WEBVTT - The Media Show | 14 June 0:00:01.880 --> 0:00:06.320 This is the Media Show with Jack houting Hello and 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:09.000 welcome to the Media Show. I'm Jack Houghton, and tonight 0:00:09.039 --> 0:00:12.800 we'll discuss the departure of Peter Costello from nine and 0:00:12.840 --> 0:00:17.079 look at coverage around the British election. But first, Labour's 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:20.799 dirty financial relationship with union thugs is back in the 0:00:20.840 --> 0:00:26.000 media spotlight after CFMU boss and convicted harasser John Sector 0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:27.639 took aim at the AFL. 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:33.320 The Crow's relocation saga is facing an extraordinary threat tonight, 0:00:33.600 --> 0:00:36.560 with a notorious union boss vowing to throw the project 0:00:36.600 --> 0:00:37.560 into chaos. 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:40.800 John Seka has told the AFL to prepare for major 0:00:40.840 --> 0:00:45.599 disruptions to stadium construction across the nation unless its new 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:48.080 umpiring boss is given the boot. 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:52.479 Well, the threat is nothing short of extortion, and you 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:55.320 could make a pretty good argument it is blackmail and 0:00:55.360 --> 0:00:58.960 you don't believe me. Listen to the convicted wife harasser himself. 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.600 This is going to cost the AFL a lot of money. 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:06.760 Projects without our full cooperation are going to be a 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:10.320 misery for them. They will regret the day they ever 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:14.280 employed him. The plan to instruct CFMEU members to work 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:18.000 to rule. That means no working on rdios, no overtime. 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:19.479 No going the extra mine. 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:23.760 We have an obligation to pursue anti union, anti workers 0:01:23.880 --> 0:01:26.440 like him and we will until the end of the earth. 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:28.240 That's not threatening man, and I want not make it 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:28.720 any threats. 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:30.520 So I'm were talking about exposing people. 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:36.240 That's how these thugs operate and they prop up labor coffers. 0:01:36.840 --> 0:01:40.600 The AFR reported earlier this year. Unions contributed more than 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:44.120 five million to labor in the past financial year, with 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:48.600 the CFMEU and its allied construction shops becoming the biggest 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.800 donors to the Victorian branch in the months leading up 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:54.760 to the twenty twenty two state election. So how did 0:01:54.840 --> 0:01:58.960 our prime minister respond to sectors clear threats against the AFL. 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:00.600 A lot of the. 0:02:00.560 --> 0:02:03.680 Issues around version in the NFL giving it's a progerate 0:02:03.760 --> 0:02:05.840 for unions, the seas you can involved in dictating the 0:02:05.880 --> 0:02:07.280 appointment of CEOs and. 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:08.440 The high level officis. 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:11.400 The sorry is back to unions and John Sector. 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:13.760 Do you believe that he should give up on his 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:15.080 campaign against the APHA. 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:19.679 Yes, I'm just not just common sense. 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:25.480 Incredibly weak and disappointing. And when pressure at press conferences 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:30.600 became too much for our leaders, their minders started running interference. 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:43.079 Pressure fell. 0:02:43.720 --> 0:02:46.200 Can I just anic a Wells staff member blowing the 0:02:46.240 --> 0:02:47.160 final sirens? 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:49.359 I think we're done. 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:56.880 Now let's bring in tonight's panel joining us as the 0:02:56.919 --> 0:03:00.919 Australian Sophie Elsworth and breakfast radio hosts Stevens send a 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:03.880 tempo now, Stephen, why don't we start with you? 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:05.320 Thanks for joining us on the show. 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:08.800 First of all, it's always a bad look when a 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:12.600 media minder takes that over zealous position where they have 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:16.120 to block their minister from the questions. 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:17.800 What did you make of that performance? 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.400 Well, I thought it was terribly awkward television to start with. 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:24.919 I thought it was really really hard to watch. But look, 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:27.639 I think it just it's indicative of how the government's 0:03:27.639 --> 0:03:30.280 going at the moment, that ministers are afraid to take 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.880 responsibility for anything. And well, somebody used to else sees 0:03:33.919 --> 0:03:36.240 me running the show, whether it be the unions or 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.720 the minders. It ain't the politicians, that's for sure. Yeah, 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:41.120 it's a really good point, Sophie. 