00:00:08
Speaker 1: Good evening and welcome to the program. I'm Jamie Rogers, in for Peter Credlin, who's away. Here's what's coming up on the show. The climate gravy train rolls into Fiji as Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen attend the pre-COP31 meeting. Warm weather, cocktails and plenty of secrecy over just how much all of this is costing you as the taxpayer. Questions tonight over acceptable policy positions after the Greens in the UK adopted a Zionism is racism position, putting opposition to the existence of Jewish state at the heart of its platform on the eve of the anniversary of the vile October 7 attacks. Plus the campaign to send an Australian astronaut to space. It comes with a $ 100 million price tag, but those have argued it could have some tangible benefits for the nation and Australia's global standing. And the backlash keeps on coming as the Albanese government faces pressure to reverse the ATO's ban on credit card payments, accused of making life even harder for small business.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: You know, it's just one thing on top of another. The red tape burden is strangling small business and it's got to stop.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: Well, Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen jetted off to Fiji today on your dime for a three-day pre-cop climate summit organised by Australia. Flights, officials, accommodation, security, logistics. Australian taxpayers are footing the bill. But there's one important detail that Chris Bowen won't tell us.
00:01:50
Speaker 3: How much we're actually paying for it. That's right.
00:01:54
Speaker 1: Now, this is part of the $ 150 million for Mr Bowen's role as president of negotiations and other COP-related activities. And that's even before we begin to count the billions being poured into Labor's energy transition. Now, this is at a time when Australians have been hit with another interest rate rise, small businesses being squeezed from every direction.
00:02:18
Speaker 3: Households told to tighten their belts.
00:02:21
Speaker 1: Yet when taxpayers ask how much their government is spending on a climate conference in Fiji, apparently they're not entitled to answer. If the government is so proud of this event, why the secrecy?
00:02:34
Speaker 4: And it's very hard to see how this in any way is getting value for money for the Australian taxpayer. And the reason we know that is because the government won't come clean with the costs. And you heard Chris Bowen just before. He wouldn't come clean with the costs. You had to throw numbers at him to try and elicit a response as to how much this costs. They won't tell us which world leaders are going, which aren't. They won't say whether they were all invited or not. I mean, the whole thing, the secrecy around it. I mean, what have they got to hide? If this is so important, why the secrecy around it all?
00:03:13
Speaker 1: And it's a fair question, particularly when you hear Chris Bowen's description of the event.
00:03:19
Speaker 5: Yeah, and Sally, I think it's important to note that pre-copy is normally a pretty pedestrian affair, to be frank with you.
00:03:27
Speaker 3: A pretty pedestrian affair. Excuse me?
00:03:30
Speaker 1: You can't tell Australians this is an important diplomatic engagement and then defend a low turnout by saying pre-cop is normally a pretty pedestrian affair. Well, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been announced as one of the headline speakers, and so has former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Chris Bowen will talk about greater electrification across the Pacific. But perhaps before lecturing the region about its energy future, he should look in his own backyard. Energy prices have risen close to 40%. So much for the $ 275 annual reduction by 2025. Just last week, another smelter was rescued to the tune of $ 200 million using taxpayer money shared between Tasmania and the federal government. This year, we've also rescued the Tomago smelter with a $ 2. 5 billion bailout between the New South Wales and federal governments. Rio's aluminium smelter in Queensland received a $ 2 billion bailout between the state and federal government. Let's not forget the $ 6 billion spent on the Energy Bill Relief Fund to help families and Australians with sky-high electricity bills. But the absurdity of that is we all pay taxes and then the government gives the money back to help all of us pay electricity bills that have become too expensive.
00:04:52
Speaker 3: Do you see the pattern here?
00:04:54
Speaker 1: Energy intensive industries are struggling and cannot survive on windmills and solar. Families are choosing between heating their home and putting food on the table. But will this government reconsider the transition? No, they'll just reach into your pocket and take more money. Chris Bowen should also look at the energy debate around the rest of the world. Because something extraordinary happened in Britain this weekend. The Green Party voted to abandon its blanket opposition to nuclear power. Its policy now recognises nuclear as a form of low carbon electricity generation.
00:05:31
Speaker 3: And then there's the United States.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: Just last week, the US approved construction for the country's first commercial small modular reactor. France are powering ahead with another 10 reactors by 2030. Even the Prime Minister himself recently praised India's Prime Minister for their energy grid.
00:05:51
Speaker 6: To give Prime Minister Modi credit, more people have been connected with access to energy in India under his reign than has occurred in any decade in any country or any region in human history.
00:06:11
Speaker 1: And that's Anthony Albanese sitting there praising India for their energy grid. And they're using nuclear powered by our uranium. So nuclear power is good enough for India's energy transition, but not here. We'll just keep powering ahead with a renewables only plan. And the contradiction doesn't end there. Labor's assistant climate change minister, Josh Wilson, recently dismissed the nuclear debate by declaring this.
00:06:39
Speaker 7: They want to spend $ 600 billion of taxpayers' money because there's no private investment in it.
00:06:44
Speaker 2: There's no private investment in nuclear anywhere.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: Anywhere?
00:06:49
Speaker 1: Well, somebody might want to tell the Minister about the investments made by Google, Meta and Microsoft. They're securing nuclear power to confront the enormous energy demands of AI and data centres. And here's the great irony. Lifting Australia's moratorium on nuclear power won't commit taxpayers to building a single reactor. It will allow the market to decide where the nuclear stacks up. It costs taxpayers nothing to lift the ban. This government's renewables-only tunnel vision won't solve the energy crisis. And the opposition's case for lifting the nuclear ban stands up better than the government would like to admit. or more unintended consequences from a government that just doesn't understand. Labor's ban on credit card surcharges came into effect last week. It was sold as another cost-of-living win with customers set to save $ 1.
00:07:46
Speaker 3: 6 billion a year. Problem solved. Except, of course, it isn't.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: Because this government has developed an unfortunate habit, making the announcement and then leaving everyone else to work out who pays. And now some of the Australians that are being caught in the fallout are renters already struggling to make ends meet. One of Australia's largest rental payment platforms has decided to stop accepting credit cards altogether. Macquarie Bank's DEFT platform processes around 1.2 million rent transactions every month. About 2% of rental and strata payments through the platform were being made by card. But following the surcharge reforms, Macquarie has announced it will stop accepting them. And even the bank admits there's no like-for-like replacement. And credit cards are important for those who need a short-term bridge rather than falling behind on their rent. Tenants Union chief executive Leo Patterson-Ross said financially distressed tenants were in more danger. He told the Sydney Morning Herald, the people I'd be most concerned about are the people on the edge of hardship. Some renters' incomes don't line up nicely with what landlords or managing agents expect. If you're a contractor or have irregular income, you can see an advantage to using a credit card.
00:09:10
Speaker 3: Because this isn't the only unintended consequence.
00:09:13
Speaker 1: The ATO has stopped accepting credit cards because they don't want to pay the fee. Master Builders has written to the ATO slamming their decision, saying builders need this offer. And former Labor Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says the changes don't make sense and will hit those who need it most.
00:09:33
Speaker 8: Yeah, it is inconsistent, Kieran. It has bewildered me, quite frankly. I mean, the ATO has suggested it might save $ 200 million by doing this. Well, dare I say, I mean, $ 200 million is a lot of money in our eyes, but in the context of the Commonwealth budget or in the context as a proportion of the taxes they raise, it's a very, very small amount of money. So why do this, particularly when the government's just decided or someone has just decided to deny small business the capacity to pass on the bank fees? So it's bewildering.
00:10:09
Speaker 1: So the ATO doesn't want to absorb the costs, but the government still expects businesses to. The double standard is hard to ignore. But this is what happens when governments confuse regulating a price with reducing a cost. Instead of taking up the fight with the banks over what it costs to process a payment, they've taken the easy option and dumped the cost on businesses. They haven't abolished the surcharge. They've socialised it. And now everyone pays. And once again, we're left asking whether anyone in the federal government stops to think about the real-world impact.
00:10:46
Speaker 3: Before they act.
00:10:52
Speaker 1: Well, let's head to Canberra now for tonight's political headlines with political reporter Cam Redden.
00:10:57
Speaker 3: Good evening.
00:10:58
Speaker 9: The Prime Minister has arrived in Fiji for the beginning of the pre-cop climate summit.
00:11:03
Speaker 6: We know that we're seeing more intense and more extreme weather events more frequently.
00:11:10
Speaker 3: On occasion.
00:11:11
Speaker 10: Well, certainly it is a good spin of Australia's taxpayers' money.
00:11:13
Speaker 5: This is our most important diplomatic engagement in the Pacific, certainly this term.
00:11:18
Speaker 9: Backlash is mounting over the unintended consequences of Labor's ban on credit card surcharges.
00:11:24
Speaker 6: The price you see is the price you pay.
00:11:26
Speaker 9: But the prices they see are going up as business owners flood social media to say they have no choice but to pass on the cost of covering processing fees.
00:11:36
Speaker 11: Small to medium operators are We have no choice. We're sort of held by the throat.
00:11:41
Speaker 9: Last week, the tax office announced that rather than absorb the cost itself, it would instead refuse all credit card payments from November 30.
00:11:49
Speaker 10: We can't expect SMEs, particularly in the building sector, to keep taking these hits.
00:11:54
Speaker 9: Now tenants too are facing a squeeze. Macquarie Bank's deft payment system, which processes more than a million rent payments a month, has also blocked credit card payments. People who are running the country have never run a business and they don't understand what you need and that flexibility of and how slim your margins are. Cameron Redden, News 24, Canberra.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: All right, well, let's get into some other news of the day now with News24 political contributor Chris Ullman, who joins us from Canberra.
00:12:26
Speaker 3: Chris, welcome.
00:12:28
Speaker 1: As I've just touched on moments ago, our part-time energy minister has jetted off to Fiji for the pre-COP31 meeting. But revelations today that former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New Zealand's former leader Jacinda Ardern are amongst some of those headline speakers.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: But, Chris, honestly... What are those two going to add to the climate conference?
00:12:48
Speaker 1: It feels like this is nothing more than a political junket for current and former politicians.
00:12:56
Speaker 7: Well, Jamie, what we do know is that only two world leaders are actually showing up to this event. That's the president of Mauritius and the leader of Timor-Leste. At the beginning of the year, of course, Chris Bowen said that this was going to be an unprecedented opportunity to bring the world to the Pacific. And as usual, the advertising turned out to run way ahead of what actually is being delivered. All of this presidency of the Council of Parties that he's now undertaking is a consolation prize for not having that event in Australia. It's going to go ahead in Turkey, where he'll have next to no influence over what's going on there. And those world leaders that do up will show there. So this is a completely wasted opportunity for Australia. And the money that we're being asked to pour into it, $ 150 million, could well be spent better on something else. And I point to the fact that we had a Pacific Island forum just one month where all of these same issues were canvassed. So this is an utterly pointless exercise to try and burnish the credentials of our energy minister on the international stage, not in Australia, but to try and get his CV ready for the next job that he will apply for on the international stage.
