From the Sky News Center. This is Paul Murray Live.
Hey there, and welcome to the program. James Burrow here sitting in for Paul here on Paul Murray Live. Another jam pack show for you guys tonight, All killer, no filler, including in just a few moments the mayor of Alice Springs, who's going to tell us all about how that snap three day curfew is going and what can be done to stop the violence in that town once and for all.
Plus a bit later in the program, I'm going to introduce you to a new and I think very sensible voice on the energy debate and how the government is
screwing it up with both hands. That's a little later in the program, but first let's do a little more of the swampy Joe now, sleepy Joe crisis, which is, yeah, really, it's a crisis now because a lot of Democrats and all the media who went along for years with the charade that Joe Biden was okay are now entirely furious that they've been made to look like fools after that debate performance last month. They want Biden to go, but
the Bidens they want to stay. Joe and Jill and Hunter, they're all hold up in the White House and sending the message they are not going anywhere. Actually, Jill doctor Joe Biden sorry, got to get her title right. She's not hold up. She's going out there and acting like the candidate herself. She's done a three state tour in just one day to campaign on Joe's behalf. And I'll tell you what, right now, the ladies not for turning, have a look.
Joe has made it clear that he's all in. That's the decision that he's made, and as he has always supported my career, I am all into.
An apologies at home if that shattered any crystal sitting around your lounge room as that played. But meanwhile, there are increasing concerns about the President's health and whether he may actually have Parkinson's disease, after it was revealed that a Parkinson specialist from the Walter Reed Medical Center visited the White House eight times in the past year, entirely coincidentally. I'm sure it was just dropping by for a cup
of tea. And now just in the past few hours, Donald Trump has broken his silence after I think ten days of not doing any public events, telling Fox News is Sean Hannity about the debate and his concerns about Joe Biden that developed while they were on stage.
That night, the moment they introduced us and then they introduced him and introduce me, and I walked out on us arm and he looked extremely pale, to put it nicely, And I don't know, maybe it was a good makeup job or maybe it wasn't, but he was a very pale looking man. And when he started to speak, I don't know. I thought his voice was weak. I didn't know exactly what was happening.
Was strange.
Well, he saw the same stuff that we all saw at home. But in the meantime, Joe Biden, this is the thing, this is where the real crisis comes in. It's going to be very hard to get rid of him because he has the delegates to stay on the ticket in November, and the US Constitution doesn't really provide an easy way out of this. There's no party room to roll him like there is here or in a
Westminster democracy. Now we're going to take a deeper dive into this with the panel shortly, but in the meantime, I gotta say, what an absolute mess. Now again, we're gonna have the out springs. Mayor Matt Patterson here with the latest from the Northern Territory of the curfew and the ongoing crime problem. But before we get to that, the Prime Minister has had another stab at social cohesion today.
Social cohesion, of course, is the code word or the code phrase that we used to say, Hey, we let our society become totally fractured by multiculturalism and self loathing, and now we've got to figure out how to stick it all back together. Well, and I suppose kudos to Anthony Albinizi for recognizing that, yes, we do have a real problem here and that particularly since October seventh, naked antisemitism in its rawest form has been a real serious
concern for the community. Today Albinizi announced the appointment of a new anti Semitism Envoy, Gillian Siegel. She is a prominent and very well regarded Sydney businesswoman and lawyer and leader in the Jewish community, and she was tapped by the PM to help tackle the crisis. Here's a little of what the PM had to say.
What we need to do is to make sure that the conflict that is occurring in the Middle East has caused a great deal of grief for the Jewish community for members of the Islamic Palestinian communities. Australians overwhelmingly do not want conflict brought here. The appointment is for three years. We hope that there's not a need to have ongoing work, but it has been a reminder over recent months that we just can't take that respect and social cohesion for granted, we need to nourish it.
