WEBVTT - Sharri | 26 June 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:10.200 Showing and good evening. That was the Prime Minister Anthony 0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:14.280 Albanezi there, saying that tonight he has spoken to Julian 0:00:14.360 --> 0:00:18.239 Assange as he's arrived home. He's touchdown in Canberra. The 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:21.480 Prime Minister said that Assiange spoke to him, told him 0:00:21.520 --> 0:00:24.319 he was happy. It was a surreal moment for him. 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:27.280 He said that he was the first person Assiane had 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:31.120 spoken to when he arrived back on Australian soil tonight. 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:35.000 This is an historic moment. The Prime minister there holding 0:00:35.040 --> 0:00:38.720 a press conference in Canberra. He said the incarceration had 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:42.199 gone on for too long. He was asked his opinion 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:45.960 on the case repeatedly. He wouldn't comment other than to 0:00:46.040 --> 0:00:49.400 say that it was time for Sange to be released. 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:53.360 He did take full credit for this move. He said 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:57.360 he'd raised it directly and repeatedly with the United States 0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:01.600 President Joe Biden. He wouldn't confide whether he did plan 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:04.840 to meet with Assige in the next few days, but 0:01:05.200 --> 0:01:08.600 as I said, he took full credit for this outcome. 0:01:08.640 --> 0:01:11.440 He said this was deplomacy at work. He said the 0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:16.280 diplomacy required patience and it was built on trust. He 0:01:16.400 --> 0:01:20.360 described himself there. Albanisi as an outcome based politician who 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:23.600 was not there just to occupy the seat. He said 0:01:23.680 --> 0:01:27.640 he'd worked closely with Assange's legal team, which is led 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:32.720 by Australian Jen Robertson, and with the US administration. So 0:01:32.800 --> 0:01:36.440 that is the prime minister there speaking on this breaking news, 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:41.800 Julian Assange back on Australian soil, and Albanzi as prime 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:45.639 Minister using this moment to boost his own credentials, taking 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:49.200 full credit for it, saying that it was his diplomacy, 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:53.920 his advocacy with no less than the United States President 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:56.840 that had led to this outcome. So you're watching their 0:01:56.880 --> 0:02:01.120 live the pictures of Assige as he stepped off the plane, 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:04.040 not life from about half an hour ago now as 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:07.440 he's stepped off the plane on Australian soil. He arrived 0:02:07.440 --> 0:02:11.680 at Canberra Airport around half an hour ago. As I said, 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:15.520 this is a major moment, Julian Assange back on home 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:19.440 soil after a forteen year odal since he first broke 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:25.080 American law by publishing classified national security documents on WikiLeaks. 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:28.680 In doing so, he was accused of risking the lives 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:33.639 of national security sources. But tonight he is being welcomed 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:38.320 home by many as a hero and by the Albanese government, which, 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:42.160 as the Prime Minister just said, fought so hard for 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:45.480 his release. Now we are expecting to hear from Julian 0:02:45.560 --> 0:02:49.560 Assange himself this evening, if not his family. We're going 0:02:49.600 --> 0:02:52.760 to bring you that press conference live as it happens 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:55.639 here on Sky News. We're going to keep you updated 0:02:55.760 --> 0:02:59.480 as the news unfolds. Let's go now to Canberra, as 0:02:59.520 --> 0:03:01.920 I said, where Signe has just landed and Sky News 0:03:01.919 --> 0:03:05.799 as senior potter Fiona Willin is there. Fiona, take us 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:08.720 through what we can expect over the next hour or so. 0:03:11.960 --> 0:03:14.800 We'll try At the moment, Julian massandres in the building 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:18.640 behind me. He's clearing customs. He's with his family. We 0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:21.760 saw him step off the plane just a short time ago. 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.160 We saw him stopping. We saw him step off just 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:26.120 a short time ago. 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:28.520 He received a big cheer. 