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:43.400 The other thing that, when I'm looking at this story, 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:46.000 I think some of the questions have maybe missed the 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:48.600 mark a little bit. It's not so much about whether 0:03:48.680 --> 0:03:52.760 Anthony Albanezi needs to condemnj On Sector because obviously he 0:03:52.880 --> 0:03:55.800 has been stripped from the Labor Party. The question comes 0:03:55.840 --> 0:04:00.120 down to the financial ties and should Labor accept money 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:04.600 from an organization which is essentially trying to blackmail the AFL. 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:09.160 Well Jack, they're really important questions that you ask and 0:04:09.320 --> 0:04:12.760 questions that should be asked of the ministers. And this 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:16.800 was an incredibly bad look for Anika Wells when the 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:21.560 PR spinner got involved and was caught on camera basically 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:24.800 saying no more questions. It's never a good look. It's 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:26.640 not a good look for the government and they are 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:30.760 getting themselves tangled in knots over this whole fiasco because 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:34.240 as we know, John Setka does not back down and 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:37.840 I don't think the government has handled this overly well. 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:40.200 But that clip there with. 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:43.200 The Sports minister was a very bad look and one 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:47.440 also to be reminded for the PR spinners don't become 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:48.039 the story. 0:04:48.880 --> 0:04:51.159 Yeah, it's a really good point. And Steve just still 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:54.560 on this topic, how do you think the punters react 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:56.440 when they look at this. I mean, the AFL is 0:04:56.480 --> 0:05:01.160 an incredibly popular sport. The implications John Sector's words are 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:05.400 that they could be delays to new stadiums over this 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:08.760 petty feud that he has over the umpire appointment. How 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:11.880 does it play out with if Anthony Albanez he can't 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:15.039 can't condemn him in a way that the fans think 0:05:15.120 --> 0:05:15.920 is strong enough. 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:17.680 Does that chip away his popularity? 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:21.440 Well, of course it does, because I mean there's a 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:24.400 track record now of the Prime Minister with merely mouth 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.159 responses to things where he really needs to show some 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:29.320 real strength. I mean we saw it initially with the 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.440 Gaza Israel situation. It doesn't matter what it is, this 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:35.520 Prime Minister is weak. That's just the reality of it. 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:35.880 Now. 0:05:35.920 --> 0:05:37.680 Whether he's a nice bloke or not, it's not the 0:05:37.760 --> 0:05:40.039 issue here. But we need somebody that's going to show 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:42.760 some leadership. And I understand what you're saying about the 0:05:42.800 --> 0:05:45.320 questions about the financial ties, and yeah they're important questions 0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:49.120 to ask, but it's incumbent on the Prime Minister and 0:05:49.160 --> 0:05:52.360 particularly Tony Birk, the Workplace Relations Minister, to actually come 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:54.680 out with a strong response to this. Now, it might 0:05:54.720 --> 0:05:56.839 not be their business, as John Setka says it is, 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:59.080 but it's a bit rich of a union thug to 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:00.880 say to the Prime Minister. But out this is none 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:03.320 of your business, because we're talking about something that is 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:06.240 a national passtime. Now, I know AFL fan, but plenty 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.200 of other people in the country are, and they're going 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:09.880 to be looking at this thinking, well, hang on a 0:06:09.920 --> 0:06:12.600 sec our Prime Minister won't stand up for us on anything? 0:06:12.760 --> 0:06:14.040 Can he at least stand up. 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:16.120 For us if these people are going to disrupt our 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:18.360 sport on the weekends and he won't do that? 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:20.120 Yeah, really well said. 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:23.359 Let's move on now to our friend at the ABC, 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:26.600 star Paul Barry, who was leaving the network after eleven 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.680 years at the helm of media watch. Now, we certainly 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:32.359 don't always agree with Barry's take on things, but we 0:06:32.440 --> 0:06:34.960 have to say it was refreshing to hear someone from 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:38.320 inside the ABC turn a critical lens on the organization 0:06:38.480 --> 0:06:42.960 recently over its attempts to transform to the digital age. Now, 0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:45.840 he made some very valid points about the massive organization 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:49.800 somehow being unable to cover major breaking news. 0:06:50.800 --> 0:06:54.840 So why was the ABC's TV coverage second rate? Lack 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:58.080 of firepower, resourcing and experience are among the issues being 0:06:58.160 --> 0:07:01.400 raised internally, with some new staff furious at a lack 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:04.480 of urgency and breaking news culture at the news channel 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:08.440 and another blaming low morale and skeleton staffing at the weekend, 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:09.320 telling us. 0:07:09.680 --> 0:07:12.560 You can't keep on doing everything with nothing. 