Okay, good, good, and good on the Prime Minister. But this is all fine as far as it goes. But you know what, I think it's a lovely idea, but as always, the devil is in the detail. The first and I think biggest issue here is that the PM is once again doing the both sides thing. There's reason the host of the show, Paul Murray calls him each
way albow. He's absolutely terrified that labor is on the nose with Muslim voters in heavily Muslim seats in Western Sydney and Melbourne, and that the rumblings from Fatima Payman and others who now seem to be organizing what might fairly be called the Islamic Teals is just the beginning. So not only is Albanezi appointing someone to tackle the very real anti Semitism problem. But yeah, you knew this was coming, did it you. He is also going to a point on islama phobia Envoy for real.
Shortly we'll also be announcing an envoy on Islamophobia that will be important as well, playing a similar role working with that community to promote social cohesion.
Now, you don't even have to agree with the late Christopher Hitchin's definition of his lava phobia. Look it up if you're curious to see why this is a problem. And this is of course not the first time of the PM has done this both sides thing either on this issue and many others being unable to condemn the very real rise of antisemitism without also saying and his lama phobia.
But look, I kind.
Of think that even if both things exist, and sure they do right now in Australia, they're not really on the same scale. I mean, let me explain. After Hamas's October seventh attacks, while Israel was still counting it's dead before it's fired a single shot in retaliation, did pro Israeli demonstrators we never saw this. We didn't see them swarm the opera house and chant threatening slogans about Muslims.
Did we no? But there were plenty of Muslims out chanting f the Jews and lots of other nasty stuff, even if the New South Wales police took great pains to assure us that they weren't saying gas the Jews. But where's the Jews? Because I'm sure the demonstrators just wanted to invite them to a friendly interfaith if tar. Nor have we seen much of the way, frankly, of Jews celebrating the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza, though we did see a fair bit of this in those western
Sydney seats. The PM is so keen to keep for labor. I'm slighty, I'm smiling, and I'm happy. I'm the nighted. That's a day of courage charming. Are you feeling the
enrichment yet? And of course these there were. Was, but wasn't much in the ways of convoys of cars driving through predominantly Muslim neighborhoods, either waving Israeli flags and intimidating people like there were Palestinian supporters blasting through Jewish neighborhoods The fact is Labor really only does the right thing on this when it thinks it can get away with it, just as it finally backed an in query into anti semitism in universities last week, two months after shutting down
another attempt to get one up by the Coalition. I think we all need to be really clear here that anti Semitism is a civilizational sickness, and one that is these days far more often seen on the left than on the right. Just think of Jeremy Corbyn in England, or the virulent anti semitism on display from the far left in France which won that election the other day, and where things have gotten so bad that the chief Rabbi in that country has sold Jews that if they can,
they should move out of the country. Now let's go to Alice Springs, which has gone through its first night of a snap curfew. The mayor of Matt Patterson has been good enough to join us here on Palmurray Live. Matt, how did things go in the first night?
Yeah, thanks for having me. It was quieter.
It wasn't a perfect night, but it certainly was better than what we've seen the last six or seven days. So we had a few cars stolen in the industrial area, which is not impacted by the declaration. But look, it was certainly better than what it was, but it certainly wasn't perfect.
Yeah, it just very briefly, just explain to viewers who might just be tuting into this situation what happened in the lead up to this decision to issue this curfew.
So a brief snapshot is there was a police officer on Judy at a bottle shot, which is pretty standard as to what we have. He was doing his job and he was involved in a hit and run accident. We've seen a person stabbed on the council lawns in a Natock celebration. We then seen four off duty police officers walking home from a function bashed by twenty people, and then ap and a group of views hold up a service station with weapons and still are about four
and a half thousand dollars worth of cash. So it wasn't just a one incident that's led us to this situation.
It was many so a whole series of alleged incidents against a variety of people with some wild allegations there. What has been the mood in the community with things being so bad that this action is needy. How are people feeling on the streets.
