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Transcripts
February 17, 2026
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON
SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE
SENATOR FOR VICTORIA
TRANSCRIPT
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Topics: Appointment as Shadow Minister for Defence, new shadow cabinet, Tony Burke must front up to the media, Labor should stop ISIS brides returning to Australia
E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………
SHARRI MARKSON: Joining me now is James Paterson, who's the new Shadow Defence Minister, welcome. Now James, you were part of the inner trio, I understand, who decided the shadow ministry. So what message were you sending with this new frontbench?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, Sharri, a frontbench is always a matter for a leader, but of course I provide my best advice to Angus Taylor or any other leader who seeks it. And I'm really excited about the frontbench that he has unveiled today. It puts some top performers back in frontline roles, people like Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, I'm delighted to see in prominent roles again. It brings forward some new talent in new roles like Tim Wilson, as Shadow Treasurer who will be absolutely formidable. Claire Chandler as Shadow Finance Minister, and also seeing Jane Hume return to a senior economic role which is a critical focus for us. And then there'll be some names that are probably not household names yet but I think will be in the future, people like Aaron Violi and Matt O'Sullivan who are getting their start in the outer ministry. And some new talent in the junior ranks of the ministry, people like Garth Hamilton and Henry Pike, Ben Small and many others. And a really beefed up policy development capability that Angus has signalled is a real priority, with Zoe McKenzie and Simon Kennedy leading that process for us. These are highly capable, highly qualified people who've got a really big intellectual contribution to make to the task ahead. We understand we've got a lot of work to do, but I think we've got an outstanding team to do it.
SHARRI MARKSON: I think the two key areas are national security, which encompasses you know immigration as well, and then the economy. And I think broadly, the Coalition over the past few years has naturally done well on national security has done well. I mean, you in particular, when you were Shadow Home Affairs Minister in holding the Albanese government to account. But on the economy, I mean we've just had our first interest rate rise. There's so much vulnerability here but the Coalition hasn't made inroads despite the cost of living crisis. Do you think that Tim Wilson, as Shadow Treasurer, would do a good job in this regard?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Look, I've got no doubt at all about Tim's capabilities. He's an outstanding campaigner. He's demonstrated that by being the only person to win a seat for the Coalition at the last federal election, taking it off a Teal for the first time ever, and, of course, infamously ran a highly successful campaign under the Morrison government against Bill Shorten's franking credits changes. And right now, the Albanese government is contemplating breaching another election commitment to raise taxes on housing through an increased capital gains tax. Tim will lead the fight against that, but he'll be very ably supported by Claire Chandler as the new Shadow Minister for Finance, who I think is a really sharp brain on this task and a great communicator as well. And as you say national security continues to be a really important focus. I'm really pleased to be returning to that space and I'll be working alongside people like Michaelia Cash and Ted O'Brien, as Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister.
SHARRI MARKSON: Yes, so you're obviously now in the defence portfolio and we know there's been a chronic underinvestment in defence under the Albanese government. I mean this was even an issue with the Trump administration. So what do you, what will you bring? Why are you keen to get stuck into this portfolio?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: If I do my job well, Sharri, then Richard Marles will have an easier job when he fronts up to the Expenditure Review Committee and asks for increased defence spending. Now, I can't get Richard over the line, but I hope to get him up to the line and achieve that success because, frankly, we can't wait to the next election to increase defence spending because this government is failing to invest right now, and you don't have to take my word for it. The Albanese government asked Professor Peter Dean and Sir Angus Houston, along with Stephen Smith, to conduct a defence strategic review. And since that time, both Sir Angus and Professor Dean have publicly said we should be spending at least 3% of GDP on defence and this government is promising only to get to 2.3% several years in the future. That's just not adequate for the strategic environment that we face. It is not meeting the challenge of the moment and we can't afford to delay. So that will be my laser-like focus, convincing the Albanese government to invest in defence in the way they need.
SHARRI MARKSON: The ISIS bride saga is big news today. We've spoken about it many times before. Look, the Prime Minister says that this cohort have made their own bed, but yet it still seems he's going to allow them to travel to Australia. Is that how you read it?
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, it's simply not good enough. The government has powers available to it to keep these people offshore. They can apply for temporary exclusion orders to keep them from returning to Australia. And, of course, it looks like they have once again cooperated by providing at least passports, possibly citizenship by descent, to these ISIS brides and their dependents so that they can come home to Australia, and I have to say I'm particularly disturbed by the revelations, I think was by Andrew Green in The Nightly first today...
SHARRI MARKSON: It was, yeah.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: ... that Jamal Rifi, an offsider of the Home Affairs Minister, is organising freelance repatriations for members of a terrorist organisation to come to our country. Now, Jamal Rifi is the Chair of the Friends of Tony Burke. He fundraised for Tony Burke in the election campaign and campaigned for him, and it now appears, according to these media reports, he's fundraising and organising to bring terrorists to Australia. That's appalling and Tony Burke should front up and explain what he knew about this, when he knew about it and what he's done to stop it.
SHARRI MARKSON: Especially given the revelations that I just reminded viewers of, that Tony Burke had this meeting where he asked the Home Affairs officials to leave so he could have a private discussion with the Save the Children group.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Well, exactly right, Sharri and you broke that story several months ago, and it was yet more evidence this is a government that doesn't take national security seriously and has things to hide. Tony Burke, every step of the way, has covered up the way he's managed the return of previous cohorts of ISIS brides, and so I have zero confidence that he's not doing the same again. The only way he can clear this up is by standing up at a press conference tomorrow and answering all questions until we've got to the bottom of what he knew about this repatriation programme being run freelance by a constituent and supporter.
SHARRI MARKSON: We need to be more careful about this, don't we given the shooters at Bondi had an ISIS flag in their car, just being careful with my language, they had an ISIS flag in their car. So this is an ideology we do not want to bring more of into the country.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: You know, the truth is, Sharri, we've taken more than enough risks already with our migration programme over the last few decades and Bondi is a tragic consequence of that. There are people who've come to our country who hate this country, who don't support its values, who don't want to uphold them and make it stronger, who want to do us harm. I don't think we should be bringing any more. I think we've got enough already. And the idea that we should be facilitating the return of people who voluntarily left this country to go and join a terrorist death cult like ISIS just boggles my mind and I can't understand why any Prime Minister would allow that to happen.
SHARRI MARKSON: Alright, James Paterson, really appreciate your time and again, congratulations on your new role. Thank you.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON: Thank you Sharri.
ENDS