0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:35.680 From the crowd. Excuse me, sir, sorry, we received a 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:38.240 big cheer. He received a really big cheer from his supporters. 0:03:39.520 --> 0:03:44.600 Look, why don't we we. 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:47.880 Have people are clearly very excited and his arrival a Fiona, 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:49.360 why don't we come back to you in a moment. 0:03:49.440 --> 0:03:54.040 We're just go now to Sky News host James McPherson. James, 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:56.920 this is a major moment. Look, we've been very critical 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:01.280 on my program, at least last night, of Julian Assange, 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:04.800 of how he put lives at risk service men and 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:08.839 women who who were risking their own lives to work 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:12.440 in undercover roles in war zones, in high risk areas, 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:17.400 and he risked exposing them. There was no redaction in 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:21.560 the documents. This was not careful journalism as some have claimed. 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:25.360 This was a careless document dump. Now we just heard 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:28.719 that press conference from Albani, and the line that he's 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.760 been running and other senior politicians is that they don't 0:04:31.760 --> 0:04:34.120 want to get into what Assiange did. They don't want 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.599 to get into the criminality of it, even though he 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.800 has just pled guilty. It was that guilty plea that 0:04:40.839 --> 0:04:43.000 has seen him walk free. But they don't want to 0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:45.320 get into that. They just want to take credit for 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:48.159 the fact that he's released because they judge that the 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:51.680 sentiment now in Australia is that this saga has gone 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:55.200 on too long. After fourteen years. They judge that the 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:57.919 sentiment is Assange has done his time. 0:04:58.360 --> 0:05:02.160 What do you think absolutely. I mean, Elbanze is a 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.600 little disingenuous when he talks about how this is dragged 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:07.919 on too long and we didn't see any value in 0:05:08.040 --> 0:05:12.120 the continued incarceration. Don't forget most of it has dragged 0:05:12.120 --> 0:05:17.200 on because Juliana Sange himself has been avoiding facing court. 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:20.320 He spent was at seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:24.160 avoiding being tried for the crimes he was alleged to 0:05:24.200 --> 0:05:27.240 have committed. So for Anthony Albanesi to say it's dragged 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:31.000 on too long, Julian Assange was the one who dragged 0:05:31.040 --> 0:05:34.360 this out. But as you point out, Anthony Alberanzi, who 0:05:34.360 --> 0:05:37.640 hasn't had a great twelve months, needs a win and 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:39.920 so he was very keen to point out that Julian 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:44.640 Assange called his team the diplomatic a team. Wow, that's amazing, 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:47.600 high praise from Juliana Sange. He's a prime minister who 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:50.839 gets things done. Well, how's your energy price going, how's 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:54.400 the how's in crisis going, how's inflation going? This is 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:57.040 a prime minister who is desperately looking for a win. 0:05:57.560 --> 0:06:00.520 So desperate for a win, he's grabbing onto the hotels 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:02.920 of Julie Ma Sange trying to leak a bit of 0:06:02.960 --> 0:06:06.400 credibility from him. That's how desperate, Anthony Elbanez he is. 0:06:06.680 --> 0:06:08.520 Yeah, I'm just going to point out, James that we 0:06:08.520 --> 0:06:11.760 were just seeing a footage there of Assange hugging his 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:15.320 wife Stella Siane, who's been in Australia waiting for him 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.240 to arrive. And he was accompanied there as well by 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.240 Jen Robinson, his lawyer. We've had her on the program. 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:25.440 She's been his longest serving counsel. There is that emotional 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:29.560 moment where Julian hugs his wife Stella. He does have 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:33.080 two children, so shortly he'll be reunited with them. Look 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:37.479 for Assange supporters, this is one of the most joyous 0:06:37.640 --> 0:06:41.599 nights for them. They will undoubtedly be celebrating and it 0:06:41.760 --> 0:06:44.640 is a closure of a long running period. But we 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.760 can't forget what got him here in the first place. 