WEBVTT - Credlin | 1 October 0:00:08.130 --> 0:00:11.430 Good evening and welcome to the show. I'm Jamie Rogers 0:00:11.490 --> 0:00:15.510 sitting in for Peter Credlin, who is unwell tonight. Here's 0:00:15.550 --> 0:00:19.900 what's coming up on Credlin. Another smelter bailout, this time 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:24.939 in Tasmania. The federal and state government have committed $ 200 0:00:24.260 --> 0:00:29.220 million to keep Rio Tinto's aluminium smelter running. So what 0:00:29.260 --> 0:00:32.420 does this tell us about the state of Australia's energy system? 0:00:33.630 --> 0:00:37.870 Extraordinary new details have emerged from yesterday's attempted hijacking of 0:00:37.909 --> 0:00:41.349 a plane en route to Israel. A pilot stabbed by 0:00:41.390 --> 0:00:46.490 his own co-pilot with passengers and crew fighting back. Well, 0:00:46.530 --> 0:00:49.560 they were told the renewable rollout was coming, whether they 0:00:49.600 --> 0:00:53.120 liked it or not. But New England farmers fought back 0:00:53.320 --> 0:00:56.600 and now a major wind farm developer has pulled out. 0:00:57.060 --> 0:01:00.000 Tonight, what it means for the battle in the bush. 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:05.360 And small businesses hit at every turn yesterday's historic cash 0:01:05.470 --> 0:01:09.709 rate rise and today forced to absorb a surcharge ban. 0:01:10.670 --> 0:01:12.810 We seem to be the punching bag for the state 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:15.260 and federal government in terms of increasing taxes. 0:01:15.620 --> 0:01:17.899 They say we are the backbone of the economy, the 0:01:17.940 --> 0:01:18.680 small business owner. 0:01:19.220 --> 0:01:20.160 Why are we being punished? 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:25.240 Was your coffee a little more expensive this morning? Well, 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.620 you have the Government to thank for that. As of today, 0:01:28.740 --> 0:01:31.810 businesses can't pass on the cost of credit card payments 0:01:31.830 --> 0:01:36.510 through a surcharge. Australians have been paying around $ 1. 6 billion 0:01:36.550 --> 0:01:40.390 a year in card surcharges, so getting rid of them 0:01:40.650 --> 0:01:44.810 sounds like a win. Except There's one problem. The cost 0:01:44.870 --> 0:01:49.040 hasn't disappeared. Someone still has to pay it. And once again, 0:01:49.060 --> 0:01:53.900 that someone is the business or the consumer. The Reserve 0:01:53.940 --> 0:01:57.710 Bank itself says those costs can instead be reflected in 0:01:57.750 --> 0:02:02.270 a business's overall prices. So, in other words, the surcharge 0:02:02.530 --> 0:02:05.800 may have disappeared from your receipt, but the cost hasn't 0:02:05.830 --> 0:02:10.620 disappeared from your coffee. Australian Restaurant and Café Association Chief 0:02:10.680 --> 0:02:15.090 Executive Wes Lambert has warned that prices, they're going to rise. 0:02:16.250 --> 0:02:18.730 Well, I don't think that consumers are going to save 0:02:18.770 --> 0:02:21.190 a bomb. In fact, I think they're likely going to 0:02:21.230 --> 0:02:25.570 pay more. And that's the unfortunate side effect, because typically 0:02:25.930 --> 0:02:28.590 you'd pay about eight or nine cents when you tap 0:02:29.470 --> 0:02:33.640 to pay the merchant fee on a coffee. But since 0:02:33.660 --> 0:02:36.799 we don't have eight, nine cent coins, it's got to 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:39.720 be at least 10 cents. or 20 cents or 50 cents, 0:02:39.760 --> 0:02:43.579 depending upon the business. And so consumers around Australia on 0:02:43.639 --> 0:02:46.680 Thursday are going to wake up and realise that the 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:48.200 RBA stung them. 0:02:50.220 --> 0:02:53.400 And Mr Lambert also went on to explain where the 0:02:53.460 --> 0:02:55.000 surcharge even began. 0:02:55.030 --> 0:03:01.250 Since cards were introduced into the system for people to 0:03:01.290 --> 0:03:05.950 tap and go, we've always passed on the merchant fees. 0:03:05.990 --> 0:03:10.440 So businesses have never... had to absorb those merchant fees 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:14.760 in their margins. Starting Thursday, they're still going to be 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:18.750 charged those merchant fees by the bank, and those fees 0:03:18.830 --> 0:03:22.489 will still be pretty close to what was being passed 0:03:22.570 --> 0:03:27.260 on before. We expect between 80 basis points and 1%, 0:03:27.260 --> 0:03:30.680 and businesses just can't afford to absorb that margin, so 0:03:30.700 --> 0:03:32.579 they're going to have to put their prices up. Nobody 0:03:32.620 --> 0:03:34.220 won out of this RBA announcement. 0:03:35.690 --> 0:03:39.250 Well, if the cost doesn't disappear and businesses can't afford 0:03:39.290 --> 0:03:42.240 to absorb it, where exactly is the saving going to 0:03:42.260 --> 0:03:45.760 be for consumers? Whether it's called a surcharge or simply 0:03:45.820 --> 0:03:49.100 buried in the price, you're still paying. And this morning 0:03:49.160 --> 0:03:52.480 on 2GB, James Willis put that very point to Labor 0:03:52.560 --> 0:03:53.930 MP Jerome Laxale. 0:03:54.610 --> 0:03:55.230 Let's be clear. 0:03:55.290 --> 0:03:57.550 Why didn't you pick a fight with the banks properly 0:03:58.230 --> 0:04:00.490 instead of doing the real job, which would have been 0:04:00.530 --> 0:04:04.070 to say to the banks, stop charging this fee altogether... 0:04:04.460 --> 0:04:06.660 Small businesses have to wear this fee today. 0:04:06.700 --> 0:04:07.860 You've just acknowledged that. 0:04:08.340 --> 0:04:11.500 Now, these businesses are on their knees. They're really struggling 0:04:11.540 --> 0:04:12.480 to stay afloat. 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:17.290 And the government, they just don't understand the impact changes 0:04:17.330 --> 0:04:18.290 like this will have. 0:04:19.089 --> 0:04:20.530 But here's another question. 0:04:21.110 --> 0:04:25.000 Could this push Australia back towards cash if every tap 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:27.840 of a card costs a small business money and that 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:30.960 can't be recovered through a surcharge? What's the incentive to 0:04:31.000 --> 0:04:34.560 encourage customers to tap? Could we start seeing more cafes 0:04:34.620 --> 0:04:39.020 and restaurants offering discounts for cash? Mr Lambert says that's 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:41.490 exactly what some operators are now considering. 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:44.839 Oh, look, cash is king, and that's not my saying. 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:47.279 Someone came up with that a long time ago. We 0:04:47.339 --> 0:04:51.000 expect that businesses around Australia will begin to add ATMs 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:55.140 and CTPOSs, which is like the cash out facility. We 0:04:55.180 --> 0:04:59.719 expect that cash will make a comeback. Right now, it's 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:04.460 about 10% of restaurant and cafe takings. It could go 0:05:04.500 --> 0:05:07.549 back to 15% or 20%, which would be seismic. 0:05:09.220 --> 0:05:11.910 We've spent years being told Australia is moving towards a 0:05:12.029 --> 0:05:16.070 cashless economy, but this is where I have a problem 0:05:16.130 --> 0:05:19.610 with what the government is celebrating. If payment fees are 0:05:19.650 --> 0:05:23.350 too high, then why wasn't the fight taken directly to 0:05:23.370 --> 0:05:26.480 the bank and payment providers? And on top of that, 0:05:27.060 --> 0:05:31.620 today came an extraordinary twist. While small businesses are being 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:36.820 told to absorb the cost of card transactions, the it 0:05:36.860 --> 0:05:40.700 won't accept credit cards at all from November. The Australian 0:05:40.740 --> 0:05:44.260 Chamber of Commerce and Industry said small businesses were given 0:05:44.320 --> 0:05:48.240 just eight hours' notice before the change was announced. So 0:05:48.460 --> 0:05:51.839 what about this contradiction? The government tells a cafe owner, 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:55.060 you absorb the cost. But when the tax office is 0:05:55.100 --> 0:05:58.400 faced with the fee of accepting credit cards, it removes 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:02.320 the option altogether. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:04.670 has called it utter hypocrisy. 0:06:05.510 --> 0:06:08.729 On the one hand... You have government saying to small business, 0:06:09.390 --> 0:06:13.180 you have to take on board this ban, you have 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:16.340 to work out whether you are going to absorb that 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:19.039 cost or try to pass it on to your customers. 