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:17.120 But ABC managers clearly don't agree. Internal emails, we've seen 0:07:17.360 --> 0:07:22.120 show bosses calling the coverage well executed and superb, and 0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:24.640 in response to a series of questions, the ABC defended 0:07:24.640 --> 0:07:28.240 its coverage, calling it urgent but measured, and saying. 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:32.400 The team sustained comprehensive rolling coverage for around five hours 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:35.840 and provided the video and livestream coverage for the website 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:40.080 and app, ABC I View, YouTube and Facebook. It did 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:41.720 exactly what it's there to do. 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:46.120 Sadly, the evidence says otherwise, and in comparison to nine's 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:49.360 leading coverage, it was miles off the pace. In fact, 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.080 we wonder how the ABC can justify having a dedicated 0:07:52.080 --> 0:07:54.679 news channel if it can't do better on breaking stories 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:55.120 like this. 0:07:58.600 --> 0:08:01.360 Sophie Elsworth, can you get your take on this? Eleven 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:04.760 years for a show like that is quite an innings. 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:07.920 I think he's had his ups and downs. I think 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:12.160 he's definitely made mistakes like we all do in this industry. 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:15.240 But how would you rate his performance so over that decade? 0:08:18.160 --> 0:08:21.000 Well, I definitely think in recent times Jack that Paul 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:25.280 Barry has become more critical of the ABC, and I 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:28.080 don't know that that would be going down so well 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:32.280 with those who work at the taxpayer funded broadcaster. I 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:35.560 don't always agree with his takes on things, obviously, I 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:38.120 think he's had far too much of a focus on 0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:42.360 news corp content rather than looking across the whole media spectrum. 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:45.480 He does work for the public broadcaster and should be 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:49.280 looking across all media outlets, not just focusing on ones. 0:08:49.360 --> 0:08:53.760 Perhaps that he dislikes himself. However, I think he has 0:08:53.840 --> 0:08:56.480 done some good work on the ABC. I think he 0:08:56.600 --> 0:09:00.320 has held the ABC to account on various times when 0:09:00.440 --> 0:09:02.280 they needed to be held to account. 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:03.760 But I think it is time for. 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.880 The show to have a refresh. He has been there 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:09.440 a long time, as we said, over a decade, so 0:09:09.440 --> 0:09:11.920 it'll be very interesting to see who they do replace 0:09:12.000 --> 0:09:15.480 him with, but hopefully it is with someone who looks 0:09:15.679 --> 0:09:20.240 more broadly across the media outlets rather than focusing on news. 0:09:19.920 --> 0:09:23.120 Call Yeah, Steve, I think that's fair to say every 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:25.319 night that there's a lot of the news Court papers 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:28.040 that seem to get a bit of his focus. I 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:29.600 think that's a fair comment to make. 0:09:30.559 --> 0:09:32.280 What do you think of this story? What do you 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:33.199 think of his performance? 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:35.520 Look, I just think it was a funny story saying, 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:37.720 you know, talking about resourcing at the ABC, when I'm 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:39.920 led to believe that media Watch has something like a 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:42.080 dozen producers. Maybe he could have lent them some of 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.559 his staff and they could have done a better job covering. 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:45.200 That particular story. 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.520 I don't know, but look, I got to be honest, 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:50.160 I don't watch a lot of Media Watch. I find 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:54.360 the concept a little bit distasteful, the media taking potshots 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:57.439 at itself. But you know, the reality is that on 0:09:57.800 --> 0:10:00.440 a number of occasions, Paul Barry has called out the ABC, 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:02.680 and good on him for that. This wasn't the only time. 0:10:03.600 --> 0:10:05.360 The only time I ever sort of take any notice 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:06.560 of it is when he does have a crack at 0:10:06.600 --> 0:10:09.640 the ABC. So I go back and watch those particular episodes, 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:12.200 and look, you know, longevity's great. Anyone that can stay 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:14.000 at a job for eleven years in this industry is 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:16.680 doing something right, despite the fact that it's only fifteen 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:19.680 minutes of television a week, so it's not particularly arduous. 