0:06:48.240 --> 0:06:51.080 Let's bring in now our political panel in Cambre joining 0:06:51.120 --> 0:06:55.200 me now, National Senate leader Bridget mackenzie and Labor MP 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:59.200 Andrew Charlton. Welcome to you both. Bridget, can I have 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:02.000 your reaction to this. We just heard the Prime Minister 0:07:02.040 --> 0:07:07.000 there take full credit for this outcome for Juliana Sange's 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:10.680 arrival back on Australian soil. The Prime Minister described himself 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:14.040 as an outcome based politician. He said he wasn't just 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:17.880 here to occupy the seat. He couldn't let this moment 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:21.440 go without taking complete responsibility for it, he said. He 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:23.360 said that he had raised the case with the US 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:28.040 President Joe Brydon, and that this was diplomacy, patient diplomacy 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:31.120 at work. What's your response tonight, Bridget McKenzie. 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:36.280 I'll look obviously very happy for mister Assange and his 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:42.320 family there, obviously over the moon. But let's not think 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:45.280 that this guy's the public hero number one that the 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:47.400 Prime Minister's trying to make him out to be. 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:49.320 He is no journalist. 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:50.480 In my view. 0:07:50.600 --> 0:07:54.960 Journalists have to check their facts, sources, and indeed this 0:07:55.000 --> 0:07:58.800 guy just dumped a whole lot of documents onto the internet, 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:02.560 happened to be good at tech and put agents potentially 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:05.400 at risk. That is not what a great journalist does. 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:08.760 So I don't see him as a public hero. Obviously 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:11.200 happy that he's home, safe and sound for him as 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:13.720 a personal level, but I think this is another case 0:08:13.760 --> 0:08:16.120 on the day when we've seen inflation with a four 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:19.320 in front of it making the Reserve Bank Governor's job 0:08:19.560 --> 0:08:23.000 harder on interest rates, that the Prime Ministry is once 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:26.560 again tone deaf to what the real issues Australians are 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:27.160 concerned about. 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:29.720 Yeah, and we're going to get to that inflation rate 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.440 in a moment. But what do you think, Andrew, Do 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:35.000 you think this is a distraction from the Prime minister? 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:38.000 Do you think Massange should be lauded as some kind 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:38.520 of hero. 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:43.240 I think a lot of people have different views about 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:46.800 Juliana Sange, about who he is and what he did. 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:50.240 But from the Australian Government's perspective, there is really only 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:53.200 one fact that matters, and that is that he is 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:57.160 an Australian citizen and he spent the best part of 0:08:57.240 --> 0:09:02.040 fifteen years in different forms of confined So the Australian 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:05.199 Government did what we would do for any Australian citizen, 0:09:05.400 --> 0:09:09.320 which is advocate for their case. It has taken a 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:13.400 lot of patience, diplomacy, a lot of hard work on 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:16.480 the part of our embassies abroad, and I pay credit 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:19.760 to our embassies in Washington and London, and it has 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:21.960 been a difficult thing to achieve. And I do think 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:25.960 that the government deserves credit for bringing an Australian citizen home. 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:29.520 Whatever you think of that Australian citizen and what he did. 0:09:30.200 --> 0:09:31.839 All right, Look, let's have a look at some of 0:09:31.920 --> 0:09:34.480 the other topics today. We are standing by tonight to 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:38.959 hear from Julian Assange himself. He is expected to speak 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:42.120 to the media tonight and if not him, his family. 