WEBVTT - The Late Debate | 18 February 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:00.440 Lately. 0:00:01.200 --> 0:00:05.000 General, welcome late to play. 0:00:07.480 --> 0:00:08.360 Well, thanks for your company. 0:00:08.400 --> 0:00:11.760 I'm James Macpherson with Caroline Marcus and Caleb Bond. Coming 0:00:11.840 --> 0:00:15.400 up tonight. Sydney travelers left in shock as their train 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:18.239 driver stops the train and explains over the public address 0:00:18.280 --> 0:00:21.400 system why she just can't take them any further. Will 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:24.960 play you that extraordinary announcement a little later. Plus we'll 0:00:25.000 --> 0:00:28.280 look at what's making news tomorrow, including how today's rate 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:30.000 cut has been reported. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:32.839 And we know there's an election due. I'll tell you 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:33.240 how we. 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:35.319 Know, not just because there was a rate cut, but 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:40.120 Anthony Albanezi is doing softball interviews about his upcoming wedding. 0:00:40.479 --> 0:00:43.360 We'll get to that a little later as well. But first, 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.440 I'm no fan of former Queensland Premier Steven Miles. I'm 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:50.640 happy to admit that he was a terrible leader, not 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:55.000 least because he was so immature, constantly posting nonsense to 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:59.720 social media, constantly playing his opponents rather than concentrating on 0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:03.520 I mean, he wasn't called Giggles for nothing. He was 0:01:03.560 --> 0:01:07.200 the child premier, so we expected when the LNP took 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.720 government we'd get some adults in charge. And god knows 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:14.800 Queenslanders deserve it, but I'm not so sure that's what 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:19.120 we're getting. Stephen Miles, now, the Opposition leader, traveled to 0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:22.560 Townsville a few days ago to visit victims of the 0:01:22.640 --> 0:01:25.960 floods now. While he was there, when coming back, he 0:01:26.080 --> 0:01:28.960 stopped in at Quantus Club and had a glass of wine. 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:29.919 Well, someone took a photo. 0:01:30.360 --> 0:01:32.600 And then on the plane back to Brisbane he also 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:35.760 had a glass of wine and someone took a photo. 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:39.360 Those photos ended up in the hands of Queensland LLNP 0:01:39.560 --> 0:01:44.679 Deputy Premier Jared Blay and today he tabled them in Parliament. 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:46.080 Now he tabled them. 0:01:45.959 --> 0:01:49.960 In Parliament as proof that Stephen Miles was actually in 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:53.080 the Quantus lounge having a glass of wine when he 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:57.040 claimed to be tweeting photos of himself helping flood victims. 0:01:57.520 --> 0:02:00.480 Jared Blay told Parliament and I quote, it was enough 0:02:00.520 --> 0:02:01.920 that he was drinking in the lounge. 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:03.120 He was on the plane. 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:06.160 He's a photo on the plane having another red wine 0:02:06.560 --> 0:02:08.079 while he was tweeting. 0:02:08.639 --> 0:02:09.360 Shock horror. 0:02:09.880 --> 0:02:11.760 I got to tell you, I read this story in 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:15.720 the paper this morning and I thought, God help Queenslanders 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:20.080 if this is the answer to the labor nonsense that 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:22.920 went on, the LNP are doing the same thing. See, 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:25.120 you're allowed to have a glass of wine in the 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:27.520 Quantus lounge. You're even allowed to have a glass of 0:02:27.560 --> 0:02:29.760 wine on the Quantas aircraft. 0:02:29.840 --> 0:02:32.520 And here's another thing that maybe the LNP might like 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:32.840 to know. 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:37.680 It's entirely reasonable to tweet a photo of yourself after 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:40.520 the event. If Stephen Miles had tweeted photos of himself 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:44.120 helping flood victims. While helping flood victims, he would have 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.839 copped all sorts of criticism. So he took a couple 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.079 of hours and did it over a glass of wine. 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:50.600 Big deal. 0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:54.519 This is the very nonsense that Queenslanders got so fed 0:02:54.600 --> 0:02:57.920 up with they kicked Stephen Miles out of office. And 0:02:57.960 --> 0:03:01.880 now the LNP are going on about and before people say, yeah, 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.480 but you guys, Lord Donald Trump for his social media 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:08.600 you know shenanigans and for playing the. 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:11.840 Donald Trump's funny. Donald Trump's got a sense of humor, 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:13.400 He's got wit, He's clever. 0:03:13.720 --> 0:03:17.320 This is primary school behavior from the LNP. 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:18.600 Deputy Premier. 0:03:19.080 --> 0:03:21.680 Queensland has deserve a lot better, especially with all the 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:23.680 problems that state has got. 0:03:23.800 --> 0:03:25.360 Caroline, tell me I'm wrong. 