Yeah, I mean, firstly, they're pretty disappointed to be on the front page of every newspaper again because preceding this it was actually a really nice place to live. From the last curfew, it's actually made a dramatic impact, right, So whatever they did twelve weeks ago was clearly worked and we've just had a small hiccup. But people are frustrated, and you know, they don't celebrate the decision for a curfew.
They welcome it because they want to be safe, and I think first and foremost people want to be safe in the community.
We did see last time more people who've.
Lived in Alice Springs for a long time go out to restaurants and because they hadn't felt safe for months before. So we'll wait and see what this holds. It's meant to close on Thursday. My gut feeling is that it will be extended past the weekend, but we'll wait and see what happens.
Yeah, I mean, it's quite telling what you say that about people, you know, being able to feel like they can come out again after you know, feeling like they're under seedge for months. But you know these snap curfews aren't the long term fixed As the mayor, what policy changes do you think need to be made, either to territory or a federal level.
Well, we've had, you know, this is thirty years of policy on the run that's got our Springs into this situation like Ola Springs in Central Australia. You know, we are a service hub too many remote communities and fortunately they're just all coming to Alice Springs for whatever to make Alice Springs their home. And that's not right or wrong,
but it's meaning that remote community is becoming scarcer. I think the announcement by the Prime Minister of around two hundred and fifty million that's the right idea, but it's you know, it's got to hit the ground sooner or later, and it's not a criticism of it taking so long. Finally, we've had a bucket of money that's been consulted properly about where to spend. It's just been a long time between drinks for remote remote communities to roll that cash out on.
So we will wait and see.
Obviously, clearly we need some safe housing for young people in Central Australia where one of the only jurisdictions in the country without.
A youth for you, we clearly need that.
We've talked many times, you and I about the challenges of youth and housing and homelessness faith in the region.
It's got to be at the top of the priority list for me.
Alice Springsby or Matt Patterson, thank you so much for your time and I hope the next time that we chat we can be talking about some tourist development or something you know really positive in your community. Thank you so much being the time to join me here on Palmurray Live. And good luck to you and the entire Alice Springs community tonight. Now there's something you don't see every day. A blockade Australia protester has been sent to prison.
Laura Davey was sentenced to three months jail after being among the thirty people charged for disrupting trains around the Port of Newcastle recently. Let's bring in my first panel, National's MP Keith Pitt and media writer for The Australian, Sophie Ellsworth. Keith, Sophie, thanks so much for joining me here on the program. I'm just amazed to have this good news story here of a protester actually getting a
bit of co come up in for their actions. Keith, do you think there's justice served here?
Well, firstly, finally, it's about time. But keep in mind, what about the other twenty nine. Where's their gile tern? Because they've all disrupted the railway network. It impacts passenger services as well. It Delais Coull supplies all around the world. It costs the fortune, which is why they do it. But worse still, they put themselves at risk. And for all of those train drivers, they know how long it takes for those trains to stop. It could be more
than a kilometer. And yet you've got protesters. They think you can just jump in front of them and they'll push a button and this thing will pull up. Someone will get hurt. It's about time they've cracked down, and I think there should be more of it.
Well, yeah, no, I think you're absolutely right there. But Sophie Lura is appealing the sentence, which may see her treated like another protester, Violet Coco, who was released and immediately vowed to keep protesting. I feel like something needs to be done here because these courts in general seem to just go for the minimum do we need to have some sort of mandatory minimums where you actually do see the inside of a cell if you do this sort of activity.
Well, in my view, James, there is not a severe enough penalty for these protesters because it's not to tearing them from you know, taking place in these ridiculous, dangerous and quite frankly stupid acts that they're doing, putting their own lives at risk, as Keith said, and also the lives of others. It's completely moronic and they should be
punished for it. I'm all for people protesting and voicing their opinions, but to do so carefully and not getting in the way of others who are going about their business. And this is massively disruptive, you know, to the train services, to the Qulifi power stations. This is really dangerous stuff, and as Keith said, it's only a matter of time before somebody does get hurt.
