Full Transcript for Sharri | 9 November

conservative movement tearing itself apart. The conservative vote is split between the coalition and One Nation. And One Nation is cannibalising the Coalition's voter base. Despite One Nation's claim it's only targeting Labor seats, it's simply not the case. There are many nationals and Liberal politicians who stand to lose their seats to One Nation candidates at the next federal election. Andrew Hastie and Matt Canavan are both at risk. So Pauline Hanson could end up being Albanese's political lifeline, the orange wave gifting him another term in office. I'll come back to that with my panel, Steve Price and Bronwyn Bishop, shortly to discuss just how the impact of the rise of One Nation, what impact it'll have on the federal election. But now let's turn to US tech giant NVIDIA. It's made global headlines across the world today for all the wrong reasons. After its CEO, Jensen Huang, admitted he had an affair with a suspected Chinese spy. Alice Huang, who just happens to have the same surname, is a former executive of Megaspeed, which buys AI chips from NVIDIA. The NVIDIA's board is now investigating after media reports in the Wall Street Journal that she's been collecting intelligence for Beijing. Although the company claims confidential information relating to national security was not compromised. Now, Jensen Huang has admitted to an extramarital affair. Here's a message that he sent out to all employees. He said, I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry. He said, I'm committed to protecting Nvidia and supporting America's national security. I'm proud and grateful to be an American. Now, NVIDIA is the world's most valuable publicly traded company. It's worth $ 4. 5 trillion. It's a leader in the advanced computer chip sector. Now, President Donald Trump has today jumped to Hong Kong's defence, and he even plans to still take him on a trip to Beijing. 00:09:32 Speaker 8: He's done such an incredible job, and so I would certainly hope. 00:09:37 Speaker 3: He's a fine person. You know, I think he's an honourable guy. I think he probably has... Now, on the one. 00:09:43 Speaker 8: Level, this is a classic espionage. 00:09:45 Speaker 4: Honey trap story that we've seen hundreds of times before, a classic. 00:09:51 Speaker 1: Now, on the one level, this is a classic espionage honey trap story that we've seen hundreds of times before, a classic China playbook. But it's alarming because this is one of the world's most powerful companies we're talking about. It produces high-quality computer chips, the top commodity. And as you just saw there, Huang has a close relationship with President Trump. His political connections are impeccable. Now, how did this all unfold and why wasn't Huang warned about potential honeypot operations? These are important questions to be asking, not just of NVIDIA, but of the US intelligence agencies as well. I'm going to come back to this discussion a little later with our defence analyst, Peter Jennings. Well, let's turn to Victoria now, where it's just two and a half weeks until the state election. The Labor government's primary vote has crashed to a record low in the latest polls, reaching only 18%, compared to the Coalition's 33% and One Nation's 21%. Liberal leader Jess Wilson has also leapt ahead in the preferred Premier poll, leading by 36%. Premier Ben Carroll, though, is, of course, downplaying these results. 00:11:16 Speaker 3: There's only one poll that matters. 00:11:18 Speaker 9: And why I say that, this is the most consequential poll in Victoria's history. A Labor government on the side of working people or a Liberal One Nation government that will hurt working people and cut services Victorians rely on every single day. 00:11:34 Speaker 1: And joining me now is News24 host Steve Price and former Speaker of the House, Bronwyn Bishop. Great to see you both, as always, on a Monday. Steve, starting with you, this is your state. Look, it's looking increasingly certain that Labor will lose after such a long reign. I mean, Victoria needs a change, that's for sure. So, you know, it does indicate that their desperate switch to Ben Carroll has been a failure. 00:11:59 Speaker 3: Yeah, complete failure. 00:12:01 Speaker 6: I mean, they've gone backwards by seven points, according to this poll, and every poll that you see, they're polling really badly. Their primary vote. 00:12:08 Speaker 3: Now sits at 18%. 00:12:08 Speaker 1: It's only. 00:12:09 Speaker 6: 1% larger than the Green vote. And the Greens seem to be capitalising on the fact that people are walking away in droves from Labor. And I've got to say tonight on your show, Shari, it's going to get a whole lot worse for Ben Carroll. He thought it would be a good idea when he took over from Jacinda Allen to set up a Royal Commission into the big build. That started today. And have a guess what happened at the Royal Commission today. Lawyers for... Daniel Andrews and for Jacinta Allen turned up. Dan Andrews had three barristers, including a KC, and Jacinta Allen had two barristers, including a KC, paid for by the Victorian taxpayers. 00:12:53 Speaker 1: It's disgraceful. There's no way that taxpayers should be footing the bill for KCs for Daniel Andrews or Jacinta Allen. Bronwyn, do you think... Judging on these polls and on sentiment as well, do you think it does look like Jess Wilson will win a majority government? 00:13:13 Speaker 10: Well, I certainly think she'll end up Premier. I hope she does get a majority government. But if she doesn't, it'll be one backed up by one nation. And common sense seems to be breaking out today. I read that they're exchanging preferences and will put the Greens and Labor last. And that sort of accommodation is essential for to see that the more than 50% of conservative voters want to see Labor gone. So common sense is breaking out in that org as well. But two and a half weeks is still.