0:06:19.180 --> 0:06:23.000 On the other hand, we have the tax office saying 0:06:23.860 --> 0:06:29.300 that they will not wear it, they will deprive their 0:06:29.360 --> 0:06:32.530 customers of that facility because they don't want to have 0:06:32.570 --> 0:06:34.370 to absorb the cost of the surcharge. 0:06:35.650 --> 0:06:39.080 So once again, the rules being imposed on businesses isn't 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:41.960 the rules the government is prepared to live by itself. 0:06:42.700 --> 0:06:45.600 And Tuesday's interest rate rise has added more pressure on 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:49.130 businesses carrying debt. And let's not forget the environment these 0:06:49.190 --> 0:06:53.670 businesses are already operating in. Insolvencies are running at record levels. 0:06:53.930 --> 0:06:55.490 In 24-25, more than 14,000 companies went under. And that 0:06:55.529 --> 0:06:57.190 was a 33% rise from the previous year. Then today, 0:06:57.230 --> 0:07:07.190 we got another warning sign. job vacancies have fallen again. 0:07:07.850 --> 0:07:11.880 Private sector vacancies dropped 2% in the August quarter, but 0:07:11.980 --> 0:07:18.020 public sector vacancies rose by 7.8%. So while private businesses 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:21.490 are pulling back on hiring, vacancies in the public sector 0:07:21.930 --> 0:07:26.350 are growing. And ultimately, it's private enterprise that generates the wealth, 0:07:26.710 --> 0:07:31.570 employs Australians and pays taxes that funds the government. We 0:07:31.590 --> 0:07:33.710 should be making it easier to run a business in 0:07:33.750 --> 0:07:34.420 this country. 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:35.620 Not harder. 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:39.430 So call this what you like, a surcharge, a price rise, 0:07:39.870 --> 0:07:41.610 or another cost of doing business. 0:07:42.270 --> 0:07:46.070 But in the end, someone pays. And the reality is, 0:07:46.790 --> 0:07:47.230 it's you. 0:07:47.250 --> 0:07:54.180 Well, they say the internet never forgets. 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:58.260 And tonight, Treasurer Jim Chalmers... might wish that it did. 0:07:58.900 --> 0:08:01.680 Four years ago, when the Reserve Bank lifted interest rates 0:08:01.740 --> 0:08:06.840 from 0.1% to 0.35%, Chalmers had plenty to say about 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:10.400 who should take responsibility for rising rates and a so-called 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:11.840 cost of living crisis. 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:17.400 His target then? Prime Minister Scott Morrison. And, well, his 0:08:17.460 --> 0:08:18.960 words have come back to haunt him. 0:08:19.840 --> 0:08:22.840 This is a full-blown cost of living crisis on Scott 0:08:22.860 --> 0:08:26.220 Morrison's watch, and now interest rate rises are about to 0:08:26.260 --> 0:08:32.030 be part Now, this Prime Minister has an excuse for 0:08:32.110 --> 0:08:35.880 everything and a plan for nothing. When things are going 0:08:35.910 --> 0:08:38.760 well in the economy, he takes all of the credit. 0:08:39.360 --> 0:08:42.300 And when times are tough in the economy, he takes 0:08:42.600 --> 0:08:43.860 none of the responsibility. 0:08:44.960 --> 0:08:47.800 So the Treasurer was asked about those comments today by 0:08:47.850 --> 0:08:51.870 News24 and, you guessed it, he managed to blame the 0:08:51.890 --> 0:08:52.550 former government. 0:08:53.480 --> 0:08:57.209 Well, I take responsibility for all aspects of my part 0:08:57.420 --> 0:09:01.590 of the fight against inflation. And that means continuing to 0:09:01.630 --> 0:09:04.349 manage the budget responsibly and also dealing with some of 0:09:04.390 --> 0:09:07.830 these longer-term challenges that Scott Morrison and his colleagues left 0:09:08.750 --> 0:09:10.940 neglected for too long when they gathered for. 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:16.860 Well, Treasurer, the cash rate is now 4.6%. It's at 0:09:16.900 --> 0:09:21.839 a 15-year high. It's funny how responsibility looks different from 0:09:21.860 --> 0:09:24.910 the other side of government. The Treasurer isn't short of 0:09:24.970 --> 0:09:28.220 excuses as to why inflation is high and the cash 0:09:28.300 --> 0:09:29.400 rate keeps rising. 0:09:30.140 --> 0:09:33.840 Rates will go up around the world, including in Australia. 0:09:33.900 --> 0:09:37.699 We see much more pressure on inflation from developments in 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:41.340 the Middle East in particular. Our inflation challenge is being 0:09:41.380 --> 0:09:44.340 turbocharged by a war on the other side of the world. 0:09:45.910 --> 0:09:49.780 What we haven't heard much of is Chalmers accepting responsibility 0:09:49.820 --> 0:09:52.620 for the decisions his own government has made here at home. 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:57.430 Motley Fool Chief Investment Officer Scott Phillips said Mr Chalmers 0:09:57.470 --> 0:10:01.579 was politically spinning and it's frustrating. He said it doesn't 0:10:01.620 --> 0:10:06.260 matter what the previous government did. They're completely irrelevant. You're 0:10:06.340 --> 0:10:11.040 taxing $ 10, but you're spending $ 11. That simply means you're 0:10:11.110 --> 0:10:13.770 adding to demand. And if you're doing that while the 0:10:13.929 --> 0:10:16.630 RBA is trying to cool demand, you're going to put 0:10:16.690 --> 0:10:18.090 pressure on prices. 0:10:19.540 --> 0:10:20.199 According to the. 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:24.740 Latest News 24 Pulse poll, roughly two-thirds of voters blame 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:29.780 the federal government in some capacity for Tuesday's rate decision. 30% 0:10:29.780 --> 0:10:33.699 said the federal government was most to blame, while another 34% 0:10:33.700 --> 0:10:37.679 blamed the government and RBA equally. And that's what makes 0:10:37.730 --> 0:10:42.930 those comments from 2022 so revealing. Back then, Chalmers argued 0:10:42.970 --> 0:10:45.850 that the government couldn't wash its hands of responsibility when 0:10:45.890 --> 0:10:49.540 Australians were hurting. Well, four years later, with rates at 0:10:49.580 --> 0:10:53.260 a 15-year high, shouldn't the standard Jim Chalmers set for 0:10:53.280 --> 0:11:01.310 Scott Morrison still apply now that he's the Treasurer? Well, 0:11:01.330 --> 0:11:04.290 let's head to Canberra now for tonight's political headlines with 0:11:04.330 --> 0:11:05.870 political reporter Cam Redden. 0:11:06.790 --> 0:11:07.190 Good evening. 0:11:07.600 --> 0:11:09.760 A call from the New South Wales Premier to rein 0:11:09.820 --> 0:11:13.579 in government spending has Treasurer Jim Chalmers on the defensive. 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:17.140 I think every government has a responsibility to do what 0:11:17.179 --> 0:11:19.660 it can to take demand out of the economy. 0:11:19.780 --> 0:11:22.760 Chris, as I understand it, was talking about demand. He 0:11:22.780 --> 0:11:25.840 was talking about the role that every government has to 0:11:25.880 --> 0:11:28.160 make sure they're managing the budget in the most responsible 0:11:28.210 --> 0:11:29.620 way they can and that's what we're doing. 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:34.600 Surcharges on credit cards are now banned, but with unintended consequences. 0:11:34.860 --> 0:11:37.100 The Tax Office has decided that because it can no 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:40.400 longer impose the surcharge, businesses will no longer be able 0:11:40.440 --> 0:11:42.489 to pay their bills by credit card. 0:11:42.730 --> 0:11:45.290 It's an act of complete hypocrisy. 0:11:45.610 --> 0:11:50.390 The hypocrisy and the insensitivity of this government knows no bounds. 0:11:50.670 --> 0:11:54.290 I mean, Daniel Molina has been explaining these issues today 0:11:54.330 --> 0:11:56.090 and we'll keep explaining those. 0:11:56.410 --> 0:11:57.690 Cameron Redden, News 24, Canberra. 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:03.460 All right, let's bring in the panel for tonight. News24 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:08.660 contributor Carolee Katzenbarnes and Women's Forum Australia's Stephanie Bastian. 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:10.140 Welcome to you both. 0:12:10.760 --> 0:12:14.520 The Albanese government has now partnered with the Tasmanian government 0:12:14.620 --> 0:12:17.900 to bail out Rio Tinto's Bell Bay smelter. 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:19.020 This is in the. 0:12:19.020 --> 0:12:22.870 Tune of $ 200 million. Here was the response from opposition 0:12:22.900 --> 0:12:23.780 leader Angus Taylor. 0:12:24.580 --> 0:12:28.620 This is an example of Labor's failed energy policy. Smelters, 0:12:28.660 --> 0:12:32.600 whether it's Bell Bay or Boyne or Tomago across this country, 0:12:33.040 --> 0:12:36.230 are suffering because electricity prices are too high. So what's 0:12:36.260 --> 0:12:38.230 the answer? Scrap net zero. 0:12:38.710 --> 0:12:39.309 It's simple. 