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:27.280 You're wrong, James, you're wrong. 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:31.079 Look, I agree with you that I don't take any 0:03:31.080 --> 0:03:33.680 issue with the fact that he tweeted after the fact. 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:36.360 I think that's what most people were do in that situation. 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:39.640 And indeed you are also right that had he been 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:44.200 live tweeting selfies with the flood victims, it would be 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:50.280 far worse. However, he is still someone who is traveling 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:54.680 on the taxpayer's dime. He had not one glass of wine, 0:03:54.720 --> 0:03:58.200 he had two, and you're right there's nothing doing illegal 0:03:58.240 --> 0:03:58.440 with that. 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:00.280 But the optics don't look good. 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:03.000 I don't know if it was handled that well by 0:04:04.280 --> 0:04:08.160 the government in tabling it, in not having perhaps a 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:12.320 little bit of humor about it, but I do think 0:04:12.480 --> 0:04:16.120 it speaks more to Steven Miles's poor judgment. Now, this 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.200 isn't the first time that he's done something like this. 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:23.080 Maybe he was trying to avoid the backlash he got 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:27.880 for taking a private jet eleven minutes to travel from 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:32.080 one Queensland city to another while he was Premier, and 0:04:33.279 --> 0:04:36.800 to just deliver a birthday cake. 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:40.520 To one of his MPs and make a little announcement 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:41.400 on the side as well. 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:44.599 That probably didn't warrant a private jet for eleven minutes. 0:04:44.800 --> 0:04:47.720 Maybe that's why he was taking a flight with the 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:52.600 rest of us plebs on a quantus plane. But you're 0:04:52.680 --> 0:04:56.400 still there as a representative of the people. And I 0:04:56.480 --> 0:05:00.400 don't think having a wine in the club lounge, having 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:02.720 a wine on board is a good look, especially when 0:05:02.720 --> 0:05:04.760 you're there to visit flood victims. 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:07.960 I don't think most people could could care less to 0:05:08.000 --> 0:05:11.000 be perfectly honest. In the words of the great two 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.600 time premiership coach of the Adelaide Crows, the brilliant Malcolm. 0:05:14.320 --> 0:05:17.760 Light, I couldn't give a rats toss. 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:21.680 Fag and I don't think anyone else does either. I mean, look, 0:05:21.880 --> 0:05:26.520 he actually went and visited people in flood ravage Townsville. 0:05:26.560 --> 0:05:29.400 He bothered to do that. If the bloke has a 0:05:29.440 --> 0:05:31.840 glass of wine in the lounge and a glass. 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:36.640 Room three or four, it's the least worst thing he's 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:37.159 ever done. 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:39.800 You've got a massive rap sheet of all the things 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:42.640 Stephen Miles did while he was a terrible premier and 0:05:42.720 --> 0:05:45.400 oh he had two glasses of wine on a plane 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:49.400 when he was opposition leader. Are you tell me that 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:52.719 anyone in Townsville is wanging that and going I can't 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:54.520 believe the bloke he. 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:57.200 Was going on a private holiday. It would be one 0:05:57.240 --> 0:05:59.920 thing if it was on in his downtime, but here 0:06:00.200 --> 0:06:03.520 being that trip would have been paid for with tax 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:07.559 payers dollars. He's in the Quantus lounge getting the free 0:06:07.640 --> 0:06:10.400 alcohol because of his position as a politician. 0:06:10.880 --> 0:06:11.640 I don't I. 0:06:11.720 --> 0:06:14.719 Think it looks to me like he's taking the piss. 0:06:14.800 --> 0:06:16.360 Quite literally, he's taking. 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:18.040 The He's not in the chairman's lounge. 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.120 He's just in the quantus because of abou four hundred 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:21.039 dollars a year to get into that. 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:24.040 As the LNP pointed out, so as the Labor politicians 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:26.040 pointed out in the Queensland Parliament. If you're going to 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:30.200 start playing these games, then every LNP politician who dares 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:32.440 to have a glass of wine in the Quantus lounge 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:34.919 is going to have people photographing them, and then those 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:36.640 photographs are going to be tabled in port. 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:41.400 I'm sorry, welcome, Welcome to modern times. Everyone has a 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:45.279 camera phone, Everyone who as a politician or has a 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:46.840 profile is fair. 0:06:46.680 --> 0:06:48.560 Game, and he is in a public place. 0:06:48.880 --> 0:06:52.800 I noticed that this report there was warnings that their 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:55.720 private actions are no longer off limits. I'm sorry, you're 0:06:55.760 --> 0:06:58.680 on a plane. That is a public space. You're in 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:01.680 the quantus that is a public state. 