Yeah, and let's hope that it's not one of those first responders or a police officer or somebody else who's dealing with these people when they are you know, they go out and do these I think frankly really narcissistic and ego driven protests about their own petty cause of the day. But let's move on to another story here. And I think this is something that's really important and I don't think people have tuned in on this enough.
More disappointing figures around our wage growth as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development the OECD, has just revealed hours ago that Australian real wage growth is among the worst of the OECD's thirty eight nations, lagging behind the UK, the US, the Canada in Canada, Sophie, is this another labor promise broken? Here? The report says Australia remained four point eight percent below pre pandemic levels. We are now poorer than we were before the pandemic.
Well, I think James, a lot of people would agree with that. It seems that many people have less money in their pockets since labor got into government. Now could the coalition have changed this? We won't know obviously. However, we were promised, for instance, that our power bills would come down, that our wages would go up, and we would be better off under Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi. And I think if you went and did a street poll
and ask punters out there how they're feeling. I don't think you'd find many who say they are financially better off under this labor government.
Well that's the think, Keith. I mean, Alban Easy and Charldraze keep saying, oh, you know, we're getting wages moving again. People are getting more money in their pocket. We're going to get more money in our pay packets now. This month there's been millions of dollars telling us all of this. But at the heart of this, to me, Keith, it
seems like there's a couple of issues. Number one, productivity and number two the huge amounts of migrants that we're bringing in every year to this country who are suppressing wages. How do we get productivity moving again, Keith.
Pitt Well, Jimbo's actually delivered on a commitment. He's got real wages moving. It's just the wrong direction.
They all worse off.
This is the fundamental problem. I mean, this is a treasure who struts up to the dispatch box, models himself on the Collkeating, leans in on the elbow, and spends all of his time talking about Angus Taylor. None of those things help people deal with inflation. Inflation which is a direct result of the labor government's policies. It doesn't get productivity improvements, it doesn't get more houses built, It
got real wages moving in the wrong direction. And we will see more of this because Jimbo nomics just doesn't work. And every single Australian their dollar is now worth less than what it was when labor came into government. They can buy less with it. The cost of everything is through the roof and you're on the money. Unless you're going to address productivity and get inflation under control, this is going to continue.
Well, that's it. Productively is the only way you get inflation under control. You talk to any Cannovis, they'll tell you that. But let's let's go over because I want to talk to you guys. I want to get you guys thoughts about old Joe Biden, who is now I think, completely committed to staying in the race. He says he's in it for the long haul, and he's written a letter to Congressional Democrats saying he's not going anywhere. And he even called in to MSNBC, which is basically like
the you know, Zvestia of America. Here's the Soviet White House broadcasting channel to Morning Morning Joe on MSNBC this morning. Let's have a look.
Come on, give me a break, Come with me.
Why why I'm getting so frustrated by the elite.
Now, I'm not talking about you guys, but about the elite and the party who.
They know so much more. But any of these guys, I don't think I should run against me. Announced the president challenge man to convention.
Wow, he's fired up there. But I'll tell you what his former White House Press Secretary Jen Saki has said, It is time to really ask if he if Joe Biden is the best man for the job.
The man I saw on that debate stage in Atlanta was not the person I worked for more than two years ago. It is not about whether he would stand up for democracy.
He would.
It is whether he is the right person to defeat Donald Trump. If I sat here every night and told you that every question being asked out there is unfair, I wouldn't be respecting you.
Sophie. This is a really big loss I think for Biden in terms of you know, his supporters, but also you know, as somebody who covers the media, what do you make of all of these people in the US media who had spent years and years and years saying no, no, no, Joe Biden's fine. All your people on you know, Sky News, you say he's not. You guys are gaslighting. Well they were gaslighting us. They knew, and now they're angry that
they've been shown up. What do you make of the mood of the media in the US, Sophie.
Well, James, you know, is better than anyone.
