WEBVTT - Sharri | 19 August 0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:09.879 Why on Sky News This is Sharry. 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:11.240 Good Evening, Welcome to the program. Will tonight Albanezi's support 0:00:11.280 --> 0:00:16.120 is evaporating as Peter Ditton escalates his Palestinian visa attack. 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:19.040 Upholster will be on the show to tell us how 0:00:19.160 --> 0:00:23.840 badly this security issue is costing the government. Plus Kevin 0:00:23.920 --> 0:00:27.720 Right accused of treating the Australian Embassy like a party house. 0:00:28.160 --> 0:00:31.480 You won't believe how much he's spent on a barbecue. 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:34.280 And also on the show, the ABC has been awarded 0:00:34.400 --> 0:00:39.360 for its anti Israel coverage. Plus As Andrews said, Bombshell 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:42.280 News that Britney Higgins will not give evidence in the 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:46.600 Linda Reynolds defamation trial. I'll explain why a little later, 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:52.839 but first tonight. Anthony Albanese's political fortunes are crashing, with 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:56.480 the guars of visa debate turning voters away from Labor. 0:00:57.160 --> 0:01:00.800 New polling today shows that Labour's primary vote has fallen 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:05.360 to thirty two percent, while the Coalitions is at forty two. 0:01:05.520 --> 0:01:09.920 The Australians Denis Shanahan writes that Albanesi's tone deaf Gaza 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:14.800 response risks a repeat of the voice, and Shanahan says 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:19.959 this significantly. The latest Freshwater Strategy poll shows that since 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.520 the guars of visa debate began, not only has done 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:27.399 and closed on Albanezi as leader, but Labour support on 0:01:27.440 --> 0:01:31.959 the issues of national security and immigration and asylum have 0:01:32.160 --> 0:01:37.640 fallen markedly and Freshwater Strategies Leo Shanahan will be on 0:01:37.720 --> 0:01:42.040 the show tonight to explain this. Then there's the Herald's 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:46.000 Resolve monitor which has shown that only ten percent of 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:51.840 voters support Australia taking Palestinian refugees. This is an indication 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:56.800 of where public sentiment is on this issue. Most Australians 0:01:57.120 --> 0:01:59.920 would want to be assured that a rigorous security of 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:04.760 process is being followed, not security checks done in as 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:10.120 little as one hour. Yet still Albanezi dug his heels 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:14.520 in today, refusing to back down on security concerns around 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:19.240 issuing visas to those in Hamask controlled gaza, and Dutton 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:23.960 escalating his political attack on the Prime Minister over the issue. 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:26.280 He tried to move a motion to force the Prime 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:29.119 Minister to explain the security process. 0:02:30.360 --> 0:02:32.440 Can the Prime Minister confirm that no other government in 0:02:32.480 --> 0:02:35.720 Australian history has brought people from a war zone controlled 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.960 by a listed terrorist organization on tourism visa on a 0:02:40.000 --> 0:02:43.440 tourist visa without the requisite checks and balances that would 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:47.080 normally be conducted on a refugee and humanitarian visa. 0:02:47.160 --> 0:02:50.440 During their time in office, they issued more than one 0:02:50.480 --> 0:02:55.720 thousand visitor visas the two Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian 0:02:55.840 --> 0:03:00.720 territory during that entire time. Hamask Control old the Gaza 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:05.160 strip their hypocrisy is just extraordinary. 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:11.519 And Dutton also attacked alban Easy for misquoting the asiobos 0:03:11.680 --> 0:03:15.480 Mike Burgess. Here's how the Prime Minister took Burgess out 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:19.720 of context. This is what he said in Parliament on Thursday. 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:24.000 I'll refer to what the ASIO Director General himself has said. 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:28.080 If they've been issued a visa, they've gone through the process, 0:03:28.240 --> 0:03:31.320 they're referred to my organization and ASIA does it sing. 0:03:33.320 --> 0:03:39.360 And and this is what Mike Burgess really said. 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:42.400 They've been issued at visa, they've gone through the process. 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:45.200 Part of that visa process is with criteria hit they're 0:03:45.200 --> 0:03:47.400 referred to my organization and ASIO does its thing. 