WEBVTT - The Week In Canberra with Dennis Shanahan

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<v Speaker 1>Prime Minister the Party. Ventral Politics with Dennis Shanahan, National

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<v Speaker 1>Editor of The Australian Dennis Shanahan, Good morning, good day, lude,

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<v Speaker 1>nice day in Camper. I'm sure it is, my friend.

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<v Speaker 2>It's a very nice day. And on down the coast

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<v Speaker 2>it's even nicer.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course you are, or you're probably not far from

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<v Speaker 1>that bus manufacturing planet at Nara.

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<v Speaker 2>But we well, I was listening to that. I'm I'm

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit further south, okay, but it's beautiful on

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<v Speaker 2>my cap.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure it is lost to talk about here. The Trump

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<v Speaker 1>administration's asked Australia to lift its defense spending. The Deputy

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<v Speaker 1>Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles says, we're up

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<v Speaker 1>for the conversation. The PM's not so convinced.

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<v Speaker 2>Is he. No, he's not. Look, we knew this request

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<v Speaker 2>was going to come. Ever since Donald Trump was elected president.

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<v Speaker 2>He's been saying he wants all the allies to spend more.

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<v Speaker 2>He's asked the Europeans to spend five percent of their GDP.

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<v Speaker 2>The figure that the US has pointed to Australia is

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<v Speaker 2>about three percent now. During the election campaign or before

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<v Speaker 2>the election campaign, Labor committed to a two percent going

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<v Speaker 2>to two point three in eight years time. Now, that's

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<v Speaker 2>well short of what the US administration has now asked

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<v Speaker 2>Richard Miles for in Singapore, and Richard Miles I said, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>we're up for this conversation. I love this term that

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<v Speaker 2>we're up for the conversation. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister this

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<v Speaker 2>week has been bagging out think Tank for saying that

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<v Speaker 2>we needed to spend more and say no, we don't

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<v Speaker 2>and all the rest. So it looks like Richard Miles

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<v Speaker 2>and Anthony A. Lbernozi are going to have to have

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<v Speaker 2>one of those conversations about increasing spending now. Peter Dutton

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<v Speaker 2>committed during the campaign to increase defense spending to three percent.

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<v Speaker 2>Now the Prime Minister indicated that he would spend more

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<v Speaker 2>if necessary. The question now is does he think it's

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<v Speaker 2>necessary that the US is saying, yes, we need to

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<v Speaker 2>put in an estimated extra twenty eight billion dollars into

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<v Speaker 2>the defense budget.

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<v Speaker 1>Goodness me. The coalition finally back together. A new team

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<v Speaker 1>looks to be a product of the factions and payback

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<v Speaker 1>as well being very inexperienced, making the future potentially harder.

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<v Speaker 1>In opposition, people like Jane Hume, who obviously screwed things

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<v Speaker 1>up at a ridiculous level with that work from home idea,

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<v Speaker 1>even though it was for the public service. It was

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<v Speaker 1>so easy for the government to twist that. But she's

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<v Speaker 1>mia to center. Price looks like she's been demoted. What

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<v Speaker 1>do you make of it?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, look the Jacinta Novinjimpa Price is is a typical

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<v Speaker 2>example here. She defected from the NATS after the Country

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<v Speaker 2>Liberal Party to be precise to the Liberal Party and

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<v Speaker 2>joined them and said she'd be in their party room.

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<v Speaker 2>The expectation was that she would be rewarded with this

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<v Speaker 2>and that she would likely be Indigenous affairs spokesman for

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<v Speaker 2>the Liberals. Now it turns out Karen Little a very

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<v Speaker 2>good by the way, she's very good, and I've got

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<v Speaker 2>no problem. In fact, I think it's a very good appointment.

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<v Speaker 2>But it is clear that some of the expectations from

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<v Speaker 2>Susan Lee's decisions on who she put wear have fallen

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<v Speaker 2>well short. Certainly Jane Hume has suffered her from working

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<v Speaker 2>from Hume problems. But she was one of the better

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<v Speaker 2>performers for the coalition in opposition. She was a good

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<v Speaker 2>financed spokesman and so I think that she's really suffered,

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<v Speaker 2>probably too much of a demotion then, more than she deserved.

