1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: Already and this this is the Daily Off. This is 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: the Daily OS. 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 2: Oh, now it makes sense. Good morning and welcome to 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 2: the Daily OS. It's Thursday, the twenty second of May. 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 2: I'm Billy Fitzsimon. 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 1: And I'm Sam Bekazlowski. 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 2: In a surprise political development this week, the National Party 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: announced it is splitting from its long term partner, the 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 2: Liberal Party, effectively ending the coalition that has been a 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 2: cornerstone of Australian politics for decades. This decision marks only 11 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 2: the third time in the coalition's eighty year history that 12 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 2: the parties have formally separated. So what happens now? Who 13 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: now makes up the opposition? And does it just guarantee 14 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 2: Labor will be elected again at the next election. Well 15 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,480 Speaker 2: answer all of your questions in today's. 16 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: Episode, Billy. How fun is it just trying to wait 17 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: for a week where Australian politics becomes a little quieter. 18 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: It's very busy at the moment. 19 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: It just keeps getting delayed. We had the election a 20 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,919 Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago. Then we are almost as busy 21 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: politically as we were during the election time. And that's 22 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: because there's some really fundamental changes to Australian politics underway. 23 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: But why don't we start with the basics. Talk me 24 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: through exactly when you say coalition, what exactly that means. 25 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, this is an interesting question. I always think about 26 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: the fact that Australia is often described as a two 27 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 2: party system, but that's just not true because we have 28 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 2: the Labor Party, which is a single party. But then 29 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 2: we have the Coalition and that is not a single party, 30 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 2: that is actually two parties. Well, actually it is more 31 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 2: than two parties. It's a group of parties that make 32 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 2: up the coalition. Mainly it is the Liberal Party and 33 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 2: the National Party. 34 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 1: So we basically have a two family system. 35 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: Yes, that's a great way to look at it. So 36 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: the coalition is a formal alliance primarily, like I said, 37 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 2: between the Liberal Party and the National Party. Now, this 38 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: partnership has been a mainstay in Australian politics, like I said, 39 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 2: for decades, with those two parties joining forces to govern together. 40 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 2: So if after an election they win enough seats to govern, 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 2: then they do that together in the House of Reps. 42 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: But even if they don't win enough seats, usually they 43 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: still come together in opposition and form a group to 44 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 2: be the official opposition in Parliament. Now, It's been fairly 45 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 2: well documented that at the most recent election things did 46 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: not go well for the Coalition. I think it was 47 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 2: one of their worst losses in recent history. The exact numbers, 48 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 2: so Labour won ninety three seats while the Coalition together 49 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 2: secured just forty three seats. So that's a fifty seat difference. 50 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 2: That is massive. 51 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: And remember you need that seventy six seat majority to govern, 52 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: so to get ninety three means you are well and 53 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: truly with the mandate of the Australian people to govern 54 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: a landslide under forty three with two parties combined in 55 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: this coalition, clearly something has kind of gone wrong in 56 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: their messaging to the Australian people. What led to the 57 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: breakup though? I mean, I feel like I'm sitting through 58 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: the notebook and the language that everyone's using is about 59 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: breaking up and relationships, and we're on the break. Take 60 00:03:13,720 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: me back to the beginning of this love story and 61 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: where it started to break down. 62 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: So I think it started to break down after the 63 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 2: Australian people basically, like you said, rejected what they were offering. 64 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 2: And so it's been what three weeks now since the election, 65 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 2: and then on Tuesday, Nationals leader David littl prod made 66 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 2: the announcement via a press conference that the Nationals would 67 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 2: be ending their formal partnership with the Liberal Party. Often 68 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: in breakups, you say who was the one who ended it? 69 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 2: Very much the Nationals. They were the one who ended 70 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 2: this relationship. You're right that everyone's been talking about it 71 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: as a breakup, even the Nationals in their press conference 72 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: they kept comparing this to a breakup. Fascinating, but they 73 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: said that this is just a temporary break by no means, 74 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 2: does this seem like it's going to be a permanent 75 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 2: breakup of the coalition. 