00:14:09
Speaker 1: But Chris, to your point, if there's only two world leaders that have arrived to this pre-COP31 summit in Fiji, what does that say about how other leaders view, one, Australia's energy transition and our plan? Is people not showing up a sign that they're all going down a different path, down the nuclear path, and potentially they don't want to be lectured by someone who's all in on renewables?
00:14:36
Speaker 7: And it's a waste of their leaders' time to make their way to the Pacific when those leaders that are going to go are going to go to the actual event which comes in December. So why would they make their way to the Pacific and spend useful time doing a useless thing, which is what Australia's engaged in at the moment? Nothing will come of this. I'll tell you what it will do, though. It will draw a giant circle around Australia again and get the Pacific Island leaders to talk again about Australia's ambitions because they never complain about China's and the United States isn't there. So what they will do is demand an end to our coal and gas exports. And if we didn't have those coal and gas exports, we wouldn't have the money that we sometimes laid along the Pacific. So, you know, this entire thing will be an exercise in self-harm for Australia, costly taxpayers and an enormous amount of money which could be spent better somewhere else.
00:15:24
Speaker 3: Well, let's come back to some domestic issues, Chris.
00:15:27
Speaker 1: And we've seen four interest rate rises that have added now $ 172, 000 in total extra repayment costs for a typical home loan. Several times the dollar amount that falling values have wiped off property values in the past six months. Now, I spotted a tweet from Anthony Albanese from 2022.
00:15:46
Speaker 3: This was four years ago. But have a look at this.
00:15:49
Speaker 1: Assuring Australians that the government had a plan. It's been doing the rounds again because it obviously hasn't aged well.
00:15:57
Speaker 3: What do you make of those comments?
00:16:01
Speaker 7: Well, I interviewed the Prime Minister, the now Prime Minister, the now Treasurer and the now Energy Minister back in 2022. And they all had the same theme, and that was that they would bring down the cost of energy, that they would cut the costs of groceries, that they would essentially be able to help people with their mortgage repayments. And they were quite critical of Scott Morrison.
00:16:20
Speaker 2: At that time.
00:16:21
Speaker 7: The triple whammy that they talked about of skyrocketing costs for essentials and falling wages was and of course the rising cost of everything. What they pinned on Scott Morrison is what they are responsible for now in government. Now, they can try and walk away from these things and pretend that they never said these things, but they exist on the public record and more and more people are waking up to the fact that there's a big difference between the things that the Albanese government has said and the things that it is delivering.
00:16:49
Speaker 1: The internet doesn't forget and I often think that politicians probably wishes that it does.
00:16:53
Speaker 3: I do want to just quickly.
00:16:55
Speaker 1: Touch on One Nation before you go and this was around their policy launch in Melbourne. This was over the weekend and it was quite the rally at Crown Melbourne at a 63-page policy booklet titled The Real Deal which.
00:17:08
Speaker 3: Was what they were talking about.
00:17:09
Speaker 1: And it focuses on three key themes, crime, cost of living and accountability. There has been a little bit of criticism that none of it's been costed. But when you looked at the crowd numbers there and you saw how passionately Pauline was speaking, it does seem like there's some significant momentum.
00:17:28
Speaker 7: Yeah, and you've said it, momentum, Jamie. So that's the thing that is driving One Nation at the moment. People are looking for change. They don't like what they're getting out of the two major parties. They're looking elsewhere. And I doubt that costings are going to be front and centre of their mind. What they're doing is looking to punish those governments who put them in a position where they feel that crime really is a big problem in Victoria, which it clearly is. And cost of living is a big problem in Victoria, as it is everywhere. And accountability is something that people want, not just in Victoria, but everywhere. So, yeah, I don't know that costings are going to figure much. I would counsel One Nation on this, though. When they start trying to ape the policies of the United States and calling to lock up former political leaders, you know, with the chance of lock them up, lock them up, I don't think they're doing themselves any favours at all. I don't know that that plays particularly well in Australia. And it does look like you're going to use the political system to do something that the judiciary should do. I think we're well advised to keep those things separated.
00:18:26
Speaker 1: Chris, are you concerned at all that the Coalition aren't further in front in Victoria? We're now two months to go until the election, and we just saw on Chris Kenny's show the roads are filled with potholes, the crime's out of control. Do you think that the Liberals should be a little bit further ahead?
00:18:43
Speaker 7: Well, Jamie, I'm not concerned because I'm non-partisan, but the Coalition should be concerned, and every time I come on these programs, people talk to me about the threat to Labor from One Nation and The real and present danger from One Nation is first and foremost to the coalition. We've seen that in what's happened to its polling results. And it needs to lift its head a little further if it's going to win government in its own right in the lower house in Victoria, which it must do. if it does find itself in a coalition essentially with One Nation, it's going to find governing very difficult and making difficult decisions, which is what Victoria needs, extremely difficult. So the coalition has to do a lot better from here. But that is such a seminal test in Victoria. It will mark whether or not the coalition actually has a future in Australian politics. If they can win in Victoria, then it does. If they fail there with all the conditions which are now running in their favour.
00:19:37
Speaker 2: then it will be.
00:19:38
Speaker 7: A sign that perhaps the Coalition is a dead letter in politics in Australia.
00:19:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, they've got a big task ahead. Chris Ullman, I'll leave it there. Thank you so much. All right.
00:19:50
Speaker 1: I want to revisit the significant backlash from Australian small businesses. If you're like me and were scrolling social media over the weekend, it was hard to miss the anger from business owners who say they are getting a hit at every turn. And one of those frustrated businessmen is chef David Lee.
00:20:09
Speaker 12: Does the government actually want small business in Australia? I mean, honestly, everything they're doing is to try to crush small business. Does the government not want small business in this country? Does the Labor government not want private enterprise? Because it sure looks like they don't.
00:20:27
Speaker 1: And I'm pleased to say David joins me now on the desk.
00:20:30
Speaker 3: David, welcome.
00:20:31
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:20:32
Speaker 1: I must say, I saw your social media video, as I know hundreds of thousands of other people did, and you spoke just so passionately and from the heart about what these changes are going to do to you. Just tell us about some of the hardship that you have been facing and why this is so significant to remove those ban surcharge.
00:20:53
Speaker 13: So that reel was a real off-the-cuff moment. I'd been doing a series of reels on how tough small business is with constant price increases, constant wage increases, payday super. It's honestly like a death by a thousand pinpricks for most small businesses. and then comes along a credit card surcharge ban along with an interest rate rise and then the ATO decides that well we're not going to accept credit cards anymore it's untenable for you know us to do it but small business is expected to.
00:21:26
Speaker 1: So tell us about what the impact would be to a business like yours and what you're also hearing from other small businesses.
00:21:33
Speaker 13: So what I heard on the day of the ATO decision was a lot of the people I know and I get contacted by hundreds of small business owners every day, they're terrified about how are they going to meet their cash flow obligations to the ATO, for Payday Super. A lot of them are really, really worried. And then the surcharge ban as well. Can they absorb the tens of thousands of dollars that's going to cost a business each year? They're just going to have to put their pricing up.
00:22:01
Speaker 1: Tell us how hard it is to manage cash flow in this economy.
00:22:06
Speaker 13: There were times there over the last three or four years where Managing cash flow was almost impossible. There were daily or weekly increases in, you know, products that we use regularly like chicken or things like that. Wages were going up. Trying to manage cash flow is an absolute nightmare in a small business in Australia these days.
00:22:24
Speaker 1: David, tell us from a small business perspective, how does it feel when you see Treasurer Jim Chalmers or the Prime Minister standing up there using talking points that head office has given them to say, knowing that they haven't been in your shoes before, they've never run a business, they've never had to feel the stresses that you're under.
00:22:45
Speaker 10: Exactly, yes.
00:22:46
Speaker 3: Just give us a bit of an insight into what you think when you're listening to them.
00:22:49
Speaker 13: Oh, I just see it as gaslighting.
00:22:51
Speaker 7: They're gaslighting.
00:22:52
Speaker 13: The Australian community and the small business community, to be honest. None of the rhetoric actually flows through to actual reality for a small business operator at all.
00:23:03
Speaker 1: And tell us, I was having a look at your website this afternoon and your passion for your cooking, your food and your wine just oozes out of you when you're not having to talk about the struggles of what you're facing. You can see the real passion that you have for what you do, but how hard is it to remain as upbeat and enthusiastic for your craft when you're going through this?
00:23:27
Speaker 13: Yeah, so we have, you know, clients over the last 15 years that I really focus on them, I look after them, but then you're always sidetracked by, you know, the cost of doing business crisis, another hit from the government. It really takes away that passion a little bit, absolutely.
00:23:44
Speaker 1: And what about some of the feedback you were getting on social media from your video? I must say, I actually used a snippet of your video on my show last night and then I was very pleased to see you coming in here.
00:23:54
Speaker 3: But what are people writing to you?
00:23:56
Speaker 13: 99% support. You know, small business owners out there, I'm just trying to give them a bit of a voice. They don't have a voice. They're voiceless. So a lot of them are too nervous or scared to say what they're actually thinking. And so the support has been overwhelming from all of my colleagues and also from you know, a restauranteur in Perth or Bridgesbourne or wherever they might be.
00:24:19
Speaker 3: What do small businesses need right now?
00:24:22
Speaker 13: They need a government that will listen to them. The government doesn't listen. We've been banging on for two, three years about these issues and nothing. And this is just another hit down the track. So what do we need? We need consultation. We need someone to listen. And we need somebody to focus on productivity.
00:24:45
Speaker 1: Does anyone ever come out and knock on your door and see your video and say, how can we help from the government or your local minister?
00:24:52
Speaker 13: No, nothing at all. Just shouting in the wilderness.
00:24:56
Speaker 1: Well, David, we will keep up the fight here and I really appreciate you coming in and all the best with your business.
00:25:02
Speaker 3: Keep up the passion.
00:25:03
Speaker 5: Absolutely.
00:25:03
Speaker 3: And those social.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: Media videos because we'll all be following you. So thank you so much for coming in.
00:25:08
Speaker 11: No worries, thank you.
00:25:08
Speaker 2: I really appreciate it.
00:25:10
Speaker 1: All right, after the break, the extraordinary Australian-led campaign to send the nation's first female astronaut to space.
00:25:16
Speaker 3: Find out more next. Welcome back. It's great to have your company.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: Coming up, the stunning decision by the UK Greens to adopt a policy declaring.