00:13:48 Speaker 3: A long way to go. 00:13:49 Speaker 10: There'll be plenty of dirt being thrown about. But I thoroughly agree with everything you've just had to say in that this Royal Commission, with Carol having arranged for legal representation to be paid for by the taxpayer and presumably unlimited by the look of the QCs that are racking up. So, or Casey, I should say. So basically, I think that there will be a change of government and that in turn will give a good fill up to the federal liberal group and also will show that Albanese's appalling lying record has a bad effect on state governments as well. 00:14:39 Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. It certainly is. Albanese is costing Labor the vote in New South Wales as well, where you've got a popular premier. I mean, Steve, I mean, the national polls. 00:14:51 Speaker 6: The only thing I would say there is, I mean, the surge in popularity now for the Greens worries me a lot. I think that they are probably on track to to win four or five lower house seats. And I can see a doomsday scenario here, and I don't want everybody to start throwing things at the television set tonight on News 24. But the worst thing that can happen in this election in two and a half weeks is that you have a minority Labor government able to govern with the help of the Greens and and extend their 12-year punishment of Victorians. Is there a possibility that could happen? I mean, everyone's going around saying, oh, well, it's all over. The Liberal National Coalition's going to win. Jess will be the Premier. Bronwyn's probably right. But I can still see, and I've lived through what people like Dan Andrews and Jacinda Allen have done in the lead-up to elections. Andrews promised every rural town in Victoria a Commonwealth Games before the 2022 election, and then the moment he won, he dumped the games and gave them to Glasgow. He promised all these level crossing removal projects. I mean, they're capable of pulling something out of the fire between now and election day that might turn enough heads to see this And I tell you what, the Hume Highway will be crowded with people fleeing if that happens. Let's just hope it doesn't. 00:16:19 Speaker 1: Well, I remember being on air with you, Steve, before the last Victorian state election. And everyone thought, because it was after the COVID years, Dan Andrews was so unpopular, everyone thought he was going to lose. And you said, no, I think they will win again. And kind of no one believed you. And you were right. I really hope you're not right now. Again now, Steve. 00:16:39 Speaker 3: So do I. 00:16:40 Speaker 1: I really hope you're not because it's just not. 00:16:43 Speaker 10: I'm pleased to say that the Liberal Party in Victoria is a damn sight better than it was on that occasion, Steve. 00:16:50 Speaker 1: I was with you. 00:16:51 Speaker 10: I didn't expect them to win. 00:16:53 Speaker 1: Robin, just returning to my comments at the start of the show and Albanese's, you know, down to only 20% of voters actually trusting him. I mean, you know, in politics, once a leader has lost trust, has lost that relationship of faith with voters, it's impossible to get back. 00:17:14 Speaker 10: Yes, it is. And he has lost it. And I don't know that he's even got the sense to acknowledge it. I can see that I've used the expression before, people have gone from disliking him to despising him. And it's because of the the issues where he has just lied and lied and lied and keeps doing it. This business about savings. There have been no savings. The word net is always missing. And of course, the issues like the golf club, which are things that people can identify with. So he, I think, has an option before him. He can get out himself, which he perhaps could do. He could take a dramatic turn, sack Chalmers, repeal all of the tax changes that he brought in and hope to bring back some sort of normalcy into the economy, because right now, with Angus Taylor concentrating as he is on the economy, that's the strength, that's what unites the Liberal Party. And, as I said, with common sense coming together with exchanging of preferences, being the order of the day, it's looking better and better. 00:18:34 Speaker 1: All right, we're going to move on to just a couple of other issues quickly before we return to federal politics with Michaelia Cash is coming up and then Ray Howdy a bit later. Steve, I want to ask you about this. Cricketer Usman Khawaja, you know, this has been a big story, his new book. Firstly, revelations about Sandpaper Gate, but also he claims he was overlooked as captain because of his Pakistani heritage. He wrote that Cricket Australia weren't ready. This is his words. They weren't ready for a brown Australian cricket captain, even as an interim. He says at a minimum he should have got the vice captaincy. Steve, he's been criticised a lot for taking eight years to bring all of this up, particularly relating to the sandpaper gate. What's your view? 00:19:24 Speaker 6: He's also had a crack at the Victorian Sheffield Shield team and they are filthy tonight. They've hit back at him and said, well, you know, come on, mate, if you thought this was really happening, why didn't you tell anyone? He's talking about actions by that team back in the 2000s and the 2010s about some bloke rubbing the ball on some sort of glue inside one of his shirts. I mean, this is all about selling a book. I mean, you know, I don't know Usman. 00:19:50 Speaker 3: Khawaja. 00:19:50 Speaker 6: He was a fine cricketer. But cricket is one of the wokest sports in the country... I've got no doubt that if he was the sort of person that they wanted to make captain, the colour of his skin was going to have nothing to do with it. I mean, the captaincy was ripped off Steve Smith and now we're told that everyone in that team and everyone working as coaches all knew about this and it wasn't just. 00:20:13 Speaker 3: Smith and Warner. 00:20:16 Speaker 6: He's