0:09:42.520 --> 0:09:45.000 So we'll bring you that live as it happens. As 0:09:45.040 --> 0:09:47.480 I said, we've just heard from the Prime Minister. If 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:50.400 you're just tuning in now, Julian Assange is now back 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:53.440 on Australian soil. Well, let's have a look at these 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:56.960 inflation figures today. The ABS start is showing that inflation 0:09:57.120 --> 0:10:00.920 has searched four percent from three points six percent for 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:05.040 the year to May. This is not good news again, 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:08.040 it's a further sign that we could be looking at 0:10:08.040 --> 0:10:12.000 a rate rise this year. Here was Treasurer Jim Charmers 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.240 speaking about this today. 0:10:15.080 --> 0:10:18.080 As I said before, as we've said many times, the 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:21.079 monthly numbers bounce around. They don't compare the same goods 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:21.800 and services. 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:25.880 I mean, bridget the cost of living is the issue 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:30.400 that most people, most Australians are interested in, are concerned 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.880 by us struggling with you know, not Julian Assange's freedom. 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:38.439 So are you worried about today's inflation data? 0:10:39.000 --> 0:10:44.160 Well, absolutely, I'm worried about it. The Australian public's worried 0:10:44.160 --> 0:10:46.440 about it, mortgage holders are worried about it. The only 0:10:46.480 --> 0:10:50.679 people that aren't worried about it the government. Jim Charmer's 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:53.960 even casual disregard during question time and your click just 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:58.480 earlier shows that he doesn't have an economic plan that's working. 0:10:59.040 --> 0:11:00.840 We're at the back of the back when it comes 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:02.000 to the G ten. 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:06.120 This homegrown inflation is going in the wrong direction, as 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:08.600 I said earlier, is going to make the Reserve Bank 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:13.200 Governor's role very difficult as she looks to interest rates. 0:11:13.240 --> 0:11:14.800 And households are struggling. 0:11:14.880 --> 0:11:17.640 Their electricity has gone up twenty one percent in the 0:11:17.720 --> 0:11:23.240 last two years, housing and rents fourteen percent. Australians are struggling, 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:26.080 and what we've seen is a very weak government. 0:11:26.640 --> 0:11:27.720 They're not prepared to. 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:30.280 Make the tough decisions on the budget. They're not prepared 0:11:30.320 --> 0:11:35.520 to cut spending in those really difficult structural areas, and 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:38.280 they've been distracted. If it's not the Voice this week, 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:42.800 it's Assange. A few months ago they couldn't find their detainees. 0:11:42.880 --> 0:11:46.600 So on every single measure there are distracted and weak 0:11:46.640 --> 0:11:50.520 government and the Australian public deserves better because right now 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:51.559 they're going backwards. 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:56.000 Andrew, it wasn't so long ago when the inflation forecasts 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:59.040 were meant to come down. We were expecting potentially even 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:03.960 a rate the rates to fall, a rate cut before Christmas. Look, 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:06.520 it doesn't look like that's the case at all. What's 0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:10.360 gone wrong here? Why is inflation not falling as we 0:12:10.480 --> 0:12:11.040 expect it? 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.000 Well, inflation has been persistent around the world. But I 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:19.160 do take issue with what Bridget just said. But Jim 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:22.280 chalmers economic plan is working and he has the runs 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:25.880 on the board to show it. He has delivered two 0:12:25.960 --> 0:12:29.680 budget surpluses at the same time, he has brought down 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:35.000 inflation by half and he has delivered the lowest unemployment 0:12:35.480 --> 0:12:40.240 of any first term government on record. Now, it is 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:43.800 true that inflation still has further to come down and 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:45.840 there is more hard work to do. 0:12:46.080 --> 0:12:48.679 But are you worried it's moving in the wrong direction? Now? 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:51.440 Are you worried that inflation is now rising not falling? 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:53.600 Well? 