But quite frankly, I think the main have been quite appalling and not calling out Joe Biden for his failures, his cognitive failures that have been present and obvious four years. They have been in total denial James over this. We were talking about this on Sky long long ago and criticized heavily for this. But now they've finally woken up over there in America, and I think this is the gift that is just going to keep giving for Donald Trump.
Why would he want Joe Biden to step aside? Not forgetting Joe Biden is eighty two in November, So if you're get into office and he's in this shape and now, heaven help us if he's got another four years ahead, and James to be really honest about this, I think it's a sad state of affairs that he doesn't seem to have all his faculties, but his ego is getting the better of him, and he's determined and saying I will stay here.
I mean, this is going to be a shocking a few months.
Ahead for him, with already that disastrous presidential debate. I mean, if that's the warm up, Heaven help us for the rest of what we've got ahead in months.
To go, and between now and the election and the inauguration day, you know, all of the world's enemies, you know, North Korea, Russia, China will be all looking at this and thinking who's in charge here? Keith Pitt. Former Prime Minister John Howard told this network earlier today. He said that were we in one of the United States, in an Australian type of situation, you know, in terms of a system of government, this guy would have been tapped
on the shoulder long ago. Is he right? And is this a flaw in the otherwise glorious American constitutional system that there's no way really to move somebody on in this sort of situation.
I was in Australie, he wouldn't be tapped on the shovel. He'd be run over by the charge of the Lbrary guide everybody in the house, the rips, we'll be stepping up apart from across the fifteen pH that so can Ne would be probably minister because that's the arrangement. Yeah, but I mean it's just so blatantly obvious now and the American people I do deserve better. Inside is the world we were law on the United States for security. They want to be a greatest allies, in fact, probably
the greatest defense alloy that we have. And the idea that a country of three hundred million people has no one else, I just think that's fanciful. Clearly there are others. Whatever needs to happen has to happen. It's their democratic system. That's that's how I get things done. But by in Australia you wouldn't have to step up on os for a challenger.
I'd already be.
There'll be a lot of hands up with that party. Who will tell you what? But you know this, this has gone from what we've joked about about tripping up the stairs and falling off bikes. We're now in a really serious territory and there's now a lot of swirling rumor I mentioned this at the start of the show. Does the President have Parkinson's or some other degenerative condition? And you know, we had this news that the Parks a specialist has visited the White House eight times in
eight months now. The current White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean Pierre, she had a huge blue in the media room with the other reporters today. She was pretty animated on this. Have a look at this.
So I am telling you that he has seen or a neurologists three times while he has been in this presidency. That's what I'm saying her. I also said to you, for security reasons, we cannot share names. We cannot share names.
And this went back and forth for ten or twelve minutes here. But Sophie, again, from a media perspective, why does it Joe Biden just take the cognitive tests and say, you know, I'll do it live on TV. This would seem to be the thing that would just set this all to rest.
James, of course, he's not going to do that.
I think the money would be on that he would fail miserably.
And this is just.
Diverting away from the issues in America they should be addressing. But instead all the media coverage he's focused on. Is Joe Biden mentally up to running for president again?
This is a massive distraction. This is a gift.
For Donald Trump and hugely embarrassing for Joe Biden. Even if we're discussing this now, people will make their own minds up whether there's a piece of paper from a.
Doctor or not.
The guy doesn't know half the names of people. He stuffs things up repeatedly. He falls upstairs, he falls off bicycles.
I mean, it's sad to watch.
This is the president of the US who's digging his heels in and saying, I am staying here. I mean, how is he going to run an office If he's saying at the presidential bait he's tired after he was on a flight several weeks earlier.
He probably is tired.
He's eighty one, for heaven's sake, he probably does need to put his feet up and have a rest. I think a lot of us would be doing that at eighty one. But this is really just dragging out the inevitable that he's not up to it.