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:04.200 Just to understand, is your issue with politicians having a 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:05.600 glass of wine on a plane or. 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:10.080 Is your issues No, it's about him going to visit 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:12.360 flood victims so that he could put it on his 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:15.680 Twitter account and make it look like he deeply cares 0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:19.280 about these people, and meanwhile he's smiling and laughing and 0:07:19.360 --> 0:07:21.560 drinking wine. I just don't think it's a good loss. 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:23.880 So should he visited the middle He should have. 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:26.040 Visited it, but I think he would have treated it 0:07:26.080 --> 0:07:29.800 with the seriousness and gravity that it demanded. Those people 0:07:30.040 --> 0:07:33.360 weren't probably chugging wine after his visit to them, They 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.400 were cleaning up the mess and. 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:39.280 Cleaning up drink. 0:07:41.560 --> 0:07:43.080 But this is the thing that we used to be 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:44.360 a serious country, right. 0:07:44.440 --> 0:07:47.880 Bob Hawk at one point had the world record for 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:50.200 scolling a beer for him and say he got cheered 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:52.080 at the cricket a former prime minister. 0:07:52.600 --> 0:07:55.360 The cricket, not visiting flood victims. 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:58.920 But he's having a glass of wine afterwards. Seriously, the 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:01.320 drug do the same thing. Daniel Andrews, he was caught 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.320 having a drry at the back of a party and 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:04.360 that got put in the papal. 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:06.280 Look at Noigan. 0:08:08.440 --> 0:08:10.559 Went out to a historic moment on the Late Debate. 0:08:10.600 --> 0:08:13.760 We began the show with a strident defense of Stephen. 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:17.800 I know, look, it'll only happen once, or maybe twice 0:08:17.840 --> 0:08:20.040 if they tried it on again. But look, James and 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:21.960 I on a unity ticket here just let you know 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:26.400 understand the politicians are also human beings. I mentioned durries though, 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.800 and a very sad development in the tobacco wars, because 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.200 I've been talking about this for some time now, the 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.080 fact that the tobacco excise has gone up so much 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:38.480 that the illegal tobacco market has gone through the roof 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:41.679 and it's now claimed the life of an innocent person. 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:45.720 Police in Victoria believe the fire bombing of a house 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:50.440 that Kate Tangy was inside of last month was not 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:53.920 something that you know, she was an innocent victim. She 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:57.079 was not connected in any way to violent crime. This 0:08:57.120 --> 0:09:00.600 is footage that's been released today. But they believe this 0:09:00.800 --> 0:09:03.920 was all to do with the illegal tobacco trade, that 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:07.600 criminals were targeting someone because they were selling the wrong 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:11.319 product or whatever the reason might be. She is an 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:16.479 innocent victim because of a crime. A crime syndicate basically 0:09:16.760 --> 0:09:20.679 that the federal government created. Let's be clear, hope if 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.440 that no, Let's be clear here, if the tobacco excise 0:09:23.480 --> 0:09:25.640 were not as high as it was, you wouldn't have 0:09:26.040 --> 0:09:29.000 these kinds of problems. Take a look at these numbers here. 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:31.080 This is the tobacco excise. 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:34.080 Over the last six or seven years, right. This is 0:09:34.080 --> 0:09:35.280 from the ATO. 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:39.440 The tobacco market includes both legal and elicit tobacco for sale. 0:09:39.520 --> 0:09:42.600 We estimate, that's the ATO that the size of the 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:46.319 tobacco market at nine three hundred and ninety two tons 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:49.360 in twenty twenty two to twenty three, thirty seven percent 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:50.439 lower than what it was. 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:51.120 Six years ago. 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:54.440 But over that period, the increase in excise rates drove 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.360 up the amount of duty paid, and the duty paid 0:09:57.360 --> 0:10:00.840 reached twelve point seven billion in twenty twenty two twenty three. 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:03.960 During the same period of time that you've had a 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:07.480 thirty seven percent decrease in the tobacco market, you've had 0:10:07.480 --> 0:10:11.400 a nineteen point four percent increase in the tax taken. 