1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gatigel 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: people of the Eur Nation. 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 2: Hello and welcome to the Real Story with Joe Hildebrand. 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 2: Spoiler alert, that's me this week the mystery of the 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: six hundred thousand dollars speech writer. This is the story 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 2: that has got all of Canberra, all the media, all 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 2: the politicians talking. How on earth did a speech writer 8 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 2: get more than six hundred thousand dollars over two years 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: to write speeches for Bill short and will be unpacking 10 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 2: that and getting to the bottom of it very shortly. 11 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 2: Plus an army made up of foreigners? Can we rely 12 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 2: on citizens from other countries to defend our fair land 13 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: from other citizens from other countries? Also, Josh Fredenberg, is 14 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 2: he coming back to Couyong or not? A great comeback? 15 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: That never was? All that more? After this first up 16 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: this week, the story that has well and truly blown 17 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 2: the Canberra bubble out of the water, and that is 18 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 2: how former Labor leader and current Minister for Government Services 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 2: and the NDIS Bill Shorten managed to get a speech 20 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 2: writer on a three hundred thousand dollars a year plus contract. 21 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 2: Let's go to the original story. I'll pick the one 22 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 2: from news Dot com dot Au Government Services Minister Bill 23 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: Shorton had a personal speech writer on a reported three 24 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars a year contract for two years. A 25 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 2: Senate Estimates hearing has been told I have just two 26 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,559 Speaker 2: words to say to that I'm available. Come on, Bill, 27 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: I thought I was your guy. Bill short and I 28 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 2: go way way back, many many years. We had a 29 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 2: bit of a falling out during the whole rud Gillard 30 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 2: Rudd thing. We have since I'm friends again, So see 31 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 2: if you can detect that bias and what I'm about 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 2: to say. Next, of course, the first question on everyone's 33 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 2: lips is will this effect the famous gold standard quality 34 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 2: of Bill shortened zingers. Here's labor MP Matt Keo on 35 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 2: Perth six pr. 36 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: Well, firstly, I'm pretty convinced that Bill writes all his 37 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: own zingers, and. 38 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: Just as an added gift to the nation, let's recap 39 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 2: some of those singers right now. 40 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: Why don't you have an independent inquiry into unicorns? I mean, 41 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: the fair is at the bottom of the garden. I 42 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: only have an acquiring to flying into the sun at nighttime. 43 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 1: Mister Morrison needs to make sure that he doesn't look 44 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: like he's just a synth to Donald Trump. The Liberal 45 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: Party is the political party eagerly awaiting the arrival of 46 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: the twenty first century. Their idea of diversity is different 47 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: colored ties. Were you saying, Neil, that we should go 48 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: all Largentina and take over the setting of interest rates? No, 49 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: I'm saying, thank you. That's not a policy, that's an 50 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: ad on gum tree. The government says the term Team 51 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: Australia a lot worried about the emergence of Team idiots. 52 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: Name is something you like about Malcolm Turnbull, Lucy Temble. 53 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: There you go. You're welcome Australia. But three hundred grand 54 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 2: a year is a huge amount of money. In fact, 55 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 2: it since emerged that it's more than three hundred grand 56 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: a year. It's a huge amount of money for anyone 57 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: to get. It's a huge amount of money for a 58 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: speech writer to get. And it's a huge amount of 59 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 2: money for a speech writer for someone who isn't even 60 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 2: the leader of the party or the Prime minister, although 61 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: Bill maywell expect to be both one day and maybe 62 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: that's why he's hired the speech writer. So how did 63 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 2: this all play out? Well, it plays out in Senate estimates, where, 64 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 2: of course you have the power of senators to call 65 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 2: any government bureaucrats they like and grill them. And they've 66 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 2: got the Boss of Services of Australia. And someone has 67 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 2: managed to dig up the fact that this speech writer 68 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: who previously was a speech writer for corporates like Quantas 69 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 2: and Joyce and that sort