WEBVTT -  Inside Albo’s ‘exquisite’ visit to Toorak

0:00:05.400 --> 0:00:08.560
<v Speaker 1>From The Australian. Here's what's on the front. I'm christianamiot.

0:00:08.720 --> 0:00:15.760
<v Speaker 1>It's Thursday, January thirteen. Fourteen members of a fringe Christian

0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:19.040
<v Speaker 1>group were found guilty of the manslaughter of diabetic girl

0:00:19.120 --> 0:00:23.000
<v Speaker 1>Elizabeth Strews on Wednesday. The eight year old died after

0:00:23.040 --> 0:00:26.720
<v Speaker 1>the group, who call themselves the Saints and shun medical treatment,

0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:32.919
<v Speaker 1>withheld her insulin for several days. Hopes of a pre

0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:36.000
<v Speaker 1>election rate cut are high after inflation fell to its

0:00:36.080 --> 0:00:39.840
<v Speaker 1>lowest level in four years in December. The drop came

0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:42.760
<v Speaker 1>as a surprise to economists who say the Reserve Bank

0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:46.440
<v Speaker 1>could offer mortgage holders some long awaited relief when it

0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:49.920
<v Speaker 1>meets next month. Those stories alive right now at the

0:00:49.960 --> 0:00:55.720
<v Speaker 1>Australian dot com dot a U. A federal election is

0:00:55.920 --> 0:00:58.880
<v Speaker 1>just around the corner, and that means the major parties

0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:02.400
<v Speaker 1>are rattling the tin for campaign donations. But it's a

0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:05.480
<v Speaker 1>lavish dinner attended by the Prime Minister that's peaked our

0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:21.039
<v Speaker 1>Victorian editors attention. That's today's episode. In November, a group

0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:23.120
<v Speaker 1>of people sat down for a meal in one of

0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:28.800
<v Speaker 1>Melbourne's ritziest neighborhoods. The table had been laid with a

0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:34.080
<v Speaker 1>white tablecloth and gleaming silverware. Wineglasses containing a rich red

0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:38.400
<v Speaker 1>drop clinked, and the Indian inspired food even came topped

0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:45.040
<v Speaker 1>with gold leaf. As conversation bounced back and forth, someone

0:01:45.160 --> 0:01:55.880
<v Speaker 1>cracked a joke organizing former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, who

0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.800
<v Speaker 1>was seated to the right of Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi,

0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:01.360
<v Speaker 1>picked up the threat.

0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:04.760
<v Speaker 2>The logic there is instead of only process together.

0:02:04.880 --> 0:02:10.200
<v Speaker 1>The best around the table were members of Melbourne's Indian

0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:14.119
<v Speaker 1>Australian business community, and it appears from the audio you've

0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:17.200
<v Speaker 1>just heard that they've got some feedback for the Prime Minister.

0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:21.240
<v Speaker 3>It's not often that you get to see how Victorian

0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:22.920
<v Speaker 3>alp politics is made.

0:02:23.000 --> 0:02:23.240
<v Speaker 2>Here.

0:02:23.919 --> 0:02:26.440
<v Speaker 1>Damon Johnston is The Australian's Victorian editor.

0:02:27.360 --> 0:02:31.360
<v Speaker 3>But this video, albeit short, shows you Dan controlling the

0:02:31.680 --> 0:02:35.520
<v Speaker 3>discussion when issues around visas are raised. So you know,

0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.720
<v Speaker 3>these are very significant issues and I think the Australian

0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:43.919
<v Speaker 3>public deserves to know exactly what was discussed, how much

0:02:43.960 --> 0:02:47.040
<v Speaker 3>money was donated to buy a seat at this table,

0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:51.360
<v Speaker 3>if in fact any was, and how many more of

0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.440
<v Speaker 3>these sort of events are being held.

0:02:54.320 --> 0:02:57.320
<v Speaker 1>And Damon, what have you determined to be the purpose

0:02:57.400 --> 0:02:58.040
<v Speaker 1>of this launch.