0:10:11.480 --> 0:10:13.360 And if you look at the numbers there on the 0:10:13.400 --> 0:10:17.080 second line, it shows you the increase in the illegal 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:20.160 tobacco market. And from that point you'll see in twenty 0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:24.080 twenty twenty to twenty one where it's the highest point 0:10:24.120 --> 0:10:27.200 for excise. Then you've got about four thousand. There is 0:10:27.200 --> 0:10:30.720 the illegal market that goes up significantly in the next 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:34.000 couple of years while the excise starts going down. What 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:37.360 has happened is that the illegal market has grown so 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:39.720 much that you've had more than one hundred shots in 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:43.400 Victoria fire bomb because people are willing to pay twenty 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:45.560 bucks for an illegal packet of daries instead of the 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:48.559 fifty bucks for the real one. And now someone has 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:52.040 lost their life because of this gang war going on. 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:54.760 The gang war would not exist if it weren't for 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:57.559 the federal government increase in the excise so much two 0:10:57.679 --> 0:11:01.040 hundred and eighty two percent since twenty thirty. And in fact, 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:04.719 Jim Chalmers was warned by Treasury before the last time 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:07.560 he put the excise up that doing so would lead 0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:09.320 to an explosion in the illegal market. 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:10.240 Here's what happens. 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:12.640 If you're going to do what the government has done, 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:14.920 then at least enforce the law. Because the other problem 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:19.480 is that Victoria announced that they would have registration for 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:23.320 those who were selling tobacco legally and they would have 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:26.840 inspectors going around to make sure that illegal tobacco was 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:31.000 not available, and the inspectors will start middle of next year. 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:34.480 So the Victorian government claiming to be very concerned about 0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:37.960 these tobacco wars, so concerned they're going to do something 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:40.600 about the middle of next year. I think that is 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:42.760 a big factor as well. And the family of this 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:46.600 lady who lost her life in horrible circumstances, she had 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:49.120 nothing to do with these tobacco laws. They should be 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.240 outraged at the government for saying that they want to 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:54.600 do something but taking eighteen months to do anything. And 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.800 by the way, Carolyn, imagine if all those police officers 0:11:57.880 --> 0:12:01.960 standing watching pro Palestinian marches every Saturday, we're actually out 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:05.520 on the job, catching real criminals and dealing with crime. 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:08.120 Victoria would be a much better place as well. 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:11.040 I'm sure those police officers would prefer to be doing 0:12:11.040 --> 0:12:11.800 that themselves. 0:12:11.800 --> 0:12:14.120 That's coming. Those are orders coming from the top. 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:16.760 But Caleb, I can't believe you would try to pin 0:12:16.800 --> 0:12:17.720 this on the government. 0:12:17.760 --> 0:12:18.480 That's low. 0:12:18.800 --> 0:12:22.760 I guess the next thing they argue is that we 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:29.280 should decriminalize hard drugs as well, because newsflash, these crime syndicates, 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:34.800 these organized criminal gangs are also killing innocent people in 0:12:34.840 --> 0:12:35.720 their gang. 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.000 Wolfare of course, so the hard drugs. So should we 0:12:38.080 --> 0:12:39.840 decriminalize hard drugs? 0:12:40.040 --> 0:12:45.280 That would reduce the black market, the only market for 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:48.959 them in this country, and therefore people wouldn't die because 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:51.439 of how They're very sorry for this person's death. But 0:12:51.559 --> 0:12:55.680 let us not minimize the role of violent criminal thugs 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:58.120 in this and not try and blame the government. 0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:01.840 No, but my point is the cigarettes are a completely 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:05.680 different product to cocaine, heroine, ecstasy, any other drug. 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:07.680 They are illegal drugs. Cigarettes. 