not won himself too many fans, I don't think, around Australia today. And I just would like him to answer the question, why is it taking you so long? I mean, is this just about selling a book? Did you keep this all secret to yourself so that you could sell more copies of your book before Christmas? It's very disappointing. 00:20:35 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I tend to agree with you. Bronwyn, very sad story to end with. I wrote this for News24 website on Friday yesterday. It's about the death of a Bondi survivor, a 19-year-old great-grandmother, Eva Geller. Now, she was shot in Bondi. She'd been in and out of hospital ever since. She then passed away on Thursday night. And it's potentially, it's being investigated, but potentially from injuries sustained when she was shot in the Bondi terror attack. Now, her funeral was held today. There were prayers this evening. I understand the Prime Minister and the Premier were due to attend today. Rowan, her family said that, and the Rabbi Aaron Moss, who spoke to me as well on Friday, said that she was healthy and independent before the Bondi attack. 00:21:28 Speaker 10: I think there's absolutely no doubt that what happened to her has contributed to her death. It just broke my heart. someone who escaped the Holocaust, someone who came to this country because this was a safe place to come, built a family life with children and was safe here. And to end her life almost as it began with hatred is just the most ghastly story. And the reason why we have to have leadership in this country is that takes a firm stand against anti-Semitism and means it, actually does something from the top, showing that it is not, in the words they seem to use, no place, meaningless words, show conviction that you will stop it. 00:22:25 Speaker 1: Yeah, indeed. And Wells said she was a child when the Holocaust began. She was in hiding with her mother. And she was able to come to Australia and forge a new life. Her husband had been in one of the concentration camps as well. All right. Bronwyn, Steve, thank you both so much. And just say as well, may her memory be a blessing about Eva Gellin. We send all of our thoughts and prayers to her family. 00:22:50 Speaker 10: Absolutely. 00:22:51 Speaker 3: Right. 00:22:51 Speaker 1: Thank you both. Well, let's get back to the Albanese government's collapse in the polls. Now, the Prime Minister was very quick to downplay this dire situation. 00:23:02 Speaker 5: My government is halfway through this term. When we go to the next election in 2028, we'll be able to go speaking about the strengthening that we've done in Medicare. The fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate of any government on average over the last 50 years. 00:23:22 Speaker 1: Oh, yeah, we can expect a Medicare scare campaign again, no doubt. While the coalition is gaining ground, One Nation still maintains a lead over them on 25%. Joining me now to discuss is Shadow Attorney General Michaelia Cash. Michaelia, great to see you. Great to be with you. The economic conditions in Australia are collapsing. We could face a severe economic downturn, even a recession. But as we just saw there, the voters are still turning to One Nation. So what does the Coalition need to do to improve its position? 00:23:56 Speaker 11: Well, in the first instance, the voters are working out Mr Albanese. 00:24:00 Speaker 3: Why? 00:24:00 Speaker 11: Because he has broken promise after promise after promise and they are now sadly living the economic nightmare that Albanese has foisted upon them. 00:24:11 Speaker 1: He is incompetent, he is. 00:24:12 Speaker 11: A fraud and he is a liar. But what the voters are looking for, Shari, is a solution to the mess that Labor has got them into. And that is why Angus Taylor released the Coalition's plan to fix the economy and protect our way of life. This is the first time an opposition has released a comprehensive policy document two years out from a federal election. Australian voters want a solution. We have put a solution on the table. But I think more importantly, we've got a very clear message for Australian voters. We've cleaned up Labor's mess before. That is the lot of a coalition government. We've cleaned up Labor's mess before and, by God, we will do it again if we're elected. They are looking for a solution and we have a solution to the misery that the incompetent fraud and liar has put them into. 00:25:08 Speaker 1: So you're talking about, and I mentioned this before, Angus Taylor announced today