0:12:39.730 --> 0:12:42.750 Get rid of the carbon taxes that are embedded in 0:12:42.850 --> 0:12:46.109 our energy system right now that are making it too 0:12:46.190 --> 0:12:48.070 expensive to make things in this country. 0:12:49.780 --> 0:12:52.160 Well, Stephanie, Angus Taylor was right there. 0:12:52.220 --> 0:12:55.429 You know, we're seeing another bailout. And it just poses 0:12:55.460 --> 0:12:57.780 the question that when does the government stop and say, 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:01.200 you know what, our energy policy simply isn't working. We 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:04.720 don't have the funds to keep bailing out smelters. Let's 0:13:04.760 --> 0:13:06.740 change the energy policy so we don't have to go 0:13:06.780 --> 0:13:07.599 down that path. 0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:09.740 Absolutely. 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:12.479 I mean, net zero has had a huge impact on industry. 0:13:12.540 --> 0:13:14.870 It has driven up the cost of electricity and our 0:13:14.929 --> 0:13:16.010 energy and it's. 0:13:15.950 --> 0:13:21.510 Made Australia uncompetitive. in the industry market. It's a failure. 0:13:21.970 --> 0:13:23.729 And so they should be pulling it out, including the 0:13:23.790 --> 0:13:24.610 Paris Agreement. 0:13:25.110 --> 0:13:29.190 They should be, you know, looking at clean baseload power, 0:13:29.710 --> 0:13:32.880 reopening coal plants, getting them up and going until they 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:36.579 can bring in something like nuclear. But until that happens, 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:39.439 we're going to see these continuous failures. I mean, look 0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:43.140 at South Australia. We've just spent $ 2. 4 billion to bail 0:13:43.200 --> 0:13:46.270 out the Wyala Steelworks plant And now we're going to 0:13:46.290 --> 0:13:49.000 be funding its closure and the cost of off-boarding all 0:13:49.020 --> 0:13:50.160 the staff with their. 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:52.440 Leave and entitlements and so on and so forth. 0:13:52.480 --> 0:13:54.400 This is just another policy failure. 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:59.230 We're now spending tax-funded money where inflation is sky-high and. 0:13:59.170 --> 0:14:00.370 The government doesn't seem to care. 0:14:00.390 --> 0:14:02.930 It's just another day, another bailout, and it's atrocious. 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:06.530 Carolee, what's your view on this? Because I just think 0:14:06.570 --> 0:14:09.550 it doesn't cost a cent to lift the moratorium on 0:14:09.590 --> 0:14:11.480 nuclear so that we can at least start having a 0:14:11.520 --> 0:14:14.440 discussion about another source of energy as a way to 0:14:14.480 --> 0:14:17.350 try and save these smelters without needing the taxpayer dollar. 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:22.780 Well, I think slowly but surely the Australian public are 0:14:22.820 --> 0:14:24.940 realising that the wool has been pulled out of our 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.800 eyes for many, many years, that net zero really is 0:14:27.920 --> 0:14:29.360 not achieving anything. 0:14:29.820 --> 0:14:30.780 But the thing is, you've got. 0:14:30.700 --> 0:14:34.450 Chris Bowen in one corner, always promoting these green hydrogen 0:14:34.490 --> 0:14:38.160 and these renewable schemes. But every time a bill lands 0:14:38.400 --> 0:14:42.100 in an Australian householder's letterbox, whether they rent or whether 0:14:42.140 --> 0:14:47.540 they own a property, our power bills are not $ 275 cheaper, 0:14:47.660 --> 0:14:48.060 are they? 0:14:48.660 --> 0:14:51.130 The penny is slowly dropping to everybody and. 0:14:51.050 --> 0:14:53.830 It is folly because the thing is, we're always saying 0:14:53.850 --> 0:14:56.330 that we're comparing ourselves to the rest of the world. 0:14:56.790 --> 0:14:59.070 The rest of the world has actually agreed that net 0:14:59.130 --> 0:15:02.720 zero is just not achievable and they've pivoted. Now, I 0:15:02.750 --> 0:15:05.440 don't like the word pivoted, but it's applicable in this case. 0:15:05.890 --> 0:15:07.210 That they're going on another tack. 0:15:07.230 --> 0:15:10.930 They're actually realising that they need reliable baseload power. 0:15:11.290 --> 0:15:12.390 I mean, it is ridiculous. 0:15:12.430 --> 0:15:16.920 We have all these natural resources in Australia, whether it's uranium, 0:15:16.980 --> 0:15:20.040 whether it's gas, whether it's coal. We're more than willing 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:22.640 to dig it up and ship it offshore, but we're 0:15:22.660 --> 0:15:26.280 not willing to use it to make Australians' lives better. 0:15:26.930 --> 0:15:29.570 And it's a bit of a hypocritical stance by the government. 0:15:29.950 --> 0:15:32.290 But of course, they're not wanting to suffer the backlash 0:15:32.310 --> 0:15:35.910 from people because it's an admission that these renewable schemes 0:15:35.980 --> 0:15:39.780 and hydrogen schemes and wind power and things really aren't working. 0:15:40.120 --> 0:15:43.400 But as we say, if the nuclear question comes up again, 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:45.700 we know that the Labor Party will go on and 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.960 on about three headed fish and three headed people instead 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:51.859 of actually looking at the reliable Western economies around the world. 0:15:52.200 --> 0:15:56.780 that have sensibly embraced nuclear energy and actually realising that 0:15:56.830 --> 0:15:59.510 the world has moved on from the scare campaigns. 0:15:59.030 --> 0:16:00.390 Of 40 or 50 years ago. 0:16:00.870 --> 0:16:03.990 So I do think that the moratorium should definitely be listed, 0:16:04.290 --> 0:16:05.410 but I think it needs to be. 0:16:05.370 --> 0:16:06.630 Made front and centre. 0:16:06.670 --> 0:16:09.050 I've said once before, Peter Dutton, when he was the 0:16:09.090 --> 0:16:12.479 opposition leader, he was giving something for people to actually 0:16:13.180 --> 0:16:15.780 look and think, and then it just whittled away, and 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:17.760 we know how all that went. But I think really 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.700 now Angus Taylor should be bringing it up again and 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.880 giving Australians, mapping it out as to how our country 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:26.950 could be, because our standard of living is going backwards 0:16:27.150 --> 0:16:27.950 and it is not good. 0:16:28.670 --> 0:16:29.910 Yeah, you're absolutely spot on there. 0:16:29.950 --> 0:16:31.910 And I think it'd be really important that the Coalition 0:16:32.450 --> 0:16:35.630 includes an education piece as part of their wider energy 0:16:35.750 --> 0:16:38.130 policy that Dan Teen announced last week, which I think 0:16:38.390 --> 0:16:38.990 was really good. 0:16:39.510 --> 0:16:40.360 Let's move on now. 0:16:40.580 --> 0:16:43.060 Steph, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has added to 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:45.780 the calls for the federal government to cut back on spending. 0:16:45.820 --> 0:16:48.680 And this is following Tuesday's inflation hike. 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:50.280 Here he was yesterday. 0:16:51.070 --> 0:16:54.310 I think every government has a responsibility to do what 0:16:54.350 --> 0:16:57.850 it can to take demand out of the economy. We've 0:16:57.870 --> 0:17:00.229 said many times, the Treasurer, New South Wales Treasurer and 0:17:00.250 --> 0:17:02.840 myself have said many times that we have heard the 0:17:03.260 --> 0:17:07.000 advice from the RBA over the last two years that 0:17:08.160 --> 0:17:10.100 we need to be careful with public funds. 0:17:11.560 --> 0:17:14.080 How significant is that, that we now even have a 0:17:14.320 --> 0:17:17.590 Labor Premier wanting spending to be reined in? 0:17:17.750 --> 0:17:19.530 Surely the federal government will start listening. 0:17:21.140 --> 0:17:22.639 Well, you'd hope so. I mean, New South Wales is 0:17:22.700 --> 0:17:24.060 obviously going to an election. 0:17:24.200 --> 0:17:25.600 Chris Minns is clearly. 0:17:26.780 --> 0:17:30.810 Very concerned about that because One Nation's popularity is driving 0:17:30.830 --> 0:17:32.570 off the back of all the cost of living pressures 0:17:32.670 --> 0:17:35.909 and the failure of both major parties to answer to them. But, 0:17:35.970 --> 0:17:38.470 I mean, you look, Australian households are tightening their belt 0:17:38.510 --> 0:17:41.800 wherever you look, yet we still have NBIS blowouts, public 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:46.510 services growing. Everywhere you look, this government is spending and 0:17:46.730 --> 0:17:50.580 inflation is going up and people are suffering as a result. 