Sky NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert - 28 April 2026

Melissa McIntosh MP 

Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services 

Shadow Minister for the NDIS

Shadow Minister for Women 

Federal Member for Lindsay 

28 April 2026

Transcript 

Sky NewsDay with Kieran Gilbert

Topics: Foreign Affairs Minister in Asia, Fuel security, U.S ambassador 

E&EO … 

Kieran Gilbert

Welcome back to NewsDay. Let's go live to Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh. Melissa, thanks for your time. The Foreign Minister, she's in Japan at the moment trying to shore up the fuel supplies to Australia. The quid pro quo - we provide a lot of LNG and coal to Japan, a lot of food as well and the region, Korea, I think Penny Wong's there tomorrow. They've also confirmed what we've been reporting on Sky News for a bit over a week now. The Japanese Prime Minister, she's coming to visit next week. So important strengthening of those relationships. Do you welcome that?

Melissa McIntosh

Thanks, Kieran. Of course, on these trips I think it's pretty much guaranteed that the Opposition, regardless of what side politics, welcomes and they are very important relationships. We've got a very important strategic relationship with Japan and China, our largest trading partner and it does come at a very important time. I guess the only thing I would say it does highlight some of the risks in our supply chains and our over reliance on our international supply chains. And I wish that we've learned more during COVID because the whole COVID era was meant to prepare our country more for any other international shocks in the future. So, we've been left very flat footed on this, which is why the Coalition has announced our policy when it comes to reserves. But the trip itself, yes, of course, it's very important to maintain our relationships especially in this region.

Kieran Gilbert

The announcement by Angus Taylor to double the fuel stocks going forward, is it a bit, you know, of a case of too little, too late? The Prime Minister says it was under the Coalition's watch that four of six refineries shut.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, Angus also kept those last two open and it's quite a sad state of affairs when we're reliant on just two refineries now. But we need to do this. We need to have our own security in our fuel, which is our national security as well. And I go back to my point around COVID and why didn't we learn those lessons then? But if we can double the supply to 60 days, the storage to 60 days, then we're getting closer to our international obligations. But I think it's really important. Australians expect this. People are still suffering out here in Western Sydney by paying for diesel and for petrol. So, this is a gift to the government. They can pick it up and run with it if they like.

Kieran Gilbert

Indeed, we'll see. It makes, it does, I think it does make a lot of sense. And the Trump administration announcing the next Ambassador, David Brat’s his name, former Congressman. Do you know anything about him? Sounds like a conservative tea party, former Congressman and economics professor, and not that really unpredictable in a sense. It's exactly the sort of appointment you'd imagine out of a conservative Republican administration, isn't it?

Melissa McIntosh

Well, I've been the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of the US for quite some time and regardless of the Ambassador, we had Ambassador Culverhouse, we worked really well with him and Ambassador Kennedy and now our incoming Ambassador. Our relationship is so strong. It is good to have an Ambassador here in this country. I'm certainly looking forward to meeting him and talking to him about Western Sydney. You know, we've got an international airport where we want to invest manufacturing, we want to talk to the US about that, into big data centres coming to Western Sydney. So, there's lots on my agenda to speak to the incoming Ambassador. But his CV reads well, he's certainly experienced in politics, and you know, we look forward to having him in Australia

Kieran Gilbert

And the 15 months? That delay. We have seen these sorts of delays previously. Do you read that as a negative sign or nothing to be seen there?

Melissa McIntosh

I don't think it's particularly unusual, Ambassador Culverhouse didn't come here immediately, and the Embassy is so good at doing its job here in Australia. So, there wasn't a blip on the relationship in that regard. But it is always a good sign to have a high-quality Ambassador in Australia. We always look forward to that, because the relationship is stronger than our strategic links. It's cultural as well and I think it's an important showing of that strength to have someone here on the ground.

Kieran Gilbert

Ok, Melissa McIntosh, thank you, appreciate it.