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:57.760 Core inflation, the measure that the RBA looks at, has 0:12:57.840 --> 0:13:01.160 been steady for a couple of months. Jim Charmers is 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:04.400 right that these are monthly numbers which are quite volatile 0:13:04.760 --> 0:13:08.160 and only contain part of the CPI, so we'll get 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:10.800 a better read on it when the full quarterly numbers 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:14.240 come out. But what we do know is this that 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:17.800 when Bridget's Party was in office, they left us with 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:21.920 inflation running at a quarterly rate was two point one percent. 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:25.920 It's now half that, at one percent in the most 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:29.400 recent quarterly numbers. And if we had left inflation running 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:33.160 at the level that Bridget's Party left it, prices today 0:13:33.160 --> 0:13:36.520 would be seventeen percent higher than they were at the election. 0:13:37.040 --> 0:13:39.840 Average families will be paying two hundred dollars a week 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:44.040 more for their expenses. So inflation has come down a lot. 0:13:44.280 --> 0:13:47.120 It's absolutely true that it has got further to go, 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:50.439 and that's why the government's plan to deliver a prudent 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:55.400 budget surplus to pursue fiscal discipline is the right path 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:57.440 to help families, to help mortgage. 0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:00.679 It's going to be hard convincing Australians of that, especially 0:14:00.720 --> 0:14:03.600 if there is a rate rise, which is now clearly 0:14:03.679 --> 0:14:06.080 on the table. Just before we go to a break, 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:09.160 let's look at the latest on Labor. Senator Fatima Payment. 0:14:09.200 --> 0:14:12.040 As you know, last night she crossed the floor to 0:14:12.120 --> 0:14:15.960 support a Green's motion on Gaza. Well, today the Prime 0:14:16.000 --> 0:14:19.040 Minister said during question time in Parliament that he had 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:23.080 suspended her from Labor Calcus sessions for the rest of 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:27.440 this parliamentary session. Bridget do you think this was a 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:29.920 strong enough response from the PM. 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:36.120 Look, I'm no fan of the solidarity principles within Labor, 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:39.120 but it is fundamental to who they are. You sign up, 0:14:39.200 --> 0:14:41.760 you have the debate inside with the factions, and once 0:14:41.800 --> 0:14:45.600 you leave caucus, you're all in the fact that Penny Wong, 0:14:46.400 --> 0:14:50.040 because of solidarity, had to vote against same sex marriage, 0:14:51.080 --> 0:14:55.240 against her own principles and conscience I find appalling Josh 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:59.320 Burns had to do the same on matters of Israel 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:06.160 and Palestine. And yet because this senator, maybe because this 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:11.280 senator senator isn't a Christian, maybe because this senator is 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:15.560 a female, maybe because this Prime Minister is more concerned 0:15:15.600 --> 0:15:19.320 about votes in Western Sydney than he is about the 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:22.080 principles of solidarity that his own party was built on. 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.080 She's getting a leaf passed. 0:15:24.320 --> 0:15:28.240 It is very on brand for Anthony Albanizi to once 0:15:28.280 --> 0:15:32.720 again demonstrate how absolutely weak he is when he has 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:36.720 to make tough decisions that labor leaders before him have 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:37.360 had to make. 0:15:37.440 --> 0:15:40.560 He's squipped it again. It could simply be that he 0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.040 agrees with her. Andrew Charlton, go ahead. 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.160 I think it's simple than that. I think Fatima payment 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:51.080 is in an incredibly difficult situation. Obviously, she is very 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:55.080 deeply personally impacted by the crisis in the Middle East. 0:15:55.400 --> 0:15:57.920 I think most Australians would feel a lot of sympathy 0:15:57.960 --> 0:16:01.040 for the position that she is in. I don't think 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.080 that we should be politicizing it in the way that 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:06.200 Bridget is politicizing it. She's in a very difficult situation. 