0:03:48.640 --> 0:03:51.080 There were other remarks as well where the Prime Minister 0:03:51.280 --> 0:03:54.120 took Mike Burgess out of context, and we played those 0:03:54.120 --> 0:03:58.000 on the program on Thursday night, well with Parliament resuming today, 0:03:58.120 --> 0:04:01.400 Peter Dutton accused Albany being duplicitous. 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:06.080 You might leave out a sentence for the purposes of 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.360 brevity or to make a point, but you can't leave 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:12.320 out the middle of one sentence that you're quoting and 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:16.920 pretend that that is an accurate reflection of what has 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:20.920 been said by the person you are quoting. It's duplicitus. 0:04:22.720 --> 0:04:26.280 Look, public sentiment may very well be with Dutton, but 0:04:26.400 --> 0:04:29.080 many in the media are happy to accuse him of 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:33.479 being heartless over the issue, showing once again how out 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:37.479 of touch they are with public sentiment. Now. I have 0:04:37.600 --> 0:04:41.320 mostly tried to ignore the offensive bias of other media 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:45.000 outlets and journalists on this program, and the ABC, as 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:48.120 you know, is the worst offender when it comes to 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:52.279 anti Israel bias. But on Friday Night, a journalist with 0:04:52.360 --> 0:04:56.359 a history of criticizing Israel, a journalist who even supported 0:04:56.440 --> 0:05:02.080 Antoinette Latouf, was awarded the top journalism for moral clarity 0:05:02.560 --> 0:05:06.880 on the Israel Hermas war. You recall when Israel was 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:11.440 wrongly blamed from misfired rocket in Gaza. Not long after 0:05:11.480 --> 0:05:15.520 that attack, Hermas had claimed that Israel was responsible and 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:20.160 had killed five hundred people. The lies spread around the world, 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:25.000 but in the days that followed, major media outlets quickly 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:28.640 corrected the record to say that actually it was a 0:05:28.680 --> 0:05:33.320 Palestinian Islamic jihad rocket that misfired and had hit the 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:37.600 car park of the Al Ali Hospital. About fifty were 0:05:37.760 --> 0:05:41.080 estimated but not confirmed, to have been killed, not the 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:46.440 five hundred claimed. Within minutes well, the ABC's John Lyons 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:51.200 did not admit unequivocally that the earlier reports blaming Israel 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:56.640 were wrong. Instead, he said it was in dispute this week. 0:05:56.680 --> 0:06:01.240 The blast at the Alali Hospital could prove to be 0:06:01.320 --> 0:06:04.760 a pivotal moment in the early stages of this war. 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:09.279 Israel was blamed initially, but it has presented evidence suggesting 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:13.000 it was in fact a misfired rocket shot by Palestinian militants, 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:16.320 and the US has backed that version, as have a 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:18.760 number of independent experts. But what do you make of 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:21.719 this tragedy this week and the impact it's having on 0:06:21.760 --> 0:06:22.760 the broader conflict. 0:06:22.960 --> 0:06:25.720 I think there is serious doubt I'm in both sides 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:29.120 are claiming the others did it. The Israelis have presented 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:33.200 what looks on the face of it compelling evidence that 0:06:33.279 --> 0:06:36.279 it wasn't one of its rockets. I think in a way, 0:06:36.560 --> 0:06:39.240 until this an examination, we'll never know. 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:41.040 Well. 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:43.920 In response to questions today, John Lyons claims he never 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:47.360 reported or suggested that Israel had bonded to the hospital, 0:06:47.800 --> 0:06:50.640 and as for wanting an examination, as you heard there, 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:53.960 he says he's covered fall Gaza was and has learned 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:57.719 that often one only learns the definitive truth later when 0:06:57.720 --> 0:07:01.080 there's time for an investigation. Let's have a look at 0:07:01.120 --> 0:07:05.400 another incident. You recall that last month twelve Israeli Drew's 0:07:05.480 --> 0:07:08.600 children were tragically killed on a soccer field. 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:09.560 Well. 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:13.400 It was widely reported that this was most likely a 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:18.120 Hesbella rocket, but John Lyons was skeptical and said it 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:21.480 might have even been Israel. He said he'd like to 0:07:21.520 --> 0:07:25.200 actually see the rocket that was fired and see the evidence, 0:07:25.840 --> 0:07:29.239 even though Israel had released that evidence. Have a look. 