Yeah, and Keith, we've got these stories that you know he has to go to bed at eight pm. We're two years ago. He was at a meeting with Germany. He went to bed early and Anthony Blincoln had to come and step in at the meeting. How concerns would be here in Australia about our security umbrella when we've got somebody like Joe Biden and god knows who was actually running things and picking up the phone the red foot if that rings you in the White House.
I don't think there's any doubt that the US administration will will support Australia. I don't think there's any question of suret whatsoever. In their time of need. We have always supported them and I think that will always hold.
Us in good stead.
But just the fact that anyone's talking about, oh, you have to do a cognitive test and you have to get adopted to certified, just the fact that those questions are around are incredibly damaging. I mean, it's like Homer Simpson when he gets certified saying right, and that's straight out of a cartoon. We're talking about the leader of the United States. And just the fact that the media is talking about this and this is a focus. Surely Summer can get this sorted.
Bet, you're completely right. I couldn't agree with more with both of you. Keith Pitt, Sophie Elsworth, thank you so much for coming on joining me tonight on Paul Murray Live. We'll see you next time. Now, the debate continues after the break. My next panel'll be taking a look at at the New South Wales premiers proposed micro cities. Is this going to be the solution really to the ever worsening housing crisis? Stick around after the break. Welcome back
to the program. James Morrow here filling in for Paul on Paul Murray Live. Let's continue the debate and discussion. Joining me now is Center for Youth Policy at the Menzies Research Center Director Freya Leach and LLNP MP Henry Pike. Welcome to both of you now. Freya, I want to talk to you about this here. Housing it is like the number one concern for young people. You're a young person.
The first draft proposals under New South Wales Premiere Chris Mins has got this accelerated precincts idea in Sydney's north and northwest. He wants to put these micro cities all around in these outer suburbs with thirty thousand homes and some sort of density and things like this. Is this a solution? Is this going to be the solution to getting young people into homes?
It's hard to say. I mean, I think you're exactly right. It is the number one issue, and for good reason. Home ownership has never been more difficult for young people than it is today. The question is will this be enough? I'm not so sure. We've had about one point two million new migrants come to the country since the election. We've built about three hundred and eighty thousand houses. The math ain't math in as as, so I'm not sure if these microcities are going to change that. I think
it's the right approach. Planning reform is definitely needed, but there are a lot of other factors impacting the housing market as well. We've seen builders going bus. The rate of builders going bus is increased by one hundred and fifty percent in the last year. At the same time, the number of people going into apprenticeships is decreased by twenty two percent. Cost of materials, inflation, interest rates are all still going up. So amidst that environment, will Chris
Mins's micro cities be the solution? I'd love if they were. I'm just not confident.
Yeah, and Henry Pike, I mean, you know, you're in Queensland, so it's slightly different for you. But the same problem exists basically everywhere. It's too many people, not enough houses, it cost too much to build, there's too many regulations,
all of this stuff. You know, where where is the government falling down on its ability to create this And how much can can the federal government even do besides dialing down the huge number of migrants that we're getting into the country every year, to actually encourage the supply of housing.
It's a very, very.
Good question, James.
It's one of the most intractable problems that we have in public policy at the moment. How do we get affordable housing? How do we get enough housing to meet the growing demand? And head off to Chris Mins, I think this is a part of the puzzle that needs to be done. I think this is a good step forward, but there is a lot that we need to do
at all levels of government. And I think the role for the federal government is to really use what we have, and that is a lot of money and a lot of pressure to be able to lean on the state governments and say how you're going to actually increase supply.
We can turn down demand. We've already made announcements around trying to bring migration down to a sustainable level, but really the pressure needs to be on local governments and state governments to work out how do we boost supply, how do we reform your planning systems to enable people to build homes, and how do we get that trunk infrastructure built out to these areas where we need to kida for the growth.