0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:02.040
<v Speaker 3>The Prime Minister's Office won't won't confirm that it was

0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:06.079
<v Speaker 3>a political fundraising event designed to extract donations from those

0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:09.399
<v Speaker 3>who are tended to help bankroll the twenty twenty five

0:03:09.480 --> 0:03:13.360
<v Speaker 3>federal election. We put that specific question to the PMO

0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:17.359
<v Speaker 3>and they just refuse to engage on it. Now, I've

0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:21.880
<v Speaker 3>got multiple people within the Victorian ALP who believe that

0:03:22.000 --> 0:03:24.680
<v Speaker 3>the only way that you can get the Prime Minister

0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:28.840
<v Speaker 3>and a former labor premier to your private house, even

0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:32.200
<v Speaker 3>when it is a Turek mansion, is to have it

0:03:32.240 --> 0:03:35.240
<v Speaker 3>as a fundraising event. However, we don't know that to

0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:38.240
<v Speaker 3>be one hundred percent the case, but certainly many within

0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:40.000
<v Speaker 3>the party are making that speculation.

0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:45.880
<v Speaker 1>The dinner was hosted at a Tuak mansion belonging to

0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:49.760
<v Speaker 1>deshaiant Kanna and his wife Redeemer. One of the dozen

0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:52.760
<v Speaker 1>or so attendees described it in a post on Instagram

0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:57.920
<v Speaker 1>as four hours of exquisite cuisine and hospitality. Another said

0:03:57.960 --> 0:04:00.440
<v Speaker 1>it was an incredible moment in Mileston, owned for the

0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:03.920
<v Speaker 1>Indian business leaders who came forward to support it, as

0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:08.119
<v Speaker 1>well as the widespread community they represent. The Prime Minister's

0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:12.040
<v Speaker 1>Private secretary, David Epstein, was also in attendance, but it's

0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:14.000
<v Speaker 1>the man who was seated on the other side of

0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:16.880
<v Speaker 1>Anthony Albanesi that Pete Damon's interest.

0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:23.320
<v Speaker 3>Okay, So, Raprinda Bra is a very successful, industrious Indian

0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:29.359
<v Speaker 3>Australian businessman. He's worth many many millions, tens of millions

0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:33.520
<v Speaker 3>according to some people I've spoken to. He's been very

0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:38.560
<v Speaker 3>successful in the construction industry, both commercial and residential. However,

0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:42.480
<v Speaker 3>there's another arm of his business, the international student business,

0:04:43.000 --> 0:04:45.279
<v Speaker 3>that has struck some problems and this is why the

0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:46.680
<v Speaker 3>story becomes interesting.

0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:47.599
<v Speaker 4>Now.

0:04:47.800 --> 0:04:52.479
<v Speaker 3>In May last year, the Federal Regulator of International Colleges,

0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:56.480
<v Speaker 3>so this is the watchdog that essentially checks for compliance

0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:03.240
<v Speaker 3>on companies that bring in foreign students, they deregistered Reprinda

0:05:03.279 --> 0:05:07.479
<v Speaker 3>BRA's company called Barclay International College, and they did this

0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:14.200
<v Speaker 3>because they determined that there was significant non compliance and

0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:17.200
<v Speaker 3>in a statement to The Australian for this story, they've

0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:24.680
<v Speaker 3>confirmed that non compliance was around governance, enrollments, marketing, so

0:05:24.720 --> 0:05:29.719
<v Speaker 3>these are really key pillars of the international college business. Currently,

0:05:30.080 --> 0:05:33.919
<v Speaker 3>Barclay has appealed that decision and is going through the

0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:37.080
<v Speaker 3>hearing process and will be determined later this year. They

0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:41.080
<v Speaker 3>got an interim stay on the de registration, but there

0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:43.640
<v Speaker 3>are some limitations on what it can continue to do.

0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:46.720
<v Speaker 4>I don't think it can enroll any new students and

0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:52.360
<v Speaker 4>there are ongoing restrictions. Now Barclay are still operating at

0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.440
<v Speaker 4>a level and they are hopeful that they will overturn this.