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:35.520 Hezbela is denying it's them. Usually they claim rocket attacks 0:07:35.560 --> 0:07:39.679 into Israel or into this occupied part of the Golan Heights. 0:07:40.640 --> 0:07:43.480 They're insisting it's not them. It may be them, but 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:46.160 it's still not confirmed. Some people on the ground are 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:50.360 suggesting that it could have been an interceptor, an Israeli 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:54.600 interceptor rocket that was trying to hit an incoming Hesbel rocket. 0:07:54.840 --> 0:08:00.280 On that particular day, Hesbela did claim responsibility for aut 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:05.800 twelve strikes into Israel. It's very unusual, though, for Hezbollah 0:08:05.880 --> 0:08:09.320 to target this area, which is in the gol An Heights. 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:14.600 It's mainly members of the Druze population, Arabic speakers, and 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:18.560 it has not been a heavy target for Hezbola. But 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:22.239 Israel is assuming it is. The United States and Israel 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:25.160 are insisting it is, but there is some element of 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:27.480 doubt over that at the moment. I'd like to actually 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:30.840 see the rocket that was fired. The Israelis are saying 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:35.400 it's an Iranian made Fullack number one rocket. I'd like 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:36.720 to actually see the evidence. 0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:40.200 So John Lyons would like to see the evidence. He'd 0:08:40.240 --> 0:08:42.680 like to see the rocket well. In his defense today, 0:08:42.800 --> 0:08:45.400 Lyon said that many of the locals in the area 0:08:45.600 --> 0:08:48.960 claim that they thought it was possibly in Israeli anti 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:53.360 missile gone wrong. And also in another instance, according to 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:55.880 a report in the City Morning Herald, John Lyons has 0:08:55.920 --> 0:09:02.559 also sided with anti Israel activist Antoinette. Lyons reportedly spoke 0:09:02.600 --> 0:09:05.679 at a meeting of ABC journalists who were angry at 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:09.840 how ABC management had treated the Tooth and Lions blamed 0:09:10.000 --> 0:09:14.880 Jewish lawyers for complaining about her. The Herald reports and 0:09:14.920 --> 0:09:17.680 I quote, when I read those WhatsApp messages for the 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.440 first time ever and hopefully the last time ever, I 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:23.319 felt embarrassed to work for the ABC. I was embarrassed 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:25.520 that a group of one hundred and fifty six lawyers 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.080 could laugh at how easy it was to manipulate the ABC. 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:34.440 Lyons has even attracted criticism from other figures on the left, 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:39.120 like The AG's former editor Michael Gwenda and Michael wrote 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:43.680 an article about Lyons's criticism of what he calls the lobby, 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:48.360 the so called Jewish lobby in twenty twenty one. And 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:52.080 there's a history of hostility between Lions and Israel and 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:56.960 Jewish groups here in Australia. But on Friday night, Lyons 0:09:57.080 --> 0:10:01.280 was awarded major journalism prizes, including the main one for 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:05.240 Journalists of the Year, the Kennedy Awards. Judges claimed that 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:10.520 his reporting showed moral clarity. They said, with both accuracy 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:14.640 and moral clarity, the vastly experienced Middle East hand has 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:17.120 framed this conflict in ways that will stand the test 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:23.280 of time. It is journalism of the highest standard, moral clarity, 0:10:23.400 --> 0:10:26.360 journalism of the highest standard, or many of us would 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:31.160 see his commentary as laden with anti Israel bias, far 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:35.880 from the gold standard of journalism. The Kennedys are refusing 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:39.800 to release the names of the judges. The Kennedy's general manager, 0:10:39.840 --> 0:10:44.319 Anna Magnus said, the Kennedy Foundation never reveal what judges 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:47.840 judge what categories. We stand by the independence of our 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:52.360 judging process. But in fact, in previous years the Kennedys 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:56.840 have under different