1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm Kristin Amiot. 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: It's Wednesday, December fourth. Billionaire Richard White has told investors 3 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: his decision to step down from the company he founded 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: was a circuit breaker and necessary to protect Wise Tech's future. 5 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: It comes after details of the former chief executive's personal 6 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: life were made public in court proceedings brought by a 7 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: former lover. A man allegedly connected to the murders of 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: two women in Collingwood almost fifty years ago touchdown in 9 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: Melbourne on Tuesday night, Perry Karimblus was extradited from Rome, 10 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: where he's been held in custody since September. He's expected 11 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,959 Speaker 1: to be formally charged in the coming days, but maintains 12 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: he's innocent of the nineteen seventy seven crime. Those stories 13 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: alive right now at The Australian dot com dot a 14 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:06,399 Speaker 1: u Who is Anthony Albanesi really? In today's episode, The 15 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 1: Australian's Editor at Large unpacks the PM's brilliant strategic mind 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: and asks if he's the right person for the nation's 17 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: top job. There were seventy six bills on the table 18 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: last week. The final sitting week of the parliamentary year. 19 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: It was a hell of a mountain for the government 20 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: to climb, but incredibly, thirty two of them passed in 21 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: a single day. It was during this torrent of legislation 22 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: that Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi got a big win. 23 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 2: In a world first, Australian children under sixteen will be 24 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,080 Speaker 2: banned from social media as Parliament passes strict new laws. 25 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 2: The move has attracted global attention. With the Albanesi government 26 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: rushing the. 27 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: Bills, Labour had every right to celebrate the social media 28 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: band's passage. After making major concessions on key pieces of 29 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: legislation at the eleventh hour. 30 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: A bill aimed at cracking down on misinformation and disinformation 31 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: on the Internet has been pulled by the federal government. 32 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 1: The government's proposal to ban or restrict gambling advertising has 33 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: also been delayed. Still riding the high of that bipartisan victory, 34 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: the PM shrewdly intervened in a dispute between Environment Minister 35 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: Tanya Plibasek and Tasmanian salmon farmers, who say her attempts 36 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: to protect an endangered fish are threatening their livelihoods. The 37 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: Australian's Editor at Large Paul Kelly says, these past few 38 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: weeks are telling. This is who Anthony Albanesi is. 39 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 3: When Parliament broke last week, Anthony Albanesi was in a 40 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 3: mood of a brilliant who'd passed a lot of legislation 41 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 3: through the Senate. Albanzi is essentially a tactical prime minister. 42 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 3: He's not a prime Minister of transformation. He's not a 43 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: golf Whitlam, Bob Hawk or a por Keating. He's very 44 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 3: much the transactional leader. It's all about political tactics. It's 45 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 3: all about maintaining his position at the election. Now, all 46 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 3: this is well and good, but the point I'd make 47 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 3: is we live in an age of transformation. Whether we're 48 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 3: talking now about the strategic outlook in the world from 49 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,279 Speaker 3: Shi Jinping to Donald Trump, whether we're talking about the economy, 50 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 3: the challenge of inflation, this is an age of disruption. 51 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 3: It's an age of profound change. It's an age of transformation. 52 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 3: Just being a tactical leader is not going to be enough. 53 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Labour's historic twenty twenty two federal election win was followed 54 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: by as good a run as any new government can 55 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: hope to have. Australia's frosty relationship with China started to thaw. 56 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: An ambitious twenty thirty emissions reductions target was legislated, the 57 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: long promised National Anti Corruption Commission became a reality. But 58 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: by the middle of this term the vibe had shifted. 59 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: Australia was plunged into a national housing crisis as inflation soared, 60 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: an immigration to tension debacle saw labor scrambling to maintain 61 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,840 Speaker 1: voter confidence, and the Indigenous Voice to Parliament was resoundingly 62 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: defeated in a referendum following a confusing and ineffective Yes 63 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: campaign captained by the Prime Minister. 