76 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: I'm really interested in you saying that it could just 77 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: be temporary. Yes, that doesn't sound like they're out of love. 78 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: It just sounds like they might need a bit of 79 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: space from each other. Can you explain what you mean 80 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: by that a little bit more? 81 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: So, they have actually broken up before. This is actually 82 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 2: the third time that they have gone through something like this. 83 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 2: The most recent time was in nineteen eighty seven, which, 84 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 2: if my mass is correct, nearly forty years ago, and 85 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 2: so that was over a disagreement about who should be 86 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 2: running as prime minister for the country. So obviously in 87 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 2: the coalition, only one person if they are in opposition, 88 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 2: can be running to be the prime minister, and the 89 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: Nationals said they wanted to put forward a leader. The 90 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 2: Liberal Party, who traditionally does put forward the person to 91 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 2: be running for prime minister, said no, and that caused 92 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 2: a disagreement, which led to a split. But that lasted 93 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 2: about one hundred days and then they eventually came back 94 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 2: together because I. 95 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: Think the interesting dynamic, iming purely on the mathematical point, 96 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: is for there to be any chance of a coalition 97 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: government at almost any election, they almost need to be together. Yes, 98 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: so the incentives to get back together are pretty strong. 99 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: Did David little Proud, the current leader of the Nationals, 100 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: did he talk through at that press conference the key 101 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: reasons why they're making this decision right now? 102 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 2: Yes. So he said that there were four specific policy 103 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,239 Speaker 2: areas that led to this breakup. I'll go through them. 104 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: The first one is nuclear energy. So the Nationals strongly 105 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 2: believe that Australia needs to introduce nuclear energy. At the 106 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 2: last election, the coalition together went to the Australian public 107 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: and said if we are elected, we will introduce nuclear energy. Now, 108 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 2: obviously they were not elected but the Nationals are saying 109 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 2: that wasn't because of our nuclear policy, and so we 110 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 2: believe that at the next election we should still have 111 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 2: the policy of introducing nuclear energy. 112 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: And it's an important policy for a lot of the 113 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: nine million people that they represent, which the nine million 114 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: Australians that don't live in capital cities where energy distribution 115 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: and kind of the way that regional Australia is powered 116 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: is a big topic. 117 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, And they say that Australia can't just run on 118 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: renewable energy. They are saying that in order for Australia 119 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 2: to run efficiently, we actually need nuclear energy. 120 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: So if I'm understanding correctly, post election, the Nationals kind 121 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: of said to their partners in the coalition, the Liberal Party, 122 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: are you still going to back nuclear power going forward? 123 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,480 Speaker 1: Because that's a fundamental part of why we're staying in 124 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,359 Speaker 1: this relationship And the Liberal Party couldn't give that guarantee 125 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: right now? Is that kind of right correct? 126 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: But we don't know how the conversation exactly went, but 127 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 2: I think we can pretty safely presume that the Liberal 128 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: Party said we're not willing to commit to. 129 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: That right now. Okay, And you said there were four 130 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: areas so take me through Nuclear was number one? What's 131 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: number two? 132 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: So number two is something called the Regional Australia Future Fund, 133 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 2: and that was another election policy. This one was about 134 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 2: creating a twenty billion dollar fund providing better infrastructure for 135 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 2: regional and remote Australia. 136 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 1: Okay. Interesting, So we've got two very regional driven policies 137 00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: or very relevant to regional heartlands. Take me through the 138 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: third and the fourth ones. 139 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 2: The third one is also very regional focused. It was 140 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: something called the Universal Service Obligation and that was a 141 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 2: plan to improve regional mobile and internet access. 142 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: Okay. 143 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 2: And then the last one is something called Divestiture Powers, 144 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 2: which I find very hard. 145 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: To say, you're pretty good. 146 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 2: So that was a coalition policy that would require large 147 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 2: companies to sell parts of their businesses if they demonstrated 148 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: serious anti competitive behavior. And that was specifically aimed at 149 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 2: reducing the market power of supermarkets. 