WEBVTT - Sharri | 6 March 0:00:01.200 --> 0:00:02.880 Why on Sky News. 0:00:03.480 --> 0:00:08.240 This is Sharry Good Evening. 0:00:08.520 --> 0:00:11.640 Major news tonight as Tony Burke is forced to cancel 0:00:11.760 --> 0:00:15.280 the visa of a Hesbella supporter at the eleventh hour 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:19.800 after our revelations. This as we further expose this preachers 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:24.560 links to Australians our exclusive in a moment, Cyclone Alfred 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:28.880 continues its terrifying approach towards Brisbane. We'll get full coverage 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:33.000 from meteorologists and our reporters on the ground, and despite 0:00:33.040 --> 0:00:36.760 the natural disaster, Albanezi refuses to rule out calling the 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:37.919 election this weekend. 0:00:38.320 --> 0:00:41.560 Matt Canavan and Adam Crichton will be here in a minute. 0:00:41.920 --> 0:00:45.760 Also tonight, Donald Trump's warning to her mus after meeting 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:50.239 with hostages in the White House. First, let's have a 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:54.000 look at this major national security story. The Home Affairs 0:00:54.000 --> 0:00:57.680 Department has canceled the visa of a pro Hasbela preacher 0:00:57.720 --> 0:01:02.040 at the eleventh hour after our relations last night. Who's 0:01:02.080 --> 0:01:05.319 saying Mackie was set to arrive in Australia within days 0:01:05.720 --> 0:01:09.680 fresh from attending the funeral of terror Lada Hassan Azrala, 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:15.040 he called one of the world's greatest freedom fighters. If 0:01:15.080 --> 0:01:18.120 you missed our report last night. Here's some of the 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:21.440 inflammatory content Mackie's posted online. 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:26.039 Palestinian history. When things go very quiet and everyone seems 0:01:26.080 --> 0:01:29.520 to think that it's all over, people come out to resist. 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:33.959 Palestinians come out to resist. But you know, my favorite 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:37.360 Shohada are always right at the back. That I love 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:39.720 to go to their graves because when I sit down 0:01:39.760 --> 0:01:44.200 next to their graves, there's no name, because they really 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:49.840 reflect self annihilation in God, sacrifice and blonde and martyin 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:53.080 them and defending the week, and mother's saying goodbye to 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:55.600 their sons and a wife is saying goodbye to their husbands. 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:58.160 That's what it looks like on the side that's inspired 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:00.880 by Calabala today contempt. 0:02:01.600 --> 0:02:05.280 Despite all of this, and despite praising Nasrallah and attending 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:08.440 his funeral, Mackie was set to arrive for a speaking 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.239 tour of Melbourne and Sydney any. 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:14.760 Day now, a couple of days, I'll be in Melbourne 0:02:14.760 --> 0:02:18.480 and Sydney and I'll see all you guys there in Shulah. 0:02:18.520 --> 0:02:21.720 Well after our report last night, there was outrage in 0:02:21.760 --> 0:02:26.679 the Jewish community that former Israeli government minister IoLET Shakhed 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:31.440 had her visa canceled but not this Heswela supporting preacher. 0:02:32.160 --> 0:02:36.160 The Australian Jewish Association said, so a senior former minister 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:39.960 from Israel's most diverse government is banned by Labor, but 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:45.079 a pro terrorist Islamic preacher is welcomed to Australia. By now, 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:47.840 everyone knows that Labour would sell their grandmothers for a 0:02:47.840 --> 0:02:49.840 few extra Western Sydney votes. 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:51.839 But this is next level. 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:57.560 And Jewish community advocate Marnie Peerlstein said, please explain Australia 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:02.280 how IoLET Shakhed, former Israel Minister of Justice, was denied 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:06.040 a visa to Australia, but Hussein Macki, who just attended 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:10.280 Hesblaalider Hassan Nasrala's funeral, gets to come and do us 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:14.840 speaking to her, we called on Home Affairs Minister Tony 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:19.160 Burke last night to cancel this visa in the interest 0:03:19.200 --> 0:03:23.880 of social cohesion and national security. But Tony Burke told 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:28.320 us last night, well, Mackie's been to Australia before. But 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:33.080 then today we confirmed that Home Affairs the Department has 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:34.880 now canceled his visa. 0:03:35.640 --> 0:03:39.720 Macki will not be arriving in Australia now. 