64 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:34,480 Speaker 4: My fellow Australians at the outset, I want to say 65 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 4: that while tonight's result is not one that I had 66 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 4: hoped for, I absolutely respect the decision of the Australian 67 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 4: people and the democratic process that has delivered it. 68 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 3: We need a bolder leader. This is the time when 69 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,559 Speaker 3: we need bold policies. We need policies of transformation. Now. 70 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 3: I know that's not easy, and I know that Anthony 71 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 3: Old and Easy in particular has limits on what he 72 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 3: can do. But he ran in twenty twenty two on 73 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 3: a policy of reassurance. That is, he didn't run on 74 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 3: a radical agenda. He ran on a policy designed to 75 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 3: deny Scott Morrison the capacity to run a negative campaign 76 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 3: against him. So he remains committed to that policy of reassurance. 77 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 3: It's a policy that he calls safe change. I understand this, 78 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 3: and essentially what we've got here is the conflict between 79 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 3: the politics and the times. The times demand bol policies 80 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 3: from a prime minister, but the politics are based on caution. 81 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,719 Speaker 3: If you're a bowl prime minister, that's high risk. The 82 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 3: Australian public are very hypocritical. They say they want strong leadership, 83 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 3: but they're divided about how you define strength, and if 84 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 3: a prime minister starts delivering strong leadership, he's likely to 85 00:05:58,720 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 3: run into trouble. 86 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: Anthony Albanesi is widely expected to call an election for 87 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: early twenty twenty five, though a promise made this week 88 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: to bring parliament back in February suggests it might not 89 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: be in March as first thought. So that means you 90 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: are confirming that they will be sitting of parliament in February. 91 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 2: We fully expect to be sitting in February. 92 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 1: So does that give Anthony Albanesi enough time to become 93 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:27,919 Speaker 1: the leader Australia needs right now. 94 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 3: He's not going to change. He's defined. He's defined as 95 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 3: a transactional and tactical Prime minister and he will use 96 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 3: these skills in this approach when it comes to the 97 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 3: election next year in twenty twenty five. So it's going 98 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 3: to be a tight contest between Albanesi and Dutton. But 99 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 3: the challenge Peter Dutton faces as Liberal leader, it's essentially 100 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 3: the same. Dutton has got to devise what's going to 101 00:06:56,160 --> 00:07:01,160 Speaker 3: be an effective policy framework for himself. He hasn't. Peter 102 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 3: Dutt has told us virtually nothing about the agenda that 103 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 3: he's going to take to the election campaign. And all 104 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 3: these people confidently telling us that Peter Dutton's got a 105 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 3: very high chance of winning the election. I don't see 106 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 3: how they can possibly make this claim, seeing we don't 107 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 3: even know yet the fundamental policies that he's going to 108 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 3: take to the election, and we know from what's happened 109 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 3: in the past that there are great dangers here. Once 110 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 3: an opposition leader has got to be defined by his policies, 111 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 3: then it's a great opportunity for his opponents. This is 112 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 3: what alban Is he is waiting for. He's going to 113 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 3: wage a savage negative campaign against Peter Dutton. He's going 114 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,239 Speaker 3: to wage it on his character, He's going to wage 115 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 3: it on his negativity, but he's going to wage it 116 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 3: above all on his policies. When Dutton's policy has eventually 117 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 3: come out, I think this is going to be very important. 118 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 3: What will be the nature of Dutton's policies and to 119 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 3: what extent will they give Albanizi the chance to really 120 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 3: campaign against them? 121 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: Coming up? Does the PM keep his friends close or 122 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: his enemies closer? Anthony Albanesi won the twenty twenty two 123 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 1: election by the slimmest of margins, and Labor has governed 124 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: with just a one seat majority in the House of 125 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: Representatives ever since. They're staring down the barrel of a 126 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: federal election at a time when incumbent governments around the 127 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: world are being toppled by frustrated voters. It's rare for 128 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: second term governments to increase their majority, and that means 129 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: if Labor gets up at the next election, it might 130 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: need to form a coalition with the Greens if it 131 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: wants to move forward with its legislative agenda. So how 132 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: does the PM deal with perception or the reality that 133 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 1: he's in bed with an old foe this close to 134 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: an election. 