plans for a so-called red tape razor gang. He says it'll save businesses $ 40 billion a year, reduce federal regulations by 25%. Is this looking back to the first razor gang established in 1980, 1980, when John Howard was Treasurer in the Fraser government? Is this looking back to get some ideas from Howard? No, not at all. 00:25:35 Speaker 11: This is looking forward as to what a Taylor government can do to get Australia moving again. I mean, the reality under Anthony Albanese, Shari, is Canberra has become a paperwork factory for businesses. Labor is addicted. More rules, more red tape. You've got to be kidding me. More bureaucracy. We want to get Canberra the hell out of the way of Australian businesses so that they can get on with what we need them doing, and that is creating more jobs for Australians. And that's why Angus has said we are getting out the bolt cutters. And, yes, we will. We will cut red tape on businesses. by 25%, save them around $ 40 billion a year. Because what we want is to get Australia moving again. We want businesses being productive. We don't want them answering to Canberra. That is the last thing businesses should be doing. We want them productive, creating more high-paid jobs for Australians. And Angus Taylor today has announced that is exactly what our plan is. As I said, Australians are looking forward for solutions to Labor's mess and slashing red tape. I mean, cutting the building code, currently 2,000 pages. We

will get it down to 100 pages and that'll save each home buyer around $ 70, 000 in compliance costs alone. Get rid of net zero. It is killing Australia. Energy prices have soared. Get rid of Chris Bowen's, you know, green bureaucracy again. Get Canberra out of the way and get businesses doing what we need them to do, become productive and start doing business again and creating more jobs for Australians. 00:27:22 Speaker 1: Well, just on Chris Bowen, he has set up... Information Integrity Unit that has reportedly been trying to convince voters that the COP31 climate summit isn't a waste of time. The reports are that there's a 27-page document that argues the case for net zero. And Bowen was trying to do that as well today. Have a look. 00:27:46 Speaker 12: We know since the Paris Accord that the projected rate of warming has fallen. more than four down to 2.6. Good, but nowhere near good enough. That's why there's so much more to do. And we know that renewable energy investment is now double fossil fuel investment around the world. And we want more of that investment to occur in Australia, creating jobs and investment for the future. 00:28:06 Speaker 1: You also wonder how much money this integrity unit is costing on top of the cost of the pre-cop and the cop. 00:28:15 Speaker 11: Well, let's be honest, Shari, it has got nothing to do with integrity. It is a Labor Party, Chris Bowen propaganda unit peddling misinformation and, quite frankly, disinformation at the expense of the Australian taxpayer. I mean, Chris needs to cut the BS and actually be up front with the Australian taxpayer about what his policies are doing to them. I mean, what's conveniently not in the 27-page document is any reference to Albanese's promise that he would cut energy bills by $ 275. You have to be kidding me. That's not there. And, you know, the other thing is, how is his propaganda unit, Shari, going to spin the fact that... that the Australian taxpayer is footing a $ 32, 000 bill for free coffee, courtesy of Chris Bowen and Anthony Albanese, in Turkey. It is propaganda, misinformation and disinformation, and Australians should actually know this is proof that this is what this government will actually do. 00:29:21 Speaker 1: Look, just finally, the Prime Minister has said that he plans to tell President Trump at COP31 that he should get out of the Iran war. Do you think Albanese should be lecturing the President about this? 00:29:35 Speaker 11: I think Albanese likes to use the Iran war as an excuse. for his failings here at home. His problem is this. The Reserve Bank Governor Michelle Bullock, she belled the cat. She's made it clear that Australia has a homegrown inflation problem that bad news, Mr Albanese, commenced before the Iran war began. So perhaps Mr Albanese needs to lay off the excuses and the smoke screens and actually start concentrating on getting Australians out of the economic nightmare they are now living because of him. 00:30:11 Speaker 1: All right, Michele Cash, great to have you on the program again. Appreciate your time. All right, still to come, we'll get the full details on how the Nvidia boss came to have an affair with a Chinese spy, what we know so far, plus Albanese forced to backflip on his government's decision to sell off Victoria Barracks. Ray Hadley will be here after the break. Well, after months of protests and backlash from all sides of politics, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did the inevitable. He backflipped on his own government's decision to sell off the Victoria Barracks. Now, he seemed pretty pleased with himself when he made the announcement, despite the fact he was refusing to reverse course for around six months. 00:31:00 Speaker 4: I've lived in Sydney my whole life, and this is the. 00:31:04 Speaker 1: First time I've been to Victoria Barracks. 