management, proudly published the names of their judges, 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.839 like the Walkleys do. In response to my questions about 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:04.720 his reporting, John Lyons told me today, I have many 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:07.920 times attacked Hamas and others for their behavior. I have 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:11.240 frequently said that what Hermas did on October seven was 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:14.720 a war crime. I have frequently said that Harmas's firing 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:18.319 of rockets from Gaza into civilian neighborhoods in Israel is 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:22.360 a war crime. I have also noted that President Biden 0:11:22.760 --> 0:11:27.760 has said Israel's bombing of Gaza has been indiscriminate. You'd 0:11:27.800 --> 0:11:32.240 be aware that bombing civilians indiscriminately is a war crime. 0:11:34.360 --> 0:11:38.920 Now this all matters because if the media industry elite 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:44.560 think that anti Israel reporting shows moral clarity, then this 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:48.800 explains why so much of our media a hostile towards 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:53.960 Jews and Israel. It explains why the ABC has comprehensively 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:58.679 failed to cover the anti Semitism crisis gripping our country 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:02.480 in any meaning way. It explains why the coverage in 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:08.079 the media broadly speaking, regularly accuses Israel of wrongdoing, which 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:13.200 in turn inflames tensions in our community. We do need 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:17.600 more moral clarity in the media. Moral clarity is the 0:12:17.600 --> 0:12:21.880 ability to see that Israel was brutally attacked on October 0:12:21.920 --> 0:12:25.559 seven and has been trying to bring home its hostages 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:32.800 ever since while destroying barbaric terrorists. Moral clarity is knowing 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:35.720 that the world would end immediately if Hamas released the 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:41.199 hostages and surrendered. And this weekend, once again the unfortunate 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:46.040 news that Hamas, not Israel, has again rejected the latest 0:12:46.040 --> 0:12:50.240 ceasefire proposal. They hadn't even bothered to send a representative 0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:54.800 to discussions and Qatar over the weekend. We desperately need 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:59.960 moral clarity when it comes to Israel's existential fight for survival. 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:03.280 The Jewish home Land, but we're not going to get 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:12.360 that from most media outlets, especially the ABC. And I'm 0:13:12.400 --> 0:13:14.160 going to come back to that topic a bit later 0:13:14.200 --> 0:13:16.760 in the show with Colin Rubinstein, but right now let's 0:13:16.760 --> 0:13:20.280 bring in tonight's panel. Joining me Sky News contributed Joe 0:13:20.360 --> 0:13:24.600 Hildebrand and Sky News host Steve Price. Welcome to you, boy, 0:13:24.920 --> 0:13:28.280 it's great to see you well. Once again, this issue 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:33.280 of Palestinian visa's dominated question time today. This is becoming 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:36.800 a recurring theme now and you can't help but think, Joe, 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:40.240 that this is having some impact in the community. That's 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:43.480 why Peter Dutton keeps bringing it up, keeps hounding the 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:45.120 Albanezi government over this issue. 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:49.440 Yeah, I've always been very, very skeptical about Labour's strategy 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:51.920 of just pile a whole bunch of crap on Dutton. 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:54.840 Everyone hates him, he's you know, he's able to say 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:58.280 his deviceive says, you know, he's angry and racist or 0:13:58.320 --> 0:14:01.120 whatever it may be. Not the alpctually calling racist, that's 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:04.800 the teals. But this idea of sort of make it 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:09.320 everything an anti Dutton sentiment instead of a pro Labor sentiment, 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:11.319 I don't think works. I think just because all your 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:13.920 friends don't like Peter Dutton doesn't mean that the average 0:14:13.960 --> 0:14:16.400 Australian doesn't like Peter Dutton. I like Peter Dutton, is 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:16.920 a lovely man. 0:14:17.000 --> 0:14:17.600 You like everyone. 