0:05:56.160 --> 0:06:01.200
<v Speaker 4>But it becomes interesting because ASQUA they launched almost two

0:06:01.240 --> 0:06:04.640
<v Speaker 4>hundred fresh investigations. So in the midst of this crackdown,

0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:09.200
<v Speaker 4>here we have a private dinner in a Turek mansion

0:06:09.240 --> 0:06:14.400
<v Speaker 4>where you have an operator of a deregistered international student

0:06:14.560 --> 0:06:16.479
<v Speaker 4>company sitting next to the Prime Minister.

0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:28.640
<v Speaker 1>Based on social media posts made by the attendees' visas, Tourism,

0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:32.320
<v Speaker 1>the economy, and the property and construction sectors were discussed

0:06:33.360 --> 0:06:37.080
<v Speaker 1>at the time. Student visas in particular were a hot topic.

0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:41.840
<v Speaker 1>With record migration putting pressure on housing services and infrastructure.

0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:45.160
<v Speaker 1>The government was looking for solutions to keep international student

0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:49.599
<v Speaker 1>numbers in check. Having failed to introduce caps through legislation,

0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:54.320
<v Speaker 1>the government pursued a different route. Under the new direction,

0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:57.760
<v Speaker 1>When universities reach eighty percent of their government set quota,

0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.279
<v Speaker 1>which is different for each institution, the pace of visa

0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:06.559
<v Speaker 1>approvals ailslow. Plus, the Australian Skills Quality Authority was also

0:07:06.640 --> 0:07:10.640
<v Speaker 1>cracking down on international student operators following a multimillion dollar

0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:14.640
<v Speaker 1>funding boost. We heard in that video, and as you've

0:07:14.680 --> 0:07:19.520
<v Speaker 1>just said that visas in various capacities were discussed apparently

0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:22.520
<v Speaker 1>at this event. We don't really as members of the

0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:25.760
<v Speaker 1>public hear much of this kind of political wheeling and

0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.640
<v Speaker 1>dealing here in Australia as much as we might do

0:07:28.720 --> 0:07:31.400
<v Speaker 1>in an American context, for example. But do you think

0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.320
<v Speaker 1>there is any significance to the fact that the government's

0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:38.120
<v Speaker 1>visa programs were apparently discussed at this event where at

0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:42.520
<v Speaker 1>least one attendee, being Ripindabra, clearly has a vested interest

0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:46.800
<v Speaker 1>in the continued flow of international students, particularly from India

0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:48.440
<v Speaker 1>into the country.

0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:54.120
<v Speaker 3>Well, we asked the Prominster's Office did they discuss international

0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:57.960
<v Speaker 3>students in any capacity? What else did they talk about?

0:07:58.240 --> 0:08:02.080
<v Speaker 3>And the PMO wouldn't confirm or deny what they discussed.

0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:04.920
<v Speaker 3>As for mister bra he has not returned calls. I

0:08:04.960 --> 0:08:07.800
<v Speaker 3>believe he is overseas traveling. There's a lot of people

0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:10.560
<v Speaker 3>not wanting to talk about this story. I've also sent

0:08:10.720 --> 0:08:15.640
<v Speaker 3>questions to Daniel Andrews he has not responded, and the

0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:19.280
<v Speaker 3>businessman who hosted the event at his Tuac mansion, he

0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:23.280
<v Speaker 3>and his wife are also traveling overseas. They've not responded

0:08:23.320 --> 0:08:26.880
<v Speaker 3>in any detailed way other than the wife did tell

0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:29.880
<v Speaker 3>me this morning over the phone that it was a

0:08:29.920 --> 0:08:30.720
<v Speaker 3>memorable event.

0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:38.160
<v Speaker 1>Coming up. A window into the post premiership life of

0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:54.760
<v Speaker 1>Dan Andrews. Dan Andrews has kept a relatively low profile

0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:57.280
<v Speaker 1>since he pulled the pin on his long and storied

0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.600
<v Speaker 1>politics career in late twenty twenty three.