of stuff, but also for 70 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 2: former prime ministers Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, as well 71 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 2: as Kevin run and Julia Gillard. And that is the 72 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: other very very weird thing about this, because usually if 73 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 2: a politician is going to get a speech writer, it 74 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: is someone who has died in the wall well of 75 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: their party. Think about Alan Jones as a speechwriter for 76 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 2: former Liberal Party prime ministers. He's not then going to 77 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: go and be a speechwriter for Julia Gillard, Graham Freud, 78 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 2: better for us, the very famous labor speech writer for 79 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: a whole host of labor leaders and pms. There is 80 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 2: no way in hell he is going to write a 81 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 2: speech for Tony Abbott. But this person seems to be 82 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 2: just a hired gun, a speech writer for hire. So 83 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 2: who actually hired her? It turns out Bill Shorten didn't 84 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 2: hire her at all. Services Australia the department hired the 85 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 2: speech writer, but the department hired the speech writer to 86 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: write speeches for the minister. So again, what is going 87 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 2: on here. Not uncommon for ministers to have political staff, 88 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: communications staff, people who write statements, speeches, media releases, you 89 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 2: name it. But for the department to then hire the 90 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 2: speechwriter and then have that speech writer available for the minister, 91 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: that's just weird. And again this is why it is 92 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 2: flipping everybody's mind. So what did Bill Shorton have to 93 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 2: say for himself, Well, let's go to the official National 94 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:24,480 Speaker 2: broadcaster version of the story, the ABC's story, which has 95 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 2: the headline Bill Shorten denies any involvement in speechwriters three 96 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars a year payday, and it opens with 97 00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 2: the statement Government Services Minister Bill Shorton has denied anything 98 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 2: to do with one of his speechwriters receiving a six 99 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 2: hundred thousand dollars contract over two years. And this is 100 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,080 Speaker 2: what Bill himself had to say to a Current Affair 101 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 2: on Monday night. 102 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: That's the hiring of a speechwriter was done by Service Australia. 103 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: I had no idea what the payment was. So if 104 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,400 Speaker 1: you're trying to link me to that, you know good luck. 105 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: The point about it is the person involved is speech 106 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: writer does a very good job. I'm not responsible for 107 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: negotiating a contract. 108 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 2: Now. That is all well and good. And you listen 109 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 2: to that and say, well, hang on a minute, Bill 110 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 2: Shorton never hired that speech writer Services Australia. Hide the 111 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 2: speech writer. Bill Shorton had nothing to do with it. 112 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 2: Except that's not quite what Bill said. Bill said that 113 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: he had nothing to do with the payday. He had 114 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: nothing to do with the amount of money this speech 115 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 2: writer was paid, had nothing to do with the contract negotiations. 116 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 2: And so you can bet London to a brick that 117 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 2: what has happened is that Bill Shorten, the Minister has 118 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 2: said to the department, I want you to hire this person, 119 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 2: and the partner's gone, all right, no worries. They've gone 120 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 2: off and hired him. The person's thought, oh minister wants me, 121 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 2: I'll just pluck a number out of the air, and 122 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 2: the Department's gone, okay, well the minister wants it. There 123 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 2: you go. Bill Shorten doesn't actually deny being involved in 124 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: the hiring of the speech writer. He just denies being 125 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 2: involved in the contract negotiations. And the speechwriter is also 126 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 2: doing other stuff for Services, such as training them how 127 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,719 Speaker 2: to write speeches, even though they've already gotten dozens and 128 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 2: dozens and dozens and dozens of stuff. And name's Julianne Stewart, 129 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 2: by the way, and she has written more than one 130 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 2: hundred and seventy speeches for the minister since joining and 131 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,200 Speaker 2: she's only been paid about four hundred and forty thousand 132 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 2: dollars a year so far. But let's go to Chris 133 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 2: Bowen and Tony Burke, because they had two of the 134 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: biggest rivals in the New South Wales, right. They're both 135 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: senior ministers, they've both got a leadership bat on in 136 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 2: their knapsack, and they're both notoriously at odds with each other. 