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:42.760 To be clear, I've since learned that this was a 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:44.880 decision that Tony Burke. 0:03:45.120 --> 0:03:50.200 Had nothing to do with. It was made by his department, and. 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:54.520 Tony Burke wouldn't even comment on this today, despite the 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:59.080 fact he spoke in quite strong terms about Alette Shakehad's 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:02.960 visa ban. He said that he was concerned she'd undermine 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:06.720 social cohesion. But nothing from Tony Burke today on this 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:10.120 visa conselation, not one comment. 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:11.600 Now. 0:04:11.640 --> 0:04:16.440 Macki declined to respond to our questions yesterday, but then 0:04:16.480 --> 0:04:19.240 today he posted to social media that he was the 0:04:19.320 --> 0:04:22.760 subject of a smear campaign. He said Sky News ran 0:04:22.800 --> 0:04:25.960 a smear campaign against me to get me banned from Australia, 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:30.160 and he complained about Zionist accounts tweeting Tony Burke non 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:33.760 stop to pressure him, et cetera, et cetera, and encouraged 0:04:33.760 --> 0:04:38.360 his followers to contact Tony Burke. But when I contacted 0:04:38.760 --> 0:04:42.039 Hussain Macki yesterday, he did get my questions and he 0:04:42.360 --> 0:04:44.200 blocked me from his Instagram account. 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:46.960 He just didn't answer them, didn't respond. 0:04:48.120 --> 0:04:51.520 Now, over the past two weeks we've exposed a collection 0:04:52.160 --> 0:04:56.680 of pro Hasbilist supporters in Australia and now tonight we 0:04:56.720 --> 0:05:02.760 can reveal the connections between Mackie another Australians. Here's Maki 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:06.719 with one Australian who we revealed attended the funeral of 0:05:06.839 --> 0:05:11.560 Nasrallah Hassan Jeba. That image was taken in Iraq, we 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:15.920 believe in August last year. As you may recall from 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:20.719 our reporting last week, Jaba was prominent at pro Palestinian 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:26.520 rallies here in Sydney. Then here's Maki with Aberd al 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:31.440 Majid Mortada. This image was taken in Australia in July 0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:38.480 last year, and Mortada also attended Nasralla's funeral recently. Then 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:41.919 another one, here's Maki with Ishak Zaan And if you 0:05:41.960 --> 0:05:44.920 can see your screen closely, the caption on that image, 0:05:45.160 --> 0:05:50.200 taken from social media says brother for Life. We believe 0:05:50.240 --> 0:05:54.120 that was also taken last year in Iraq. And finally, 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:58.640 here's Maki cutting the hair of a HESBLA supporter who 0:05:58.680 --> 0:06:03.839 lives in Australia known online as Akisabra, and he also 0:06:03.880 --> 0:06:07.840 attended Hassan Nasrala's funeral in Lebanon, tagging me in the 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:11.720 post so that I know he was there. There are 0:06:11.720 --> 0:06:14.960 many other Australians that Maki has connected with and will 0:06:14.960 --> 0:06:19.600 continue to investigate and expose this issue now. Shadow Home 0:06:19.640 --> 0:06:24.919 Affairs Minister Senator James Patterson called last night for Maki's visa. 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:25.479 To be canceled. 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:29.760 He said no one who attended Nasralla's funeral should be 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:35.440 welcome in Australia well now tonight. Patterson says this raises 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:39.760 questions about the other Australians who attended the funeral. 0:06:41.880 --> 0:06:45.040 What is being done about the Australian citizens who were 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:50.520 identified again by Sky News attending Hassan Israela's funeral in 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:53.839 Lebanon several weeks ago. Some of them have now returned 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:56.840 to Australia. What is being done about them? Are they 0:06:56.920 --> 0:07:00.960 being investigated for associating with the listed terrorist organize? Why 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:04.520 didn't the government use the temporary exclusion powers to keep 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:07.560 them offshore while those investigations could take place? 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:14.360 And He's right the visa cancelation is an acknowledgment that 0:07:14.480 --> 0:07:19.240 attending an event organized by a terror group is a problem. 