00:25:31
Speaker 3: Zionism is racism.
00:25:35
Speaker 1: But now to the federal appeal for the states to help fund a $ 100 million mission to send Australian astronaut Catherine Benelpeg into space. But supporters argue the real prize is the scientific breakthroughs, medical research and future industries that Australia could bring home. And Jim Wally is the Liberal-appointed Chief Entrepreneur who has donated $ 1 million to the cause, and he joins me now.
00:27:07
Speaker 3: Jim, welcome. Thank you for coming in.
00:27:10
Speaker 5: Jamie, lovely to be here.
00:27:11
Speaker 3: This is a very exciting project.
00:27:13
Speaker 1: Tell us about why you have invested and why you want to see Australia get to the moon.
00:27:19
Speaker 5: Well, Jamie, it's getting Catherine up to the International Space Station to perform some really, really groundbreaking experiments that are going to give us new technologies in medicine. They're going to provide us with cancer cures, all sorts of things. They're going to do things as diverse as bushfire control. And it's an opportunity for Australia, a nation that has led the way in technology in the past, to really get back up there and be a leader in all sorts of fabulous endeavours that are very space related. And as we know, space is such a critical part of our lives today, whether it's satellite communications, whether it's GPS and so many other things. It's a great opportunity for Australia and it's a great opportunity for our youth to look forward to something fabulous in their futures.
00:28:08
Speaker 1: Well, touching on the youth, you know, I've got two sons and space is a big topic within our household. But in terms of maximising for that younger generation, it is probably a way to then boost enrolments within subjects like STEM or physics because they can see the astronaut and go, oh, you know what, this is actually really cool and can follow along on the journey.
00:28:29
Speaker 3: Is that part of the driver behind this as well?
00:28:32
Speaker 5: Look, I think that's one of the great intangibles, but one of the things that will give us tangible benefits in the future, we now have, sadly, some of our lowest enrolments in, for example, year 12 physics ever. We're down to, I think, about 12 percent of kids going into year 12 physics. This is the sort of thing that motivates young kids to want to go and study science and mathematics. And they may not go into space. They may go into engineering. They may go into computer science. They may go into cyber, all sorts of areas. But they need to have that base in science and technology, engineering and maths to start with. And this is a great inspiration for that. But more importantly, we get tangible benefits out of this. We get medical research that's up there that are saving people's lives. that are creating Australian businesses that can sell products to the world, strengthening our own economy and making a stronger, more resilient Australia.
00:29:23
Speaker 1: I guess the one, probably the critical side of me that comes out of this is the $ 100 million price tag, which, you know, in the scheme of things that are being spent at the moment, it's a drop in the ocean, really. Have you received much support when it comes from the federal government? I know Peter Malinowskis in South Australia is very... supportive of this program. What's the response been from the federal government?
00:29:45
Speaker 5: Look, I think the federal government are really enthusiastic about this opportunity. They have said it's a lot of money, and it is a lot of money, and it's a lot of money too when people are suffering with a cost of living crisis, but it's also an investment in our future. And it is also making sure there is not a cost of living crisis for our children. You know, when we invest money in roads and infrastructure, we don't expect an immediate return, but we do expect a return in the future. And that's exactly what this mission to the ice is is going to do for basically the cup, the cost of a cup of coffee for children. for everyone in Australia or a few kilometres of freeway, we are genuinely going to put Australia at the leading edge and create new Australian businesses and new Australian economies that are gonna help make our country stronger.
00:30:35
Speaker 1: And I saw in the video that was just played, it looks like it could be 20,000 jobs as well by 2032. That in itself is also a really good driver to get this happening.
00:30:45
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:30:46
Speaker 5: We've already got a strong space industry. This is going to strengthen it even more. And they are high-tech jobs that have real impact. And they have real impact on our nation's productivity. They have real impact on solving medical problems, on issues of climate, of security, a whole range of things.
00:31:04
Speaker 11: And.
00:31:05
Speaker 5: And getting our kids involved in this sort of stuff is the thing that really drives me.
00:31:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, me too.
00:31:10
Speaker 1: I've got a son that is very much in all of that STEM involvement and wants to be an engineer. Just tell us, you've got a timeline that this needs to be achieved by. So it's the $ 100 million price tag, but when do you need to have raised the money by?
00:31:24
Speaker 5: Well, to be perfectly honest, it's not $ 100 million right now. And the vast majority of that money is going to go back into Australian research and Australian businesses, to be absolutely clear. So It's not a cheque for a free ride. A lot of that money is going to go back in the Australian economy immediately. Then there'll be long-term benefits. And, you know, space generally delivers about a seven-fold return on the money that's invested. But we do need commitments from our government to this mission. Catherine's got to train for a mission, hopefully in 28, 29, and that training needs to start now. Sadly, it's not just turn up at check-in. pass over your boarding pass and jump on the nearest space vehicle to the International Space Station. It is years of training to get her ready for this mission and to be prepared to do all those experiments and really deliver a benefit.
00:32:15
Speaker 3: And so she would head off to the US in the next few weeks?
00:32:18
Speaker 5: She'll go off to Europe to start with and she'll be doing work in the US and Europe all over while she trains for that mission.
00:32:25
Speaker 1: And just quickly, I know you're here to talk about the space mission, but you are also Deputy Chair and Director of Nova Systems. And this is a defence engineering and technology company. And I often get nervous about Australia's defence capability issues. And the US, they want us to increase our spending level. But increasingly, it seems as though the battlefield is more in this cyber security, cyberspace element.
00:32:50
Speaker 3: Do you think Australia is vulnerable for attacks?
00:32:52
Speaker 5: Well, look, you're absolutely correct. But I think we've still got those kinetic effects, which is a polite military way of saying things that blow up.
00:33:00
Speaker 2: That still matters.
00:33:02
Speaker 5: But those digital effects are becoming more and more important. Fortunately we do. We have quite a unique capability in the Australian Signals Directorate. We have great relationships with our Five Eyes partners. So we are at the forefront of that cyber protection but it is one of those things that you always need to be wary of. You always need to be pushing and looking at your defences and changing them. We've seen that in what's happened in Ukraine. we've seen in other conflicts around the world. But Australia is pretty well placed.
00:33:34
Speaker 1: Well, Jim, I really appreciate your time tonight. And where can we all watch to follow along with Catherine's journey, hopefully, to the moon?
00:33:41
Speaker 5: Well, look, I hope in social media and all over. I would ask all your viewers, you know, if you're passionate about this, as many of us are, and believe it's so important, please contact your local politicians. Please contact those in the media. Please post on Facebook and LinkedIn and all those things. this is about our future and it is about the future for our children.
00:34:01
Speaker 3: Really important. No, it's really exciting. Thank you so much for coming in.
00:34:04
Speaker 5: Thanks for having me.
00:34:06
Speaker 1: Well, the Greens in Britain declare Zionism is racism, a policy that would end Israel as a Jewish state. So how did this become acceptable in mainstream politics?
00:34:16
Speaker 3: That's next. Welcome back.
00:34:24
Speaker 1: Coming up, calls to overhaul apprentice retention. as a way to fix Australia's severe tradie shortage. But now, three years on from the October 7 attacks, anti-Israel rhetoric across the West remains a deeply troubling issue. In Britain, the Green Party has adopted a policy declaring Zionism is racism, while also backing the creation of a single Palestinian state across what it calls historic Palestine, effectively ending Israel as a Jewish state. Party members also voted down an amendment designed to protect Jewish Greens from discrimination because they attended Zionist synagogues or community organisations.
00:35:05
Speaker 3: Green Party leader Zach Polanski.
00:35:07
Speaker 1: Who is Jewish himself, didn't vote on the motion because he was campaigning in North London, but has since declined to condemn it. For more on this, Spiked Online chief political writer Brendan O'Neill. Brendan, I do want to start with this adoption of the Zionism as racism policy. The Greens have become Europe's first mainstream anti-Zionist party.
00:35:30
Speaker 3: How is this acceptable?
00:35:33
Speaker 2: It's not acceptable in my view and in the view of a lot of other people here in the UK. It's shocking. You know, what's actually I think this has made the Green Party into an explicitly anti-Jewish party, because all that Zionism means is the right of the Jewish people to their own homeland. It just means Jewish sovereignty, Jewish self-determination. And if you're a political party that defines yourself against one form of sovereignty, no other, just the Jewish one, That makes you racist, in my view. You're singling out the Jewish people and Jewish nationhood for demonisation, and that is a bigoted stance. And what's happened effectively this morning in the UK, we've woken up to a new reality, which is that there is now a mainstream party in Britain that is openly constitutionally hostile to the Jewish people.
00:36:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, and the policy also calls for the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state.
00:36:29
Speaker 3: With Jerusalem as.
00:36:30
Speaker 1: Its capital, so no more Jewish homeland. And I was reading about this in your piece, which was brilliant, and I just can't help but think that the outrage that would follow if this was about.
00:36:43
Speaker 3: A different group. Why is it acceptable when it's Israel?
00:36:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, this policy openly states that there should be no Israel. It basically says let's get rid of Israel, let's get rid of the Jewish homeland and and replace it with what they refer to as historic Palestine. So no more Israel, no more Jewish nation. Imagine calling other people genocidal when you're dreaming of erasing a whole country from the face of the earth. That's a genocidal ambition right there in the Green Party policy. And you're right, if this was any other nation, if a right-wing party, for example, campaigned actively to get rid of the state of Pakistan... and demonized every Pakistani in Britain or Australia who likes or supports that state. If any party were to do that, they would be called racist. They would be condemned. They would be told that they are obsessed with foreign affairs. But when it comes to Israel, you can get away with it. When it comes to the Jews, you can get away with it. And I'm afraid that really speaks to the shocking double standards that surround this whole issue.
00:37:43
Speaker 1: And can you also just tell us more about the voting down of an amendment that would have offered protection to Jewish Greens who attended Zionist synagogues?
00:37:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, this for me was the most shocking thing of all in the vote yesterday. There was one amendment that said we need to provide protection from discrimination against for Jewish members of the Green Party that attend Zionist synagogues. We need an assurance that they won't be harassed or kicked out of the party simply on the basis of the synagogue that they attend. And that motion was, that amendment was voted down. It was rejected very significantly as well. So what's happening here is that a party is openly saying not only that the Jewish state should not exist, not only that Zionism is racism, but even Jews who go to Zionist synagogues, which, by the way, is most synagogues, They should not be protected from discrimination. They can essentially be harassed or expelled from the party because they attend a certain religious institution. That is anti-Semitism. There is literally no other way to describe it. We now have an institutionally anti-Semitic party in the United Kingdom.