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:21.040 I like everybody. But so it doesn't work. And again 0:14:21.120 --> 0:14:23.360 calling people, I mean, if we haven't learned from the 0:14:23.440 --> 0:14:26.400 Voice campaign that calling people who disagree with you racist 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:30.360 just doesn't work. Apart from being probably wrong, in fact, 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:33.880 it's incredibly stupid in terms of a political strategy. I mean, 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:37.040 I just don't know. You just tear your hair out, 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:39.800 And the thing is that when you do that, not 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.520 only does it probably fail to stick on Peter Dutton 0:14:42.560 --> 0:14:44.560 in the eyes of the electric, but all those people 0:14:44.560 --> 0:14:47.800 who quietly agree with him and do have concerns. I'm 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:49.680 not one of them. I think we should still take refugees. 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:53.320 But all those people who understandably do say, well, these 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:55.200 people could be a security, which maybe we should have 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:59.280 a freeze. Suddenly the left, Zales, Steggle, the teals, whoever 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:02.080 it may be, will call all those people racist too. 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.080 Those people say, well Peter Dunn's racis then I must 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:07.200 be racist. And whoever calls me a racist doesn't know Jack, 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:09.280 because I know I'm not a racist, and that means 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:11.760 that you must be wrong. Backfight on the Voice and 0:15:11.800 --> 0:15:13.760 will backfire on this. These people are fools if they 0:15:13.800 --> 0:15:14.240 do it again. 0:15:14.480 --> 0:15:17.000 Yeah, Steve, I think you know that analogy with the 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:19.320 Voice debate is quite fitting here. 0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:23.400 What do you think, Well, I just should point out 0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:29.800 to Joe that I don't like everybody, just so I 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:34.560 know that will come as a great surprise to everybody. Look, 0:15:34.600 --> 0:15:38.800 I found it today quite ridiculous when Tony Burke stood 0:15:38.880 --> 0:15:41.680 up in Parliament and called Peter Dutton a sook. Now 0:15:41.720 --> 0:15:43.840 you can call Peter Dutton a lot of things. I 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:46.680 don't know that the word sook would apply to Peter 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:48.960 Dutton ever. I mean, he doesn't strike me as being 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:51.120 a suck. In fact, he strikes me as being the 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:54.520 sort of strong leader that the Liberal Party and the 0:15:54.560 --> 0:15:57.160 Coalition have been looking for for a very long time. 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:00.360 And I think Shari and Joe probably you both agree 0:16:00.440 --> 0:16:03.320 that the public. If you polled the public today on 0:16:03.360 --> 0:16:06.720 a direct question of whether we should pause immigration from 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:09.720 a war zone in Gaza, I'm not sure any of 0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:12.080 us would be surprised if there was a vast majority 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.320 of people said yes. I mean, for a start, no, 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:16.240 one's getting out of there. The place is locked up. 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:18.440 You can't get out of the borders. But I think 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:22.280 the thing that really resonated in the Coalition attack last 0:16:22.320 --> 0:16:24.200 week and again at the start of this week is 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:27.880 that there are people being given in that part of 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:30.960 Gaza tourist visas. I mean, what the hell do we 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:34.760 think we're doing. They're not tourists. They're either refugees or 0:16:34.880 --> 0:16:39.240 victims of an ugly war. They're not tourists. And are 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:41.840 they giving them tourist visas so that when they come 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:44.400 here we can send them back again? And if that's 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:47.000 the case, labors should be ashamed of themselves. What are 0:16:47.000 --> 0:16:47.760 they said in the back? 