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:23.120 As your Director General Mike Burgers said just last week 0:07:23.400 --> 0:07:27.680 that attending overseas terror events would be concerning. 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:32.440 As a security service, I'd be regardless of whether it's 0:07:32.440 --> 0:07:34.120 listed or not. If they were going to an event, 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:37.160 whether were vile extremists or known terrorists, we would be 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:39.040 interested as Australia's security service. 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:45.240 Yet we still haven't heard anything from Tony Burke about 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:48.600 what is going to do with the individuals that we've reported. 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:52.200 We've named and shamed them, we've exposed them who attended 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:55.680 the funeral. Tony Burke has been accused of having a 0:07:55.840 --> 0:07:57.680 clear conflict of interest here. 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.360 He elected of Watson, has a. 0:08:00.400 --> 0:08:03.840 Large Muslim community who he needs to vote him back 0:08:03.880 --> 0:08:07.160 in as he comes under pressure from the Muslim Votes movement. 0:08:08.200 --> 0:08:10.040 But he's also Home Affairs Minister. 0:08:10.560 --> 0:08:14.160 He's in charge of all of our national security. He's 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:18.880 in charge of counter terrorism and Hezbelah is a listed 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:23.080 terror organization, whether he likes it or not, so his 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:26.560 department had to take action here today. 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:29.880 But you compare his lack of. 0:08:29.880 --> 0:08:33.680 Leadership with what we're seeing right now. In the United States, 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:37.640 President Donald Trump met with some former hostages in the 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:40.840 Oval Office in this emotional meeting. 0:08:42.320 --> 0:08:44.200 You will take it to roddor Vison Earth. 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:47.960 So this hell and just the worst thing that anybody 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:48.560 can go through. 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:50.840 By other days, they handcuff one of the boys that 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:51.920 is with us. 0:08:51.800 --> 0:08:53.360 Emily Kine and. 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.240 Akata and Kata's heir. 0:08:59.320 --> 0:08:59.800 And smile. 0:09:00.360 --> 0:09:02.840 They used to eat in front of us. Well they 0:09:02.920 --> 0:09:03.480 stopped us. 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:09.080 It's a miracle, the family out of yourself. 0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:11.880 Believe you've been sent by a island. 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:13.080 It's recently. 0:09:13.440 --> 0:09:18.280 Thank you. Thanks here were good for you. We're alive, 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:24.080 freakly for girls. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:27.360 I've never had anything like this. 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:29.959 I mean, I've saved a lot of people, but I've never. 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:34.559 Seen anything like this where you lived under those conditions. 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:37.240 What a powerful meeting. 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:41.320 And as you heard there, many of the hostages thanked Trump, 0:09:41.960 --> 0:09:44.920 saying that they believed if it weren't for him, they'd 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:49.880 still be in captivity. You can't even compare Trump's moral 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:54.280 leadership to that of our hopeless ministers like alban Easy 0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:59.439 and Burke. Trump was clearly deeply moved and troubled by 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:03.200 the stories of torture and starvation that he heard, because 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:08.160 after that meeting, Trump sent the strongest possible warning to Hammas. 0:10:08.840 --> 0:10:14.000 He wrote, Shalom Hammas means hello and goodbye. You can 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:18.479 choose release all the hostages now, not later, and immediately 0:10:18.520 --> 0:10:21.280 return all of the dead bodies of the people. 