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:20.760 But good honing. 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:24.440 Yeah, Well, Sophie, Steve touches on a really important point 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:27.280 I think there were a lot of disgruntled people at 0:10:27.280 --> 0:10:29.960 the ABC that he was taking such a pretty big 0:10:30.000 --> 0:10:33.400 swing at their coverage when there are so many people 0:10:33.440 --> 0:10:36.640 that work on the program for just fifteen minutes of television. 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:39.960 When we're talking about what a rebranded show would be 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.719 with a new host, do you think that the taxpayers 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:44.360 need to get a little bit more bang for their buck. 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:51.040 Perhaps, Well, as Steven said, he is producing a show 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:54.800 or hosting a show that is fifteen minutes a week, 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:57.520 and he puts out the media bytes on a Thursday, 0:10:57.559 --> 0:11:00.480 which is a couple of clips on a Thursday evening. 0:11:00.640 --> 0:11:03.600 So in terms of the grand scheme of things, some 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:06.760 would argue it's not a lot of content, given there's 0:11:06.880 --> 0:11:10.320 quite a few staff that work for this program. And 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:14.240 we do know that the ABC, like many media organizations, 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:19.720 has undergone staffing cuts. So once they refreshed the show, 0:11:19.840 --> 0:11:23.160 they have a new host perhaps so overhauled a format 0:11:23.200 --> 0:11:26.839 of it. But Paul Barry is in the hot seat. 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.760 He is hosting the program until the end of the year. 0:11:31.160 --> 0:11:32.800 Well, we're going to take a quick break. But when 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:40.640 we're back inside the Fall of Peter Costello, Welcome back 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:44.200 Nine's chair. Peter Costello has now resigned after a disgraceful 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:47.280 incident where he pushed a reporter from The Australian to 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:50.400 the ground. Now, if you somehow missed the moment, which 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.720 has been broadcast around the country, here's a quick recap. 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:55.960 Well, you've got to answer. 0:11:55.760 --> 0:12:08.080 Your questions, mister. You've just assaulted You've just assaulted me 0:12:09.440 --> 0:12:10.680 behind closed doors. 0:12:10.760 --> 0:12:14.400 Costello was facing pressure to resign after that brutish display 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:18.360 was caught on camera, but publicly nine's PR team was 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.800 denying anything had happened at all. They released this statement. 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:25.360 After arriving at Canberra Airport, the chairman was confronted by 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:28.520 a journalist from The Australian. In the course of filming 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:32.920 the chairman. While walking backwards, the journalist collided with an 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:36.920 advertising placard and fell. At no point did the chairman 0:12:37.080 --> 0:12:40.200 strike the journalist. So what changed at nine? 0:12:40.280 --> 0:12:40.520 Well? 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:44.480 As the ABC's Peter Ryan pointed out, costello resigning was 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:48.120 humiliating as it showed his own statement could not have 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:48.880 been correct. 0:12:50.120 --> 0:12:53.320 We had been expecting this was possibly likely to come 0:12:53.360 --> 0:12:56.440 out even late on Friday evening. Remember this is a 0:12:56.440 --> 0:13:00.880 long weekend, so this is an announcement from no entertainment 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:04.000 on the Sunday of a long weekend. But given the 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:07.720 events of last week where mister Costello had that altercation 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:12.920 with Liam Mendez, a reporter for The Australian at Canberra Airport, 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:15.600 there's been a lot of speculation that this appeared to 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:20.400 be imminent. But overall, this is a major humiliation with 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:25.680 Peter Costello because as late as Friday last week, he 0:13:25.880 --> 0:13:30.920 had rejected suggestions that he had assaulted the reporter from 0:13:31.160 --> 0:13:35.640 The Australian, Liam Mendez, and he brushed off suggestions that 0:13:35.679 --> 0:13:38.840 he should design or was under pressure to resign. 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:44.760 Well, Sophie, let's bring you in here. Great work by 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:47.839 The Australian getting that and then getting that footage and 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:50.920 then covering the story. The thing that I'm interested in 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:54.120 is how the story evolved from a pr point of view, 0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:58.360 and how nine went from this steadfast position that nothing 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:02.360 had gone wrong to eventually he has to leave the 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:06.240 organization with that rather long winded statement that he gave 0:14:06.640 --> 0:14:07.400 what are your thoughts? 