00:38:48
Speaker 3: It's incredibly distressing, Brendan.
00:38:49
Speaker 1: I do want to turn our attention now to the US that's reportedly pulled bombers out of RAF Fairford, and this follows reports of a fresh terror plot that What does it tell us about the threat from Iran?
00:39:03
Speaker 2: It tells us that the threat is really serious. So Fairford is an RAF base where America has been using it for a long time throughout the Cold War right through to today. It's a base in the southwest of England that America takes off from, flies from, often starts military operations there. And people will know that a few men were arrested there a couple of weeks ago for acting suspiciously. They are suspected of either plotting an attack or trying to carry one out. And now we know that an Iranian UK national has been arrested on suspicion of organizing acts of terrorism. This is incredibly serious. And it makes me think back to the start of the Iran-Israel-American War. a few months ago when Britain said, well, it's got nothing to do with us and all these commentators were saying, let's keep well away from it. It's not our business. I'm afraid it does have something to do with us because we now have the Iranian threat right here in the UK and we should start taking it more seriously.
00:40:03
Speaker 1: And just quickly before I let you go, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, he's back in the news, this time, though, taking the police to court over the warrants used to search his properties. And I saw this article and I thought, given everything that emerged about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, does this show an astonishing level of arrogance that somehow he still believes normal rules shouldn't.
00:40:24
Speaker 3: Apply to him?
00:40:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I believe everyone should be treated fairly by the police and by the courts. Of course, equality before the law. I think everyone agrees with that, whether you're a prince or a pauper. But it does seem that Andrew, the former Prince Andrew, seems to think that he should get special treatment. You know, if I was in his position, and thank God I'm not, and most normal people aren't, I would just keep quiet, keep your head down, just go away, which is pretty much what he's done. stop making statements, stop taking action, just lie low. Who knows, maybe he can come back at some point in the future if he makes a mea culpa and admits that he did wrong. But all this kind of woe is me approach, I think that's going to rub people up.
00:41:07
Speaker 6: The wrong way.
00:41:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just thought that was a really interesting move. Well, Brendan, thanks for your time tonight.
00:41:14
Speaker 2: Thank you.
00:41:15
Speaker 1: Well, after the break, we'll get into the detail from One Nation's big policy launch in Victoria at the weekend. Plus, with the building sector under pressure, are we doing enough to keep tradies in the job?
00:41:27
Speaker 3: Our Monday night panel is next.
00:41:34
Speaker 1: All right, well, let's get straight into it and bring in tonight's panel, One Nation National Director James Ashby and former Liberal MP Nicole Flint.
00:41:43
Speaker 3: Welcome to you both.
00:41:44
Speaker 1: A pretty fiery old function, the launch of One Nation's policy position ahead of the Victorian election. James, you had Mark Nicholson up there rousing the crowd and telling them that Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allen should be imprisoned by Christmas. Now, I know plenty of people who would agree they should be held to account. But was that what you guys need to do?
00:42:07
Speaker 14: Well, I'm glad you're giving us the opportunity to correct the record here. Mark Nicholson didn't say that One Nation would jail them by Christmas. He said that if he had it his way, he'd like to see them in jail by Christmas.
00:42:18
Speaker 11: So there's a big difference.
00:42:19
Speaker 14: And strangely enough, the only news outlet that got it right was the ABC, and I hate admitting that.
00:42:25
Speaker 11: But that's the truth behind it.
00:42:27
Speaker 14: But, look, with that said, I think a lot of Victorians would admit they are sick to death of the corruption... The crime and certainly the behaviour of this Labor government, it doesn't matter whether it's Daniel Andrews, whether it's Jacinda Allen or the new bloke that's apparently leading the mob, you know, he was part of the same Cabinet room that made all of these decisions. The truth is no-one trusts Labor anymore, whether it be in Victoria or nationally, and they've got to go. And that's why One Nation have made this determination to put Labor and the Greens last, and we've just got to make sure, for Victoria's sake... that One Nation, and so be it if the Coalition have a say in this next parliament, as long as it's no longer Labor.
00:43:09
Speaker 1: The only issue, Mark is a candidate, though, for One Nation, so whilst it was his opinion, you're still representing the party.
00:43:15
Speaker 3: But, Nicole, what did you make of the event? Because it looked like there were hundreds of people there and it looked like the momentum is certainly going behind One Nation.
00:43:24
Speaker 10: Absolutely, and that sort of enthusiasm is reflected in the polls, isn't it?
00:43:28
Speaker 11: So we know.
00:43:30
Speaker 10: Around the nation and certainly in the national polls, One Nation are leading all of the major political parties, but I have real issues with anyone, especially if they are a candidate, suggesting that other MPs or candidates should be thrown into jail.
00:43:46
Speaker 7: There is.
00:43:46
Speaker 10: No suggestion of criminal wrongdoing or legal wrongdoing. So I think James is being a little bit too... No, James, usually we are on a unity ticket on so many things, but not this one. We have the rule of law for a reason. You don't go around throwing politicians in jail.
00:44:03
Speaker 11: Of course, we're not suggesting that, Kay. As your boss well knows. We're not suggesting that. You know that. So lighten up.
00:44:10
Speaker 1: All right, well, let's move on to a more positive story. And I did have Jim Wally on just shortly. The South Australian Premier, Pridham Malinowskis, has come under fire after pledging state funds towards Catherine Benalpeg's space mission. And he's throwing a million dollars in, Jim Wally, who was just on the desk.
00:44:30
Speaker 3: What do you think, James? A lot of people would argue this is money well spent.
00:44:36
Speaker 11: No, it's not.
00:44:37
Speaker 14: It's a ridiculous concept that we would go throwing $ 100 million of taxpayers' money at some space race at this early stage.
00:44:44
Speaker 11: We've got better things to worry about.
00:44:45
Speaker 14: Just consider the volume of people sleeping in their cars that don't have a roof over their head.
00:44:50
Speaker 11: I'm sorry.
00:44:50
Speaker 14: We've now got, you've seen in Victoria there, hundreds and hundreds of people lining up at food banks on any given day trying to collect some reasonable form of dignity, trying to have their bills paid, like electricity.
00:45:03
Speaker 11: They're the most important things at the moment, so.
00:45:05
Speaker 14: With all due respect, if we were flush with cash and we didn't have a trillion dollars worth of debt as a nation, we may consider it.
00:45:12
Speaker 11: But right now, we've just got.
00:45:13
Speaker 14: To take the fiscally responsible path here and say, look, that's on the wish list of the future, not today.
00:45:19
Speaker 11: Sorry, grow up. Grow up?
00:45:22
Speaker 10: Well, I think we need... Jamie, if I may just jump in there, please. I think we need all political parties to grow up, James, and I'm putting you in that category now. This is the last opportunity for us to get our first-ever Australian-trained astronaut... onto the International Space Station. It's being decommissioned in 2030.
00:45:42
Speaker 11: Do you want to blow $ 100 million?
00:45:44
Speaker 10: I absolutely do, James, because what are you suggesting as well?
00:45:47
Speaker 2: Like, let's just.
00:45:48
Speaker 10: This is a nation-building exercise. This is about inspiring.
00:45:51
Speaker 11: No, your priorities are wrong. No wonder the Liberal Party are down the.
00:45:53
Speaker 10: This is about inspiring young people. OK, give me a chance. Hey, James, please, give me a chance to speak. It's about inspiring... a generation of kids who are not doing STEM subjects at all to get into STEM. But more than that, we are sending our first Australian astronaut into space. And there is a whole heap of science and tech that's reliant on this. And if you are saying that we shouldn't be funding things like this, should we then cut our entire Olympic team? Because sending Catherine Bunnell-Pegg, our first Australian-trained astronaut into space will cost the equivalent of two and a half gold medals or two and a half medals at the Olympics. So if you want to start cutting things and saying we can't fund nation-building exercises that are actually really important for business, for science.
00:46:40
Speaker 14: If Elon Musk wants to send somebody to space, let him pay it. What, is he the first trillionaire in the world? Let him pay for it. I'm sure there's other people that will happily pay for this. It doesn't have to be government and taxpayers.
00:46:51
Speaker 3: It's silly.
00:46:52
Speaker 1: You're a wasteful person, Nicole.
00:46:53
Speaker 11: I never thought this of you.
00:46:55
Speaker 3: Wasteful person, Nicole. But it is worth noting that it could create 20,000 jobs by 2030.
00:47:02
Speaker 1: The 20,000 jobs by 2030 was an interesting aspect and what it can do for science and children and the productivity.
00:47:10
Speaker 10: Jamie, there are medical experiments, for example, that occur when you're on the space station. Fiona Wood, one of our preeminent burns experts... is actually wanting to send some technology up there to be tested. There are certain things you can only test in a zero-gravity environment, which is actually what happens in space. You're not just along for a ride. You're there to actually do some really important scientific and industry-based work that then... does things like save lives. So, James, if you don't think that's important, I'm very disappointed. Well, let the pharmaceutical companies pay for it.
00:47:42
Speaker 14: They're the ones that are getting huge amounts of money from the medicines that they sell around the globe.
00:47:47
Speaker 11: Well, hang on, James.
00:47:48
Speaker 14: If you're so convinced on medicine being the answer to this, let the pharmaceutical companies do it. Why are we, as taxpayers, when you've got all these homeless people? OK, I'd ask a very quick favour then.
00:47:57
Speaker 11: Purple in the face. You're wrong.
00:47:59
Speaker 10: Please ask Mrs Reinhart to fund this. I'd love to see a brilliant.
00:48:03
Speaker 14: No, you ask yourself. I wouldn't ask her to waste the money on it either.
00:48:07
Speaker 10: Oh, I'm really disappointed that you see it as... I really am really disappointed you see this as a waste. James, you're always cheeky.
00:48:15
Speaker 1: Now, just very quickly, James, we literally have 20 seconds. So the planned pro-Palestinian protest for October 7.
00:48:22
Speaker 3: Disgraceful.
00:48:23
Speaker 10: Yeah.
00:48:23
Speaker 3: What do you think?
00:48:25
Speaker 14: Well, they say it's freedom of speech and they should be allowed. No, this is just inciting more violence and hate. They're also the same people that have hauled Pauline Hanson through the court for saying PO back to Pakistan. I think these people should not be allowed to protest on the 7th of October. It's a disgraceful event and no authority should be saying you're.
00:48:45
Speaker 11: Not welcome to do it on the streets.
00:48:46
Speaker 3: Thank you so much, Nicole. Thank you. Up next, it's the Volt Report.