0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:00.480
<v Speaker 3>Work.

0:09:01.080 --> 0:09:06.400
<v Speaker 2>I am worse than a workaholic. I'd spend every waky

0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:09.760
<v Speaker 2>moment is about the work, and there's only so long

0:09:09.800 --> 0:09:12.280
<v Speaker 2>you can do that for. You never want to finish

0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:15.720
<v Speaker 2>up in a situation where you aren't enjoying the work,

0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.240
<v Speaker 2>where you are resempful of the fact that you're doing

0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:20.400
<v Speaker 2>this and not doing something else. I'm not at that point.

0:09:21.720 --> 0:09:25.440
<v Speaker 1>His appearance at a lavish dinner alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albinizi,

0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.080
<v Speaker 1>as told through social media posts made by those in attendance,

0:09:29.400 --> 0:09:32.600
<v Speaker 1>provides unique insight into what he's been up to since then.

0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:35.040
<v Speaker 1>Here's Damon Johnston.

0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:40.640
<v Speaker 3>We don't know a lot about Dan Andrew's role in

0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:43.599
<v Speaker 3>this TRAC function. What we do know, courtesy of the

0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:45.920
<v Speaker 3>video and the photos, was that he was there.

0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:48.440
<v Speaker 4>Did he organize the event? We don't know.

0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:51.600
<v Speaker 3>I asked him that question in an email. I didn't

0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:54.319
<v Speaker 3>get a response. I asked the PMO that question, and

0:09:54.440 --> 0:09:57.439
<v Speaker 3>I didn't get a response. Has he organized any other

0:09:57.920 --> 0:10:01.839
<v Speaker 3>similar fundraising events? We don't know the answer to those questions.

0:10:02.720 --> 0:10:06.880
<v Speaker 3>Do know that he remains very well connected within the

0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:11.960
<v Speaker 3>Indian Australian community from his time as Premiere, and we

0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:14.800
<v Speaker 3>also know that he's close to Albanezi.

0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:19.839
<v Speaker 4>So I guess the listeners can make up their own mind.

0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:24.480
<v Speaker 1>Just lastly, Damon, there was a time when it felt

0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:27.640
<v Speaker 1>like Dan Andrews was all over TV and radio, particularly

0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:32.000
<v Speaker 1>during the COVID nineteen pandemic. What does his appearance tell

0:10:32.080 --> 0:10:37.200
<v Speaker 1>us about how he's spending his professional time after politics?

0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:42.120
<v Speaker 3>So you're right, Dan has sunk from public view largely.

0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:45.720
<v Speaker 3>He had possibly one of the highest profiles of a

0:10:45.760 --> 0:10:49.480
<v Speaker 3>state leader in the history of Federation courtesy of the

0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:53.960
<v Speaker 3>COVID lockdowns here. Since his resignation, he's done very little

0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:58.800
<v Speaker 3>public media. However, he's very busy behind the scenes. He's

0:10:58.920 --> 0:11:02.680
<v Speaker 3>established his own private isn't the Empire of which he's

0:11:02.679 --> 0:11:05.959
<v Speaker 3>the director. He's partnered with a former member of staff,

0:11:06.000 --> 0:11:08.920
<v Speaker 3>and we know that he's got connections in China. But

0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:13.320
<v Speaker 3>what this shows is the Dan Andrews, despite not being

0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:18.839
<v Speaker 3>on our televisions anymore, remains a figure of influence within

0:11:18.960 --> 0:11:22.080
<v Speaker 3>Victorian politics, particularly labor politics.

0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:29.640
<v Speaker 1>Damon Johnston is The Australian's Victorian editor. You can read

0:11:29.720 --> 0:11:32.120
<v Speaker 1>all about the PM's trip to Tuak right now at

0:11:32.160 --> 0:11:34.000
<v Speaker 1>the Australian dot com dot au