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:52.679 You've got people who are now at the risk of 0:17:53.119 --> 0:17:56.639 having homes that are going to be mortgaged higher than 0:17:56.680 --> 0:18:01.179 they're worth their value. The Australian people are suffering. And 0:18:01.220 --> 0:18:04.540 you've got these sort of global junkets about climate change 0:18:04.580 --> 0:18:07.179 where they're spending millions of dollars here. The government is 0:18:07.240 --> 0:18:10.110 spending like there's no tomorrow. So I imagine Chris Minns 0:18:10.150 --> 0:18:12.410 is very nervous. I do hope Albanese, for the sake 0:18:12.450 --> 0:18:15.870 of Australian people, actually take heed and listen. 0:18:15.950 --> 0:18:19.210 But, yeah, the government spending is out of control. 0:18:20.410 --> 0:18:21.540 Let's look at AI now. 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:25.859 And Australia's eSafety Commissioner has rejected Donald Trump's push for 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:29.660 AI companies to police themselves and has declared that the 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:31.460 era of self-regulation by. 0:18:31.420 --> 0:18:32.919 Tech giants is over. 0:18:33.720 --> 0:18:37.159 It comes as South Australian Premier Peter Malinowskis revealed the 0:18:37.220 --> 0:18:40.720 details of the state's Royal Commission into AI. And the 0:18:40.770 --> 0:18:43.510 Royal Commission will be led by former federal court judge 0:18:43.630 --> 0:18:44.750 Dr Ian Ross. 0:18:44.970 --> 0:18:45.330 Here he is. 0:18:46.170 --> 0:18:50.800 We know that AI is already changing. the way that 0:18:50.820 --> 0:18:54.100 people live, but most critically, the way they work. Ian 0:18:54.140 --> 0:19:00.010 has a fuller appreciation of how government policy can have 0:19:00.030 --> 0:19:02.990 an impact on the way we work and in turn 0:19:03.030 --> 0:19:03.710 the way we live. 0:19:04.790 --> 0:19:07.570 And then on top of all of this, Neighbours veteran 0:19:07.690 --> 0:19:13.880 Stefan Dennis has slammed plans for a so-called AI micro episodes. 0:19:13.940 --> 0:19:17.300 And this is going to be made using archived footage 0:19:17.359 --> 0:19:18.359 of Margot Robbie. 0:19:19.270 --> 0:19:20.350 What's your take on this? 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:26.780 Look, I have reservations about the future of AI and 0:19:26.880 --> 0:19:29.800 I do think we need some safeguards around them. It's 0:19:29.840 --> 0:19:32.840 certainly an It's an uncertain future with how it will go, 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:34.320 particularly with the Medicare. 0:19:34.440 --> 0:19:37.859 So I support the Royal Commission. I think it's a 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:38.320 good thing. 0:19:38.340 --> 0:19:41.379 I don't necessarily want the eSafety Commissioner anywhere near it 0:19:41.420 --> 0:19:44.369 because she'll just use it for her own agenda. But 0:19:44.730 --> 0:19:47.630 in terms of the Margot Robbie issue, I think that 0:19:47.710 --> 0:19:49.960 I hope they've consulted with her before using her MSP. 0:19:50.800 --> 0:19:53.160 And I think the arts is another area where AI 0:19:53.220 --> 0:19:57.700 could potentially replace genuine talent. So there's just so many 0:19:57.740 --> 0:20:01.330 different facets to this issue. I think some safeguards would 0:20:01.350 --> 0:20:02.889 be good, but I do think this is also a 0:20:02.910 --> 0:20:05.990 global conversation because a lot of the AI companies. 0:20:05.770 --> 0:20:08.909 Are based in America or through international. 0:20:08.390 --> 0:20:10.920 Companies and And we do need to have some safeguards 0:20:10.980 --> 0:20:13.859 in place to protect people. Otherwise, Australians are going to 0:20:13.900 --> 0:20:16.080 be suffering or footing the bill in the event of 0:20:16.140 --> 0:20:17.580 a catastrophic event. 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:19.960 So I think the Royal Commission is a good thing. 0:20:21.119 --> 0:20:24.540 Carolee, there's only two months to go until the Victorian 0:20:24.580 --> 0:20:29.170 election and opposition leader Jess Wilson Has a comfortable lead 0:20:29.210 --> 0:20:34.340 as preferred Premier if you look at the latest freshwater polling, 45% 0:20:34.340 --> 0:20:38.480 and Ben Carroll's on 33%. Labor's primary vote has also 0:20:38.520 --> 0:20:41.040 dropped down to 24% and it's a full five points 0:20:41.100 --> 0:20:44.280 behind the Coalition. It really appears that the change of 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:47.139 leader hasn't been enough to turn the polls around. 0:20:50.300 --> 0:20:54.590 Well, Jamie and also Stephanie, absolutely. November the 28th is 0:20:54.690 --> 0:20:57.070 the day that Victorians will go to the polls. They've 0:20:57.109 --> 0:21:01.290 had a very incompetent Labor state government for 12 years 0:21:01.390 --> 0:21:05.290 with three different leaders, Dan Andrews, Jacinta Allen and, of. 0:21:05.290 --> 0:21:06.490 Course, now Ben Carroll. 0:21:07.210 --> 0:21:10.570 And they're really realising the two most important issues, 48% 0:21:10.570 --> 0:21:12.470 of them, is. 0:21:12.410 --> 0:21:14.050 Youth crime and bail laws. 0:21:14.350 --> 0:21:17.359 Law and order and youth crime is massive in this state. 0:21:17.840 --> 0:21:20.159 We've covered a lot on potholes and you have on 0:21:20.220 --> 0:21:23.840 your show and the general degradation of road maintenance and 0:21:23.900 --> 0:21:25.360 budgets for a lot of other. 0:21:25.580 --> 0:21:26.739 Areas in Victoria. 0:21:27.350 --> 0:21:30.130 But it really is a very serious situation because it's 0:21:30.190 --> 0:21:32.290 now getting to the stage in Victoria and it's. 0:21:32.190 --> 0:21:33.889 Been like this for the last couple of years. 0:21:34.430 --> 0:21:37.890 It's what do you have to do not to get 0:21:37.970 --> 0:21:41.890 bail in Victoria? What do you have to do not 0:21:41.970 --> 0:21:45.250 to get bail? Because we have a revolving door of 0:21:45.490 --> 0:21:50.960 about 1,200 recidivist young youth offenders aged between 11 and 0:21:50.960 --> 0:21:54.800 17 that have committed all sorts of crimes and are 0:21:54.840 --> 0:21:58.800 just continually bailed. And we've had murders of people and 0:21:58.820 --> 0:22:00.500 attacks on many people. 0:22:01.100 --> 0:22:04.570 And it is just this revolving door. And Victorians have 0:22:04.609 --> 0:22:05.070 had enough. 0:22:05.290 --> 0:22:07.469 It is fair to say that there is not one 0:22:07.850 --> 0:22:11.869 person in Victoria that hasn't either been affected by crime 0:22:11.990 --> 0:22:15.030 in some way, whether they're a business owner or personally, 0:22:15.190 --> 0:22:15.770 or whether. 0:22:15.570 --> 0:22:17.650 It's a relative or a friend of theirs that has 0:22:17.690 --> 0:22:18.390 been affected. 0:22:18.880 --> 0:22:21.520 And now we have Ben Carroll, who is doing backflips 0:22:21.580 --> 0:22:25.830 all over the place, You remember Jacinta Allen, her SRL 0:22:25.850 --> 0:22:31.750 17-kilometre train to nowhere for $ 35 billion for the first stage. Well, 0:22:31.790 --> 0:22:34.080 now he wants to do this airport rail link and 0:22:34.119 --> 0:22:37.340 he's hanging his hat on that, another pet project. The 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:39.560 rail link was going to be done by Melbourne Airport 0:22:39.600 --> 0:22:42.359 and done underground, but the state government didn't want it. 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:43.879 But the bottom line is. 0:22:44.100 --> 0:22:47.340 We've paid $ 600 million in compensation. 0:22:46.880 --> 0:22:48.500 Not to host the Commonwealth Games. 0:22:48.920 --> 0:22:52.760 There are carjackings where the most highest taxing state in Australia. 0:22:52.940 --> 0:22:56.300 It is not safe in Victoria. And all we hear 0:22:56.400 --> 0:22:59.770 day and day is being gaslit by things. Victoria and 0:22:59.790 --> 0:23:02.690 Melbourne is not a safe place and people are really hurting. 0:23:03.070 --> 0:23:05.209 I mean, I do have to say, and I'll probably 0:23:05.250 --> 0:23:08.830 be criticised for attacking something personally, but when Ben Carroll 0:23:08.850 --> 0:23:11.630 was first installed as leader, there was a puff piece 0:23:11.670 --> 0:23:13.500 done on him. And he said he got his wife 0:23:13.580 --> 0:23:17.140 a takeaway coffee every morning from the local takeaway shop 0:23:17.400 --> 0:23:19.580 to support a local business and And he was not 0:23:19.619 --> 0:23:21.959 going to give up his things on Saturday morning, taking 0:23:22.020 --> 0:23:24.960 his daughter to ballet. That's wonderful and good on him. 0:23:25.280 --> 0:23:25.900 But you know what? 0:23:26.320 --> 0:23:29.000 Five days a week of a takeaway coffee at $ 6 each, 0:23:29.080 --> 0:23:32.200 that's $ 30 a week, $ 120 a month. 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:33.500 You do the maths. 