Topics: IRGC’s daughter in Australia, NSW Liberal Leader, Labor’s free energy window

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SHARRI MARKSON: Now, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps major general's family member is living in Australia, believed to be on a visa. Now, this the IRGC is the same organization that's set to be listed as a terrorist group and it's behind the firebombings of the Adas Synagogue in Melbourne and the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney. So, we're reporting here now that a family member of Major General Rahim Safavi is believed to be practicing as a psychological counselor. It's believed that she was given a visa to be in Australia. Now, Dave Sharma has today sent a formal letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke about this. He said in the letter, "There would appear to be questions whether Ms. Safavi meets the character test and other requirements, including a non-adverse security assessment, to continue to hold a visa for Australia." Now, we contacted, at Sky News, Tony Burke's office, as well the Home Affairs Department this morning. We've not had a response. We contacted them first thing this morning, no response as we go to air, eight o'clock tonight. Well, joining me now to discuss this is Liberal Senator Dave Sharma. Dave, great to see you again. Now the IRGC will be listed as a terror organization. Now, this general has reportedly been subject to sanctions. So, what is your view of the decision to apparently grant a close family member of his, a visa?

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DAVE SHARMA: Well, I think it deserves close examination, and I think it, it should be overturned. I mean, this general, Rahim Safavi, has been on Australia's autonomous sanctions list for a number of years. Although we're taking steps to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, this individual has already been listed under our sanctions regime. Now, the idea that a close family member of someone like that could pass be found to be of good character and not have an adverse security assessment when we know according to our own intelligence agencies, that the IRGC has been orchestrating, funding, and supporting terrorist acts on Australian soil, I just find very hard to believe. And the fact that the daughter of this figure seemingly living openly in Australia, clearly has to have been issued a visa to come here, I think demands an explanation from the Home Affairs Department and from the minister, Tony Burke.

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SHARRI MARKSON: Have you had a response yet to the letter you sent?

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DAVE SHARMA: No, I haven't had a response, but I know I'm not the only one raising this. I mean, there are Iranian community figures here in Australia who first alerted me to this. When Iranian media sources reported on this fact, this individual took down their Instagram profile, took down their LinkedIn account, they went dark, which suggests, they know that there is something to this. And it should be of a concern to all Australians. I mean, I welcome the steps that Tony Burke has taken today to cancel the visa of the neo-Nazi, but these other individuals should equally be warranting his attention.

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SHARRI MARKSON: Yeah. We were just speaking about that hypocrisy you would have heard with Michael Kroger a minute ago. Just to turn to another topic, there was a scorching piece today in the Daily Telegraph. The Western Sydney MP Dai Le was rebuking the Albanese government's most recent gimmick of three hours of free electricity a day. She said, "Who do they think they're fooling?" She said, "Do they honestly believe that hardworking families have the luxury of dropping everything and running home between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM to make use of the so-called free energy window?" And Dave, she also spoke about how working Western Sydney families used to be the, the core people that Labor cared about. I mean, I think that's pretty strong point from her. what's your view?

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DAVE SHARMA: I agree entirely with the points Di's made. I mean, this is a gimmick designed to try and mask the unrelentingly increasing energy prices under this Labor government. And the truth is that if energy companies are going to have to give people three hours of free power during the day, they're going to have to make the money elsewhere. And that means peak periods, four o'clock 'til nine o'clock or 2:00 PM to eight, 8:00 PM depending on what sort of tariff you're on, they're going to be needing to be charging more. So, Australians are going to be paying for this and the only people who are able to take advantage of it as Di Lee said, are people who happen to be at home during the day, maybe cause they're working from home, maybe cause they've got caring responsibilities. But you can't run home and put on your washing machine and run your dishwasher and do everything else between 11:00 and 2:00. People have jobs to go to.

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SHARRI MARKSON: No, exactly. You've worked closely in the past with Kelly Sloan. You were previously Wentworth MP, but then campaigning for Wentworth. She's tipped to replace Mark Speakman in a party room meeting as early as Thursday night or Friday morning. Do you think she'd make a good leader in New South Wales?

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DAVE SHARMA: Well, look. First, let me say, I think Mark Speakman is a good leader of the Liberal Party. He's leading the party in a difficult time after 12 years of government in New South Wales. That is always a difficult role and I think Mark is doing it well. So, he has my full support as leader. Kelly, I know to be a very talented, dedicated, hardworking person of integrity, who could serve us well now as the Shadow Health Minister. And I'm sure, in years ahead could equally serve in other roles. But I don't want to weigh into what might well be a New South Wales leadership contest.

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SHARRI MARKSON: All right. So, you're being very careful in your comments there. Well, it looks like by the end of the week, Kelly Sloan will be the New South Wales Liberal leader. I mean, she'd definitely bring some energy to the job and she'd be competitive against Chris Minns, which we haven't seen so far.

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DAVE SHARMA: Look, Kelly's a very capable person. I think, sometimes in Australian politics we tend to fixate a little too much on who the leader is. Yes, they're important, but the whole team has to play a role in holding a government to account and presenting an alternative government. And whatever position Kelly has in the Liberal Party of New South Wales, I know she'll fulfill that position well.

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SHARRI MARKSON: All right. Dave Sharma, thank you very much for your time on the show tonight. And you've got to keep us updated if you get a response from Tony Burke because it was radio silence to us at Sky News today.

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DAVE SHARMA: I will, Sharri.

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