150 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: So by effect standing up for farmers who may be 151 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: producing milk or meat for the supermarkets and feel like 152 00:07:56,720 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 1: they're getting ripped off. 153 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 2: A bit, yes, and saying that Australia has this duopoly 154 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: with Cohles and Wulwas and we need to diversify where 155 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 2: Australians are getting their products from. 156 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 1: And so these are all policy areas that the coalition, 157 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: as a partnership between the Liberal Party and the Nationals 158 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: carried into this election. What did the Liberal Party say 159 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: about these four areas that made the Nationals break up 160 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: with them? 161 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 2: Yeah? So, like I said, we heard from the Nationals leader, 162 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 2: David Little Proud in the morning announcing the breakup, and 163 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 2: then just a few hours later we heard from the 164 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,120 Speaker 2: leader of the Liberal Party, who is Susan Lee. She 165 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 2: was only elected last week. And I also think it's 166 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 2: worth mentioning that she actually lost her mother over the weekend, 167 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 2: so I mean, she has had a terrible first week 168 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 2: on the job. 169 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: It was interesting, actually, I'll just quickly tell you I 170 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: was listening to an interview with David Little Proud with 171 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:50,240 Speaker 1: Triple J the day of this big announcement, and David MARQUESI, 172 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: the interviewer, put to him, you know, this person's mother 173 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: just passed away, like, is this the right time to 174 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,080 Speaker 1: be renegotiating the coalition agreement? And David Little Proud said 175 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: he let Susan dictate the terms of those discussions, and 176 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:05,440 Speaker 1: that she said, I'm going to come to Canberra the 177 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: day after her mother's funeral to have these really important 178 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 1: discussions about the future of the coalition, and he said, no, 179 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: I'll come to you. And Susan Lee was in Aubrey 180 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: at the time, which is where her late mother was, 181 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: and David Little Proud went to Aubrey to have the 182 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: discussions on her terms. And I just thought that was 183 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 1: an interesting Yeah, amid the political games that we're talking 184 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: about here are very human story, Yeah, but. 185 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 2: Still just you can't imagine what she must be going 186 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 2: through now, but we do know. So she did hold 187 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 2: this press conference, yeah, on Tuesday exactly, and so what 188 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 2: she said about the discussions is that the National Party 189 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 2: came to her with these four policy areas and she 190 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 2: just said, we are not able to commit to that 191 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,319 Speaker 2: right now. We need more time to understand what our 192 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,199 Speaker 2: policy areas are going to be moving forward, and if 193 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 2: you can't give that to us, then we can't enter 194 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 2: into this coalition. And so that's when the National Party 195 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 2: pulled out of the coalition. 196 00:09:58,400 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with the rest of the TI 197 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 1: They dive after a quick message from our sponsor. And 198 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 1: we also know that the Liberal Party is planning this 199 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: review of where everything went so wrong for them in 200 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: the election, which is totally normal behavior for a political 201 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: party post an election loss. 202 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 2: Definitely, so they are going to do this review. But 203 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 2: I think one thing that they are clearly already reflecting 204 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,520 Speaker 2: on is this idea that they need to modernize, and 205 00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 2: that is their word. So Susan Lee in the press 206 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 2: conference on Tuesday, she kept saying that the Liberal Party 207 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 2: needs to modernize. Here's a little bit of that clip. 208 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 2: The Liberal Party must respect modern Australia, reflect modern Australia 209 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 2: and represent modern Australia. And just in terms of why, 210 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 2: I think that we can infer that she's saying that 211 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 2: perhaps being with the National Party won't allow us to modernize. 212 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 2: We know the Nationals are a more conservative part of 213 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 2: the coalition, definitely sit more to the right of the 214 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 2: Liberal Party, and we also know that Susan Lee is 215 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 2: part of the more moderate part of the Liberal Party. 216 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: So I think the gap between the ideologies of Susan 217 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: Lee as the leader of the Liberal Party and then 218 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 2: the Nationals who are wanting to be more conservative is 219 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 2: clearly quite far. 220 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: Billy, I'm king to zoom out for a sex So 221 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: how will all of this affect the makeup of the 222 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: opposition in Parliament. 223 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 2: Well, that's the critical question because it completely changes now 224 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 2: who is in opposition. So, in case you're not familiar, 225 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 2: every parliament needs to have an opposition and that's the 226 00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 2: party or group that has the highest number of non 227 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 2: government seats. So I think you can think of it 228 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 2: as like the party that won the second highest number 229 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 2: of seats at the election. Now, since the Liberal Party 230 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: won more seats than the Nationals at the election, So 231 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,599 Speaker 2: the Liberal Party won twenty eight seats and the Nationals 232 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 2: one fifteen, So that means that the Liberals had the 233 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 2: second highest number of seats as a single party by. 234 00:11:58,920 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: Quite a bit. 235 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,679 Speaker 2: Had a big Yeah, Labor had ninety three and the 236 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 2: second was twenty eight, so that is a big gap. 237 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 2: So that just means that the Liberals will be the 238 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 2: official opposition party without the Nationals. 