00:31:07 Speaker 5: This is an asset for Sydney that should be opened up for Sydneysiders. 00:31:14 Speaker 1: Oh, radio legend Ray Hadley's with us now. 00:31:16 Speaker 3: Why do you do this to me? 00:31:18 Speaker 13: First off the bat, I mean, really, I've got to congratulate one of our colleagues, Peter Jenkins, from The Telegraph. He's a great old mate of mine, Pete, going back 40 years. But he's made most of the running on this one with the telly and the Victoria Barracks story. 00:31:31 Speaker 3: And it's very simple, and I said so this morning, that... What should happen here? 00:31:36 Speaker 13: They reversed the decision, which was dumb in the first place. But why would you now say, oh, we're going to be... It's a tourist attraction now and we want to move the Defence Force back into the city of Sydney, when all the generals, past and present, are saying, no, this is an important strategic facility. So if you're not going to sell it, leave it doing exactly what it's been doing for a long, long time. 00:31:57 Speaker 3: And, I mean, he was questioned. 00:31:59 Speaker 13: And interrogated today about it and yesterday again. 00:32:02 Speaker 3: And, I mean. 00:32:04 Speaker 13: just merely mouth BS he comes up with. It's just infuriating. 00:32:09 Speaker 1: Because if the defence personnel are moved out, which, as you say, is the plan, they're going to have to spend money leasing offices in the city, so it's going to end up costing them money. They should just keep them there. I'm saying it's not financially... The Defence. 00:32:24 Speaker 13: Force landlords is part of the Chinese government, which is a really good idea to put your Defence Force in a building controlled by a Chinese government or a quasi-government department. 00:32:33 Speaker 3: I mean, it's just bizarre. 00:32:34 Speaker 1: Ultimate stupidity. 00:32:35 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:32:36 Speaker 1: There was this expose last night on 60 Minutes. Now, it's a bit complicated, but basically there were a series of allegations made by a former campaign manager, Charles Swindon. He was accused... He has accused One Nation of unlawfully sacking him,

so he's disgruntled. The episode also featured secret audio of former National Campaign Director Sean Black taken without his knowledge. He accused James Ashby of only being in it for himself. He had a crack at Gina Reinhart. Have a look. 00:33:11 Speaker 3: None of them understand politics. 00:33:13 Speaker 14: James Ashby doesn't understand politics. James Ashby understands his bank account and James Ashby. 00:33:19 Speaker 15: James's view on policy is that the policy comes from Gina or Gina's accolades. 00:33:25 Speaker 3: And that is it. 00:33:28 Speaker 1: Like, they don't have a clue of what democracy is. And just a reminder, Black was sacked earlier this year over backlash for his rape conviction. Now, Ray, what do you make of all of this? 00:33:40 Speaker 3: Oh, shock horror. 00:33:42 Speaker 13: A disgruntled employee's bagging his employer. 00:33:45 Speaker 3: I've got to say that... I used to work for Nine Radio. I don't anymore, obviously. 00:33:50 Speaker 13: But all weekend, it was like they were going to release on 60 Minutes, a really positive spin on One Nation. 00:33:57 Speaker 3: And it took about two minutes into the story. 00:33:59 Speaker 13: To see it was a hatchet job. They're going to do their best to destroy One Nation. And to a certain extent, and I say this with some conviction, Channel Nine's become a sort of almost ABC-type organisation now. a commercial ABC in some of the matters they deal with. And this is a case in point last night. So, look, all that will happen, and I keep telling people this, you bag a Pauline, you bag One Nation, and they just go up in the polls. And the election's a long, long way off. You saw the opinion polls that were published in Fairfax newspapers this morning. All the polls are saying that the government's in trouble. There's a little surge for the Liberal Nationals. 00:34:43 Speaker 3: But One Nation... are there and they continue to be there. 00:34:47 Speaker 13: And what people don't seem to get from that side of politics, the left side of politics, the more you bag her and the more you rubbish One Nation, the putters have had a gutful of it and they'll just keep supporting them. 00:34:59 Speaker 3: Yes, they're not without fault. 00:35:00 Speaker 13: Yes, they're, you know, sometimes Pauline says things that infuriate us and does things that infuriate us. 00:35:06 Speaker 3: But at the end of the day, she's. 00:35:08 Speaker 13: Not a retail politician like you get. And I've got to say, I just was sitting outside watching Macaulay Cash. 00:35:15 Speaker 3: I mean, she is the most eloquent of anyone. 00:35:19 Speaker 1: Very strong. 00:35:20 Speaker 13: And she's a woman to boot. I mean, and that shouldn't make any difference, but to have a strong woman like her enunciating, it's compelling watching, just watching Michaelia Cash. 00:35:33 Speaker 3: I'd like to see more of her. 00:35:34 Speaker 13: Yeah. 00:35:35 Speaker 3: More of her, a lot more of her. 00:35:36 Speaker 13: Because she just speaks common sense and she gets to the point very quickly. 