137 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 2: They are very very keen rivals. But they were on 138 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: a unity ticket to defend Bill Shorten in the early 139 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: hours of this week on Tuesday morning, Chris Bowen said 140 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: that it was vitally important that Services Australia have a 141 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 2: speech right, precisely because they look after the most vulnerable 142 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 2: people in the community and they needed clear messaging. And 143 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 2: you know what, he's right, because I can't tell you 144 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 2: how I know this, but I can assure you I 145 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: know this bureaucrats outsource this kind of comm's work all 146 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 2: the time. You've got federal bureaucrats in Canberra. It is 147 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: the most affluent, the most white, the most highly educated 148 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 2: community in all of Australia, and none of them can 149 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 2: speak English. They are useless at it. They cannot put 150 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 2: things into plain words. They speak bureaucratise, They speak years 151 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 2: learning bureaucratse and they do it deliberately, often so that 152 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 2: they can obfuscate the fact that they're not actually doing 153 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 2: much or accomplishing anything. And they do it by spitting 154 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 2: out the same input of words that come in so 155 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: that they can achieve that sort of programmatic specificity that 156 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 2: the job demands. And the problem is when they actually 157 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 2: need to communicate anything to the outside world, they can't. Now, 158 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,839 Speaker 2: in the old days, what used to happen was that 159 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 2: bureaucrats would use these big private companies, these big external 160 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 2: companies what you used to be the Big four accounting 161 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 2: firms like PwC for example, and get them to do 162 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,319 Speaker 2: the work for them, even though they would have a 163 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 2: cast of thousands internally, even though they would have a 164 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 2: whole comm's department internally. They would get someone like PwC 165 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 2: or Ernst and Young or any of those big guys 166 00:09:23,679 --> 00:09:26,559 Speaker 2: and hire them and say, look, can you put a 167 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 2: nice bit of spin on this. Can you put a 168 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 2: bit of polish on it? Can you insert a few 169 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: zingers if you will, And so that we can get 170 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 2: this funding application done, or so that we can present 171 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 2: this annual report and say what we've done, or so 172 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,080 Speaker 2: we can say to stakeholders that we're representing them or 173 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 2: we're taking this action or whatever, whatever whatever. And then 174 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 2: of course that external body, that external private company to 175 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 2: which the work had been outsourced, would do what everyone 176 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 2: would expect it to do. That's right, They'd outsource the 177 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 2: work again. And so they would go and hire a 178 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 2: contractor to do that work for them, so that they 179 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 2: could submit it to PwC or to one of the 180 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 2: other big four or whoever it is the Department's hired, 181 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 2: and then they would go and submit it back to 182 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 2: the department. And of course every level of that process 183 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 2: you've got someone clipping the ticket. Everyone's making money at 184 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 2: every step of the way, and so it's actually costing 185 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,679 Speaker 2: the department more. Let alone, of course, the fact that 186 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 2: the department, if it had had people who actually could 187 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 2: speak plain English, could have done it internally in the 188 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 2: first place. So the fact that the Department has actually 189 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:37,719 Speaker 2: hired this speech writer directly, probably almost certainly on the 190 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 2: request or instruction of the minister, they've actually cut out 191 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 2: the middleman. And the fact that the Department has actually 192 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 2: hired this speech writer not only to write speeches for 193 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 2: the minister but also to instruct the department on how 194 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 2: to communicate more clearly means they might actually end up 195 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 2: saving money on this. And that is the biggest, most 196 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 2: mind blowing thing of the whole lot, that this could 197 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 2: actually be a good move. So again, a terrible look. 198 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 2: And I had a labor advisor immediately just blowing up 199 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,079 Speaker 2: my phone as soon as this came out, saying, oh 200 