Anthony Albanese has been berated by Ray Hadley over his China policy and understanding of boat turn backs – but kept his cool under pressure.
During a heated 2GB interview on Tuesday morning, Hadley quizzed Mr Albanese over how he would stop the country being flooded with asylum seeker boats and asked him to rule out ever having a carbon tax – which he did.
The radio shock jock, who is a big fan of Scott Morrison, blasted the Labor leader over his stance on temporary protection visas, arguing they are a crucial part of deterring people smugglers.
The radio shock jock (right) blasted the Labor leader over his stance on temporary protection visas, arguing they are a crucial part of deterring people smugglers
At one critical point, Hadley outlined a hypothetical situation for Mr Albanese where a boat carrying illegal immigrants was approaching Australia.
‘There’s a boat off northern Australia, okay, it can’t be turned back. So they come to Australia,’ he said.
Mr Albanese interrupted and said: ‘They won’t come to Australia’ and will be sent to Nauru instead.
Hadley raised his voice and challenged the Labor leader, saying: ‘They’ll go straight from the boat to Nauru will they? Good luck.’
He then launched a rant asking Mr Albanese what type of visa he would give illegal arrivals if they land.
Labor backs offshore detention and boat turn-backs but says temporary protection visas – which provide protection but no permanent settlement – are not necessary.
They are not given to any illegal arrivals who have landed after 2013 but the Coalition spuriously claims they are a ‘key part of the deterrent’.
Anthony Albanese kept his cool under pressure from Ray Hadley. He is pictured in isolation
The Labor leader kept calm and replied: ‘The same policy that exists now, Operation Sovereign Borders, will apply under us.’
‘No it won’t because you don’t have temporary protection visas,’ Hadley yelled.
The Labor leader interjected ‘yes it will’ but Hadley replied: ‘No it won’t, I lived through it Anthony.’
‘Temporary Protection visas are there for people who’ve been here prior to 2013,’ Mr Albanese insisted.
‘We support boat turn-backs and we support offshore processing.
‘We support settlement in third countries. And we would have done the deal with New Zealand that was done far earlier and not implemented by this government until just before the election,’ he said.
Ray Hadley waved his arms during the heated radio interview with Mr Albanese in isolation
The pair also clashed over China’s recent security deal with the Solomon Islands, a Pacific nation just 2,000km from Queensland.
Labor frontbenchers have claimed Australia lost influence with the nation by not acting faster on climate change – but Hadley challenged this.
‘How can our negligent attitude towards climate change with the Solomon Islands force them into the hands of the world’s biggest emitter? How does that work,’ he said.
Mr Albanese pointed out that Pacific nations – which are vulnerable to sea level rising – have repeatedly called for faster action on climate change.
‘They say consistently, that climate change is the number one issue,’ he said.
‘The point is that Australia has been the security partner of choice and this has happened under our noses.
‘And Scott Morrison hasn’t bothered to pick up the phone to Prime Minister Sogavare,’ he added.
Scott Morrison went to Hawaii when the nation was burning during bushfires in 2019
Mr Albanese also blamed the Coalition for cutting aid to the Solomon Islands after a study showed a fall of 43 per cent between 2011 and 2019.
‘We have we have been saying for some period of time, that the cutting aid was having an impact,’ he said.
The Labor leader said the US sent a ‘really serious delegation’ to negotiate with the Solomon Islands but Australia only sent junior minister Zed Seselja.
Hadley interrupted and yelled: ‘What happened? They sided with China because they’re getting money off them.’
Defence Minister Peter Dutton has alluded to the possibility that the Solomon Islands Government was bribed by China to sign the deal.
Hadley also took Mr Albanese to task over devastating flooding in NSW and Queensland in February and March.
He claimed the Labor leader went to Perth when his inner Sydney electorate if Grayndler was flooded – but Mr Albanese set the record straight.
‘You’re challenging the Prime Minister because he went to Hawaii with his wife and two kids (during 2019 bushfires). Okay, you reinventing history. You went to Perth when it reopened when your electorate was underwater,’ Hadley said.
In a savage response, Mr Albanese said: ‘Have a look at the map mate’ before saying his electorate was not flooded, only neighbouring areas.
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