00:35:40 Speaker 3: She's excellent, outstanding. 00:35:41 Speaker 1: Yeah, she's very persuasive. And on One Nation, I agree with you. I mean, there seems to be more disgruntled employees of One Nation than other political parties, but it doesn't matter what's thrown at them. You know, it doesn't damage One Nation in the polls at all. I'm sorry to do this, Ray, but we're going to turn to a subject that does give you high blood pressure. I know we started with Albo and now we're turning to Chris. 00:36:01 Speaker 3: I bet it's got to be Casanova Bowen. Yes. I knew it was coming. 00:36:04 Speaker 13: By the way, Sophie Ellsworth has just written a story that's just gone online. 00:36:08 Speaker 1: I saw it. 00:36:08 Speaker 3: Have you seen it? 00:36:09 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:36:09 Speaker 3: No one knows who he is in Turkey. Like, they're showing photos of him. Is he English? Is he American? I don't know who he is. 00:36:16 Speaker 6: Yeah. 00:36:16 Speaker 3: Well, I've got news for you people in Turkey. We don't know who he is either. 00:36:19 Speaker 1: No. 00:36:20 Speaker 3: So, unfortunately, we do. 00:36:20 Speaker 13: He goes and gives witness protection most times when there's an election around, but I mean, it's infuriating and, again. 00:36:27 Speaker 3: $ 2. 00:36:27 Speaker 13: 2 million expenses for COP31 in Turkey. 00:36:31 Speaker 2: Yep. 00:36:32 Speaker 13: The Prime Minister's been around the earth more times than a Russian cosmonaut and he continues to do it. He's going there, he's going to the Philippines, China, going to Miami, all before Christmas. 00:36:41 Speaker 3: But this bloke is spending $ 2. 00:36:43 Speaker 13: 2 million of our money when the Reserve Bank says rein in spending. 00:36:48 Speaker 3: Yep. $ 32, 000 on Turkish coffee, espresso coffee. 00:36:51 Speaker 7: Now. 00:36:52 Speaker 3: I think Dan Tehan said, why don't. 00:36:54 Speaker 13: They all pack all the bureaucrats going there with him, their own Nescafe or any brand of coffee and, you know, instant coffee. 00:37:00 Speaker 1: It's outrageous. 00:37:01 Speaker 10: 32,000 for some Turkish company. 00:37:04 Speaker 13: But then the only good part of this is it's very, very strong coffee, I'm told. 00:37:09 Speaker 3: That will keep him awake. 00:37:10 Speaker 1: Because he fell asleep at the pre-cop summit. 00:37:12 Speaker 3: He did in Fiji. 00:37:13 Speaker 4: Yeah. 00:37:16 Speaker 3: He dozed off. 00:37:17 Speaker 13: I mean, mind you, he's been sending most people to sleep for decades. 00:37:21 Speaker 3: It shouldn't be, you know, a big problem for him to fall asleep with his own utterings. 00:37:25 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, it's such a waste of money, plus the pre-cop summit that they did just for his own vanity, it seemed, because no world leaders... actually turned up to it and on albanese's travel i mean he seems to want to be away from australia as much as possible at

the moment well. 00:37:39 Speaker 3: He might be more popular the more he stays. 00:37:40 Speaker 1: Away yeah that might be the political advice they might be saying listen it's working really well with you out of the country why don't you stay away yeah let let the treasurer take the heat all right ray. 00:37:51 Speaker 3: Good to talk to you thank you see you later bye. 00:37:53 Speaker 1: Still to come, the horrendous boycott of Jewish businesses in Pennsylvania on the anniversary of Kristallnacht and why the boss of NVIDIA was the subject of a honey trap operation. We'll get the latest on this scandal after the break. Well, let's return to this scandal rocking one of the world's most powerful companies, Nvidia, where CEO Jensen Huang has admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman who is said to have passed on intelligence to China. And joining me now to discuss is News24 defence analyst Peter Jennings. Peter, great to see you. Look, how was all of this uncovered? And can you tell us what we know so far? 00:38:36 Speaker 15: Well, Shari, the story goes back seven days or so when the Wall Street Journal broke the news that Jensen Huang, the CEO, 63 years old, in charge of NVIDIA, was said to have had an affair with Alice Huang, who is a Singapore national and a senior person working for a company called Megaspeed, which produces data centres and was doing a great deal of business with NVIDIA. Now, it so happens that the allegation is that she was recruited by Chinese intelligence and that Alice Huang had been responsible for trying to cultivate Jensen Huang for information about his contacts with President Trump and also about American attitudes to whether or not the computer chips made by his firm, which are at the very high end of capability and used in artificial intelligence machines, whether those chips could be exported to China. So a complicated story of potentially industrial espionage. Now, move forward a few days, Jensen Huang has acknowledged publicly now that he's had an extramarital affair without saying who that was with And the board of NVIDIA says that they're about to investigate that. But I think more important from a national security perspective is the story here of potential espionage, so-called honey trap. I think back to my time as a senior individual in the Defence Department, we were constantly being warned by national security people of the risks of being compromised by foreign intelligence services, including the use of potentially honey traps. So this is something we know that Chinese intelligence engages in. 00:40:21 Speaker 3: And one other point. 