0:10:21.000 --> 0:10:23.839 You murdered, or it is over for you. 0:10:24.559 --> 0:10:28.000 Only sick and twisted people keep bodies, and you are 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:31.840 sick and twisted. He said, I'm sending Israel everything it 0:10:31.880 --> 0:10:34.760 needs to finish the job. Not a single Hummus member 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:37.240 will be safe if you don't do as I say, 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:43.400 and he went on. That is unwavering solidarity. That is 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:47.880 unwavering moral clarity. This is what we've been missing from 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:52.040 international leadership since October seventh, and we need more of it, 0:10:52.559 --> 0:11:01.480 particularly in Australia. Now tonight, we're on standby for Cyclone 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:04.960 Alfred to hit in the next twenty four hours. Millions 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:08.280 of families in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:11.960 are anxiously waiting for the once in half a century 0:11:12.080 --> 0:11:17.560 cyclone to make landfall overnight Friday. Meteorologists say this will 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:21.320 be the worst storm in seventy years, and defense and 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.040 rescue vehicles are on standby. 0:11:24.640 --> 0:11:28.160 Two thousand sees volunteers in the northern rivers, two hundred 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:32.800 essential energy electricians and winesmen who are ready to reconnect power, 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:36.959 massive resources from fire and rescue, the Australian Defence Force on. 0:11:37.040 --> 0:11:42.640 Site, the Bureau of meteorology say winds are already high tonight, 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:46.240 with large swells and powerful way, some as high as 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:50.360 twelve meters. There's also predicted to be in total over 0:11:50.440 --> 0:11:53.880 eight hundred millimeters of rainfall and this could lead to 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:57.920 both flash and riverine flooding, and both of which could 0:11:58.000 --> 0:11:59.160 be life threatening. 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:03.120 I've just been brief that overnight there was a wave 0:12:03.200 --> 0:12:06.080 recorded off the Gold Coast off main Beach of twelve 0:12:06.120 --> 0:12:07.000 point three meters. 0:12:07.040 --> 0:12:09.240 Now we've never seen a wave that large. 0:12:09.320 --> 0:12:11.960 This could mean totals of over eight hundred millimeters for 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:12.560 this event. 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:17.480 In terms of flooding, that rainfall is expected to produce 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:21.040 both flash and riverine flooding, and both of these types 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:22.559 of flooding can be life threatening. 0:12:24.360 --> 0:12:28.840 And speaking of flooding, we're already seeing videos like this. 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:42.160 Holy Now. 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:46.360 The cyclone was originally meant to make land for overnight tonight, 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:48.760 but its movement has slowed and it's now set to 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:53.719 hit the coastline overnight tomorrow. Our Sky News meteorologists were 0:12:53.760 --> 0:12:55.880 ahead of the game. If you're watching last night, you 0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:58.880 would have seen Rob Sharp tell us on air that 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:01.839 the cyclone would arrive at twenty four hours later then 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:03.800 forecast and now that's. 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:05.600 What the Bureau is saying officially as well. 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:10.280 Its movement has been described as erratic and here's where 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:14.720 it's expected to first hit Australian shores between Noosa and 0:13:14.800 --> 0:13:18.280 cool and Gata early in the early hours of Saturday morning. 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:22.600 After that, its current trajectory shows it moving west after 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:26.440 it did stall this morning. Now, while the cyclone movement 0:13:26.480 --> 0:13:29.880 has slowed, this doesn't affect its impact, and it could 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:32.679 even mean that the impact would intensify. 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:35.319 We just don't know for certain yet. 0:13:35.960 --> 0:13:38.040 The wind speeds are expected to reach highs of one 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:40.760 hundred and fifty kilometers an hour for gusts of wind 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:43.840 and ninety five kilometers per hour at the center of 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:47.200 the cyclone. The entire city of Brisbane and much of 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:51.119 southern eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales is basically 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:56.160 now in lockdown, with families told to stay indoors. Supermarket 0:13:56.200 --> 0:13:59.040 shelves have been stripped bare as a resident stock up 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:02.280 ahead of the storm, with predictions that power and even 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:06.520 running water could be cut off. There are an estimated 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:11.040 four and a half million people potentially in Cyclone Alfred's path, 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.800 and all flights in and out of Brisbane have now 