135 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,959 Speaker 3: The interesting thing about last week was most of the 136 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 3: legislation which was passed in the Senate was passed on 137 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,200 Speaker 3: Labor Green votes, and this was a win for Albanesi. 138 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 3: There's no question about that. He didn't offer many concessions 139 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 3: to the Greens and they came on board. But it's 140 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 3: quite interesting, isn't it, Because if in fact, in the 141 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 3: next parliament there's going to be a minority Labor government, 142 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 3: a minority Albanesi government, then that will be a government 143 00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,200 Speaker 3: that functions with a large degree of Green support. So 144 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 3: in a sense, Albanesi's success in the parliament last week 145 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 3: is a forerunner of what might be the future a 146 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 3: Labor Green minority government as far as the Labor Party 147 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 3: is concerned. Dutton will campaign on this, There's no question 148 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 3: about that at all. He's basically going to say the 149 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 3: future is between a coalition government that you know and 150 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 3: an experimental Labor Green toel government. What Alberizi will argue, 151 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 3: in turn, is what happened last week proves that he 152 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 3: can dictate terms to the Greens, that he won't be 153 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 3: beholden to the Greens when he's dealing with them, he'll 154 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 3: be a strong leader, and the fact that he was 155 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 3: able to successfully dictate terms to the Greens on that 156 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 3: legislation last week will be put forward by Albanesi as 157 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 3: an example of what he can do. If Albanesi is 158 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 3: forced into minority government, he won't do what Julia Gillard did. 159 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 3: If he's to get a commission from the Governor General, 160 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 3: only one thing counts. That is, he doesn't have to 161 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 3: do a deal with the Greens. All he's got to 162 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 3: do to get a commission from the Governor General is 163 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 3: to have the confidence of the Parliament. So I think 164 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 3: in that sense Alberanzi, who lived through the Gillard experience, 165 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 3: will know that he's in a strong position when it 166 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 3: comes to that question of confidence, provided he's got more 167 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 3: seats in the Parliament than Dutton. 168 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: Just lastly, Paul, the Greens did unexpectedly well at their 169 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two election thanks to some savvy maneuvers on 170 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: the campaign trail. What are their prospects coming into twenty 171 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: twenty five do you think and what does that mean 172 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: for Anthony Albeneasy. 173 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 3: This I think is a difficult question because the Greens 174 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,559 Speaker 3: have made a number of mistakes, but they've also exploited 175 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 3: a number of opportunities. If we look at housing for example, 176 00:11:35,559 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 3: certainly the Greens have been running on housing for the 177 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 3: last few years in order to build up their support 178 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 3: among renters, among young people, and so if one just 179 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 3: looks at that, you might suspect that the Greens are 180 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,559 Speaker 3: in a good position to increase their vote. But if 181 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 3: you look in a broader sense, the Greens have become 182 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 3: a far more radical party, and particularly when it comes 183 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 3: to the conflict in the Middle East, so that may 184 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 3: well be undermining them in the electorate. And the fact 185 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 3: that last week they came on board to support a 186 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 3: lot of the legislation they'd previously been opposing suggests that 187 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 3: the Greens themselves are concerned about their standing in the electorate. 188 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,880 Speaker 3: So it's hard to tell at this stage how they'll perform. 189 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 3: There are opportunities and negatives for them in terms of 190 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 3: their performance in recent times. 191 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: Paul Kelly is The Australian's editor at large. You can 192 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,199 Speaker 1: read his column right now at the Australian dot com 193 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:38,800 Speaker 1: dot au