Speaker 1: Good evening and welcome to the program. I'm Jamie Rogers, in for Peter Credlin, who's away. Here's what's coming up on the show. The climate gravy train rolls into Fiji as Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen attend the pre-COP31 meeting. Warm weather, cocktails and plenty of secrecy over just how much all of this is costing you as the taxpayer. Questions tonight over acceptable policy positions after the Greens in the UK adopted a Zionism is racism position, putting opposition to the existence of Jewish state at the heart of its platform on the eve of the anniversary of the vile October 7 attacks. Plus the campaign to send an Australian astronaut to space. It comes with a $ 100 million price tag, but those have argued it could have some tangible benefits for the nation and Australia's global standing. And the backlash keeps on coming as the Albanese government faces pressure to reverse the ATO's ban on credit card payments, accused of making life even harder for small business.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: You know, it's just one thing on top of another. The red tape burden is strangling small business and it's got to stop.
00:01:28
Speaker 1: Well, Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen jetted off to Fiji today on your dime for a three-day pre-cop climate summit organised by Australia. Flights, officials, accommodation, security, logistics. Australian taxpayers are footing the bill. But there's one important detail that Chris Bowen won't tell us.
00:01:50
Speaker 3: How much we're actually paying for it. That's right.
00:01:54
Speaker 1: Now, this is part of the $ 150 million for Mr Bowen's role as president of negotiations and other COP-related activities. And that's even before we begin to count the billions being poured into Labor's energy transition. Now, this is at a time when Australians have been hit with another interest rate rise, small businesses being squeezed from every direction.
00:02:18
Speaker 3: Households told to tighten their belts.
00:02:21
Speaker 1: Yet when taxpayers ask how much their government is spending on a climate conference in Fiji, apparently they're not entitled to answer. If the government is so proud of this event, why the secrecy?
00:02:34
Speaker 4: And it's very hard to see how this in any way is getting value for money for the Australian taxpayer. And the reason we know that is because the government won't come clean with the costs. And you heard Chris Bowen just before. He wouldn't come clean with the costs. You had to throw numbers at him to try and elicit a response as to how much this costs. They won't tell us which world leaders are going, which aren't. They won't say whether they were all invited or not. I mean, the whole thing, the secrecy around it. I mean, what have they got to hide? If this is so important, why the secrecy around it all?
00:03:13
Speaker 1: And it's a fair question, particularly when you hear Chris Bowen's description of the event.
00:03:19
Speaker 5: Yeah, and Sally, I think it's important to note that pre-copy is normally a pretty pedestrian affair, to be frank with you.
00:03:27
Speaker 3: A pretty pedestrian affair. Excuse me?
00:03:30
Speaker 1: You can't tell Australians this is an important diplomatic engagement and then defend a low turnout by saying pre-cop is normally a pretty pedestrian affair. Well, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been announced as one of the headline speakers, and so has former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Chris Bowen will talk about greater electrification across the Pacific. But perhaps before lecturing the region about its energy future, he should look in his own backyard. Energy prices have risen close to 40%. So much for the $ 275 annual reduction by 2025. Just last week, another smelter was rescued to the tune of $ 200 million using taxpayer money shared between Tasmania and the federal government. This year, we've also rescued the Tomago smelter with a $ 2. 5 billion bailout between the New South Wales and federal governments. Rio's aluminium smelter in Queensland received a $ 2 billion bailout between the state and federal government. Let's not forget the $ 6 billion spent on the Energy Bill Relief Fund to help families and Australians with sky-high electricity bills. But the absurdity of that is we all pay taxes and then the government gives the money back to help all of us pay electricity bills that have become too expensive.
00:04:52
Speaker 3: Do you see the pattern here?
00:04:54
Speaker 1: Energy intensive industries are struggling and cannot survive on windmills and solar. Families are choosing between heating their home and putting food on the table. But will this government reconsider the transition? No, they'll just reach into your pocket and take more money. Chris Bowen should also look at the energy debate around the rest of the world. Because something extraordinary happened in Britain this weekend. The Green Party voted to abandon its blanket opposition to nuclear power. Its policy now recognises nuclear as a form of low carbon electricity generation.
00:05:31
Speaker 3: And then there's the United States.
00:05:33
Speaker 1: Just last week, the US approved construction for the country's first commercial small modular reactor. France are powering ahead with another 10 reactors by 2030. Even the Prime Minister himself recently praised India's Prime Minister for their energy grid.
00:05:51
Speaker 6: To give Prime Minister Modi credit, more people have been connected with access to energy in India under his reign than has occurred in any decade in any country or any region in human history.
00:06:11
Speaker 1: And that's Anthony Albanese sitting there praising India for their energy grid. And they're using nuclear powered by our uranium. So nuclear power is good enough for India's energy transition, but not here. We'll just keep powering ahead with a renewables only plan. And the contradiction doesn't end there. Labor's assistant climate change minister, Josh Wilson, recently dismissed the nuclear debate by declaring this.
00:06:39
Speaker 7: They want to spend $ 600 billion of taxpayers' money because there's no private investment in it.
00:06:44
Speaker 2: There's no private investment in nuclear anywhere.
00:06:48
Speaker 3: Anywhere?
00:06:49
Speaker 1: Well, somebody might want to tell the Minister about the investments made by Google, Meta and Microsoft. They're securing nuclear power to confront the enormous energy demands of AI and data centres. And here's the great irony. Lifting Australia's moratorium on nuclear power won't commit taxpayers to building a single reactor. It will allow the market to decide where the nuclear stacks up. It costs taxpayers nothing to lift the ban. This government's renewables-only tunnel vision won't solve the energy crisis. And the opposition's case for lifting the nuclear ban stands up better than the government would like to admit. or more unintended consequences from a government that just doesn't understand. Labor's ban on credit card surcharges came into effect last week. It was sold as another cost-of-living win with customers set to save $ 1.
00:07:46
Speaker 3: 6 billion a year. Problem solved. Except, of course, it isn't.
00:07:53
Speaker 1: Because this government has developed an unfortunate habit, making the announcement and then leaving everyone else to work out who pays. And now some of the Australians that are being caught in the fallout are renters already struggling to make ends meet. One of Australia's largest rental payment platforms has decided to stop accepting credit cards altogether. Macquarie Bank's DEFT platform processes around 1.2 million rent transactions every month. About 2% of rental and strata payments through the platform were being made by card. But following the surcharge reforms, Macquarie has announced it will stop accepting them. And even the bank admits there's no like-for-like replacement. And credit cards are important for those who need a short-term bridge rather than falling behind on their rent. Tenants Union chief executive Leo Patterson-Ross said financially distressed tenants were in more danger. He told the Sydney Morning Herald, the people I'd be most concerned about are the people on the edge of hardship. Some renters' incomes don't line up nicely with what landlords or managing agents expect. If you're a contractor or have irregular income, you can see an advantage to using a credit card.
00:09:10
Speaker 3: Because this isn't the only unintended consequence.
00:09:13
Speaker 1: The ATO has stopped accepting credit cards because they don't want to pay the fee. Master Builders has written to the ATO slamming their decision, saying builders need this offer. And former Labor Minister Joel Fitzgibbon says the changes don't make sense and will hit those who need it most.
00:09:33
Speaker 8: Yeah, it is inconsistent, Kieran. It has bewildered me, quite frankly. I mean, the ATO has suggested it might save $ 200 million by doing this. Well, dare I say, I mean, $ 200 million is a lot of money in our eyes, but in the context of the Commonwealth budget or in the context as a proportion of the taxes they raise, it's a very, very small amount of money. So why do this, particularly when the government's just decided or someone has just decided to deny small business the capacity to pass on the bank fees? So it's bewildering.
00:10:09
Speaker 1: So the ATO doesn't want to absorb the costs, but the government still expects businesses to. The double standard is hard to ignore. But this is what happens when governments confuse regulating a price with reducing a cost. Instead of taking up the fight with the banks over what it costs to process a payment, they've taken the easy option and dumped the cost on businesses. They haven't abolished the surcharge. They've socialised it. And now everyone pays. And once again, we're left asking whether anyone in the federal government stops to think about the real-world impact.
00:10:46
Speaker 3: Before they act.
00:10:52
Speaker 1: Well, let's head to Canberra now for tonight's political headlines with political reporter Cam Redden.
00:10:57
Speaker 3: Good evening.
00:10:58
Speaker 9: The Prime Minister has arrived in Fiji for the beginning of the pre-cop climate summit.
00:11:03
Speaker 6: We know that we're seeing more intense and more extreme weather events more frequently.
00:11:10
Speaker 3: On occasion.
00:11:11
Speaker 10: Well, certainly it is a good spin of Australia's taxpayers' money.
00:11:13
Speaker 5: This is our most important diplomatic engagement in the Pacific, certainly this term.
00:11:18
Speaker 9: Backlash is mounting over the unintended consequences of Labor's ban on credit card surcharges.
00:11:24
Speaker 6: The price you see is the price you pay.
00:11:26
Speaker 9: But the prices they see are going up as business owners flood social media to say they have no choice but to pass on the cost of covering processing fees.
00:11:36
Speaker 11: Small to medium operators are We have no choice. We're sort of held by the throat.
00:11:41
Speaker 9: Last week, the tax office announced that rather than absorb the cost itself, it would instead refuse all credit card payments from November 30.
00:11:49
Speaker 10: We can't expect SMEs, particularly in the building sector, to keep taking these hits.
00:11:54
Speaker 9: Now tenants too are facing a squeeze. Macquarie Bank's deft payment system, which processes more than a million rent payments a month, has also blocked credit card payments. People who are running the country have never run a business and they don't understand what you need and that flexibility of and how slim your margins are. Cameron Redden, News 24, Canberra.
00:12:18
Speaker 1: All right, well, let's get into some other news of the day now with News24 political contributor Chris Ullman, who joins us from Canberra.
00:12:26
Speaker 3: Chris, welcome.
00:12:28
Speaker 1: As I've just touched on moments ago, our part-time energy minister has jetted off to Fiji for the pre-COP31 meeting. But revelations today that former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and New Zealand's former leader Jacinda Ardern are amongst some of those headline speakers.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: But, Chris, honestly... What are those two going to add to the climate conference?
00:12:48
Speaker 1: It feels like this is nothing more than a political junket for current and former politicians.
00:12:56
Speaker 7: Well, Jamie, what we do know is that only two world leaders are actually showing up to this event. That's the president of Mauritius and the leader of Timor-Leste. At the beginning of the year, of course, Chris Bowen said that this was going to be an unprecedented opportunity to bring the world to the Pacific. And as usual, the advertising turned out to run way ahead of what actually is being delivered. All of this presidency of the Council of Parties that he's now undertaking is a consolation prize for not having that event in Australia. It's going to go ahead in Turkey, where he'll have next to no influence over what's going on there. And those world leaders that do up will show there. So this is a completely wasted opportunity for Australia. And the money that we're being asked to pour into it, $ 150 million, could well be spent better on something else. And I point to the fact that we had a Pacific Island forum just one month where all of these same issues were canvassed. So this is an utterly pointless exercise to try and burnish the credentials of our energy minister on the international stage, not in Australia, but to try and get his CV ready for the next job that he will apply for on the international stage.