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.800 Well, I think this played out pretty quickly because that 0:14:14.120 --> 0:14:18.400 imagery and that video with the journalist Lam Mendez did 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:22.160 go viral and it was an awfully shocking look for 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:25.000 mister Costello, and I think a lot of people were 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:28.760 left thinking, Okay, he looks like in that video he 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:33.280 has barged into him, knocked him over, stood over him, 0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:35.480 laughed at him, and then marched off. So it was 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:38.800 an incredibly bad look for the chairman of a media 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:43.280 outlet who employs hundreds of journalists and some of them 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:47.560 work for programs that do exactly that. So I think 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:51.840 mister Costello thought that he could hold on to his chairmanship, 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:55.800 but obviously this quickly changed over the weekend when he 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:59.840 lost the support what appears to be definitely from no 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:04.240 There were very critical articles of him, very critical article 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:06.880 of him this week in the SMH in their editorial, 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:10.200 and I think it was just untenable. That's what I 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:12.760 was being told for him to hang on to the chairmanship. 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:16.520 So the footage spoke for itself, and I don't think 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:19.080 he was going to be able to worm his way 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:21.040 out of it, and clearly that was the case. 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:24.320 Yeah, it's really interesting and Steve Keen to get your 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:26.360 thoughts here as well, But I would make the comment 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:29.600 that the publishing arm the SMH, they did a pretty 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:34.520 good job of pushing it out really quickly. Even though 0:15:34.560 --> 0:15:37.920 obviously the ownership structure meant that he was their chair. 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:39.880 But the thing that really stood out to me is 0:15:39.920 --> 0:15:43.400 that they had somewhat rejected the statement from nine's own 0:15:43.920 --> 0:15:46.800 PR team, and it was really buried down the bottom. 0:15:46.840 --> 0:15:49.880 It's not what they led with, which then goes into 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.920 the credibility of what statements are actually being put out. 0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:53.880 But what are your thoughts. 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.800 Well, look, my opinion on this is probably unpopular because 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:00.880 I don't think better cost I should have been forced 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:03.440 to resign over this, and I hate this kind of 0:16:03.520 --> 0:16:06.280 journalism where you bail people up. It's like when the 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:09.040 media scrumbs chased somebody out of a courtroom looking for 0:16:09.080 --> 0:16:12.160 a comment that's never going to eventuate. I think it's poor, 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:14.440 poor journalism. I know it's what's done, and I know 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:16.720 the Channel nine are guilty of it too. I just 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:19.040 think it's got to stop. There's better ways to do this. 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.200 But let's be fair about this. The old Fairfax arm 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:26.480 of Channel nine wouldn't be particularly enamored by Peter Costello 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:28.880 being their boss. They weren't fans of his when he 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.120 was in Parliament, and they probably weren't fans of his 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:34.360 before the merger. So I'm not surprised that the SMH 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:37.200 and the Age and that part of nine went after 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:42.080 their boss. But look, given the media furor that erupted 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:44.720 after this, I think his position did become untenable and 0:16:44.760 --> 0:16:46.000 he did the right thing and stood down. 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:48.280 Yeah, very very good points. 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:49.560 How do you do these? 0:16:50.120 --> 0:16:52.160 Can I just interrupt jacksco? 0:16:52.280 --> 0:16:56.080 How do you actually get answers from people? We were 0:16:56.160 --> 0:17:00.640 chasing mister Costello for weeks. We were repeatedly asking him questions, 0:17:01.040 --> 0:17:03.960 and so it does take that if you email them, 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.639 call them, contact them, you go through their spinners, and 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:10.359 you get nothing back. It results in journalists having to 0:17:10.440 --> 0:17:14.080 door stop them, having to approach them when they probably 0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:18.119 don't expect them to, because otherwise you get no response. 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:20.639 And it might be a type of journalism that people 0:17:20.720 --> 0:17:24.200 do not like, but sometimes it does take this type 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:28.520 of journalism to get the answers that we deserve. So Steve, respectfully, 0:17:28.560 --> 0:17:28.920 I do. 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:32.000 You still don't get the answers? You still didn't get 0:17:32.040 --> 0:17:34.240 the answers. You still didn't get the answers. 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:38.000 That's the bat he did not handle it well. 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:39.879 It's a good point. 