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<v Speaker 2>We saw Angus Taylor shifted to foreign affairs. Now he

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<v Speaker 2>had not really hit the government hard enough on the

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<v Speaker 2>economy when he should have, but his foreign affairs isn't

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<v Speaker 2>so much of a demotion. It's a bit of a

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<v Speaker 2>sideway shift. But there are other promotions and emotions which

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<v Speaker 2>indicate Susan Lee and David Little Proud rewarding people who

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<v Speaker 2>voted for them in close leadership ballots. This is always

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<v Speaker 2>a recipe for disaster and what we've seen, particularly in

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<v Speaker 2>the appointments in New South Wales is what everyone feared,

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<v Speaker 2>and that is the continuation of the factional fighting, which

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<v Speaker 2>in the New South Wales branch is particularly bad. It's

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<v Speaker 2>not real flashy elsewhere, I have to admit, but it

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<v Speaker 2>does indicate that the Susan Lee David a Little Proud team.

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<v Speaker 2>While they are a coalition of short on experience, some

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<v Speaker 2>people have been favored above others because of backing and

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<v Speaker 2>factional support, and I don't think this is good for

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<v Speaker 2>the long term, which for a fairly inexperienced group to

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<v Speaker 2>take on what is now a very confident government.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, confident. They certainly are all right. Dentists just hold

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<v Speaker 1>their re sect. My friend will take a break, come

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<v Speaker 1>back and talk more. We've got carbon emission reduction targets,

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<v Speaker 1>so we're going to get there. I'm not so sure.

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<v Speaker 1>We will back with Dennis on that and plenty more

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<v Speaker 1>after this. Just before I get back to Dennis, a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of things quickly.

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<v Speaker 2>No.

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<v Speaker 1>L four Westmead and Carlingford Line light rail services are

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<v Speaker 1>running between Westmeat and Paramatta Square. There are urgent tram

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<v Speaker 1>repairs at the Children's Hospital. We've just been told this,

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<v Speaker 1>and replacement us as have been requested but are yet

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<v Speaker 1>to start running. More details upcoming. And the woman accused

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<v Speaker 1>of the murder of her three year old daughter near

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<v Speaker 1>Bunderberg earlier this week has been found unresponsive in her

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<v Speaker 1>cell at Queensland Police saying detectives from the Corrective Services

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<v Speaker 1>Investigation Unit investigating after a thirty two year old woman

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<v Speaker 1>was located unresponsive violent custody at Brisbane Women's Correctional Center yesterday.

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<v Speaker 1>There's no further information. Lauren Ingrid Flannigan, thirty two, allegedly

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<v Speaker 1>stabbed her daughter Sofia multiple times on the front law

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<v Speaker 1>lawn of their home at Moore Park Beach on Monday.

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<v Speaker 1>Again we'll get further info. Miss Flannagan's been transferred. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>told to hospital one three one eight seven three is

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<v Speaker 1>a number. On a Saturday morning, we chapped to Dennis Shanahan,

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<v Speaker 1>the national editor of The Oars and Dennis failing carbon

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<v Speaker 1>emission reduction targets and rising tricity prices putting new pressure

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<v Speaker 1>on the government's renewable energy policies.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, look, look the government got you know, it's set

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<v Speaker 2>a big mandate for its renewable energies policy from the

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<v Speaker 2>election campaign, but now we've got a few problems starting

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<v Speaker 2>to appear. For a start, on the sort of the

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<v Speaker 2>environmental climate change side, it is clear now the government

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<v Speaker 2>is not going to reach its twenty thirty emissions targets.