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:10.000 We all have to make difficult decision with her. I 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:13.240 think the whole nature of politics and parliament, you are 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:17.480 making difficult decisions and weighing up tensions around every single 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:20.240 question that we have to debate in this place. Andrew 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:23.960 and to somehow single out this senator as if she's 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:27.680 the only one had any personal conflict in a decision 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:29.800 they've had to make. I know you've only been here 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:32.760 a short time, but that happens regularly, and that's why 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:35.880 your party has the principles of solidarity, so you have 0:16:35.920 --> 0:16:38.920 the fight inside the fact that she's rejected it and 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:41.200 ignored it like others who've done. 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:41.680 That before her. 0:16:41.760 --> 0:16:44.040 She should be sacked from the party and go join 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:44.560 the Greens. 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:49.880 Firstly, ouch on the first term Burn Bridgide, but secondly, hey, 0:16:50.200 --> 0:16:50.480 you know. 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:53.360 He has actually been around his can breath for a 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.640 very long time. I mean it's not just the gray hairs, 0:16:56.720 --> 0:17:06.159 but he was running Kevin Rudd's economic plot felt I 0:17:06.240 --> 0:17:08.200 mean you I was going to say he was running 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:11.280 heaven Rad's economic policy during the global financial crisis. So 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:14.600 he's been in the nation's capital for much longer than 0:17:14.840 --> 0:17:16.480 just one term. Go ahead, Andrew. 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:20.120 Charlton, Thank you, Shari. I appreciate that. Look. I think 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:24.120 Fatima Payment has made a decision that comes from her conviction. 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:26.439 I think that's precisely what you're saying you are looking 0:17:26.480 --> 0:17:29.960 for in politicians, bridget She has done that. I think 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:32.960 most Australians would sympathize with her position, given her background 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:35.399 and given how this issue has affected her so deeply 0:17:35.440 --> 0:17:37.600 and so personally, and frankly, I don't think we should 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:38.600 politicize it beyond that. 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.280 I'll just give the final word to myself over here, 0:17:42.320 --> 0:17:46.399 which is that I think she could have expressed some 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:50.560 sympathy for the one hundred and twenty innocent Israelis, including 0:17:50.560 --> 0:17:53.760 babies and children, who are still being held hostage, and 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:57.040 for the one thousand and two hundred innocent citizens who 0:17:57.080 --> 0:18:00.000 were murdered by her muss on the seventh of October. 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:03.960 But in all of her recent commentary, including the opinion 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:06.280 piece that she just wrote in our Jazeira, there was 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:09.720 not one mention of hostages and what not, one mention 0:18:10.000 --> 0:18:12.400 of her mus And you know, you need to as 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:15.399 any individual, doesn't matter whether you support Israel or not, 0:18:15.480 --> 0:18:18.760 but you need to be able to empathize and sympathize 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:21.280 and you know, have a place in your heart for 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.760 all innocent people suffering, and we haven't seen that from her. 0:18:25.400 --> 0:18:28.760 All right, Andrew Charlton Bridget mackenzie, thank you both very 0:18:28.840 --> 0:18:31.399 much for your time. Now, coming up after the break, 0:18:31.400 --> 0:18:34.280 we're on standby to hear from Julian Assan, who's just 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:37.760 touched down in Canberra, and we will bring you the 0:18:37.840 --> 0:18:40.280 latest news on that. Also, we've got breaking news tonight. 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:43.800 A teenager has been arrested after threatening a new South 0:18:43.840 --> 0:18:47.959 Wales Politician's office with knives. I've got that exclusive story 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:51.200 coming up, plus a freed hostage will join me live 0:18:51.400 --> 0:18:58.960 from Israel. Stay tuned, Welcome back. 0:18:59.000 --> 0:18:59.119 Well. 