00:40:23 Speaker 15: To make before I finish is just to say that it's not just the American counterintelligence services which are interested. Singapore apparently has been interested in this issue since 2025, and the same with Taiwanese counterintelligence as well. So there are three countries very concerned here about the espionage risk of one of the most senior IT people in the United States going to probably one of the most sensitive issues between the US and China right now, which is access to high end computer chips used in artificial intelligence. 00:41:02 Speaker 1: I mean, given the sensitivity of computer chips, the proximity to national security issues, you know, you just have to wonder why Or perhaps he was, you know, whether Huang would have been warned by the intelligence agencies about the risk of being targeted by foreign state intelligence operations, which, as you say, would include honey traps. I mean, we don't know yet what warnings he was given. But, you know, if all of these allegations pan out, it does seem like he fell for it. And there are therefore questions to be asked of the national security establishment as well, aren't there? 00:41:41 Speaker 15: Well, as my dad used to say, there's no fool like an old fool, Shari, and I guess that's just something to think about. He should have been aware of the espionage interest that would have been surrounded his company and the very sophisticated chips that they were producing. That is something that I'm sure the United States would have spoken to him and his executives about at great length. So, yes, it seems kind of obvious that But nevertheless, there's a reason why Chinese and other intelligence services use honey traps. 00:42:15 Speaker 3: It's because they work. 00:42:17 Speaker 15: And it's potentially the case that he's fallen into precisely that trap. 00:42:22 Speaker 3: Yeah. 00:42:23 Speaker 1: Intelligence operation as old as time. And it seems even the most powerful can fall for it. We're going to keep covering this story throughout the week. But I want to turn to Israel now. And former military chief of staff, Gadi Eisenkot, has been given by President Isaac Herzog... the task of or been given the opportunity to try and form the next government. He's got six weeks to convene a coalition. Why did Herzog in the end give this opportunity first to Eisenkot rather than Netanyahu? And we've only got a minute and a half or so, but do you think he'll be able to get there, Eisenkot? 00:43:03 Speaker 15: So Herzog gave him the chance because it seems that a majority of members of the Knesset have said that he has the best chance of being able to form a coalition. Is he going to be able to do it? I think it's actually going to be very difficult because the requirement for him to do so is to work out how he can work with two Arab parties, which collectively have won 19 seats. One of those parties is pretty close to being communist. Another is pretty close to wanting to deny the existence of Israel, even though it runs candidates. If Eisencott can work with those people, then he has to be able to bring over some of the extreme religious community, which have typically worked with Netanyahu. That seems unlikely because part of Eisencott's campaign was to say that the children of those ultra-Orthodox communities should now be conscripted,

and they've been deeply opposed to that. Or he has to find a way to get half a dozen or so Likud members, people from Bibi's own party, to come and join him. All up, I think, very difficult. And just remember that Eisenkot is, by training, a general. He's not used to political negotiations. So it seems to me he's got a very hard task in front of him. If he's unable to achieve an outcome, then Netanyahu will get an opportunity to see if he can form a government. And if that can't work, Shari, we'll be back into another election sometime early in 2027. 00:44:32 Speaker 1: Or perhaps around April. And then, of course, there's a question of the Iran war. during this time. Peter Jennings, excellent insights. Great pleasure having you on the program. Still to come, Abdul El-Sayed declares Michigan is the Arab capital of the United States as Trump continues to deal with a fallout from the midterms. We'll get the latest after the break. Well, let's turn to the US where Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is leading the charge to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 00:45:08 Speaker 16: I'm a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution. The so-called Secretary of Defense has abused his power, undermined our national security, and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe. Pete Hegseth has got to go. 00:45:32 Speaker 1: And President Trump has been backing Hegseth in. 00:45:36 Speaker 6: When you say about Pete Hegseth, I mean, he's guilty of two things, basically winning two wars. 00:45:43 Speaker 1: And joining me now is News 24 contributor Kosha Gada. Kosha, great to see you. Look, is Trump really defending Hegseth here? Because there's been a lot of, you know, contrary reports behind the scenes. And also, could this be the beginning of a wave of attempted impeachments after the midterms? 