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.920 The issue is the Prime Minister hasn't been upfront about 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:54.479 all of this. He said initially this was only temporary, 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:57.280 and then that was never the case because Tony Burt 0:16:57.280 --> 0:16:59.440 came out and said no government in its right mind 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:02.520 would send people back to a war zone. And there 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.520 have been serious security flaws that we've exposed on this 0:17:05.600 --> 0:17:08.560 program for more than six months now about the screening 0:17:08.600 --> 0:17:10.680 process that it is taking place in as little as 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.800 one hour, that Hermas sympathizers have been let into the 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:17.760 country on Australian visas at a time when we have 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:21.520 an anti Semitism crisis in the country and we do 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:25.520 not need more erosion of social cohesion, violence or lawlessness 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:28.160 on our streets. Let's move on to Kevin Rudd, now, 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:32.199 Australia's ambassador to the United States, has been accused of 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:36.879 turning the Australian Embassy in Washington into a party house. 0:17:37.200 --> 0:17:41.440 This front page exclusive by Linda Somalis in The Sunday Telegraph, 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:46.160 in voices released by DEFAT show that fifteen thousand dollars 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:50.920 was spent on a new barbecue. Joe, I mean, I'm 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:52.920 sure you'd love to go to a party at Rud's place, 0:17:53.000 --> 0:17:57.920 but is and you probably have been before the message, Yeah, 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:00.960 exactly the lodge. Is this the best use though, of 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:02.480 taxpayer funds? 0:18:02.600 --> 0:18:04.520 Firstly, it was Kiabilly house. I don't go to Canberra 0:18:04.680 --> 0:18:08.040 for anybody, even the PM. Now, look, I think the 0:18:08.080 --> 0:18:11.679 fact of the matter is that ambassadors entertain people. They 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.080 are there to schmooze, they are there to network, they 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:16.160 are there to build relationships. It's a cracker of a yarn, 0:18:16.200 --> 0:18:18.400 like it's a great yarn, and you know you'd put 0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:20.200 it all over the front page. You'd buy two front 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:21.960 pages so you could put it on both of them. 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:24.720 But you know they do have this thing. I think 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:28.199 the barbecue from what I gather, and correct me if 0:18:28.200 --> 0:18:29.920 I'm wrong, but I think the barbecue is actually ordered 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.439 by the previous ambassador, Arthur Synodinas, and maybe rog just 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:38.040 took possession of it. The what I found most how amazing, 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.399 was what I found most amazing was that my former 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:44.760 colleague Norelda Jacobs was apparently paid twenty six thousand dollars 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:47.920 to host a function at the ambassador's residence. And can 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:51.560 I just say I'm free, I'm available if you want to. 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:54.360 You know, I'll do it for half that I can MC, 0:18:54.680 --> 0:18:55.520 I can sing. 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:59.879 Steve, Steve seriously, though you know that there have been 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:03.480 this isn't the first story about the use of funds 0:19:03.520 --> 0:19:07.880 at functions and parties in Washington. What do you think 0:19:07.920 --> 0:19:08.360 about this? 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:11.840 Well, there was a Pride event as well with some 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:15.200 transvestites along that Kevin set up as well. Clearly they 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:17.879 don't have Bunnings in Washington, otherwise you wouldn't be paying 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:22.200 fifteen thousand dollars for a barbecue. But unlike Joe, I've 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:25.119 got a bit of history with Ambassador Rudd. Now I 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:28.400 carry around with me in my little diary a letter 0:19:28.440 --> 0:19:31.679 to the editor that one k Rudd sent eighteen months 0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:34.240 ago after I wrote a column about him. I'll only 0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:37.399 read one line of it for you, and he says, 0:19:38.000 --> 0:19:41.160 this is Kevin Rudd. It's always a matter of personal 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.840 and professional pride to be attacked by the greatest non 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:48.439 entity in the history of Australian journalism, Steve Price. And 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.800 that's the nice part of from Kevin. 0:19:52.080 --> 0:19:54.640 Well, there you go. I think there's wouldn't be too 0:19:54.680 --> 0:19:57.960 many journalists, especially at our company, that Kevin Rudd hasn't 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:02.440 complained about. While we're in the ABC BABYC is under 0:20:02.440 --> 0:20:06.159 fire for sending the Adelaide breakfast radio hosts to the Olympics. 