1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,080 Speaker 1: Murrayol's or Ossie correspondents with us heymaz. 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:05,559 Speaker 2: Chio Bellaheather, A very good afternoon to you. 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: So why has Australia really dropped the ban on the beef? 4 00:00:09,600 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: Well, I think it's pretty obvious. It's certainly to gain 5 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 2: favor in terms of the Trump administration which is threatening 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 2: all sorts of tariffs against Australia. Don Farrell, the Trade 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 2: Ministry you heard there, he says, there's nothing to see here, 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 2: basically mean look, American beef has been allowed into Australia 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 2: since twenty nineteen. The band that was in place until 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 2: now related only to beef sourced from Mexico and from Canada, 11 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 2: slaughtered in the United States and then shipped to Australia 12 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 2: and around the world. The government says there's been no 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 2: compromise at all in terms of biosecurity rules. And these rules, obviously, 14 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 2: like New Zealand, in place for decades to stop any 15 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 2: threat of importing diseases that could devastate the agricultural industries 16 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: of both our countries. Also, and it's got nothing to 17 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: do the peasing President Trump. Oh really, it's been a 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 2: long time coming. The blanket band lifted, as I say 19 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: in twenty ninety the opposition over here says this and 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 2: many questions have to be answered and independent review must 21 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 2: be done. But Australian beef farmers are saying, guess what, 22 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: it's no big deal. Pull it's in. There won't be 23 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 2: a flood of American beef. It'll be poorer quality and 24 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 2: more expensive. So are we going to be buying that? 25 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 2: I mean, Australian beef's bloody well, dear enough as it is. 26 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: You go, you know, you go to the supermarket and 27 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 2: try and buy some decent steak. You go to the 28 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: butcher's good luck leg of lamb's about forty Australian dollars 29 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: these days, so you know, like a sudden beef roast 30 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 2: about forty bucks as well defeat a family. So look, 31 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 2: Australian it's good quality. Doesn't matter which way the government 32 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 2: was to cut it. It's clearly designed in my view, 33 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 2: to appease the Trump administration and try to gain a 34 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,279 Speaker 2: bit of a bit of traction in these negotiations about tariff. 35 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, you make a very good point there. Now what 36 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: do you make of Scomo talking about China? 37 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 2: Well, it's not unrelated to the whole question about Australian beef. 38 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: I mean, Morrison's appeared before the US House Committee on 39 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 2: China and basically the message from Scott Morrison, he's warning alliance, 40 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: alliances and partnerships that Washington has with other nations around 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,359 Speaker 2: the world like Australia, these alliances and partnerships have got 42 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,359 Speaker 2: to be strengthened, not diminished, to better resist Chinese and 43 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 2: I'm quoting here Chinese economic coercion. Now Morrison, of course 44 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 2: was Prime Minister here twenty eighteen to twenty twenty two. 45 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,679 Speaker 2: He was in charge when COVID broke out, and he's 46 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 2: told the committee that Australia was basically singled out for 47 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: punishment by Beijing because it was an American ally, not 48 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 2: because he demanded an independent international inquiry. And where COVID 49 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: came from. He says a China belted Australia with illegal 50 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 2: trade bands, diplomatic estrangement, basically put us in the deep 51 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 2: freeze in terms of Australian exports of wine, you know, 52 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,639 Speaker 2: all the stuff that it still brought a truckload of 53 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 2: Australian iron ore and coal because it needed all of 54 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: those things. But no beef, no wine. That's sort of 55 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: twenty billion dollars worth of lobsters and wine and all 56 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: the rest of the stuff in australiaselves to China anyway. 57 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: Scott Morrison says, listen, that was my experience as Prime 58 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: Minister under labor. Beijing has changed tac since Albanese has 59 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 2: been elected. Charm and flattery of China's weapons of choice, 60 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: not just for Australia, he says, Beijing is trying to 61 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: influence public opinion right around the world and Western democracies. Morrison, 62 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: I loved this. He said you've got to stand up 63 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 2: with your mates and resist coercion. So I mean whether 64 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 2: or not the US House a committee on China listens 65 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 2: to him, I don't know. 66 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: Good stuff. Thanks so much, muz, look after yourself. Marry 67 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: Old's Australia correspondent. 68 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 69 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 2: news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 70 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.