239 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: And before we wrap up, give me a sense of 240 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: what this all means for the Labor government. I mean, 241 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: primus Anthony Abeasy wasn't even in the country for all 242 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: of this this week. He was off in Italy at 243 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: the official ceremony to welcome the new pope. He's now 244 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: back in the country. What will this mean for his government? 245 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 2: I mean, it doesn't mean a lot, although I presume 246 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 2: that they would be quite happy because it kind of 247 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 2: I mean, I think when there's so much disunity in 248 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 2: the opposition and then Labor is able to present unity 249 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 2: to the country, it's just good for them in terms 250 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,719 Speaker 2: of what it actually means for them. If the coalition 251 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 2: doesn't get back together, it kind of basically guarantees that 252 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 2: Labor will be re elected for a third consecutive term. 253 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 2: What do you mean by that, Well, because the Liberal Party, 254 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 2: in order for them to govern by themselves, they need 255 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 2: to win seventy six seats, Like I just said, At 256 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,760 Speaker 2: the last election, they won twenty. 257 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,440 Speaker 1: Eight seats, so they've got a big gap. 258 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 2: That's a big gap, that's almost a fifty seat gap, 259 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 2: and to turn that around in a single election cycle 260 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 2: would be very hard. Some would argue it's near and possible, 261 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: and so if the coalition, if they don't have the 262 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 2: support of the National Party, then Labor is pretty much 263 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 2: guaranteed to win again. 264 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,199 Speaker 1: Okay, but you mentioned before that the last example nineteen 265 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: eighty seven, there was an one hundred day breakup and 266 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: then they got back together. The trend historically tends to 267 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,959 Speaker 1: be that the coalition reunites, they go and sit in 268 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: the park bench and confess their love for once more. 269 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 1: What happens if the Coalition does indeed reform before the 270 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 1: next election, and. 271 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,199 Speaker 2: They have basically said that that will definitely happen. No 272 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 2: one is positioning this as a permanent breakup. Both David 273 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 2: Littlproud and Susan Lee said that they have every intention 274 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 2: to get. 275 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:02,360 Speaker 1: Back together, they just need some time apart. 276 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,800 Speaker 2: They were basically giving people relationship advice. 277 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: That's incredible. It's an incredible fusion of politics and caller daddy. 278 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 2: Yes. So if the Coalition does get back together then 279 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 2: it's basically business as normal for the Labor Party for 280 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 2: the next election. For everyone, it's just business as normal 281 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: and your hope for them that they would have more 282 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 2: unity in their policy positions moving forward. 283 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: One interesting bit of trivia I actually read about online 284 00:14:30,120 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: is that so every member of Parliament gets an allowance 285 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: and that allowance pays for their staff at Parliament that 286 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: helped them in their office. The opposition gets a certain 287 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: allowance and then minor parties get a lower allowance, and 288 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: the Nationals were part of the opposition up until Tuesday 289 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: and then now a minor party, so every Nationals member 290 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: actually gets a little less money to fund their office, 291 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 1: and so there were actually reports of members of their 292 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: office trying to figure out, well, what does this mean 293 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: for our job? And I just thought that was a 294 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: really interesting kind of quirk of the system where yeah, 295 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: on the surface, it looks like a symbolic split for now, 296 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: but it can, you know, really shake up the way 297 00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: that the Parliament works. Definitely, thank you so much for that, Billy, 298 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: some great relationship advice, some great political explaining. You would 299 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: be the perfect political date show hosts. That's a fantastic 300 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: effort to explain the coalition through love. That's all we've 301 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: got time for on today's episode of The Daily Os. 302 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: We're going to be back in the afternoon with some headlines, 303 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: but as always, you can check us out on Instagram 304 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: to catch up with some news throughout the day. We'll 305 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 1: speak to you this afternoon. My name is Lily Maddon 306 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,640 Speaker 1: and I'm a proud Arunda Bunjelung Calcuttin woman from Gadigl Country. 307 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 2: The Daily oz acknowledges that this podcast is recorded on 308 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 2: the lands of the Gadighl people. 309 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: And pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island 310 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: and nations. 311 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 2: We pay our respects to the first peoples of these countries, 312 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 2: both past and present.