0:17:39.920 --> 0:17:42.000 The other thing, though, is that Costello was a chair 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:45.320 of a company that did profit off that style of journalism, 0:17:45.680 --> 0:17:48.720 and his guys, a current official, played it just as 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:50.880 hard as anybody, and if he wanted to, he could 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:54.080 have done a cultural change to not have that kind 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.399 of focus. So I think that when you're in a 0:17:56.440 --> 0:17:59.320 certain position, you do know what the game is, and 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:01.480 that's the way that I look at it. But you know, Steve, 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:05.440 I've seen a lot of commentary public commentaries suggesting similar things, 0:18:05.440 --> 0:18:07.280 So I definitely don't think you're alone there. I think 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:10.840 it is a complex case. But you know, he's he's 0:18:10.880 --> 0:18:13.080 the big the big guy, and you've got to you've 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:15.399 got to take what you dish out against. But anyway, 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:17.800 let's move on now to the British election, where the 0:18:17.800 --> 0:18:21.160 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had another shock a week after 0:18:21.200 --> 0:18:24.439 he cut short a D Day ceremony in France to 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:26.600 go and do this media interview. 0:18:29.000 --> 0:18:31.479 Good to see you, very nice to see sorry too, well, 0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:31.840 thank you. 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:36.720 Yeah, it all just ran there was incredible, but it 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:37.800 just ran over every time. 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:39.840 I'm sure it was an apology for keeping you No, 0:18:39.880 --> 0:18:41.720 not at all. I'm sure it's a powerful trip. I mean, 0:18:42.040 --> 0:18:44.239 so pertinent as well this year, you know, considering what's 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:44.679 happened in the. 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:47.640 Ukraine, which I haven't seen President Biden's remarks by maybe 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:48.639 that's kind of the echo it. 0:18:48.840 --> 0:18:50.479 Yeah, did you get to meet any of the veterans 0:18:50.560 --> 0:18:52.920 or were you the ceremony not. 0:18:53.240 --> 0:18:55.480 Yesterday in the day. Yeah, yeah, I've already spoke to 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:58.640 almost everyone that was there. I hope it. 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:02.600 Has caused a major back We're Sunak apologizing and conceding 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:05.480 it was a mistake to leave early. But even though 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:08.320 his apology was swift, it led to awkward moments like 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:10.200 this being televised to the world. 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:12.800 What can you say? 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:14.600 They're politicians. 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:21.600 They're politicians. They don't have a great regard to politicisans. 0:19:22.800 --> 0:19:27.880 But yesterday American president, the German Chancellor, the French president, 0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:31.119 they all stay to the end, and our Prime minister 0:19:31.240 --> 0:19:36.160 left early. And I wonder if he's eineering, Yeah, because 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:38.880 you went, he's got the next As a British veteran, 0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:42.920 what does that? What does that say to you? What's 0:19:42.960 --> 0:19:45.280 your emotions? And I think he lets the country. 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:49.159 Down, Steve. 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:53.920 Politicians when they're putting electioneering before these actual events, where 0:19:54.080 --> 0:19:56.240 first of all, they have the opportunity to show some 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:59.560 humanity and talk to these people who've served their country. 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:01.440 I mean, what a complete own. 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:06.440 Goal, no doubt about it. I think he probably thought 0:20:06.440 --> 0:20:08.879 he was being smart. I'll leave David Cameron behind because 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:10.639 he's a better performer than I am, and I'll go 0:20:10.680 --> 0:20:13.840 and carry on with election campaigning. Just poor form all around. 0:20:13.880 --> 0:20:15.879 And I think that's all you can say about Richie Sunac. 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:19.560 Yeah, Sophie, your thoughts. I mean, there was some suggestion 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:22.560 that David Cameron had given him some bad advice and 0:20:22.600 --> 0:20:25.600 I noticed that even David Cameron was getting peppered with 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:29.120 questions about it. So the flow ons have hurt the 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:31.000 entire party. It's a really bad look. 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:36.040 Well, it was a bad look, Jack, and one that 0:20:36.119 --> 0:20:39.719 has dominated headlines in the UK for days. And Richie 0:20:39.720 --> 0:20:42.600 Sunac put out an apology on social media, which I 0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:44.560 get again, I don't think was a good way to 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:48.320 handle it. But a pr disaster for a prime minister 0:20:48.720 --> 0:20:51.119 who is about to lose an election, so in the 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:55.040 grand scheme of things, that certainly won't help him. And 0:20:55.200 --> 0:20:57.679 I think he's finished anyway in terms of trying to 0:20:57.720 --> 0:21:01.080 win the election. But this was bad headline are early 0:21:01.119 --> 0:21:02.119 on in the campaign. 0:21:02.800 --> 0:21:04.919 Yeah, I agree, Well, let's go to Stories of the 0:21:04.920 --> 0:21:06.840 week and Steve, what do you have for us? 0:21:09.240 --> 0:21:11.000 Look, I think this is a story that shows you 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:13.520