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:11.120 Tobacco is a legal product in this country. It is 0:13:11.200 --> 0:13:14.720 regulated and it is taxed. The reason you have this 0:13:14.880 --> 0:13:18.440 level of gang crime involved in illicit tobacco now, which 0:13:18.480 --> 0:13:21.200 is huge. I mean, we don't talk about the illicit 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:23.400 drug trade in the same way we used to. We 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.400 now talk about the illicit tobacco trade because this has 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:29.160 become such a cash cow for crime gangs. And the 0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:31.600 reason it's become such a cash cow for crime gangs 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:34.960 and bikies, which, as you say, leads to rape and 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:38.360 murder and sexual slavery and all these other things is 0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:43.360 because the government has recklessly increased the exercise to the 0:13:43.400 --> 0:13:46.640 point that people will not pay for a legal packet 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.439 of dorries anymore. They'll go down to the convenience store 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.760 and pay twenty dollars for a packet of darries. That 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:54.600 biking is brought into the country. That wouldn't happen if 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:55.640 the tax wasn't so much. 0:13:55.640 --> 0:13:59.080 We can I just make a counter argument to that that, yes, 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:02.120 we have seen someone dying, we have seen horrific acts 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:06.199 of violence because of this gang warfare. But we've also 0:14:06.320 --> 0:14:10.119 seen the rates of smoking come down considerably since. 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:10.960 Nineteen ninety one. 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:14.480 Sure, you know, half the number of daily smokers that 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:17.520 were back then, and that is largely due to the fact, 0:14:17.600 --> 0:14:20.680 not only because of public health campaigns and education about 0:14:20.680 --> 0:14:23.640 the dangers of smoking, but because of these excises. 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:25.120 So I'm going to argue in favor of them. 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:26.560 Yeah, but I mean, the excise has gone out by 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:28.880 two hundred and eighty two percent since twenty thirteen. The 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.200 smoking rate hasn't gone down by two hundred and eighty 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:35.000 two percent since twenty thirteen. The decrease, it has gone down, 0:14:35.080 --> 0:14:36.840 but it's been minimal. And of course, in the middle 0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:38.920 of that you've also had the increase of vaping. 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:42.520 So well, there's no excise on vapor correctly, and. 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:44.320 Again it's a massive illegal mark. 0:14:45.320 --> 0:14:49.080 This excise then helps the health budget because of course 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:50.400 smoking causes so many. 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:53.520 Health That is correct, exactly, argument stand that is. 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:55.680 Correct, except for the fact that the excise that is 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:58.200 taken on tobacco is far more than is spent on 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:01.320 tobacco related illness every year. I'd have no problem if 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:03.880 the excise taken was in line with the number of 0:15:03.880 --> 0:15:06.600 smokers there are and the cost they have on the 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:09.360 health system. But as I said before, as the number 0:15:09.360 --> 0:15:12.720 of smokers has gone down, the text they're taking has 0:15:12.840 --> 0:15:15.240 gone up, and that's how you get into this big 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:18.560 illegal market. If it was flat line, no problem, but 0:15:18.600 --> 0:15:19.520 that's why it's exploded. 0:15:19.560 --> 0:15:21.560 Look, let's move on to something that I think we 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:25.640 can all probably agree on. The Captain Cook statue that 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:30.760 was recently attacked before the Australia Day celebrations this year. 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:34.400 It had red paint thrown over it, It had parts 0:15:34.440 --> 0:15:37.920 of the statue were cut off. It was the second 0:15:38.000 --> 0:15:41.800 time that this statue had been targeted. It's in Randwork 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:45.920 in Eastern Sydney. Last year it was attacked as well. 0:15:45.920 --> 0:15:48.440 It was doused in red paint around the time of 0:15:48.520 --> 0:15:52.520 Australia Day as well. Now there are moves by the 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:58.360 Randwick Council Liberals to boost security and put in place 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:04.120 CCTV to basically guard over the statue full time in 0:16:04.240 --> 0:16:07.440 order to ensure that there are no future attacks. Now, 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:10.760 I just think it is incredibly sad that this is 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:15.040 even needed. The person who's been calling for this, Randwick 0:16:15.080 --> 0:16:18.080 Counselor Andrew Hay. He said, it's an attack on our 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:20.840 history and culture. But more than that, it's an attack 0:16:20.920 --> 0:16:23.760 on and a smear of a good man who was 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:25.800 a scientist and an explorer. 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:27.960 And he goes on to just point out. 0:16:27.760 --> 0:16:31.800 That you know Captain cook with sixteen years came sixteen 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.400 years before the colony was even formed. She wasn't a colonialist, 0:16:35.440 --> 0:16:38.560 he was an explorer. These people don't even get their 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:41.920 history right. But isn't it just pathetic that we have 0:16:42.040 --> 0:16:45.400 to actually set up cameras to protect statues? 0:16:45.480 --> 0:16:45.640 Now? 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:46.400 It is pathetic. 