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:16.840 been canceled. Five thousand homes on the Gold Coast lost 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:20.160 power this morning, and ten thousand homes across the Northern 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.480 Rivers region are without power. Now we're going to cross 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:25.680 live to our reporters on the ground and get the 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:30.400 latest from meteorologists about how Alfred is tracking. In a moment, 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.040 all right, let's bring in now Senator Matt Canavan and 0:14:37.320 --> 0:14:40.600 Adam Crichton, who's now joined the Institute of Public Affairs, 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:42.920 still a columnist at The Australian. Great to see you back 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:47.320 in person from the United States before we start. Well, 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:51.360 to start with, you're in Queensland right now, you're not 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:55.320 in the direct firing line of Alfred. But what is 0:14:55.800 --> 0:14:57.520 the mood like on the ground. 0:14:57.160 --> 0:14:57.840 In your state? 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:03.040 Oh, look Shore, I think some people are a bit anxious. 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:06.520 Of course, it's not normal for cyclones to be this 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:09.360 far south, although it it does happen from time to time, 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:13.920 but most people in living memory probably haven't been through one. 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:17.000 So it's a bit anxious for people, I suppose for 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:19.640 us up here in North Queensland, it's a common occurrence. 0:15:19.680 --> 0:15:23.560 I'm confident that Queenslanders will get through this. With that 0:15:23.680 --> 0:15:27.720 more northern track. Now the cyclone apparently should hit the 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.680 mainland at least there's maybe a lower speed, although we 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:32.880 don't know where it's going to go exactly, but if 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.600 that happens, the wind shouldn't be too high. I think 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:38.360 the bigger issue for Brisbane. Traditionally when cyclones do hit 0:15:38.400 --> 0:15:40.760 Southea is Queensland the biggest issue. The bigger issue is 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:43.520 the flood and the rain afterwards, and we probably we're 0:15:43.520 --> 0:15:45.720 going to get a lot of rain in that catchment 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.520 and it is one that can flood. Now at least 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:50.920 that's something that can be dealt with with some warning 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:52.600 and people just need to stay safe and out of 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:55.000 those waters. But it can lead to a lot of 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:57.040 damage and a big clean up. So I'm sure the 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:58.800 whole country will be there. As they have with other 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:00.720 Brisbane floods, people recover. 0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:04.120 Yeah, yeah, I think it is. You know, a lot 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:06.680 of people are very concerned about how it's going to hit. 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:09.960 There's also, of course, the question of whether Alban Easy 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.040 will delay calling the federal election. He was poised to 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:15.720 do that this Sunday and he was pressed on this 0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:18.120 issue today by my colleague Kieran Gilbert. 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:21.880 You couldn't call an election in the face of a 0:16:21.920 --> 0:16:23.000 natural disaster like this. 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:23.920 That's just not going to. 0:16:24.640 --> 0:16:27.000 I mean that will that would be a tinner which 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:27.600 you don't have. 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:29.800 That couldn't happen, surely, Kieran. 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:33.760 I'm focused on, not on votes. I'm focused on lives. 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:40.560 I'm focused on Australians and Australians showing our character at 0:16:40.560 --> 0:16:43.400 this debuil time. You know what I've been focused on, 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:48.560 Kieran is governing. We have a budget that we're prepared 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:51.920 for and we put out the time. 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:53.440 Sounds like you're delivering the budget. 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:56.560 Well, we put out the timetable of that last year, Kieran. 