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<v Speaker 2>It is not going to do it. The latest figures

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<v Speaker 2>show that carbon emissions are increasing and as the Green said,

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<v Speaker 2>they're actually higher than they were under Scott Morrison. That's

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<v Speaker 2>partly because the COVID impact on manufacturing. But what we've

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<v Speaker 2>actually seen is an increase in carbon emissions, particularly from

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<v Speaker 2>the power sector, and so what we've actually got is

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<v Speaker 2>the government suffering from increased its promises and targets being

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<v Speaker 2>broken because of the increased use of coal fired power stations,

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<v Speaker 2>extending the life of coal five power stations. We need

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<v Speaker 2>this for the electricity, but it means that the emissions

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<v Speaker 2>are going up. And not only that, in addition, the

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<v Speaker 2>renewable rollout of all the windmills and the offshore wind production,

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<v Speaker 2>the big solar are all falling behind Hydro, the snowy

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<v Speaker 2>hydro falling behind, going behind schedule. So they're just not

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<v Speaker 2>going to reach these targets. And on the other side,

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<v Speaker 2>on the consumer side, electricity prices are going to go

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<v Speaker 2>up on the East Coast from July one by ten percent.

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<v Speaker 2>So we all remember that promise of the cut in

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<v Speaker 2>our electricity prices of two hundred and seventy five dollars

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<v Speaker 2>the election before. So what the government is now seeing

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<v Speaker 2>is after the election in the coldhar a light of

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<v Speaker 2>day is what we're seeing. Increased power prices, increase carbon emissions,

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<v Speaker 2>and both of them are hurting them in different parts

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<v Speaker 2>of the.

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<v Speaker 1>Electric Yeah, it's just unraveling like many people said it would,

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<v Speaker 1>and it will continue. And I'll just say, oh, we

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<v Speaker 1>need to get more solar and more wind, and I'll

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<v Speaker 1>just make it worse. Do you think there'll be another

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<v Speaker 1>interest rate cut in July?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, look, I think that the figures certainly suggest they would.

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<v Speaker 2>I didn't think the Reserve Bank would go as it

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<v Speaker 2>did at the last meeting, but they did, and that

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<v Speaker 2>was shown this week to have been the right decision

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<v Speaker 2>because what we've seen inflation has been steady, but retail

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<v Speaker 2>sales are down. This is the first time in several

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<v Speaker 2>years that retail sales on a month to month basis

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<v Speaker 2>have actually gone down. We've also had a collapse in

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<v Speaker 2>private investment for business. These are big problems for the government.

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<v Speaker 2>We've got all of the employer groups, all of the

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<v Speaker 2>business groups, all the industry groups saying we're in a

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<v Speaker 2>real bother now productivity and we're seeing increased industrial action,

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<v Speaker 2>increased demands for higher wages, and the private sector is

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<v Speaker 2>saying we're not going to invest while we've got all

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<v Speaker 2>of these problems. This was the biggest drop in private

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<v Speaker 2>investment for years, and it has really come as a

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<v Speaker 2>surprise to both the Treasury and business. So I think

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<v Speaker 2>that the economy is starting to get into that sort

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<v Speaker 2>of delayed reaction where people are pulling back from spending

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<v Speaker 2>money and business is saying we're not going to invest.

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<v Speaker 2>These are longer term problems the government is really going

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<v Speaker 2>to have to face, and I think the Reserve Bank

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<v Speaker 2>will probably have to cut rates again in July.

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<v Speaker 1>Have a nice time down on the South coast, mate,

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<v Speaker 1>always good to chat to you. Look after yourself and

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<v Speaker 1>I'll talk to you in a week's time, thankfully. Dennis Shanahan,

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<v Speaker 1>National editor of the Australian newspaper. It all looks. It's

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<v Speaker 1>incredible the speed with which political news, financial news and

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<v Speaker 1>the like revolves, and how things can quickly turn, and

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<v Speaker 1>how you know you need to have a steady hand,

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<v Speaker 1>and that of letting a government is not the best

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<v Speaker 1>three word slogan that's on offer. I'm not saying anything

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<v Speaker 1>necessarily about Jimbo or Albow or any of the other

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<v Speaker 1>Bow's ability to deal with things here, but to think

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<v Speaker 1>that you know, we're on fire, we're heading in the

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<v Speaker 1>right direction and let's go again, baby, It's sometimes I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>you can think that way and hope that way, but

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<v Speaker 1>it really ends up being that simple, doesn't It always

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<v Speaker 1>the case