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:48.720 But the reason it's so pathetic is because we've got 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:50.760 such pathetic people in local government. 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:54.440 The mayor of Randwick Green philipp At Veach. 0:16:54.920 --> 0:16:58.080 She said in response to the last episode of mandalism 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:02.400 regarding that statue, that's her strong personal view the statue 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:05.800 should be removed because it's quote a symbol and reminder 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:09.320 of colonial oppression, and we wonder why it gets vandalized 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.280 every year when the mayor gives tacit approval of she's 0:17:12.320 --> 0:17:15.280 against vandalism, but it would be good for the statue 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.959 to be gone. What's amazing is this statue has been 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:22.040 vandalized two years in a row now and only now 0:17:22.080 --> 0:17:25.240 are they thinking maybe we should get CCTV cameras they 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:29.320 have CCTV everything else in the city. Why not for 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:33.440 statues that are historic, that are supposed to remind us 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:38.000 of our history and be a gathering point for Australian culture. 0:17:38.480 --> 0:17:39.960 But of course this probably. 0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:42.200 Won't get through because it's only the liberal counselors who 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:45.080 are calling for it. As I said, the attitude of 0:17:45.119 --> 0:17:48.040 the Green mayor is that the statue would be better gone, 0:17:48.480 --> 0:17:51.760 and if she can't get counselors to agree to it, 0:17:52.119 --> 0:17:54.840 well I'm not sure they'll bother putting up CCTV. It 0:17:54.840 --> 0:17:57.200 would be convenient other people did the work for her. 0:17:57.280 --> 0:18:02.120 Has anyone checked whether the mayor has an alibi? 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:06.960 The sounds like an activist and you're supposed to be 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:10.840 a public servant, which means safeguarding our history and those 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:14.320 cultural monuments. Not almost barracking for all. 0:18:14.359 --> 0:18:17.440 The naivety, James, you know, isn't that hard. 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:18.200 To turn it naivety? 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.879 It's ideally idealistic. 0:18:23.840 --> 0:18:25.760 How hard is it to turn a camera around and 0:18:25.800 --> 0:18:27.800 face it at a statue, for heaven's sake, because they've 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:31.080 got they've got camera footage in the general vicinity, just 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:33.600 not pointing at the statue. I mean, you not turn 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:36.280 at forty five degrees to look at the statue. And 0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:39.960 he's right, Andrew Hay about Cook. I mean, Cook is 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:44.120 a great man, in a figure in history who did 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:47.240 more to advance science and exploration at than anyone else. 0:18:47.600 --> 0:18:51.160 And he was dead nine years before the first fleet 0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:54.240 rocked up. He was murdered in Hawaii, for heaven's sake, So, 0:18:54.359 --> 0:18:56.400 as you said, Caroline, they don't. 0:18:56.200 --> 0:18:59.000 Understand their history. But of course, we talked. 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:03.480 Recently about the idea of having a specific offense for 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:06.560 vandalizing or attacking a place of worship, because it is 0:19:06.560 --> 0:19:10.760 an attack on one's identity, it's an attack potentially on 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:14.280 one's nationality, et cetera. When someone goes after a statue 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:18.000 of Captain Cook. They're not just attacking Captain Cook, who 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:22.360 didn't colonize the country. They're attacking the entire country. They're 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:26.840 attacking the premise of Australia. So they should be treated, 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:30.119 I think with just as much heft because they're saying 0:19:30.200 --> 0:19:33.400 I hate this country. I don't think this country is legitimate. 0:19:33.760 --> 0:19:36.200 So if you can go around with impunity as they 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:40.600 seem to, cutting down these statues, throwing red paint on them, etc. 0:19:41.200 --> 0:19:43.680 We should have tough flaws to come down on them 0:19:43.720 --> 0:19:47.280 and say no, actually, this is going against your country. 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:49.600 You shouldn't I don't know, deport them, as far as 0:19:49.600 --> 0:19:50.200 I know. 0:19:50.240 --> 0:19:51.160 It's difficult to do. 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:53.679 But it should be a serious crime to vandalize what 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:56.040 is a symbol of the country. If you trampled on 0:19:56.080 --> 0:19:58.919 a flag in the street, you'd be in big trouble. 0:19:59.119 --> 0:20:01.399 But you vandalize the statue on. 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:02.239 No problem that. 0:20:02.240 --> 0:20:04.120 The problem is, as I said, it will continue because 0:20:04.119 --> 0:20:07.119 you've got people like Fatima Payman. You've got Lydia Thorpe, 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:10.320 You've got Marine Ferruki, you've got the Mayor of Randwick. 0:20:10.359 --> 0:20:14.200 You've got all these politicians who quite clearly are antagonistic 0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:19.280 towards our national history and little wonder activists are encouraged 0:20:19.320 --> 0:20:22.040