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 2: my god, this is just the worst possible thing. He's 201 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 2: trying to cut money from the NDIS and save money 202 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 2: there because there's so many rots going on, and I'm 203 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: back him on that. And now suddenly it looks like 204 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,040 Speaker 2: he's paying six hundred grand just for his own personal 205 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 2: speech writer. But in fact, if that speech writer can 206 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:32,960 Speaker 2: teach the department how to actually write speeches and communicate 207 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 2: in clear English, hopefully they'll put themselves out of a 208 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 2: job and the department can just do it on its 209 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 2: own in the future, and you know, we might get 210 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 2: a few bonus singers as well. Now, I mentioned before 211 00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 2: that ministers Chris Bowen and Tony Burke were on a 212 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 2: unity ticket in defending Bill Shorten, and I can assure 213 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 2: you that this is the first time in human history 214 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 2: that the words Chris Bowen, Tony Burke and unity could 215 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 2: have ever been used. Tony Burke came up with the 216 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 2: ultimate three D chess singer, the ultimate justification for why 217 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,240 Speaker 2: a speech writer is getting more than three hundred thousand 218 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 2: dollars a year. 219 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: Have listened at a time of labor shortage, you keep 220 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: ending up with situations where various professions are getting more 221 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: money than would otherwise be paid when there's labor shortage. 222 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 2: Yes, that is how you do it, folks. Tony Burke 223 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 2: has blamed the skill shortage on why a speech writer 224 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 2: is able to charge more than double the going rate. 225 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 2: If we had more foreign speech writers coming in from overseas, 226 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: we wouldn't have to pay our own homegrown speech writers 227 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 2: three hundred thousand dollars a year. I love it, I 228 00:12:46,559 --> 00:12:48,839 Speaker 2: love it. That's why you get paid the big Bucks Tony. 229 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,559 Speaker 2: That's fantastic. But apparently we don't just have a skill 230 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 2: shortage of speech writers and there's an industry even more 231 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 2: vital that we need migrants. If we're going to survive, Andyvil, 232 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,000 Speaker 2: I mean literally survive, I mean the survival of our nation. 233 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 2: We need migrants to come and serve in our armed forces. 234 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 2: We don't have enough soldiers and sailors and air men 235 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,600 Speaker 2: and women to serve in the ADF. And so now 236 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 2: there is a plan to bring in foreign citizens to 237 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:25,720 Speaker 2: serve in the Australian Defense Force. Included New Zealanders, who 238 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 2: are pretty much just Australians but a bit we'll see you, 239 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:32,960 Speaker 2: and permanent residents from the UK, US, Canada and Pacific 240 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 2: Island nations I mean the Pacific island nations. If it 241 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 2: works for state of origin, surely it can work for 242 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 2: the Australian Army. Point being, this has got some people 243 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 2: up in arms, say, oh my god, how are we 244 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,719 Speaker 2: going to let foreigners serve in the Australian Defense For 245 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 2: foreigners in the army, Oh my god, what are we 246 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,439 Speaker 2: going to do? Of course, then they actually see that 247 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 2: they're from the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealer. 248 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 2: They go, oh, those kinds of foreigners. Oh, that's okay, 249 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 2: we're not so worried now. But you know what, even 250 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,600 Speaker 2: if we don't bring in foreigners foreign citizens into the 251 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 2: Australian Defense Force, we're still going to need foreigners to 252 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: defend us. That's why we have the Orcust Pact. That's 253 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 2: why we have the ANSAs Treaty. We need the United States, 254 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,240 Speaker 2: which last time I checked, is a foreign country, to 255 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,040 Speaker 2: save our ass in the event, god willing will never 256 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 2: happen that China or some other foreign power decides to 257 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 2: start rattling at saber at US. So we're going to 258 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 2: need to rely on foreigners anyway. It's just a question 259 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 2: of whether we're fighting alongside them or fighting alongside them. 260 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 2: We need the US. That's why we've got Orcus, that's 261 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 2: why we've got ANSAs. We need New Zealand. Just kidding, 262 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 2: we don't need New Zealand, but you know, we like 263 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 2: to sort of throw them in. It makes it scan better. 