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:00.880 Don't you like Kieran's framing of that question. That would 0:17:00.920 --> 0:17:03.240 be a tinier if you call the election this weekend, 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:05.040 which I know you don't have. I don't know he 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:07.960 doesn't have a tinier. Good on KG for pressing him 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:08.199 on that. 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:08.719 Adam. 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:11.640 It doesn't sound like the Prime Minister's ruled out. 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:14.639 Calling the election if he did, especially. 0:17:14.119 --> 0:17:17.719 With the cyclone hitting on Saturday. I mean Matt sounded 0:17:17.760 --> 0:17:19.640 a bit calm, but it could be catastrophic. 0:17:19.920 --> 0:17:21.639 We just don't know. I mean, he can't go to 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:22.159 the polls. 0:17:22.680 --> 0:17:24.920 Yeah, Look that's certainly right. I think the preference for 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:26.560 the government is not to have a budget on the 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:28.880 twenti fefth of March because they don't want to crystallize 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:31.040 all of the bad economic data, and so the preference 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:34.159 is the trongth of March. But if it's a yes, 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:36.240 so that's what I'm meant twelve April. But if the 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:39.320 storm is very very bad, and that sadly seems very 0:17:39.320 --> 0:17:41.920 possible at the moment, then yes, he can't call an election, 0:17:42.000 --> 0:17:43.439 and so therefore it's more likely to be on the 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:45.720 third of May or the seveneenth of May, which is 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:46.359 a full term. 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:47.119 You know. 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:48.879 One of the other depressing things about this storm is 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:51.080 all the lefties are jumping on it as an example 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:54.760 of climate change, when I think the most empirical most 0:17:54.760 --> 0:17:57.840 empirical evidence suggests that the severity of these cyclones over 0:17:57.880 --> 0:18:02.359 time has actually been declined. Cyclone Alfred actually, and you 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:04.399 know it's worth pointing out to it actually has a 0:18:04.400 --> 0:18:07.320 man's name, which is interesting. I thought all these storms 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:09.679 are used to have women's names. Maybe this is DEI 0:18:09.720 --> 0:18:10.399 in meteorology. 0:18:10.359 --> 0:18:11.480 I don't meant to have Anthony. 0:18:12.359 --> 0:18:16.879 He meant to Anthony exactly that's exactly right. This was 0:18:16.920 --> 0:18:19.520 meant Anthony was the next name on the list, but 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.000 then I suppose they didn't want to politicize a cyclone, 0:18:22.040 --> 0:18:22.480 so they. 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:23.920 Took the next name, which is Alfred. 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:28.560 But Adam makes an interesting point because initially cyclones were 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:31.600 all women's names until nineteen seventy five. 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.159 That's right, of course, you know famously Cyclone Tracy. This 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:35.800 has also been a phenomenon in the US as well, 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:37.320 where they used to have women's names and now they 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:38.119 have men's names. 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:41.119 It's DEI hitting the weather system. I'm not against it. 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:43.959 It's fine, it's fine. Good, good to hear, Adam. 0:18:44.320 --> 0:18:47.280 And hopefully you aren't against these lockdowns, because of course 0:18:48.000 --> 0:18:48.479 against them. 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:50.720 There's a sensible lockdown, sensible laws. I'm not going to 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:51.760 last two hundred days. 0:18:51.640 --> 0:18:52.240 I hope no. 0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:55.800 Right alo on that I mean, I mean, Shari, the 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:59.080 people have been the businesses. University has been closed since Wednesday. 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.720 It's been perfectly fine in Brisbane. I do think there's 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:04.640 a post COVID people are just a bit too quick 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:04.960 to do this. 0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:07.240 I've spoken to small businesses today or pulling the hair. 