0:23:34.040 --> 0:23:37.020 I know families that can't even afford to put food 0:23:37.080 --> 0:23:39.570 on the table, that have been driven to the edge, 0:23:39.869 --> 0:23:43.610 that have had to cut sport and even other things 0:23:43.650 --> 0:23:45.980 from their kids' lives because It's not living in a 0:23:46.040 --> 0:23:48.460 real world. When have any of our politicians ever actually 0:23:48.480 --> 0:23:52.159 gone down to Centrelink, sat there at Services Australia, mulled 0:23:52.240 --> 0:23:55.260 outside and find out what is really important to Victorians? 0:23:55.760 --> 0:23:56.270 I've done it. 0:23:56.380 --> 0:23:58.679 I'm not even a politician, but I've done it to 0:23:58.700 --> 0:24:01.480 be able to tell you what Victorians think and they're 0:24:01.520 --> 0:24:04.740 not happy and change will hopefully be coming because this 0:24:04.780 --> 0:24:07.919 has been a disgrace in the last 12 years and 0:24:07.940 --> 0:24:11.180 the gaslighting and the safety of Victorians has been chucked 0:24:11.240 --> 0:24:13.169 out of the window by all three of them. 0:24:14.450 --> 0:24:18.200 Well, Steph, we can end on a more positive, lighter note. 0:24:18.680 --> 0:24:21.100 And this was something that caught my attention today. And 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:24.900 Target has now joined forces with Uber Eats. So basically 0:24:24.920 --> 0:24:28.330 you can now get fashion or everyday essentials delivered to 0:24:28.590 --> 0:24:31.230 yourself in under an hour. And I saw that and 0:24:31.250 --> 0:24:34.530 I thought, you know what, that's genius because there's nothing 0:24:34.570 --> 0:24:37.270 like a last-minute birthday party present or something. You don't 0:24:37.290 --> 0:24:38.800 have time to get to the shops and now you 0:24:38.820 --> 0:24:40.739 can go and do that on Uber Eats and get 0:24:40.780 --> 0:24:41.320 it delivered. 0:24:41.480 --> 0:24:42.120 What do you think? 0:24:42.840 --> 0:24:44.000 I'm all on board. 0:24:44.060 --> 0:24:46.200 I mean, I would often order from Amazon if I 0:24:46.240 --> 0:24:48.600 had a last-minute party that I'd forgotten. I think it's 0:24:48.640 --> 0:24:51.180 great that we can now support local businesses by getting 0:24:51.240 --> 0:24:54.020 things from local shops with local people putting that together. 0:24:54.040 --> 0:24:55.160 I think it's great. Well done. 0:24:56.369 --> 0:24:58.630 And, Carolee, will you be jumping on to Uber Eats 0:24:58.710 --> 0:25:00.520 to get some items from Target? 0:25:03.780 --> 0:25:05.940 No, I must admit I'm a bricks and mortar person. 0:25:05.980 --> 0:25:07.920 I'll actually walk in there with my kids. I like 0:25:07.960 --> 0:25:09.880 to teach them the cost of money, but I do 0:25:09.940 --> 0:25:11.679 shop at Target. But, no, I won't be doing the 0:25:11.780 --> 0:25:12.420 Uber Eats thing. 0:25:13.200 --> 0:25:15.920 Carolee, just quickly before you go, can you just quickly 0:25:15.960 --> 0:25:19.260 tell us about the story of Annika Wells, been named 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:23.400 Times 100 Rising Star List around her social media ban? 0:25:24.369 --> 0:25:24.550 Yes. 0:25:25.850 --> 0:25:29.130 Yeah, look, she's been named on the rising star list 0:25:29.150 --> 0:25:31.770 for the top 100 that Time has done for her 0:25:31.869 --> 0:25:35.460 influence in protecting children, you know, from the digital age 0:25:35.520 --> 0:25:40.060 with Australia's regulations. But this is ridiculous because they fail 0:25:40.100 --> 0:25:43.420 to actually say that, you know, she went to New York, 0:25:43.500 --> 0:25:47.800 she billed the taxpayer $ 100, 000 for herself and two staffers 0:25:48.260 --> 0:25:50.760 because she had to be delayed because of the Optus 0:25:50.859 --> 0:25:53.980 outage that happened in September 2025 and She was delayed 0:25:54.020 --> 0:25:57.640 by two days. She was communications minister then. She got 0:25:57.680 --> 0:26:00.109 criticised at the time, and rightly so, and people do 0:26:00.190 --> 0:26:03.490 conveniently forget about it. But she doesn't deserve this award, 0:26:03.510 --> 0:26:06.330 because what she should have done was actually address the 0:26:06.390 --> 0:26:11.550 United Nations via Zoom. Her six-and-a-half-minute speech with three staffers 0:26:11.890 --> 0:26:18.810 cost the Australian taxpayer more than $ 100, 000. 0:26:15.369 --> 0:26:16.390 And what's she really doing? 0:26:16.410 --> 0:26:18.830 Because the interviews that I've seen, like Peter Cretton, like 0:26:18.850 --> 0:26:22.210 you on your show have pointed out, is she's conflating 0:26:22.280 --> 0:26:26.540 the digital duty of care with actual regulation. And it's dangerous. 0:26:26.780 --> 0:26:29.540 It's absolutely dangerous what they're doing. And no, she doesn't 0:26:29.560 --> 0:26:31.520 deserve the award at all. She should have done her 0:26:31.580 --> 0:26:34.440 job as communications minister and got to the bottom of 0:26:34.500 --> 0:26:37.380 the triple zero outage before jetting off to New York 0:26:37.640 --> 0:26:39.219 just because it's a fun place to be. 0:26:39.930 --> 0:26:41.830 You know, it's coming at the same time that Albo's 0:26:41.910 --> 0:26:44.690 off getting his Global Citizen Award in New York. Annika 0:26:44.730 --> 0:26:50.320 Wells is a Times 100 most influential up-and-coming rising people. Meanwhile, 0:26:50.359 --> 0:26:53.780 back here, it's not going that well. Caroline, Stephanie, thank 0:26:53.800 --> 0:26:57.020 you so much for your time. Well, after the break, 0:26:57.040 --> 0:26:59.960 just two months remain until Victorians go to the polls. 0:27:00.020 --> 0:27:00.780 The election could. 0:27:00.700 --> 0:27:03.859 Come down to the most basic of issues, potholes and 0:27:03.920 --> 0:27:04.660 street maintenance. 0:27:05.080 --> 0:27:11.410 More on that next. Welcome back. It's great to have 0:27:11.450 --> 0:27:12.090 your company. 0:27:12.790 --> 0:27:15.909 Let's look now at this ongoing fight by farmers in 0:27:15.970 --> 0:27:19.330 New England against the New South Wales government's renewable energy 0:27:19.369 --> 0:27:22.460 zone and the transmission lines that come with it. The 0:27:22.500 --> 0:27:26.780 proposed zone is centred around communities, including Wolka, with residents 0:27:26.840 --> 0:27:30.500 raising concerns about the scale, cost and impact of the 0:27:30.540 --> 0:27:35.080 wind and transmission infrastructure Its planned capacity has ballooned from 0:27:35.140 --> 0:27:38.879 an initial four gigawatts to eight gigawatts of network capacity, 0:27:39.380 --> 0:27:44.460 requiring vastly more wind generation and much larger transmission infrastructure. 0:27:45.070 --> 0:27:48.570 Critics say the project has been pushed ahead despite warnings 0:27:48.630 --> 0:27:52.570 about its scale and cost. with a mandatory electricity cost 0:27:52.609 --> 0:27:55.970 report now potentially exposing the true price to New South 0:27:56.010 --> 0:28:00.280 Wales consumers. But today we can reveal Sky Ridge Wind 0:28:00.340 --> 0:28:02.320 Farm has withdrawn from the plans. 0:28:02.859 --> 0:28:03.960 Here to tell us what. 0:28:03.840 --> 0:28:07.119 That means is campaigner and member of the Walker Guardians, 0:28:07.320 --> 0:28:07.820 Anna Young. 0:28:08.420 --> 0:28:12.419 Anna, welcome. What does this exit mean now for the 0:28:12.480 --> 0:28:13.619 future of the proposal? 0:28:14.619 --> 0:28:17.900 Yeah, look, there was a huge collective celebration and sigh 0:28:17.920 --> 0:28:21.010 of relief when Origin Energy announced pulling out of Sky Ridge. 0:28:22.130 --> 0:28:24.390 You know, at a big level, it shows us that 0:28:24.930 --> 0:28:28.690 the writing's been on the wall. The generation for electricity 0:28:28.770 --> 0:28:31.950 up here, wind and solar, has absolutely fallen out in 0:28:31.970 --> 0:28:35.100 the New England region. And, you know, it begs the 0:28:35.119 --> 0:28:39.640 question now why the Minns Albanese Labor Government are continuing 0:28:39.720 --> 0:28:43.640 with a $ 20 billion transmission project and renewable energy zone, 0:28:44.260 --> 0:28:47.160 on a concept of a field of dreams, because they 0:28:47.200 --> 0:28:50.400 keep saying, we build this line, the projects will come. 0:28:50.480 --> 0:28:53.750 And we just know as landowners around this region, that 0:28:53.810 --> 0:28:56.970 is absolutely not the case. You know, we did a 0:28:56.990 --> 0:29:02.830 recent survey of our landowners and 350 plus landowners said, 0:29:03.050 --> 0:29:05.270 we do not want any part in this with only 0:29:05.270 --> 0:29:08.190 22 in our whole area saying that they did. And 0:29:08.290 --> 0:29:12.400 so with only one project left of 14 originally proposed 0:29:12.440 --> 0:29:15.880 by Welker and energy back when this was declared, it 0:29:15.920 --> 0:29:19.340 begs serious questions why the Minsk government are continuing with 0:29:19.360 --> 0:29:20.000 this rollout. 0:29:21.180 --> 0:29:25.280 Now, acquisition letters have already been sent to property owners, 0:29:25.860 --> 0:29:28.620 but how can that be happening when the findings of 0:29:28.770 --> 0:29:31.770 environmental impact studies haven't even been returned yet? 0:29:32.730 --> 0:29:35.610 Yeah, this is a case of cart before the horse. 0:29:36.070 --> 0:29:36.650 Absolutely. 