00:46:03 Speaker 17: I think everybody, Shari, has been expecting and is expecting that it's going to be impeachment-o-rama, for sure, after the new Congress comes in in January. This one, interestingly enough, is being brought by Thomas Massey, the outgoing Republican Congressman from Kentucky, who very famously was probably one of the most ardent and vocal opponents of the Trump administration on many issues and most certainly on the war. So he's actually bringing them and he has termed it a gentler version of what the Democrats will bring when they come in. This is more of a procedural measure where they've got 48 hours in Congress to listen to some of the basic allegations that are being made by Massey and Hakeem Jeffries in partnership versus after January, it's going to be full on with hearings, subpoena power and everything that goes with that on camera testimony and everything else. So, yes, I do think this is the beginning of a lot more to come. 00:46:57 Speaker 1: Michigan Senator just elected Abdul Al-Said has called his state the capital of Arab America. Have a look. 00:47:05 Speaker 14: And I'm honoured to be the next United States Senator from the great state of Michigan. 00:47:12 Speaker 3: Which, of course, I know we're here in D.C., which. 00:47:15 Speaker 14: Of course, is the capital of the United States of America, but Michigan is the capital of Arab America. 00:47:23 Speaker 1: Kosha, he's also setting up a Habibi PAC. I mean, how is this going down with most American voters? I think. 00:47:33 Speaker 17: People don't love, in general, they don't love the hyphenated America and, you know, he's almost rubbing your face in it, on the one hand. On the other hand, he won handily. We knew and predicted and projected that he would, all the polls and everything else. And he is basking in the glory of it. He now has power as one of two senators in the state of Michigan, and he is not shy to use it. And he really loves sort of rubbing in this aspect of it, the demographics. 00:47:59 Speaker 1: I mean, he's right. 00:48:00 Speaker 17: It is the greatest concentration of Arab. 00:48:03 Speaker 17: Ethnic people in America is in Michigan, Dearborn, Michigan specifically. We've seen his wife, and she obviously wears a traditional garb, and she's been out on the campaign trail. He loves making people say his full name, which is difficult to pronounce if you're not from that part of the world, and he sort of mocks people who can't do it. So he's loving this. He's really turning the dial up, and I think it's just a taste of what we're going to see. 00:48:25 Speaker 1: Yeah, and of course he has socialist and extremist views as well, which are the worrying part. Meanwhile, I mean, it's the anniversary of Kristallnacht and there have been horrific protests in Pennsylvania. There was a bike boycott. But of Jewish businesses, which is what's so alarming, here's what unfolded. 00:48:46 Speaker 8: Tensions shifted into high gear in Rittenhouse Square as pro-Palestinian cyclists gathered for a bike boycott of six Jewish-owned businesses they say support Israel. 00:48:56 Speaker 3: This is definitely against the genocide. 00:48:59 Speaker 1: I mean, it should hurt everyone's soul as to what's going on to the Palestinian people. 00:49:05 Speaker 8: The gathering got heated as counter-protesters confronted cyclists as they tried to leave Rittenhouse Square to begin their ride. 00:49:13 Speaker 1: I mean, Kosha, this is too depressing for words. Thankfully, there was an outpouring of support for those Jewish businesses that were targeted. 00:49:21 Speaker 17: Yes, I think there were 200 bikers on this side that were asking people to boycott these small businesses, small restaurants and the like that operate on very small margins. It's not an easy way to earn a living, so obviously that's not helpful to them on top of just the reason and the rationale for it. But on the flip side, I think there were something like 200 people that were counter protesting and organized a food crawl where they were going from restaurant to restaurant over here. And actually, their business spiked. Luckily, it was broadly pretty orderly. I think only three arrests were made. Nobody was injured. Nothing was vandalized. So in that sense, that's a silver lining that. Actually, they had a good day of business. And it reminded me of the Chick-fil-A incident that happened in 2010, where they were being vilified because the CEO of Chick-fil-A did not believe in same-sex marriage and pointed to his Christian faith. And there was this complete counter movement that happened where lines around the country were forming to go to Chick-fil-A and get a chicken sandwich. So it sort of reminded me of that, that at least there is some goodness left that people are fighting back on speech that they don't like by supporting the businesses. 00:50:25 Speaker 1: Kosha, great to see you. Thank you so much. And I'll see you tomorrow at 8.30. Right now, here's Paul Murray.