been, I will be and I will continue to do so. And it's been really noticeable how techy the Treasurer has become where he doesn't like being challenged about the fact that he's pouring petrol in the inflation fire. We now have very clear evidence that he is the primary driver of the problems that Australians are feeling in inflation and through rising grocery prices. He likes to find tricky ways to get around it but we're going to hold them to account, continue to hold them to account because too much is at stake. This is not just some sort of time like years past where we can rest on our laurels. Now is the time for good people to stand up. International circumstances show the cost of not doing so. And the same is true in domestic politics. We need to offer a very clear vision about a better way forward and particularly to give people in small and family businesses and the self-employed hope for the future.

Sharri Markson: You've written a piece in the Herald Sun today. You've accused the Victorian Labor government of presiding over a cartel with the CFMEU, with billions in big-build spending, effectively being funnelled to organised crime. What's your single most serious claim here Tim?

Tim Wilson MP: We have a gangster government in Victoria, and there's no other way to describe it. You have a relationship between the Premier, Jacinta Allan, who knew evidence from her own department so she knew that public money was being funnelled into organised crime through the CFMEU Labor cartel on Big Build projects. Independent corruption watchdogs have estimated that it's up to $30 billion that has found its way into the hands of organised crime. Through the CFMEU and Labor cartel networks. This gangster government must go. It's not just about partisanship. It is about whether Victorians have confidence that they don't have a completely corrupt and corrupted government.

Sharri Markson: All right, Tim Wilson, really appreciate your time. Thank you.

ENDS