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:02.359 The breaking news tonight is that Julian Assange has touched 0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:05.760 down on Australian soil. We're waiting to hear from him 0:19:05.800 --> 0:19:08.479 this evening. We've also heard tonight from the Prime Minister 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:11.199 who has said that he's spoken to Juliana Sange. He 0:19:11.280 --> 0:19:14.120 said Sanje said, this is a surreal moment and he's 0:19:14.160 --> 0:19:17.440 feeling very happy to be back in Australia. We're going 0:19:17.440 --> 0:19:20.480 to bring you that news as it unfolds. But let's 0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:23.359 go now to Israel, where it's been nearly nine months 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.080 since the October seven attacks. There are still over one 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:31.119 hundred and twenty Israeli's held hostage by Hermas, waiting to 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:34.480 be rescued and returned to their families, whose lives remain 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:38.159 in limbo. One of those still trapped in Gaza is 0:19:38.240 --> 0:19:42.720 Keith Siegel. He along with his wife Aviva, were abducted 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:46.680 at gunpoint from their home in Keifar Azar that's a 0:19:46.720 --> 0:19:50.679 kibbutz near the Gaza border. For a while, the couple 0:19:50.840 --> 0:19:54.480 were together, but then they were separated in November when 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:57.520 Aviva was released as part of a hostage deal, and 0:19:57.560 --> 0:20:01.040 she joins me now live from Israel. Aviva, thank you 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:04.160 very much for your time. Look, can you take us 0:20:04.200 --> 0:20:07.800 back to the moment when you and your husband were captured? 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:09.359 What happened that morning? 0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:11.760 First, I want to. 0:20:11.680 --> 0:20:14.920 Say good evening to everybody and thank you for having 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:17.639 me and listening to me. It's important for me to 0:20:17.720 --> 0:20:21.120 tell everybody that it's true because I was there and 0:20:21.160 --> 0:20:24.960 that Kith, my husband is still there and I'm waiting 0:20:25.000 --> 0:20:27.400 for him to come back so badly. 0:20:27.720 --> 0:20:28.680 My whole body saw. 0:20:29.280 --> 0:20:33.080 I'm tired of talking and talking and telling people what 0:20:33.240 --> 0:20:36.119 I went through and thinking about kid being in the 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:40.439 same place that I was. We were kidnapped on the 0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:44.199 seventh of October with our pajamas from a house. We 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:47.520 felt that we were secured in her house on keyboots 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:47.960 for Raza. 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:52.639 Sixty four people were murdered on my keyboots. I know 0:20:52.800 --> 0:20:53.320 them all. 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:56.760 They my friends, and it's very difficult for me to 0:20:56.840 --> 0:21:00.480 even think about all of that. But the most important 0:21:00.480 --> 0:21:03.800 thing is that I'm here for Keith. I'm not through 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:06.320 what I went through. I'm here for Keith and all 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:10.440 the hostages. We need them back soon, as soon as possible, 0:21:10.920 --> 0:21:13.960 because they're going through hell like I did. 0:21:16.000 --> 0:21:19.679 So we were taken on the seventh from our house. 0:21:20.520 --> 0:21:22.720 We were in a little room that we thought that was. 0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:27.520 Safe, and there were lots of missiles coming from Gaza, 0:21:27.840 --> 0:21:30.120 so we sat there and we felt that something else 0:21:30.320 --> 0:21:34.000 different was happening, and it felt like the end of 0:21:34.000 --> 0:21:34.720 the world. 0:21:35.400 --> 0:21:36.600 It was very noisy. 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:40.720 There were bombs all over from Gaza sent to us, 0:21:41.720 --> 0:21:46.840 and we were scared. And in a short while there 0:21:46.840 --> 0:21:51.160 were fifteen people from Hamas that came into my house, walked, 0:21:51.800 --> 0:21:56.840 shot my hounds, shooting around Keith and I screaming at us, 0:21:57.240 --> 0:22:01.880 pushed us and they broke kiths ropes and shot Kit's hand. 0:22:02.640 --> 0:22:05.560 We arrived to Gaza, keep us bleeding. 0:22:06.080 --> 0:22:10.600 He was sore, in a complete We were in a 0:22:10.640 --> 0:22:14.240 complete and activite shock, and I. 0:22:14.119 --> 0:22:16.560 Was there for fifty one days. 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:20.199 Aviva, thank you for having the courage to speak about this. 0:22:20.280 --> 0:22:23.119 We can all see how difficult, how traumatic this is 0:22:23.160 --> 0:22:26.959 for you. You know, you've described it as hell just 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:30.919 then the period that you were held hostage, and you 0:22:30.960 --> 0:22:33.920 know how horrifying it is knowing that your husband Keith 0:22:34.040 --> 0:22:39.320 is still there without re traumatizing you can you tell 0:22:39.440 --> 0:22:43.240 us just how bad it was having to help be 0:22:43.320 --> 0:22:46.160 held captive by these terrorists in Gaza. 0:22:48.359 --> 0:22:52.560 They had no respect for us at all. They didn't 0:22:52.600 --> 0:22:55.400 even let us feel like we are human. We weren't 0:22:55.440 --> 0:22:58.560 allowed to talk. We were staffed while they're ate in 0:22:58.600 --> 0:23:02.600 front of us. We had to beg, beg for water. 0:23:04.359 --> 0:23:07.040