0:29:36.710 --> 0:29:39.870 You know, before they've released the studies to show whether 0:29:39.890 --> 0:29:45.520 this project stacks up environmentally, financially, socially, they're now trying 0:29:45.580 --> 0:29:49.620 to force hundreds of farmers along this line to sign 0:29:49.720 --> 0:29:53.870 acquisition agreements to take parts of our land, And so, 0:29:53.880 --> 0:29:58.410 you know, again, absolutely backwards processes. They haven't even done 0:29:58.450 --> 0:30:01.470 the costings of this thing, which is just ludicrous. When 0:30:01.510 --> 0:30:04.250 you think about the fact that yesterday you had Premier 0:30:04.270 --> 0:30:07.490 Minns out there spruiking that people need to tighten their belt, 0:30:07.530 --> 0:30:09.430 the government is going to tighten their belt because it's 0:30:09.450 --> 0:30:12.310 a cost of living crisis. And here they are trying 0:30:12.410 --> 0:30:16.240 to spend money acquiring land when they don't even know 0:30:16.300 --> 0:30:17.640 if a project. 0:30:17.320 --> 0:30:18.480 Stacks up at all. 0:30:20.170 --> 0:30:22.260 It just, it beggars belief, doesn't it? 0:30:22.640 --> 0:30:25.960 It just blows my mind every time I dig into 0:30:26.100 --> 0:30:30.000 what's going on out in, you know, country areas about 0:30:30.080 --> 0:30:32.950 the land. I went out to Crookwell and saw for 0:30:32.990 --> 0:30:36.610 myself the renewable projects But the issue as well is 0:30:36.650 --> 0:30:40.290 that if anything goes wrong, who's then responsible? So some 0:30:40.310 --> 0:30:42.170 of the roads were starting to fall apart due to 0:30:42.190 --> 0:30:45.270 the big trucks driving through and no one is accepting 0:30:45.330 --> 0:30:46.590 responsibility on. 0:30:46.610 --> 0:30:47.300 How to fix it. 0:30:47.590 --> 0:30:50.550 So there's so many other ongoing issues to the wider 0:30:50.570 --> 0:30:51.890 renewable projects, isn't there? 0:30:52.690 --> 0:30:53.570 Yeah, absolutely. 0:30:53.770 --> 0:30:57.890 The cost to communities is exponential. And, you know, I 0:30:57.930 --> 0:31:01.850 think the government never initially told people how big the 0:31:01.890 --> 0:31:04.670 projects would be. And then you've got developers who don't 0:31:04.710 --> 0:31:07.410 tell individual farm owners how big their impacts are going 0:31:07.450 --> 0:31:09.480 to be on their communities, because if they did, no 0:31:09.580 --> 0:31:11.420 one would ever sign up to this. And, you know, 0:31:11.460 --> 0:31:14.560 with the transmission infrastructure, this New England res, they're talking 0:31:14.600 --> 0:31:17.560 about an a thousand percent increase on our water resources 0:31:17.640 --> 0:31:17.920 up here. 0:31:18.040 --> 0:31:19.220 We do not have the water. 0:31:19.360 --> 0:31:23.700 And so, you know, it really is shocking how big 0:31:24.140 --> 0:31:26.860 this all is and how much we need to rethink 0:31:26.920 --> 0:31:29.320 our energy policy all around us, our country. 0:31:30.390 --> 0:31:33.570 Yeah, because you did, you launched the Walker Declaration back 0:31:33.790 --> 0:31:35.730 in June and that was exactly what you just said, 0:31:35.830 --> 0:31:39.730 calling for a national rethink of Australia's energy policy because 0:31:39.750 --> 0:31:40.650 it is much bigger. 0:31:41.040 --> 0:31:42.680 It's bigger than in Walker. 0:31:42.720 --> 0:31:45.860 It's literally happening right across the country. What else are 0:31:45.900 --> 0:31:48.580 you hearing from farmers right around Australia? 0:31:48.600 --> 0:31:52.780 Yeah, look, I think farmers all around Australia are reaching out, 0:31:52.840 --> 0:31:56.430 talking about how disappointed they are in this government, how 0:31:56.490 --> 0:32:00.030 disappointed they are in this, you know, this government absolute 0:32:00.090 --> 0:32:04.310 commitment to something that was proposed years and years ago. 0:32:04.410 --> 0:32:05.890 And it's like they don't want to do any due 0:32:05.910 --> 0:32:08.860 diligence of up-to-date information and pivot at all. 0:32:08.910 --> 0:32:12.260 So it's just headstrong running a train into a brick wall. 0:32:12.440 --> 0:32:17.140 And when every other party, the Nationals, the Liberals, every 0:32:17.160 --> 0:32:19.400 other party is saying we need to rethink the policy, 0:32:19.900 --> 0:32:23.610 why is the Minsk, Albanese, other state premiers. 0:32:23.690 --> 0:32:26.310 Why are they not actually doing the same? 0:32:26.350 --> 0:32:28.630 And so this Walker Declaration is can be signed by 0:32:28.690 --> 0:32:31.250 anyone in Australia that says we need to rethink our 0:32:31.330 --> 0:32:35.270 energy policy because we have an abundance of resources and 0:32:35.350 --> 0:32:38.050 we need to make sure that we are not irreversibly 0:32:38.190 --> 0:32:42.740 damaging our whole country in terms of economically. We can't 0:32:42.780 --> 0:32:45.840 come back from this if they keep going down this path. 0:32:47.060 --> 0:32:51.530 Anna, has Chris Bowen or anyone from within the Labor 0:32:51.570 --> 0:32:55.390 government actually come out to Wolka and seen firsthand what's 0:32:55.410 --> 0:32:55.780 going on? 0:32:56.720 --> 0:33:00.770 We have asked Premier Minns to come here four, five 0:33:00.910 --> 0:33:01.730 plus times. 0:33:02.770 --> 0:33:05.750 Considering this is a $ 20. 0:33:04.310 --> 0:33:07.570 Billion project and there are so many issues with it, 0:33:08.690 --> 0:33:11.709 and we got 22,000 signatures with the help of you guys, 0:33:12.130 --> 0:33:14.590 you would really think that he would want to show 0:33:14.630 --> 0:33:15.810 fiscal responsibility. 0:33:15.890 --> 0:33:18.150 And so he keeps refusing. He said he's too busy 0:33:18.190 --> 0:33:19.090 in New South Wales. 0:33:19.130 --> 0:33:21.790 And considering we are actually part of New South Wales, 0:33:21.810 --> 0:33:24.260 that was a really concerning comment. But we're not too 0:33:24.300 --> 0:33:28.720 surprised because You know, Premier Minns, Albanese, they really don't 0:33:28.760 --> 0:33:29.980 care about regional people. 0:33:30.040 --> 0:33:32.800 But without us, there's no food. And so I think 0:33:32.900 --> 0:33:34.800 that the tides are turning. 0:33:34.920 --> 0:33:37.680 And, you know, I do hope that Premier Minns comes 0:33:37.760 --> 0:33:40.450 out and looks at this disaster because it's his disaster. 0:33:40.510 --> 0:33:42.710 He's had three and a half years to do the 0:33:42.750 --> 0:33:44.830 investigations and he hasn't. 0:33:44.890 --> 0:33:48.070 And now he's rushing ahead with a really problematic project. 0:33:49.290 --> 0:33:52.370 Well, Anna, I appreciate your time tonight. Keep up the fight. 0:33:52.510 --> 0:33:56.060 We will chat to you again soon. After the break, 0:33:56.100 --> 0:33:59.420 we'll dive into the issues that really matter for Victorian voters. 0:33:59.700 --> 0:34:07.200 And it might not be what you think. Welcome back. 0:34:07.320 --> 0:34:10.180 Coming up, we'll take a look at that extraordinary hijack 0:34:10.219 --> 0:34:13.919 attempt on a flight en route to Israel. But now 0:34:13.940 --> 0:34:17.160 to Victoria, where just two months remain until Victorians go 0:34:17.180 --> 0:34:19.219 to the polls and what is looking to be a 0:34:19.410 --> 0:34:24.270 showdown decided on bread and butter issues, potholes and street maintenance. 0:34:25.340 --> 0:34:27.600 Welcome to Victoria's newest national park. 0:34:28.239 --> 0:34:30.759 Just kidding, this is a traffic island in the middle 0:34:30.780 --> 0:34:32.080 of a busy intersection. 0:34:34.920 --> 0:34:35.800 If someone runs. 0:34:35.640 --> 0:34:38.109 That red light and you're waiting here, you'd never see 0:34:38.150 --> 0:34:43.940 them coming. The government's own rules say that these plants 0:34:43.960 --> 0:34:45.460 can't be taller than 60 centimetres. 0:34:46.040 --> 0:34:47.580 These plants should have been cut years ago. 0:34:47.760 --> 0:34:50.569 But because the government refuses to do their gardening, our 0:34:50.610 --> 0:34:53.510 locals are less safe on the roads and that's what 0:34:53.510 --> 0:34:55.589 12 years of labour gets you. And if you can't 0:34:55.610 --> 0:34:57.609 get the little things right, you can't get the big 0:34:57.630 --> 0:34:58.650 things right either. 0:34:58.870 --> 0:35:02.150 It starts with a bush and it ends with $ 15 0:35:01.450 --> 0:35:03.219 billion lost to corruption. 0:35:03.239 --> 0:35:06.620 Victorians need a government that actually gets the basics right 0:35:06.640 --> 0:35:09.900 and with Jess Wilson as Premier, that's exactly what we'll do. 0:35:10.040 --> 0:35:11.220 It's time for a fresh start. 0:35:12.480 --> 0:35:16.380 Nicole Werner is the garden inspector, MP for Warrandyte and 0:35:16.400 --> 0:35:19.319 the shadow minister for home ownership and housing affordability. 0:35:19.460 --> 0:35:22.239 And she joins me now. Nicole, welcome. 0:35:22.719 --> 0:35:26.180 That is another cracker of a social media video from you. 0:35:26.700 --> 0:35:28.360 They're certainly getting real cut through. 0:35:28.420 --> 0:35:31.580 And I think it's because it just highlights the kind 0:35:31.620 --> 0:35:35.020 of issues that are really starting to make Victorians angry. 0:35:35.600 --> 0:35:36.600 And you're right. 0:35:36.739 --> 0:35:40.100 If this government can't get the simple things done, you've 0:35:40.120 --> 0:35:40.720 got a problem. 