264 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 2: So we're going to need foreigners no matter what. And 265 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 2: don't take my word for it, take the word of 266 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 2: the former Defense Minister, the Great Bomber Beasley. 267 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: We could not defend ourselves now without the Americans. When 268 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: I was the Defense Minister against the likely threats in 269 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: the region, absolutely we could defend ourselves. 270 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 2: Now, no, So there you go, for all the people, 271 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 2: for all the little lefties who love to jump up 272 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 2: and down and winge about how much they hate America 273 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 2: and what an evil imperial power it is. That's the 274 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 2: evil imperial power that we're going to be relying on 275 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 2: to defend us in the case of an invasion. So 276 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 2: you know, just try to be a little bit nicer 277 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:34,080 Speaker 2: to Donald Trump. Gosh, we in the media can be mean. 278 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 2: I found myself thinking that. So I read the front 279 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 2: page of The Australian yesterday which featured this headline, number 280 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 2: of days since Andrew Giles's last blunder zero. Now this 281 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 2: pertained to our favorite immigration minister, indeed our only immigration 282 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 2: minister at least for now, who had just the other 283 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 2: day claimed on Sky that we didn't need ankle bracelet 284 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 2: for electronic monitoring of all these foreign detainees who had 285 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 2: been released and we're now committing crimes in the community 286 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 2: because they were being monitored with drones. 287 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: There is a quarter to the billion dollars that we've 288 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: invested in supporting our law enforcement agencies to enforce that, 289 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: and that's enabled things like using drones to keep track. 290 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 2: Of these people. We know where they are. 291 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: I just have them all with electronic monitoring because the 292 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: law doesn't allow it now. 293 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 2: Of course, as it turned out, and as anyone who 294 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 2: heard that would have instantly realized, that's not true, because 295 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 2: it just makes no sense. There's this drone thing just 296 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 2: as soon as I saw it, I expect, just does 297 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 2: not make any sense. It's just highly However, I documents 298 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 2: we're not talking about oj Simpson in the Bronco. I know, 299 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 2: like they're just standing there, like they're not going like 300 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 2: does he mean there is They're just a little drone 301 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 2: hovering outside there. 302 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: Well, that's it, is It like GPS track to the person, 303 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: so it follows them down to the shop and it 304 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: follows them to the chippy. 305 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,560 Speaker 2: That was me on Sunday on Sky News, or as 306 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 2: I like to call it, the Real Story after Dark. 307 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 2: And sure enough, just a couple of days later, Andrew 308 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 2: Giles had to get up in Parliament and say there 309 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:16,199 Speaker 2: were no drones. His department gave him the wrong advice. 310 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 2: I relied on information provided by my department at the 311 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 2: time which has since order, which has since been crap 312 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,400 Speaker 2: embers on my land. Jeez, department aren't having a good year, 313 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 2: are they. This is the same department that he accused 314 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 2: of giving him the wrong advice or no advice at 315 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 2: all when it came to the management of the visas 316 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 2: of all these direction ninety nine criminals who were being 317 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:42,880 Speaker 2: free left, right and center by the Australian Administrative Tribunal. 318 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 2: So you'd think if your department had let you down 319 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 2: so badly and failed to give you the right advice 320 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 2: on the one thing that was on the verge of 321 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,320 Speaker 2: ending your career as a cabinet minister, that maybe when 322 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,680 Speaker 2: they told him no, no, everything's fine, We've got drones, 323 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 2: you might just kind of think come again. Finally, this 324 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 2: week on the real story, it's time to tell a 325 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:17,359 Speaker 2: teal story. Yes, the big question that is obsessing the 326 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 2: Liberal Party this week is will he or won't he? 327 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 2: Will Josh Friedenberg launch his much anticipated but as yet 328 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 2: unrealized comeback for the seat of Couyong. Well, there's a 329 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 2: little bit to this. We all know, of course, that 330 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 2: the former Treasurer and presumptive future Liberal