00:14:09
Speaker 1: But Chris, to your point, if there's only two world leaders that have arrived to this pre-COP31 summit in Fiji, what does that say about how other leaders view, one, Australia's energy transition and our plan? Is people not showing up a sign that they're all going down a different path, down the nuclear path, and potentially they don't want to be lectured by someone who's all in on renewables?
00:14:36
Speaker 7: And it's a waste of their leaders' time to make their way to the Pacific when those leaders that are going to go are going to go to the actual event which comes in December. So why would they make their way to the Pacific and spend useful time doing a useless thing, which is what Australia's engaged in at the moment? Nothing will come of this. I'll tell you what it will do, though. It will draw a giant circle around Australia again and get the Pacific Island leaders to talk again about Australia's ambitions because they never complain about China's and the United States isn't there. So what they will do is demand an end to our coal and gas exports. And if we didn't have those coal and gas exports, we wouldn't have the money that we sometimes laid along the Pacific. So, you know, this entire thing will be an exercise in self-harm for Australia, costly taxpayers and an enormous amount of money which could be spent better somewhere else.
00:15:24
Speaker 3: Well, let's come back to some domestic issues, Chris.
00:15:27
Speaker 1: And we've seen four interest rate rises that have added now $ 172, 000 in total extra repayment costs for a typical home loan. Several times the dollar amount that falling values have wiped off property values in the past six months. Now, I spotted a tweet from Anthony Albanese from 2022.
00:15:46
Speaker 3: This was four years ago. But have a look at this.
00:15:49
Speaker 1: Assuring Australians that the government had a plan. It's been doing the rounds again because it obviously hasn't aged well.
00:15:57
Speaker 3: What do you make of those comments?
00:16:01
Speaker 7: Well, I interviewed the Prime Minister, the now Prime Minister, the now Treasurer and the now Energy Minister back in 2022. And they all had the same theme, and that was that they would bring down the cost of energy, that they would cut the costs of groceries, that they would essentially be able to help people with their mortgage repayments. And they were quite critical of Scott Morrison.
00:16:20
Speaker 2: At that time.
00:16:21
Speaker 7: The triple whammy that they talked about of skyrocketing costs for essentials and falling wages was and of course the rising cost of everything. What they pinned on Scott Morrison is what they are responsible for now in government. Now, they can try and walk away from these things and pretend that they never said these things, but they exist on the public record and more and more people are waking up to the fact that there's a big difference between the things that the Albanese government has said and the things that it is delivering.
00:16:49
Speaker 1: The internet doesn't forget and I often think that politicians probably wishes that it does.
00:16:53
Speaker 3: I do want to just quickly.
00:16:55
Speaker 1: Touch on One Nation before you go and this was around their policy launch in Melbourne. This was over the weekend and it was quite the rally at Crown Melbourne at a 63-page policy booklet titled The Real Deal which.
00:17:08
Speaker 3: Was what they were talking about.
00:17:09
Speaker 1: And it focuses on three key themes, crime, cost of living and accountability. There has been a little bit of criticism that none of it's been costed. But when you looked at the crowd numbers there and you saw how passionately Pauline was speaking, it does seem like there's some significant momentum.
00:17:28
Speaker 7: Yeah, and you've said it, momentum, Jamie. So that's the thing that is driving One Nation at the moment. People are looking for change. They don't like what they're getting out of the two major parties. They're looking elsewhere. And I doubt that costings are going to be front and centre of their mind. What they're doing is looking to punish those governments who put them in a position where they feel that crime really is a big problem in Victoria, which it clearly is. And cost of living is a big problem in Victoria, as it is everywhere. And accountability is something that people want, not just in Victoria, but everywhere. So, yeah, I don't know that costings are going to figure much. I would counsel One Nation on this, though. When they start trying to ape the policies of the United States and calling to lock up former political leaders, you know, with the chance of lock them up, lock them up, I don't think they're doing themselves any favours at all. I don't know that that plays particularly well in Australia. And it does look like you're going to use the political system to do something that the judiciary should do. I think we're well advised to keep those things separated.
00:18:26
Speaker 1: Chris, are you concerned at all that the Coalition aren't further in front in Victoria? We're now two months to go until the election, and we just saw on Chris Kenny's show the roads are filled with potholes, the crime's out of control. Do you think that the Liberals should be a little bit further ahead?
00:18:43
Speaker 7: Well, Jamie, I'm not concerned because I'm non-partisan, but the Coalition should be concerned, and every time I come on these programs, people talk to me about the threat to Labor from One Nation and The real and present danger from One Nation is first and foremost to the coalition. We've seen that in what's happened to its polling results. And it needs to lift its head a little further if it's going to win government in its own right in the lower house in Victoria, which it must do. if it does find itself in a coalition essentially with One Nation, it's going to find governing very difficult and making difficult decisions, which is what Victoria needs, extremely difficult. So the coalition has to do a lot better from here. But that is such a seminal test in Victoria. It will mark whether or not the coalition actually has a future in Australian politics. If they can win in Victoria, then it does. If they fail there with all the conditions which are now running in their favour.
00:19:37
Speaker 2: then it will be.
00:19:38
Speaker 7: A sign that perhaps the Coalition is a dead letter in politics in Australia.
00:19:44
Speaker 3: Yeah, they've got a big task ahead. Chris Ullman, I'll leave it there. Thank you so much. All right.
00:19:50
Speaker 1: I want to revisit the significant backlash from Australian small businesses. If you're like me and were scrolling social media over the weekend, it was hard to miss the anger from business owners who say they are getting a hit at every turn. And one of those frustrated businessmen is chef David Lee.
00:20:09
Speaker 12: Does the government actually want small business in Australia? I mean, honestly, everything they're doing is to try to crush small business. Does the government not want small business in this country? Does the Labor government not want private enterprise? Because it sure looks like they don't.
00:20:27
Speaker 1: And I'm pleased to say David joins me now on the desk.
00:20:30
Speaker 3: David, welcome.
00:20:31
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:20:32
Speaker 1: I must say, I saw your social media video, as I know hundreds of thousands of other people did, and you spoke just so passionately and from the heart about what these changes are going to do to you. Just tell us about some of the hardship that you have been facing and why this is so significant to remove those ban surcharge.
00:20:53
Speaker 13: So that reel was a real off-the-cuff moment. I'd been doing a series of reels on how tough small business is with constant price increases, constant wage increases, payday super. It's honestly like a death by a thousand pinpricks for most small businesses. and then comes along a credit card surcharge ban along with an interest rate rise and then the ATO decides that well we're not going to accept credit cards anymore it's untenable for you know us to do it but small business is expected to.
00:21:26
Speaker 1: So tell us about what the impact would be to a business like yours and what you're also hearing from other small businesses.
00:21:33
Speaker 13: So what I heard on the day of the ATO decision was a lot of the people I know and I get contacted by hundreds of small business owners every day, they're terrified about how are they going to meet their cash flow obligations to the ATO, for Payday Super. A lot of them are really, really worried. And then the surcharge ban as well. Can they absorb the tens of thousands of dollars that's going to cost a business each year? They're just going to have to put their pricing up.
00:22:01
Speaker 1: Tell us how hard it is to manage cash flow in this economy.
00:22:06
Speaker 13: There were times there over the last three or four years where Managing cash flow was almost impossible. There were daily or weekly increases in, you know, products that we use regularly like chicken or things like that. Wages were going up. Trying to manage cash flow is an absolute nightmare in a small business in Australia these days.
00:22:24
Speaker 1: David, tell us from a small business perspective, how does it feel when you see Treasurer Jim Chalmers or the Prime Minister standing up there using talking points that head office has given them to say, knowing that they haven't been in your shoes before, they've never run a business, they've never had to feel the stresses that you're under.
00:22:45
Speaker 10: Exactly, yes.
00:22:46
Speaker 3: Just give us a bit of an insight into what you think when you're listening to them.
00:22:49
Speaker 13: Oh, I just see it as gaslighting.
00:22:51
Speaker 7: They're gaslighting.
00:22:52
Speaker 13: The Australian community and the small business community, to be honest. None of the rhetoric actually flows through to actual reality for a small business operator at all.
00:23:03
Speaker 1: And tell us, I was having a look at your website this afternoon and your passion for your cooking, your food and your wine just oozes out of you when you're not having to talk about the struggles of what you're facing. You can see the real passion that you have for what you do, but how hard is it to remain as upbeat and enthusiastic for your craft when you're going through this?
00:23:27
Speaker 13: Yeah, so we have, you know, clients over the last 15 years that I really focus on them, I look after them, but then you're always sidetracked by, you know, the cost of doing business crisis, another hit from the government. It really takes away that passion a little bit, absolutely.
00:23:44
Speaker 1: And what about some of the feedback you were getting on social media from your video? I must say, I actually used a snippet of your video on my show last night and then I was very pleased to see you coming in here.
00:23:54
Speaker 3: But what are people writing to you?
00:23:56
Speaker 13: 99% support. You know, small business owners out there, I'm just trying to give them a bit of a voice. They don't have a voice. They're voiceless. So a lot of them are too nervous or scared to say what they're actually thinking. And so the support has been overwhelming from all of my colleagues and also from you know, a restauranteur in Perth or Bridgesbourne or wherever they might be.
00:24:19
Speaker 3: What do small businesses need right now?
00:24:22
Speaker 13: They need a government that will listen to them. The government doesn't listen. We've been banging on for two, three years about these issues and nothing. And this is just another hit down the track. So what do we need? We need consultation. We need someone to listen. And we need somebody to focus on productivity.
00:24:45
Speaker 1: Does anyone ever come out and knock on your door and see your video and say, how can we help from the government or your local minister?
00:24:52
Speaker 13: No, nothing at all. Just shouting in the wilderness.
00:24:56
Speaker 1: Well, David, we will keep up the fight here and I really appreciate you coming in and all the best with your business.
00:25:02
Speaker 3: Keep up the passion.
00:25:03
Speaker 5: Absolutely.
00:25:03
Speaker 3: And those social.
00:25:04
Speaker 1: Media videos because we'll all be following you. So thank you so much for coming in.
00:25:08
Speaker 11: No worries, thank you.
00:25:08
Speaker 2: I really appreciate it.
00:25:10
Speaker 1: All right, after the break, the extraordinary Australian-led campaign to send the nation's first female astronaut to space.