0:35:42.020 --> 0:35:44.779 Absolutely we do and this is what 12 years of 0:35:44.840 --> 0:35:48.400 neglect under Labor looks like. Ben Carroll was the roads 0:35:48.440 --> 0:35:51.380 minister and this is just one example of neglect whether 0:35:51.420 --> 0:35:54.520 it be roads or potholes or graffiti or like that 0:35:54.560 --> 0:35:58.080 video roadside vegetation it is time for them to go. 0:35:59.560 --> 0:36:03.129 How is it that we have a looming election that's 0:36:03.210 --> 0:36:08.690 likely to be decided on issues like potholes and street maintenance. 0:36:08.770 --> 0:36:12.190 That would seem like a normal campaign for council elections, 0:36:12.710 --> 0:36:15.330 not state, but it just goes to show the situation 0:36:15.370 --> 0:36:16.049 Victoria's in. 0:36:17.070 --> 0:36:20.430 Well, again, after 12 years of Labor who have failed 0:36:20.469 --> 0:36:24.650 to get these core responsibilities right, it's now become an 0:36:24.730 --> 0:36:27.780 election issue, these basics that they failed to get right 0:36:27.800 --> 0:36:31.750 for Victorians. And I must say, Jamie, that if you 0:36:31.770 --> 0:36:34.430 spend $ 15 billion on corruption, then you will run out 0:36:34.469 --> 0:36:38.020 of money for basic road maintenance and otherwise, like potholes. 0:36:38.500 --> 0:36:42.589 So that just is an example of how broken this 0:36:42.610 --> 0:36:43.830 state has become under Labor. 0:36:45.100 --> 0:36:47.620 Well, let's go to that latest polling now. So this 0:36:47.700 --> 0:36:50.930 is a freshwater strategy poll that was conducted in September, 0:36:51.469 --> 0:36:54.550 and it shows Labor's primary vote is down one point, 0:36:54.770 --> 0:36:58.570 and if those numbers were replicated at November's election, Labor 0:36:58.630 --> 0:37:02.489 would face certain defeat. Jess Wilson is riding high as 0:37:02.530 --> 0:37:06.410 the preferred Premier. I must say, though, Nicole, when I 0:37:06.450 --> 0:37:09.040 looked at the polling and the situation that Victoria's in, 0:37:09.060 --> 0:37:12.600 I thought that the Liberals and Coalition would be further 0:37:12.660 --> 0:37:15.020 ahead in the polls, So I guess it shows there's 0:37:15.040 --> 0:37:16.120 still plenty of work to do. 0:37:17.260 --> 0:37:17.800 Absolutely. 0:37:17.900 --> 0:37:19.980 And every poll is a reminder of that to us, 0:37:20.000 --> 0:37:22.940 that there is plenty of work to do on the ground. 0:37:23.000 --> 0:37:25.640 And I know that myself and my colleagues, we are 0:37:25.680 --> 0:37:28.500 working hard every single day to earn the trust of 0:37:28.520 --> 0:37:29.680 the Victorian voters. 0:37:30.320 --> 0:37:31.200 And we don't take it. 0:37:31.200 --> 0:37:33.560 For granted going into this election. We know that we've 0:37:33.600 --> 0:37:35.660 got to get out there and win hearts and minds. 0:37:36.160 --> 0:37:39.020 And so that's on us. So I'd encourage all of 0:37:39.080 --> 0:37:41.560 your viewers to go and look online. We have a 0:37:41.620 --> 0:37:45.880 comprehensive policy that we're taking to this election, whether it 0:37:45.960 --> 0:37:49.140 is on home ownership, whether it is on community safety, 0:37:49.160 --> 0:37:52.739 we've got a 10-year economic plan and real change that 0:37:52.780 --> 0:37:56.730 Victorians are so desperate for after 12 years of labour, 0:37:57.170 --> 0:37:59.350 it needs to have a plan and we've got a plan. 0:37:59.390 --> 0:38:01.470 So can I encourage you viewers, go and look online. 0:38:01.510 --> 0:38:04.110 That plan is there. Our team is ready to govern 0:38:04.170 --> 0:38:07.750 and we will work every single day to make sure 0:38:07.770 --> 0:38:11.029 that Victorians know that we can govern but also to 0:38:11.250 --> 0:38:11.830 earn their trust. 0:38:12.719 --> 0:38:16.200 Well, just on that plan, within that same poll that 0:38:16.219 --> 0:38:19.940 I just mentioned, youth crime and bail laws is one 0:38:19.960 --> 0:38:22.640 of the number one key issues with voters, and that's 0:38:22.719 --> 0:38:27.299 closely followed behind by housing affordability. But we're seeing horrendous 0:38:27.360 --> 0:38:30.719 examples of street crime across Melbourne in recent days. So 0:38:30.760 --> 0:38:34.399 just tell us about the Coalition's plan on how you 0:38:34.460 --> 0:38:37.200 plan to clean up the place when it comes to crime. 0:38:37.239 --> 0:38:39.830 I know Brad Batten is out there promoting it really well, 0:38:40.290 --> 0:38:42.190 but just tell us, what are you guys going to do? 0:38:43.440 --> 0:38:44.000 Absolutely. 0:38:44.160 --> 0:38:46.560 And I think, you know, it's something that is such 0:38:46.600 --> 0:38:50.080 a core issue, this election. And we know that every 0:38:50.080 --> 0:38:53.219 50 seconds a crime is committed here in Victoria, we 0:38:53.260 --> 0:38:56.330 have all time high crime. 0:38:56.110 --> 0:38:56.930 In our state. 0:38:57.239 --> 0:39:00.630 And that's why we've got a comprehensive plan for community safety. 0:39:01.090 --> 0:39:04.609 And that's talking about a variety of things that we 0:39:04.650 --> 0:39:07.770 have brought out already with more to come. first being 0:39:07.770 --> 0:39:11.150 3,000 more police on our streets. We're going to recruit them, 0:39:11.590 --> 0:39:15.780 as well as opening the 40-plus police stations that Labor's 0:39:15.880 --> 0:39:19.000 either closed or reduced the hours of. We've got a 0:39:19.040 --> 0:39:22.120 plan for a one-strike rule for bail, that if you 0:39:22.140 --> 0:39:24.689 break bail, you face jail. We've got a plan for 0:39:24.830 --> 0:39:27.710 real adult time for adult crime. We've also got a 0:39:27.750 --> 0:39:30.930 plan for early intervention and prevention for young young offenders 0:39:31.230 --> 0:39:33.609 to get them out of a life of crime and 0:39:34.160 --> 0:39:37.140 it's an issue that we take so seriously only our 0:39:37.180 --> 0:39:40.920 team has this comprehensive plan to tackle crime here in 0:39:40.940 --> 0:39:41.420 our state. 0:39:42.239 --> 0:39:44.380 And, Nicole, before I let you go, I do want 0:39:44.400 --> 0:39:46.460 to just ask you about a story that you highlighted 0:39:46.480 --> 0:39:49.609 this week on your socials, and it's just that heartbreaking 0:39:49.680 --> 0:39:53.390 case of an eight-month-old baby girl who died just days 0:39:53.469 --> 0:39:56.930 after being returned to her biological parents. And her foster 0:39:56.950 --> 0:39:59.870 parents have rightly criticised the system which should have been 0:39:59.890 --> 0:40:02.830 set up to protect this child, but it failed her. 0:40:02.850 --> 0:40:06.650 And then you've said three children... in child protection have 0:40:06.690 --> 0:40:11.030 died in Ballarat this year alone. It's just devastating. 0:40:11.370 --> 0:40:12.270 What can you tell us? 0:40:16.170 --> 0:40:17.770 It is absolutely a tragedy. 0:40:17.830 --> 0:40:20.610 And if you speak to any kinship carer, foster carer, 0:40:20.650 --> 0:40:23.370 permanent carer, they will tell you that the system is broken. 0:40:23.770 --> 0:40:25.730 And so that's why we as the Victorian Coalition have 0:40:25.770 --> 0:40:29.549 committed to conducting a whole of system review to look 0:40:29.690 --> 0:40:33.600 at this and to address what is a system that 0:40:33.700 --> 0:40:36.920 is broken. And what we'll look at in this review 0:40:37.080 --> 0:40:41.200 is also the thousands of recommendations that have not been implemented, 0:40:41.280 --> 0:40:45.560 that have been ignored. We're talking about Victoria's most vulnerable children, 0:40:45.580 --> 0:40:49.520 and it is absolutely the responsibility of the government to 0:40:49.640 --> 0:40:51.180 get this right for them. 0:40:52.280 --> 0:40:55.259 Yeah, you're absolutely spot on. Well, Nicole, keep up the 0:40:55.300 --> 0:40:57.819 great work. You're on the countdown now. I appreciate your 0:40:57.840 --> 0:41:01.410 time tonight. Well, after the break, more on that dramatic 0:41:01.450 --> 0:41:04.930 attempt at hijacking over Israel. And the UK Prime Minister 0:41:04.989 --> 0:41:07.870 says Iran could be to blame for that foiled plot 0:41:08.010 --> 0:41:09.469 targeting the Fairfield base. 0:41:09.890 --> 0:41:17.180 Our international panel is next. Welcome back. 0:41:17.219 --> 0:41:20.500 Well, let's dive straight into the international headlines with Weekly 0:41:20.560 --> 0:41:24.710 Regular's News 24 contributor, Kosha Gada, and former Labor MP 0:41:24.770 --> 0:41:26.890 and Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee. 0:41:26.610 --> 0:41:29.710 Chair, Michael Damby. Welcome to you both. 0:41:30.450 --> 0:41:34.070 There's been more details on that extraordinary hijacking with reports 0:41:34.110 --> 0:41:37.330 the captain managed to open the cockpit door after being 0:41:37.410 --> 0:41:41.170 stabbed by his co-pilot, and that allowed passengers and crew 0:41:41.230 --> 0:41:43.830 on the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight to rush in 0:41:43.850 --> 0:41:49.160 and overpower the attacker. Michael, this is extraordinary stuff, but 0:41:49.260 --> 0:41:50.340 is this any surprise? 