Michaelia Cash is really leaning into her hard right conservative era. She spent a good chunk of her morning ‘debate’ with Clare O’Neil on the Seven network harking back to two-and-a-half years ago when the Coalition got a bee in its bonnet about the IRGC and wanted it listed as a terrorist organisation (something it didn’t do during its preceding nine years in government) and O’Neil, the then home affairs minister and Mark Dreyfus, the then attorney-general, said no.

Because you tend to need a reason to do these things. And the IRGC is also essentially the Iranian government so it’s a bit of a step. The government feels it has that reason now because of the “primarily ASIO” investigation that linked the IRGC to attacks in Australia (I highlight the ‘primarily’ Asio investigation that Albanese mentioned yesterday, because it suggests there was another agency/intelligence involved. It was a joint AFP investigation, but I don’t think that is what Albanese was referring to, just personally)

Anyways, Cash was on a tear which seems kinda pointless, given that her leader has just sent out an ‘we’re all in this together’ statement and O’Neil says:

I think that was a rude and unworthy performance from Michaelia Cash there. I have a really strong view that when our country comes under aggression and violence from a foreign power that our politicians should stand together and fight back. I try to respect the work of politicians in Canberra, my personal view is that this is not the time for politics. I think it is grossly inappropriate. I think it is grossly inappropriate. I think it is really important that the major parties in particular work together on matters like this. That is usually the approach that we see from the Coalition. Michaelia has taken a different approach that is their business.