00:25:16
Speaker 3: Find out more next. Welcome back. It's great to have your company.
00:25:26
Speaker 1: Coming up, the stunning decision by the UK Greens to adopt a policy declaring.
00:25:31
Speaker 3: Zionism is racism.
00:25:35
Speaker 1: But now to the federal appeal for the states to help fund a $ 100 million mission to send Australian astronaut Catherine Benelpeg into space. But supporters argue the real prize is the scientific breakthroughs, medical research and future industries that Australia could bring home. And Jim Wally is the Liberal-appointed Chief Entrepreneur who has donated $ 1 million to the cause, and he joins me now.
00:27:07
Speaker 3: Jim, welcome. Thank you for coming in.
00:27:10
Speaker 5: Jamie, lovely to be here.
00:27:11
Speaker 3: This is a very exciting project.
00:27:13
Speaker 1: Tell us about why you have invested and why you want to see Australia get to the moon.
00:27:19
Speaker 5: Well, Jamie, it's getting Catherine up to the International Space Station to perform some really, really groundbreaking experiments that are going to give us new technologies in medicine. They're going to provide us with cancer cures, all sorts of things. They're going to do things as diverse as bushfire control. And it's an opportunity for Australia, a nation that has led the way in technology in the past, to really get back up there and be a leader in all sorts of fabulous endeavours that are very space related. And as we know, space is such a critical part of our lives today, whether it's satellite communications, whether it's GPS and so many other things. It's a great opportunity for Australia and it's a great opportunity for our youth to look forward to something fabulous in their futures.
00:28:08
Speaker 1: Well, touching on the youth, you know, I've got two sons and space is a big topic within our household. But in terms of maximising for that younger generation, it is probably a way to then boost enrolments within subjects like STEM or physics because they can see the astronaut and go, oh, you know what, this is actually really cool and can follow along on the journey.
00:28:29
Speaker 3: Is that part of the driver behind this as well?
00:28:32
Speaker 5: Look, I think that's one of the great intangibles, but one of the things that will give us tangible benefits in the future, we now have, sadly, some of our lowest enrolments in, for example, year 12 physics ever. We're down to, I think, about 12 percent of kids going into year 12 physics. This is the sort of thing that motivates young kids to want to go and study science and mathematics. And they may not go into space. They may go into engineering. They may go into computer science. They may go into cyber, all sorts of areas. But they need to have that base in science and technology, engineering and maths to start with. And this is a great inspiration for that. But more importantly, we get tangible benefits out of this. We get medical research that's up there that are saving people's lives. that are creating Australian businesses that can sell products to the world, strengthening our own economy and making a stronger, more resilient Australia.
00:29:23
Speaker 1: I guess the one, probably the critical side of me that comes out of this is the $ 100 million price tag, which, you know, in the scheme of things that are being spent at the moment, it's a drop in the ocean, really. Have you received much support when it comes from the federal government? I know Peter Malinowskis in South Australia is very... supportive of this program. What's the response been from the federal government?
00:29:45
Speaker 5: Look, I think the federal government are really enthusiastic about this opportunity. They have said it's a lot of money, and it is a lot of money, and it's a lot of money too when people are suffering with a cost of living crisis, but it's also an investment in our future. And it is also making sure there is not a cost of living crisis for our children. You know, when we invest money in roads and infrastructure, we don't expect an immediate return, but we do expect a return in the future. And that's exactly what this mission to the ice is is going to do for basically the cup, the cost of a cup of coffee for children. for everyone in Australia or a few kilometres of freeway, we are genuinely going to put Australia at the leading edge and create new Australian businesses and new Australian economies that are gonna help make our country stronger.
00:30:35
Speaker 1: And I saw in the video that was just played, it looks like it could be 20,000 jobs as well by 2032. That in itself is also a really good driver to get this happening.
00:30:45
Speaker 2: Exactly.
00:30:46
Speaker 5: We've already got a strong space industry. This is going to strengthen it even more. And they are high-tech jobs that have real impact. And they have real impact on our nation's productivity. They have real impact on solving medical problems, on issues of climate, of security, a whole range of things.
00:31:04
Speaker 11: And.
00:31:05
Speaker 5: And getting our kids involved in this sort of stuff is the thing that really drives me.
00:31:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, me too.
00:31:10
Speaker 1: I've got a son that is very much in all of that STEM involvement and wants to be an engineer. Just tell us, you've got a timeline that this needs to be achieved by. So it's the $ 100 million price tag, but when do you need to have raised the money by?
00:31:24
Speaker 5: Well, to be perfectly honest, it's not $ 100 million right now. And the vast majority of that money is going to go back into Australian research and Australian businesses, to be absolutely clear. So It's not a cheque for a free ride. A lot of that money is going to go back in the Australian economy immediately. Then there'll be long-term benefits. And, you know, space generally delivers about a seven-fold return on the money that's invested. But we do need commitments from our government to this mission. Catherine's got to train for a mission, hopefully in 28, 29, and that training needs to start now. Sadly, it's not just turn up at check-in. pass over your boarding pass and jump on the nearest space vehicle to the International Space Station. It is years of training to get her ready for this mission and to be prepared to do all those experiments and really deliver a benefit.
00:32:15
Speaker 3: And so she would head off to the US in the next few weeks?
00:32:18
Speaker 5: She'll go off to Europe to start with and she'll be doing work in the US and Europe all over while she trains for that mission.
00:32:25
Speaker 1: And just quickly, I know you're here to talk about the space mission, but you are also Deputy Chair and Director of Nova Systems. And this is a defence engineering and technology company. And I often get nervous about Australia's defence capability issues. And the US, they want us to increase our spending level. But increasingly, it seems as though the battlefield is more in this cyber security, cyberspace element.
00:32:50
Speaker 3: Do you think Australia is vulnerable for attacks?
00:32:52
Speaker 5: Well, look, you're absolutely correct. But I think we've still got those kinetic effects, which is a polite military way of saying things that blow up.
00:33:00
Speaker 2: That still matters.
00:33:02
Speaker 5: But those digital effects are becoming more and more important. Fortunately we do. We have quite a unique capability in the Australian Signals Directorate. We have great relationships with our Five Eyes partners. So we are at the forefront of that cyber protection but it is one of those things that you always need to be wary of. You always need to be pushing and looking at your defences and changing them. We've seen that in what's happened in Ukraine. we've seen in other conflicts around the world. But Australia is pretty well placed.
00:33:34
Speaker 1: Well, Jim, I really appreciate your time tonight. And where can we all watch to follow along with Catherine's journey, hopefully, to the moon?
00:33:41
Speaker 5: Well, look, I hope in social media and all over. I would ask all your viewers, you know, if you're passionate about this, as many of us are, and believe it's so important, please contact your local politicians. Please contact those in the media. Please post on Facebook and LinkedIn and all those things. this is about our future and it is about the future for our children.
00:34:01
Speaker 3: Really important. No, it's really exciting. Thank you so much for coming in.
00:34:04
Speaker 5: Thanks for having me.
00:34:06
Speaker 1: Well, the Greens in Britain declare Zionism is racism, a policy that would end Israel as a Jewish state. So how did this become acceptable in mainstream politics?
00:34:16
Speaker 3: That's next. Welcome back.
00:34:24
Speaker 1: Coming up, calls to overhaul apprentice retention. as a way to fix Australia's severe tradie shortage. But now, three years on from the October 7 attacks, anti-Israel rhetoric across the West remains a deeply troubling issue. In Britain, the Green Party has adopted a policy declaring Zionism is racism, while also backing the creation of a single Palestinian state across what it calls historic Palestine, effectively ending Israel as a Jewish state. Party members also voted down an amendment designed to protect Jewish Greens from discrimination because they attended Zionist synagogues or community organisations.
00:35:05
Speaker 3: Green Party leader Zach Polanski.
00:35:07
Speaker 1: Who is Jewish himself, didn't vote on the motion because he was campaigning in North London, but has since declined to condemn it. For more on this, Spiked Online chief political writer Brendan O'Neill. Brendan, I do want to start with this adoption of the Zionism as racism policy. The Greens have become Europe's first mainstream anti-Zionist party.
00:35:30
Speaker 3: How is this acceptable?
00:35:33
Speaker 2: It's not acceptable in my view and in the view of a lot of other people here in the UK. It's shocking. You know, what's actually I think this has made the Green Party into an explicitly anti-Jewish party, because all that Zionism means is the right of the Jewish people to their own homeland. It just means Jewish sovereignty, Jewish self-determination. And if you're a political party that defines yourself against one form of sovereignty, no other, just the Jewish one, That makes you racist, in my view. You're singling out the Jewish people and Jewish nationhood for demonisation, and that is a bigoted stance. And what's happened effectively this morning in the UK, we've woken up to a new reality, which is that there is now a mainstream party in Britain that is openly constitutionally hostile to the Jewish people.
00:36:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, and the policy also calls for the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian state.
00:36:29
Speaker 3: With Jerusalem as.
00:36:30
Speaker 1: Its capital, so no more Jewish homeland. And I was reading about this in your piece, which was brilliant, and I just can't help but think that the outrage that would follow if this was about.
00:36:43
Speaker 3: A different group. Why is it acceptable when it's Israel?
00:36:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, this policy openly states that there should be no Israel. It basically says let's get rid of Israel, let's get rid of the Jewish homeland and and replace it with what they refer to as historic Palestine. So no more Israel, no more Jewish nation. Imagine calling other people genocidal when you're dreaming of erasing a whole country from the face of the earth. That's a genocidal ambition right there in the Green Party policy. And you're right, if this was any other nation, if a right-wing party, for example, campaigned actively to get rid of the state of Pakistan... and demonized every Pakistani in Britain or Australia who likes or supports that state. If any party were to do that, they would be called racist. They would be condemned. They would be told that they are obsessed with foreign affairs. But when it comes to Israel, you can get away with it. When it comes to the Jews, you can get away with it. And I'm afraid that really speaks to the shocking double standards that surround this whole issue.
00:37:43
Speaker 1: And can you also just tell us more about the voting down of an amendment that would have offered protection to Jewish Greens who attended Zionist synagogues?
00:37:52
Speaker 2: Yeah, this for me was the most shocking thing of all in the vote yesterday. There was one amendment that said we need to provide protection from discrimination against for Jewish members of the Green Party that attend Zionist synagogues. We need an assurance that they won't be harassed or kicked out of the party simply on the basis of the synagogue that they attend. And that motion was, that amendment was voted down. It was rejected very significantly as well. So what's happening here is that a party is openly saying not only that the Jewish state should not exist, not only that Zionism is racism, but even Jews who go to Zionist synagogues, which, by the way, is most synagogues, They should not be protected from discrimination. They can essentially be harassed or expelled from the party because they attend a certain religious institution. That is anti-Semitism. There is literally no other way to describe it. We now have an institutionally anti-Semitic party in the United Kingdom.
