1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,280
Speaker 1: We're off to Australia. Done and Toamaya. Good morning to you,

2
00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,000
Speaker 1: Good morning to you. We are counting down to the

3
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:06,480
Speaker 1: federal budget. What's been happening.

4
00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,440
Speaker 2: Oh, yes, we're down to the next few hours and

5
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:13,520
Speaker 2: then it's being handed down by the Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

6
00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,239
Speaker 2: It's his fourth budget tonight. It's particularly important, as you

7
00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,120
Speaker 2: can imagine, because of the looming federal election. Of course,

8
00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,000
Speaker 2: we don't know the date yet of the election, but

9
00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,479
Speaker 2: it can't be later than May seventeen. But a budget

10
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,080
Speaker 2: can certainly influence voters. Some things we know already one

11
00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:34,440
Speaker 2: point two billion dollars for the cleanup bill post x cyclone. Alfred.

12
00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,400
Speaker 2: I've also had the PM hinting that there could be

13
00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,479
Speaker 2: support for the local steel and aluminum industry facing those

14
00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,800
Speaker 2: twenty five percent tariffs imposed by the US. There could

15
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,400
Speaker 2: be some help to reduce student debt. There's going to

16
00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,239
Speaker 2: be extra childcare funding, some bill subsidies because we know

17
00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:53,199
Speaker 2: all about the pressures of the cost of living, education

18
00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:58,639
Speaker 2: boost for Queensland. There's also women's health services funding boosts.

19
00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,080
Speaker 2: And interestingly, I thought we hear that Labour's going to

20
00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,880
Speaker 2: make its biggest defense spending increase since World War II,

21
00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,880
Speaker 2: bringing forward one billion dollars in defense spending. And that's

22
00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,560
Speaker 2: obviously to boost our military capability.

23
00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,960
Speaker 1: You need to set the military on those fire ants

24
00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:16,600
Speaker 1: in Queensland.

25
00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,080
Speaker 2: Oh, dear May, the Queensdake government has announced extra funding

26
00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,240
Speaker 2: to help tackle invasive fire ants. Would you believe this

27
00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:30,679
Speaker 2: month alone, sixty people have reported extreme reactions to fire

28
00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:35,000
Speaker 2: ant stings and twenty three people had to be hospitalized.

29
00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,280
Speaker 2: And well, we're hearing that residence of Queensland. They're effectively

30
00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,080
Speaker 2: under assault from these fire ants on farms in backyards

31
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,920
Speaker 2: and we know that six months ago the previous government said,

32
00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,440
Speaker 2: well people had to take responsibility for controlling the pets.

33
00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,440
Speaker 2: Well now we've heard from the current government they're going

34
00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:54,640
Speaker 2: to spend an extra twenty four million dollars over the

35
00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:57,880
Speaker 2: next two years to try to control them. That makes

36
00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,840
Speaker 2: it sixty one million dollars to try to take care

37
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:05,200
Speaker 2: of these fire ants which can travel five kilometers in

38
00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,280
Speaker 2: one single flight. They damage crops, they eat seeds, and

39
00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,880
Speaker 2: of course there's painful stings that sadly can lead to

40
00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:18,200
Speaker 2: allergic reactions, anaphylaxis even and possibly death in some cases.

41
00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,800
Speaker 2: So they're saying that if they don't take care of

42
00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:23,960
Speaker 2: this situation, at the cost of the economy could be

43
00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,640
Speaker 2: billions of dollars over the next several years.

44
00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,200
Speaker 1: Evil little biggers here those bites. I mean, that's why

45
00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,200
Speaker 1: they call fire ants. It stings like fire. And I

46
00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,360
Speaker 1: thank you Donald Demio for more from Early Edition with

47
00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,440
Speaker 1: Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News Talks it Be from

48
00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,079
Speaker 1: five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.