leader lost his seat, 331 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 2: which was once a very very safe blue ribbon Liberal 332 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 2: seat to the Teal Monique Ryan at the last election 333 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,879 Speaker 2: as part of the Teal slide, which quite frankly triggered me. 334 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 2: They're just so smugging, ernest and annoying. Anyway, I'm seeking help. 335 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:55,480 Speaker 2: I'm getting therapy for that point being. Everyone thought that, 336 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 2: of course Josh Fridenberg would make a comeback an unseat 337 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 2: and try to unseat at least Monique Ryan at the 338 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 2: very next opportunity he could, but he didn't. He didn't 339 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 2: seek pre selection for the seat, and instead that went 340 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 2: to a young, clean skin called Amelia Hamer. Now, apart 341 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 2: from her fine pedigree of qualifications, Amelia also has the 342 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 2: benefit of being a woman. And of course the Teals 343 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 2: campaigned very heavily on Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party 344 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 2: having a woman problem, and that was why all their 345 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 2: candidates were women. Then it turned out that Couyong was 346 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,240 Speaker 2: going to be redistributed and the new seat of Kuyong 347 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 2: was going to take in some of the seat of Higgins. 348 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:38,120 Speaker 2: Now under the Liberal Party rules that means that pre 349 00:19:38,119 --> 00:19:42,640 Speaker 2: selections can be opened again, and so Josh Fredenberg could 350 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 2: have come in and challenged Amelia Hamer for the seat 351 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:52,160 Speaker 2: that she had already won pre selection for, but which 352 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,119 Speaker 2: was no longer the same seat because the redistribution had 353 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 2: made it a slightly different seat. You're keeping up well 354 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:03,199 Speaker 2: as you can imagine older male trying to unseat a 355 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 2: younger female in an environment where the teals are making 356 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 2: a big deal about all the old males who are 357 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 2: depriving females of seats would not be a particularly good look. 358 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,639 Speaker 2: And this led to a piece in the ABC in 359 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 2: which Josh Fredenberg was accused of having a Messiah complex. 360 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,880 Speaker 2: But the truth, I am sad to say is far 361 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 2: more banal, but I'm happy to say a little sweeter. 362 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 2: The truth is that Josh Fridenburg still has a very 363 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,880 Speaker 2: young family and he felt it would be just far 364 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 2: too unfair on them to have just got him back 365 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 2: for a couple of years after a lifetime in politics 366 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 2: where I can promise you it's just a hell on families. 367 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 2: They just you never see your dad or your mom 368 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,879 Speaker 2: or whoever it is, traveling all the time back and 369 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 2: forth to camera, even when they're in their city or 370 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 2: when they're in their hometown. They're still going to vent 371 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 2: functions all the times. Breakfast dinners working right round the clock. 372 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,040 Speaker 2: It is absolutely hell in the family and he honestly 373 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:09,959 Speaker 2: just felt that he couldn't do it to them and 374 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 2: that he owed them at least another couple of years 375 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:17,399 Speaker 2: being a dad. That I can absolutely promise you is 376 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: this simple and only explanation. That is why he is 377 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:27,080 Speaker 2: not coming back this time round. But that doesn't mean 378 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 2: that Josh Fredenberg doesn't want people to think he's coming back, 379 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 2: And that doesn't mean that Josh Fredenberg doesn't want people 380 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 2: to talk about him coming back. No. In fact, what 381 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 2: Josh Fridenberg wants is not to come back, but for 382 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:49,520 Speaker 2: the whole time he's not coming back, for people to 383 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 2: talk about him coming back. Josh Fridenberg is the pouchy 384 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 2: of Australian politics. Whenever Puci's not on screen, all the 385 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 2: other characters should be asking where's Pouci. Well, that's all 386 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 2: we have time for. Thank you very much for listening 387 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 2: to the Real Story. If you like what you're here, 388 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 2: leave us a rating, give us a review, and if 389 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 2: you want us to cover anything on the pod, reach 390 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 2: out via our socials. Oh my god, I'm talking like 391 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:21,200 Speaker 2: a millennial. Our email is the real story at novapodcasts, 392 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 2: dot com dot Au, or you can slide into my 393 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 2: DMS on Instagram. My handle is Joe Underscore Hildebrand and 394 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 2: I'll chat to you next week. Bye for now.