1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,279 Speaker 1: Steve Price, our Australia correspondent, this morning. Steve, good morning, 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: I did my bit. 3 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 2: I spent two weeks in the North Island of New 4 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 2: Zealand and had an absolutely fantastic time during the summer break. 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Brilliant, Very glad to hear it. That's polled. The majority 6 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: of Ossis think the opposition's got it for the election. 7 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, and the election could be anytime between now May. 8 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: Although when you look at these numbers you'd think that 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,000 Speaker 2: the Prime Minister Antony ALBERNIZI has been having a pretty 10 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 2: rough trot of it lately, is going to go as 11 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:30,319 Speaker 2: late as possible hope that he can get an interest 12 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: rate cut out of the Reserve Bank their first meeting 13 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 2: due next week. If he gets that, he might go quickly, 14 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 2: but on these numbers he would want to stay there 15 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: as long as he could. The coalition now leads two 16 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 2: party preferred the government fifty one to forty nine. But 17 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,839 Speaker 2: the number that everyone's picked up on today is that 18 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 2: fifty three percent of Australians who were asked this question, 19 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 2: and this polling took place for one week of January, 20 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 2: fifty three percent of Australians expect Coalition to do in 21 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: the next election. Now, that's a huge turn around, fifty 22 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 2: three to forty seven percent for Labor. If you'd ask 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 2: that question at any time last year, probably either get 24 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:10,759 Speaker 2: a response that there's going to be a hung Parliament 25 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 2: and the minority government or that Labor would win. Doesn't 26 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: mean they're over the line. Lots of things can happen 27 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 2: between now and then. But Labour's primary vote Ryan is 28 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 2: down another two points to thirty one. That's the worst 29 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: since they were elected two and a half years a 30 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: bit ago. Coalition's sitting on thirty nine. Peter Dutton's got 31 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 2: a lot of work still to do. I mean, he's 32 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 2: got to win a lot of seats. The majority that 33 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 2: Labor has is pretty handy and so it'll all come 34 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 2: down now to the promises. But what I can tell 35 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 2: you Ryan is that this election will there will be 36 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 2: big differences in policy between the government and the opposition. 37 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: In the past, we've had lots of elections where policies 38 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: were pretty similar. Not this time. It's going to be 39 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 2: very different. 40 00:01:55,600 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, You've got lots of things, lots of differences between 41 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: them too. Right, let's talk about Australia Day. Happy Australia 42 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: Day for yesterday, by the way, how will the how 43 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: do the protests turn out? 44 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 2: Well, no violence, but a lot of people. And if again, 45 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 2: if you look at pol's majority of Australian support having 46 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 2: our National Day on the twenty sixth of January. But 47 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 2: there will always be protests, particularly from the Indigenous movement. 48 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: They were out in forced, particularly in Melbourne. That was 49 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: the biggest. They're expecting thirty thousand, there's probably around twenty 50 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 2: five thousand people. I think what disappoints a lot of 51 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 2: Australians is that the pro Palestinian protests, which we've had 52 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 2: every Sunday in Melbourne since October seventh, twenty twenty three, 53 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 2: well they've joined up now with the anti Australian Day protests. 54 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 2: So that's what swells the numbers. But then you see 55 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: some pretty speeches that were provocative. Isn't the politest way 56 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 2: I can put it. One of the spokespeople came out 57 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: and said Australia racist nation, a colonial nation. They have 58 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 2: the remnants of representation of that. We will not allow 59 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: them to win. It was a pretty fiery speech from 60 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: a woman called Namoud Sammak, likened the fight for treaty 61 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 2: for Aboriginal people in Australia to the ceasefire in Palestine. 62 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 2: How they can join these two things together is completely 63 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 2: beyond me. And she said she would not allow Opposition 64 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,400 Speaker 2: leader Peter Dutton to win it next election. Well, we've 65 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 2: just talked about a poll that says he probably will. 66 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 2: But these people will never be happy. And you can't 67 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,519 Speaker 2: change the date because whenever you have the date, someone's 68 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: going to protest against it. 69 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, good news. On the other hand for the 70 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: Australian of the Year, what's going on here? 71 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: Well for me also, this is a little bit personal 72 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: because I lost a friend in the last year to 73 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 2: motor neur own disease and he was diagnosed at the 74 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 2: beginning of the beginning of last year, late twenty twenty three. 75 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: He lasted twelve months and has passed away. A really 76 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: good made of mine the Australian Year is a former 77 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 2: Australian footballer by the name of Neil Danahert. Now he's 78 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: raised in excess of twenty seven million dollars toward research 79 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: intomotor ner own disease and Neil has been suffering from 80 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: this for thirteen years. So what I can't get my 81 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 2: head around. Really is how some of them last just 82 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,719 Speaker 2: twelve months, someone else thirteen years. Neil no longer has 83 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 2: the ability to speak, but he has a computer that 84 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: can incredible into what I can't believe have his words 85 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 2: expressed by someone else because of his thought patterns that 86 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: go through this computer. So he's been made Australian of 87 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 2: the Year. His family's around him, his daughter is the 88 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,559 Speaker 2: main fundraiser and they'll spend the next twelve months urging 89 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,160 Speaker 2: Australians to think about people with MND and try and 90 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 2: raise more money for it. Yeah. 91 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: Oh, that's great news to hear about that, And I'm 92 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: sorry to hear about your mate. 93 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's trueful Yeah. 94 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 1: Hey, just on the other there was the Australian of 95 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: the Year. Who was that woman? She wore a T 96 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: shirt was an anti Murdock T shirt to her meeting 97 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 1: with Albanesi. Did you see that? 98 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 2: Yes? I did. That was a morning tea. That's a 99 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 2: former Australian of the Year and she has been a 100 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 2: very vocal criticism of the Murdoch press. She had f 101 00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 2: Murdoch on the front of a T shirt. How anybody 102 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 2: would let her go into a meeting wearing that is 103 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,320 Speaker 2: completely beyond me. And for the Prime Minister to stand 104 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 2: there with a grin on his face was just beyond belief. 105 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 2: I just couldn't believe it was allowed to happen. 106 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought the same thing, and the article was 107 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:35,720 Speaker 1: sort of making out, oh, well he didn't know. I mean, 108 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: come on, it's in of course, you know, if securities 109 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: are better ears, he's come in the building. I mean, 110 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: you know he had to know. Yeah, Steve, thank you 111 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: for that. Steve Price, our Australia correspondent with us. 112 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 2: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 113 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow 114 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.