00:38:48
Speaker 3: It's incredibly distressing, Brendan.
00:38:49
Speaker 1: I do want to turn our attention now to the US that's reportedly pulled bombers out of RAF Fairford, and this follows reports of a fresh terror plot that What does it tell us about the threat from Iran?
00:39:03
Speaker 2: It tells us that the threat is really serious. So Fairford is an RAF base where America has been using it for a long time throughout the Cold War right through to today. It's a base in the southwest of England that America takes off from, flies from, often starts military operations there. And people will know that a few men were arrested there a couple of weeks ago for acting suspiciously. They are suspected of either plotting an attack or trying to carry one out. And now we know that an Iranian UK national has been arrested on suspicion of organizing acts of terrorism. This is incredibly serious. And it makes me think back to the start of the Iran-Israel-American War. a few months ago when Britain said, well, it's got nothing to do with us and all these commentators were saying, let's keep well away from it. It's not our business. I'm afraid it does have something to do with us because we now have the Iranian threat right here in the UK and we should start taking it more seriously.
00:40:03
Speaker 1: And just quickly before I let you go, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, he's back in the news, this time, though, taking the police to court over the warrants used to search his properties. And I saw this article and I thought, given everything that emerged about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, does this show an astonishing level of arrogance that somehow he still believes normal rules shouldn't.
00:40:24
Speaker 3: Apply to him?
00:40:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, I believe everyone should be treated fairly by the police and by the courts. Of course, equality before the law. I think everyone agrees with that, whether you're a prince or a pauper. But it does seem that Andrew, the former Prince Andrew, seems to think that he should get special treatment. You know, if I was in his position, and thank God I'm not, and most normal people aren't, I would just keep quiet, keep your head down, just go away, which is pretty much what he's done. stop making statements, stop taking action, just lie low. Who knows, maybe he can come back at some point in the future if he makes a mea culpa and admits that he did wrong. But all this kind of woe is me approach, I think that's going to rub people up.
00:41:07
Speaker 6: The wrong way.
00:41:08
Speaker 1: Yeah, I just thought that was a really interesting move. Well, Brendan, thanks for your time tonight.
00:41:14
Speaker 2: Thank you.
00:41:15
Speaker 1: Well, after the break, we'll get into the detail from One Nation's big policy launch in Victoria at the weekend. Plus, with the building sector under pressure, are we doing enough to keep tradies in the job?
00:41:27
Speaker 3: Our Monday night panel is next.
00:41:34
Speaker 1: All right, well, let's get straight into it and bring in tonight's panel, One Nation National Director James Ashby and former Liberal MP Nicole Flint.
00:41:43
Speaker 3: Welcome to you both.
00:41:44
Speaker 1: A pretty fiery old function, the launch of One Nation's policy position ahead of the Victorian election. James, you had Mark Nicholson up there rousing the crowd and telling them that Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allen should be imprisoned by Christmas. Now, I know plenty of people who would agree they should be held to account. But was that what you guys need to do?
00:42:07
Speaker 14: Well, I'm glad you're giving us the opportunity to correct the record here. Mark Nicholson didn't say that One Nation would jail them by Christmas. He said that if he had it his way, he'd like to see them in jail by Christmas.
00:42:18
Speaker 11: So there's a big difference.
00:42:19
Speaker 14: And strangely enough, the only news outlet that got it right was the ABC, and I hate admitting that.
00:42:25
Speaker 11: But that's the truth behind it.
00:42:27
Speaker 14: But, look, with that said, I think a lot of Victorians would admit they are sick to death of the corruption... The crime and certainly the behaviour of this Labor government, it doesn't matter whether it's Daniel Andrews, whether it's Jacinda Allen or the new bloke that's apparently leading the mob, you know, he was part of the same Cabinet room that made all of these decisions. The truth is no-one trusts Labor anymore, whether it be in Victoria or nationally, and they've got to go. And that's why One Nation have made this determination to put Labor and the Greens last, and we've just got to make sure, for Victoria's sake... that One Nation, and so be it if the Coalition have a say in this next parliament, as long as it's no longer Labor.
00:43:09
Speaker 1: The only issue, Mark is a candidate, though, for One Nation, so whilst it was his opinion, you're still representing the party.
00:43:15
Speaker 3: But, Nicole, what did you make of the event? Because it looked like there were hundreds of people there and it looked like the momentum is certainly going behind One Nation.
00:43:24
Speaker 10: Absolutely, and that sort of enthusiasm is reflected in the polls, isn't it?
00:43:28
Speaker 11: So we know.
00:43:30
Speaker 10: Around the nation and certainly in the national polls, One Nation are leading all of the major political parties, but I have real issues with anyone, especially if they are a candidate, suggesting that other MPs or candidates should be thrown into jail.
00:43:46
Speaker 7: There is.
00:43:46
Speaker 10: No suggestion of criminal wrongdoing or legal wrongdoing. So I think James is being a little bit too... No, James, usually we are on a unity ticket on so many things, but not this one. We have the rule of law for a reason. You don't go around throwing politicians in jail.
00:44:03
Speaker 11: Of course, we're not suggesting that, Kay. As your boss well knows. We're not suggesting that. You know that. So lighten up.
00:44:10
Speaker 1: All right, well, let's move on to a more positive story. And I did have Jim Wally on just shortly. The South Australian Premier, Pridham Malinowskis, has come under fire after pledging state funds towards Catherine Benalpeg's space mission. And he's throwing a million dollars in, Jim Wally, who was just on the desk.
00:44:30
Speaker 3: What do you think, James? A lot of people would argue this is money well spent.
00:44:36
Speaker 11: No, it's not.
00:44:37
Speaker 14: It's a ridiculous concept that we would go throwing $ 100 million of taxpayers' money at some space race at this early stage.
00:44:44
Speaker 11: We've got better things to worry about.
00:44:45
Speaker 14: Just consider the volume of people sleeping in their cars that don't have a roof over their head.
00:44:50
Speaker 11: I'm sorry.
00:44:50
Speaker 14: We've now got, you've seen in Victoria there, hundreds and hundreds of people lining up at food banks on any given day trying to collect some reasonable form of dignity, trying to have their bills paid, like electricity.
00:45:03
Speaker 11: They're the most important things at the moment, so.
00:45:05
Speaker 14: With all due respect, if we were flush with cash and we didn't have a trillion dollars worth of debt as a nation, we may consider it.
00:45:12
Speaker 11: But right now, we've just got.
00:45:13
Speaker 14: To take the fiscally responsible path here and say, look, that's on the wish list of the future, not today.
00:45:19
Speaker 11: Sorry, grow up. Grow up?
00:45:22
Speaker 10: Well, I think we need... Jamie, if I may just jump in there, please. I think we need all political parties to grow up, James, and I'm putting you in that category now. This is the last opportunity for us to get our first-ever Australian-trained astronaut... onto the International Space Station. It's being decommissioned in 2030.
00:45:42
Speaker 11: Do you want to blow $ 100 million?
00:45:44
Speaker 10: I absolutely do, James, because what are you suggesting as well?
00:45:47
Speaker 2: Like, let's just.
00:45:48
Speaker 10: This is a nation-building exercise. This is about inspiring.
00:45:51
Speaker 11: No, your priorities are wrong. No wonder the Liberal Party are down the.
00:45:53
Speaker 10: This is about inspiring young people. OK, give me a chance. Hey, James, please, give me a chance to speak. It's about inspiring... a generation of kids who are not doing STEM subjects at all to get into STEM. But more than that, we are sending our first Australian astronaut into space. And there is a whole heap of science and tech that's reliant on this. And if you are saying that we shouldn't be funding things like this, should we then cut our entire Olympic team? Because sending Catherine Bunnell-Pegg, our first Australian-trained astronaut into space will cost the equivalent of two and a half gold medals or two and a half medals at the Olympics. So if you want to start cutting things and saying we can't fund nation-building exercises that are actually really important for business, for science.
00:46:40
Speaker 14: If Elon Musk wants to send somebody to space, let him pay it. What, is he the first trillionaire in the world? Let him pay for it. I'm sure there's other people that will happily pay for this. It doesn't have to be government and taxpayers.
00:46:51
Speaker 3: It's silly.
00:46:52
Speaker 1: You're a wasteful person, Nicole.
00:46:53
Speaker 11: I never thought this of you.
00:46:55
Speaker 3: Wasteful person, Nicole. But it is worth noting that it could create 20,000 jobs by 2030.
00:47:02
Speaker 1: The 20,000 jobs by 2030 was an interesting aspect and what it can do for science and children and the productivity.
00:47:10
Speaker 10: Jamie, there are medical experiments, for example, that occur when you're on the space station. Fiona Wood, one of our preeminent burns experts... is actually wanting to send some technology up there to be tested. There are certain things you can only test in a zero-gravity environment, which is actually what happens in space. You're not just along for a ride. You're there to actually do some really important scientific and industry-based work that then... does things like save lives. So, James, if you don't think that's important, I'm very disappointed. Well, let the pharmaceutical companies pay for it.
00:47:42
Speaker 14: They're the ones that are getting huge amounts of money from the medicines that they sell around the globe.
00:47:47
Speaker 11: Well, hang on, James.
00:47:48
Speaker 14: If you're so convinced on medicine being the answer to this, let the pharmaceutical companies do it. Why are we, as taxpayers, when you've got all these homeless people? OK, I'd ask a very quick favour then.
00:47:57
Speaker 11: Purple in the face. You're wrong.
00:47:59
Speaker 10: Please ask Mrs Reinhart to fund this. I'd love to see a brilliant.
00:48:03
Speaker 14: No, you ask yourself. I wouldn't ask her to waste the money on it either.
00:48:07
Speaker 10: Oh, I'm really disappointed that you see it as... I really am really disappointed you see this as a waste. James, you're always cheeky.
00:48:15
Speaker 1: Now, just very quickly, James, we literally have 20 seconds. So the planned pro-Palestinian protest for October 7.
00:48:22
Speaker 3: Disgraceful.
00:48:23
Speaker 10: Yeah.
00:48:23
Speaker 3: What do you think?
00:48:25
Speaker 14: Well, they say it's freedom of speech and they should be allowed. No, this is just inciting more violence and hate. They're also the same people that have hauled Pauline Hanson through the court for saying PO back to Pakistan. I think these people should not be allowed to protest on the 7th of October. It's a disgraceful event and no authority should be saying you're.
00:48:45
Speaker 11: Not welcome to do it on the streets.
00:48:46
Speaker 3: Thank you so much, Nicole. Thank you. Up next, it's the Volt Report.
