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July 6, 2023
JAMES PATERSON: Clare O'Neil needs to stop playing student politics and focus on the very important job she has. The Government's own Defence Strategic Review says that we're living in the most dangerous strategic environment since World War Two and we need a Home Affairs and Cyber Security Minister who's completely focused on her job not sending woke tweets about a son of a former president. Like it or not, Donald Trump could be president again. And the delivery of the AUKUS agreement is the most important national security priority for our country. Nothing should be done to jeopardise that, which unfortunately I think these tweets did today.
QUESTION: Inaudible
PATERSON: The Minister for Home Affairs needs to work more closely with our American friends and allies than almost any other Minister in the government. They regularly visit Washington D.C., to consult with the administration, Congress and agencies, and they have to have a trusted and close working relationship with the United States, which is our most important security ally. So, if they've been sending offensive tweets about people's sons, I don't think that's going to help in that task.
QUESTION: Inaudible.
PATERSON: Well, juvenile tweets like these just put the whole relationship at risk. Whether Donald Trump is president or any other Republican, none of them are going to look very kindly on a Minister who's been attacking them publicly on Twitter when they didn't need to. She should just be focussed on the important job she has. It's not like there aren't things that need to be done to protect Australians from cyber attacks, from foreign interference or to protect our borders.
QUESTION: Inaudible.
PATERSON: If the government says that the visa was processed in the normal way, then I'm happy to take them at their word. But if it emerged that there was any political interference, that would be very serious thing indeed because our Migration Act needs to be administered fairly and freely. There shouldn't be any political test for someone seeking to come to Australia.
QUESTION: Inaudible.
PATERSON: Look, I mean, whether Donald Trump Jr comes to Australia or not is really a matter for him. It's not the sort of event I would probably be attending. I've got important things to do as well. So that's really a matter for him.
ENDS