0:41:51.560 --> 0:41:56.190 Jamie, it is a surprise because security in the UAE 0:41:56.270 --> 0:42:01.089 is good. I've been on that flight, which is run 0:42:01.170 --> 0:42:07.839 by the Jetstar version of Emirates, and it flies over 0:42:07.900 --> 0:42:12.640 Saudi Arabia and no problems for the last three years 0:42:12.680 --> 0:42:17.910 while it's been running. So we've got spice air Indian 0:42:18.050 --> 0:42:23.839 pilot hero. We've got an Israeli plumber who watched air 0:42:24.360 --> 0:42:28.040 investigations for years on TV and managed to pull the 0:42:28.080 --> 0:42:32.100 stick up. Uh, we've got a Fijian reserve pilot and 0:42:32.120 --> 0:42:36.540 we've got a Russian Israeli dentist who bound up the 0:42:36.560 --> 0:42:41.339 wounds of the, uh, very badly injured captain. It was 0:42:41.400 --> 0:42:47.920 almost certainly Jamie, uh, a terrorist imitation of 9-11 because 0:42:47.940 --> 0:42:53.759 the hijacker didn't attack the captain until two and a 0:42:53.800 --> 0:42:58.340 half hours into a three-hour flight when the plane turned 0:42:58.760 --> 0:43:01.120 from Jordan to descend towards Tel Aviv. 0:43:02.560 --> 0:43:06.200 And, Kosha, Benjamin Netanyahu has called for tighter checks on 0:43:06.300 --> 0:43:10.279 aircraft travelling to Israel, which I thought they probably should 0:43:10.300 --> 0:43:11.360 have been doing that before. 0:43:11.390 --> 0:43:12.760 Do you think this will be enough? 0:43:14.719 --> 0:43:19.140 You know, this certainly evokes memories of 9-11 and those stories. 0:43:19.219 --> 0:43:22.060 And we have had more security, not less security since then. 0:43:22.200 --> 0:43:26.220 And yet. this example and other things like that happening suggest. 0:43:26.469 --> 0:43:28.610 I don't know if there's ultimately more that can be 0:43:28.650 --> 0:43:31.890 done because in this case, the co-pilot was somebody with 0:43:31.930 --> 0:43:34.830 the airline, presumably had done all his background checks. I 0:43:34.870 --> 0:43:37.550 think he was of Omani nationality. That's what they're reporting 0:43:37.690 --> 0:43:40.900 and got radicalized at some point and did this. So 0:43:40.940 --> 0:43:43.080 it wasn't even an outsider such as was the case 0:43:43.120 --> 0:43:45.900 with 9-11. So yes, I think there should be better security. 0:43:46.000 --> 0:43:48.520 Everybody would agree with that, but it's hard to see 0:43:48.560 --> 0:43:52.950 how you can have 100% fail-safe methods over here. And unfortunately, 0:43:52.989 --> 0:43:56.940 in a dangerous world with jihadism and all this stuff spreading, 0:43:56.960 --> 0:43:59.420 I hate to say it, but I think there will 0:43:59.460 --> 0:44:01.660 always be a percentage or a possibility that these kinds 0:44:01.700 --> 0:44:02.460 of things will happen. 0:44:03.900 --> 0:44:06.510 Michael, let's head over to the UK now, where Andy 0:44:06.550 --> 0:44:10.450 Burnham has said that the government believes the Iranian state 0:44:10.489 --> 0:44:13.650 was likely behind the recent incident at RAF Fairford. 0:44:13.770 --> 0:44:14.170 Here he is. 0:44:15.090 --> 0:44:18.990 There are strong indications that Iran has played a part 0:44:19.070 --> 0:44:21.860 in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford. 0:44:24.540 --> 0:44:28.540 If that's the case, is there still more to it? 0:44:28.760 --> 0:44:30.379 What do you make of this situation? 0:44:31.880 --> 0:44:35.060 Jamie, things can be what they appear to be. In 0:44:35.120 --> 0:44:39.940 other words, letting those five blokes out on bail is madness. 0:44:40.760 --> 0:44:43.930 The UK has become the land of the woke. The 0:44:44.030 --> 0:44:48.489 courts and the institutions seem to have such a benign... 0:44:49.060 --> 0:44:54.100 attitude towards perpetrators and overseas people who come to the 0:44:54.219 --> 0:44:58.560 UK and have no right to be there. I can't 0:44:59.540 --> 0:45:03.180 understand how they let them out. It's the Iranian pattern 0:45:03.200 --> 0:45:07.310 to hire local crims to do bad work like they 0:45:07.350 --> 0:45:10.230 did here in Australia, here in Melbourne, around the corner 0:45:10.270 --> 0:45:14.510 from me, and firebomb a synagogue. They were criminals employed 0:45:14.550 --> 0:45:18.090 by the Iranian Security Service, as ASIO has proved. 0:45:19.830 --> 0:45:22.650 And Kosha, if we stay over in the UK, though, 0:45:22.850 --> 0:45:26.859 one of their top security services in MI5 has issued 0:45:26.960 --> 0:45:31.859 an interesting rare espionage alert to UK universities. And they've 0:45:31.900 --> 0:45:36.060 said that China's intelligence services are using a front company 0:45:36.180 --> 0:45:40.160 to fund research by British academics and then obtaining sensitive 0:45:40.200 --> 0:45:44.550 information from these high tech projects. But there's been suggestions 0:45:44.590 --> 0:45:48.260 that this is also happening here. So why haven't we 0:45:48.300 --> 0:45:51.420 gone down the same path and issued a similar alert? 0:45:53.080 --> 0:45:55.400 I think, you know, it feels like the government and 0:45:55.420 --> 0:45:57.060 the agencies that are meant to monitor this stuff are 0:45:57.120 --> 0:46:00.020 always behind the eight ball. And it sort of connects 0:46:00.120 --> 0:46:02.259 to the previous story as well, just the world that 0:46:02.360 --> 0:46:05.680 we live in and with immigration and so many people 0:46:05.719 --> 0:46:07.950 from all over the place with different allegiances. You don't 0:46:07.969 --> 0:46:10.370 know who they are. You don't know really what their 0:46:10.410 --> 0:46:15.730 root ideology is. All across society, including... They could be students, 0:46:15.770 --> 0:46:18.009 they could be funders, such as this French company that 0:46:18.310 --> 0:46:22.140 creates an incentive for researchers and academics to use them. 0:46:22.460 --> 0:46:24.799 And they're sort of everywhere. So I do think that 0:46:25.360 --> 0:46:27.960 government frameworks need to catch up, but the answer will 0:46:27.980 --> 0:46:31.740 never be from government as well. I think the universities themselves, professors, 0:46:31.760 --> 0:46:33.890 all of that, there has to be tighter controls in 0:46:33.910 --> 0:46:36.350 terms of where you're taking funding from, what you're getting 0:46:36.370 --> 0:46:39.410 in exchange for that, because nothing comes for free. And 0:46:39.650 --> 0:46:43.920 the Chinese are certainly very savvy at infiltrating in a 0:46:43.980 --> 0:46:47.920 friendly way. Many sectors and tech and research and academia 0:46:47.980 --> 0:46:48.819 is at the top of the list. 0:46:50.380 --> 0:46:52.479 Michael, I want to get your thoughts around the US 0:46:52.560 --> 0:46:55.299 military that's now left Iraq, and this has ended its 0:46:55.320 --> 0:46:59.319 12-year mission fighting ISIS, with critics saying the move could 0:46:59.360 --> 0:47:04.800 strengthen Iran's hand. Given the longstanding influence of Iranian-backed militants 0:47:05.280 --> 0:47:08.700 inside Iraq, how much do you think that this is 0:47:08.739 --> 0:47:11.360 now going to pretty much open up a vacuum and 0:47:11.430 --> 0:47:15.170 allow the other powers to come through within the Middle East. 0:47:15.890 --> 0:47:20.450 That's a valid concern, Jamie, but Trump and Hegseth have 0:47:20.469 --> 0:47:24.390 made the judgment that the new Iraqi government is sufficiently 0:47:24.950 --> 0:47:29.160 anti-Iranian for the Americans to be able to withdraw in 0:47:29.219 --> 0:47:35.279 a decent and non-Afghanistan-like way that happened under that poor 0:47:35.320 --> 0:47:41.359 man Biden, who's now, it seems, fully sick. The good 0:47:41.420 --> 0:47:48.350 news is... Iran is weaker because they're getting 18 to 0:47:48.350 --> 0:47:52.990 22 million barrels of oil out via Hormuz every day 0:47:53.010 --> 0:47:58.350 of this last week, and that means regional powers like 0:47:58.370 --> 0:48:02.910 Iraq are noticing the weakening of Iran, and that may 0:48:02.950 --> 0:48:05.830 be one of the bases for the safe withdrawal of 0:48:05.890 --> 0:48:06.770 American forces. 0:48:07.770 --> 0:48:11.170 And, Kosha, just really quickly, Andy Burnham wants to rejoin 0:48:11.210 --> 0:48:13.250 the EU again What do you make of that? 0:48:14.710 --> 0:48:17.890 I think as the conservative reform store said, it's a 0:48:17.910 --> 0:48:20.610 big breach of the public's trust and what they voted 0:48:20.650 --> 0:48:22.510 for as a referendum. So they're going to make political 0:48:22.550 --> 0:48:25.359 hay out of it. The machinations of, you know, what 0:48:25.390 --> 0:48:28.180 that actually means and how that would work given the 0:48:28.219 --> 0:48:31.839 withdrawal happened and the EU has their own rules for 0:48:31.900 --> 0:48:33.799 reentry and how they would even pass that. I think 0:48:34.000 --> 0:48:36.280 a lot of wood to chop, but it is interesting 0:48:36.320 --> 0:48:38.339 that he put that out there and he obviously made 0:48:38.360 --> 0:48:41.040 a political calculation that that's a wise statement for his 0:48:41.100 --> 0:48:42.359 side of the political aisle to make. 0:48:43.150 --> 0:48:46.700 Well, Kosha and Michael, I appreciate your time tonight. Up next, 0:48:46.840 --> 0:48:48.800 it's The Bolt Report with James McPherson.