0:20:06.480 --> 0:20:09.680 It's the sum is around or it's estimated that it'll 0:20:09.680 --> 0:20:13.520 come in at one hundred and thirty five thousand dollars. Joe. 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:17.240 They didn't call any live sports, so there's criticism over, 0:20:17.880 --> 0:20:20.760 you know, the sight seeing that happened in Paris. 0:20:20.920 --> 0:20:24.159 Just I just do not understand any Can you imagine 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:28.119 anyone like imagine our imagine No imagine if you said, hey, boss, 0:20:28.119 --> 0:20:29.800 could you send me over to Paris for the Olympics. 0:20:29.840 --> 0:20:31.760 I'm not going to call any sport, but I'd like 0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:33.240 to do a bit of sight. Say I've never seen 0:20:33.280 --> 0:20:35.600 the Eiffel Tower. It'll just cost one hundred and thirty 0:20:35.600 --> 0:20:38.119 five thousand dollars, let's call it, you know, one hundred 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:40.400 and fifty with change. What do you reckon? 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:40.639 Like? 0:20:40.720 --> 0:20:41.080 You would? 0:20:41.280 --> 0:20:41.719 You wouldn't? 0:20:41.760 --> 0:20:44.920 You would be I believe the word is defenestrated. You're 0:20:45.000 --> 0:20:47.520 just be thrown out the window. And yet someone at 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:49.520 the Abay says, Oh, I am getting a good idea. 0:20:51.040 --> 0:20:54.200 I'm going to be a bit contrary here because for 0:20:54.440 --> 0:20:58.600 about five Olympic Games I sent throughout breakfast program to 0:20:58.680 --> 0:21:01.159 Olympic Games where they never called an event and they 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:05.560 actually delivered a fantastic program. I also am a big contrary. 0:21:05.680 --> 0:21:08.159 Oh here's a fun fact for you. The two people 0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:12.840 who went from ABC Adelaide, Jules Schiller and I can't 0:21:12.880 --> 0:21:18.000 remember his colleague's name. They're the highest rating ABC Breakfast 0:21:18.080 --> 0:21:21.280 program in the country. They're the only ABC Breakfast program 0:21:21.280 --> 0:21:24.919 that rates in double figures, actually rate twelve percent. Everyone 0:21:24.920 --> 0:21:26.920 else in Sydney and Melbourne down around five. 0:21:27.000 --> 0:21:29.000 Can I say that says more about the quality of 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:32.320 the ABC team around the country necessary rather than them. 0:21:32.720 --> 0:21:35.080 I think it says more about Adelaide than anything else. 0:21:35.200 --> 0:21:37.120 The fine city of the future. 0:21:37.480 --> 0:21:42.560 Now Larry Emda won the Gold Logi last night. Now, 0:21:42.600 --> 0:21:45.680 he made a joke during the week that if he won, 0:21:45.880 --> 0:21:50.399 he would have the initials of the people he was 0:21:50.520 --> 0:21:54.199 up against the other runners up tattoos on his bottom 0:21:54.359 --> 0:21:57.560 live on air. No one expected him to actually follow 0:21:57.600 --> 0:22:00.399 through with this, but here's what happened this morning on 0:22:00.480 --> 0:22:01.119 Channel seven. 0:22:02.280 --> 0:22:04.639 Basically it's a little line drawing of a LOGI holding 0:22:04.680 --> 0:22:07.280 the TV and within the TV the other the initials 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:09.439 of the other wonderful nominees who are up for a 0:22:09.440 --> 0:22:10.000 Gold Logi. 0:22:10.080 --> 0:22:12.400 Last night, Yes right, can I just tell you one thing? 0:22:12.520 --> 0:22:14.200 Tell me that love Butte you can see that that's 0:22:14.200 --> 0:22:14.920 from Aunt Middleton. 0:22:16.440 --> 0:22:22.280 It's going to be Oh, he actually had the initials tattoo. 0:22:23.040 --> 0:22:25.080 I thought it would have been more painful to get 0:22:25.080 --> 0:22:27.440 a tattoo. I thought he would be screaming and wincing, 0:22:27.440 --> 0:22:28.000 and he just did it. 0:22:28.480 --> 0:22:31.080 Barry MdeR I think throughout his entire career has been 0:22:31.119 --> 0:22:34.880 the most underestimated personality in the Australian media. 0:22:35.160 --> 0:22:35.800 He bloke is. 0:22:35.840 --> 0:22:39.080 Incredibly smart, he's incredibly funny, as he does really quick 0:22:39.119 --> 0:22:41.480 on his feet, and he would have firstly he would 0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:43.800 have said that knowing that there would be votes in it, 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:45.359 that people would vote for him just to see it 0:22:45.359 --> 0:22:47.399 get done. He was always going to do it. I 0:22:47.440 --> 0:22:49.960 think he was going to win anyway, because just people 0:22:50.040 --> 0:22:53.080 just love the guy. I love the guy. I've been 0:22:53.320 --> 0:22:56.480 out there with my ends everywhere I can go. He 0:22:56.600 --> 0:22:59.200 is just the He is just the best bloke is 0:22:59.440 --> 0:23:02.800 not honestly, TV we all know can be a bit 0:23:02.840 --> 0:23:06.880 of a vius and he's guine genuinely as I've got 0:23:06.880 --> 0:23:08.760 a terrible confession to make to you. 0:23:08.840 --> 0:23:10.200 To go for it, Steve. 0:23:12.320 --> 0:23:14.240 I was in a show called I'm a Celebrity Getting 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:16.520 Me out of Here. I was at in jungle for 0:23:16.520 --> 0:23:19.399 forty three days and I had a bet with the 0:23:19.440 --> 0:23:22.760 AFL footballer Dane Swan who was also in there, that 0:23:22.840 --> 0:23:25.720 whoever got eliminated first had to get the other's initials 0:23:25.760 --> 0:23:28.920