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:09.679 Out, I mean they suffer right like their businesses have 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.080 been smashed. These last few days were perfectly fine weather 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:15.480 in Brisbane, while big businesses public servants of course don't 0:19:15.520 --> 0:19:17.760 bear that cost. And I don't know, it just seems 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:19.320 again for us up here in North Queens it's a 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:22.280 bit strange to do that well ahead of a cyclone hitting. 0:19:22.320 --> 0:19:25.200 It's no that probably going to hit till Saturday. I 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:27.480 don't know. I don't know. Look, there's a lot of 0:19:27.520 --> 0:19:28.280 fear around there. 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:31.720 I hope people don't get over anxious. It's something people 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:34.520 should be able to live through if they take reasonable precautions. 0:19:34.560 --> 0:19:35.359 That's all we need to do. 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:36.280 All right. 0:19:37.119 --> 0:19:38.800 Well, let's have a look at this statement that the 0:19:38.880 --> 0:19:42.720 Chinese Embassy in the US put on x today. They said, 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:45.280 if war is what the US wants, be it a 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:48.520 tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, 0:19:48.960 --> 0:19:52.199 we're ready to fight to the end. Well, Trump's new 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:54.640 Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth responded, have. 0:19:54.600 --> 0:19:58.960 A look, we're prepared. Those who long for peace must 0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:03.000 prepare for war. That's why we're rebuilding our military. They 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:05.399 don't seek that war. We will, and the President has 0:20:05.440 --> 0:20:08.520 sought historic peace and historic opportunities. But my job is 0:20:08.560 --> 0:20:10.919 the Secretary of defense is to make sure we're ready. 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:14.600 I mean, Matt kind of and I'll start with you 0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:18.399 on this, but China is basically threatening war there and 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:22.399 at the same time we have Chinese worst warships circumnavigating 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:24.400 our coastline. 0:20:24.480 --> 0:20:25.639 This is alarming. 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:30.480 Look, I also think this is something we shouldn't overreact to. 0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:33.640 I mean, what Pete Hegseth said is pretty normal that obviously, 0:20:33.640 --> 0:20:36.560 all countries should put themselves in a position to prepare 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:39.520 for the worst, prepare for conflict outcome. That's why you 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:43.639 have a Department of Defense. But the Trump in particular, 0:20:43.680 --> 0:20:46.000 President Trump in particularly being very clear he doesn't want war. 0:20:46.800 --> 0:20:49.920 He wants to be a peacemaker. So I don't think 0:20:50.280 --> 0:20:53.440 anything is imminent per se. But that does raise the 0:20:53.520 --> 0:20:57.000 question are we ready for the worst outcome? Obviously, as 0:20:57.000 --> 0:20:59.160 I say, any Department of Defense, any ministry of defense, 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:00.080 should be doing that. 0:21:00.359 --> 0:21:02.480 But it seems to me that in the last few. 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:05.160 Years, particularly under this labor government, we've we've been using 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:06.000 the excuse, the. 0:21:05.960 --> 0:21:07.560 Fig leaf of Ucust. 0:21:09.119 --> 0:21:12.280 To hide the deficiencies in our defense forces exist Today. 0:21:12.720 --> 0:21:15.639 August is very important. It's a good thing we're doing it, 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:17.879 but that's going to take decades. There are things we 0:21:17.920 --> 0:21:20.040 need to do right now that are being deferred, like 0:21:20.080 --> 0:21:22.120 the purchase of the joint strike fighters that we will 0:21:22.119 --> 0:21:24.879 bring back, and instead of doing that, it's just, oh, 0:21:24.920 --> 0:21:26.720 we're doing aucust, but that's the years away. 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:28.959 Adam, What do you think about this? 0:21:29.240 --> 0:21:31.320 Yeah, look, I think matters right. I think that we've 0:21:31.359 --> 0:21:33.200 dropped the ball on our defense spending for a very 0:21:33.200 --> 0:21:33.800 long time. 0:21:34.520 --> 0:21:34.720 You know. 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:37.120 For instance, my understanding is the government hasn't even said 0:21:37.119 --> 0:21:39.080 where the submarine base on the East Coast is going 0:21:39.119 --> 0:21:40.960 to be, and even when they decide, that's going to 0:21:40.960 --> 0:21:42.520 take ten years to actually build a thing. 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:43.800 So we need to do that urgently. 0:21:45.000 --> 0:21:45.160 Yeah. 0:21:45.200 --> 0:21:48.800 Look, the most famous front page for me from the 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:51.280 Australian last year was when we only had one operational 0:21:51.320 --> 0:21:53.679