Yeah, well that's the thing. I mean, if you're putting the housing out in places like Kellyville and Bella Vista, beautiful parts of the world, but it's a long way from anything anyway. Let's move on though, because there's so much else to talk about. We brought you this story yesterday and now supermarket giant Woolworths have apologized after backtracking on their Australia Day merchandise blackout. Now this all comes around the preparation for the Paris Olympics, and Woolley said,
oh yeah, we got the Olympics going on. We'll now sell some national flags, green and gold cupcakes, doughnuts and a smash cake whatever that is, with a dollar off every product supporting Paralympics, Australia lovely stuff, And they said that we acknowledge that we disappointed many of you and our other customers when we decided not to sell Australian
the merchandise in January this year. I note, though, Henry, they didn't say Australia Day they said in January this year, like they can't even bring themselves to say the words. What do you make of this? Backflip? Is this just all about trying to get Peter Dutton not to break them up?
That may be part of it, James, that may be part of it. I did also note the emission of the words Australia from their statement, and as the proponent of my Australia Bill to ensure we keep the day on the twenty sixth of January, I was disappointed to see that. But also they acknowledged the Australian flag not as our flag, but as the symbol of the Australian Olympic team. And I thought, okay, that side, let's also the symbol of our nation. Isn't that what's celebrating? Why
are you only bringing it in at this point in time. Look, I welcome their backflip. I think it's long over due, but I hope that as we creep around Australia next year, I'm not going to just see green and gold cupcakes. But I want the full Australian paraphernalia. I want all the bunting to be able to purchase to take over to my place for my barbecue.
Yeah, but I mean, fre it's really amazing to me. We are in July, you know, so Australia is like five six months away and we are already having this debate. Isn't there a huge problem here when corporates like Wilworth and all these other companies they keep trying to just you know, dial things around in the culture according to their own kind of c suite ethics, which are very lefty, very woke and all of that, rather than just you know, giving people what to want.
Amazing, I know, right, I mean that's the thing is a private company ultimately, they can do whatever they want, and if they're on a boycott Australia day, they can do that. But wading into cultural territory from the comfy couches of your multi billion dollar company executive office, I don't think that's a smart thing to do. And I think they're realizing it puts you into a tough, tough position,
and they're backtracking. And I think what we do know about Australia is they don't want elites trying to change our culture by stealth. If we are going to have a conversation about changing the day, then that should be in the open and driven by the public. It shouldn't be driven by people sitting in c suite offices like you said.
Well, and you know, I was going to get to the queens lande crime crisis in a minute with Henry, but I want to just follow up with this for you, because you know you're at the Menzies Research Center. There's a lot of talk about social cohesion and you know,
how we come together as a nation. And I know Australia is a symbolic thing, but is it a damaging thing if we don't have any sort of uniting symbols or days that we can just get together around rather than having this horrible, torturous conversation God help us every year. I know.
Well, it's part of what makes a country a nation rather than just a state. You can be a state where people all he lives again, or a dormitory. You happen to live in the same place at the same time, but that doesn't make you a nation. You're a nation when you have shared stories and values that bind you together into one people. As we lose symbol after symbol, day after day, tradition after tradition, we undermine that nationhood and Australia starts to be reduced to a country estate,
but not a nation of unified people. And that is a real risk and I think that's something we should fight against.
That is very very well said. Now let's move on, though. We got to go back to Queenslan because we've got this huge election coming up and crime crisis and Premier Stephen Miles smile and Stephen Miles he's continuing to feel the heat after he failed to rebuke Opposition leader David Chris Fooley's adult crime Adult time policy. Miles slammed it as a slick forward slogan. I think that's inflation. We used to have three word slogans. Now we have forward
slogans without offering any real or substantial we said. In case you missed it, here's what Smiles had to say.
The MP's own police spokesperson says that they see crime as the way to win seats, that his job as their police spokesperson is to exploit crime to win seats, and that's all David Christophiley is doing here with another slick focus group's political.
Slogan, Well, Henry, I mean, I don't think if you're a victim of a crime or a carjacking or a home invasion in Townsville or Brisbane or some regional center, you really care too much about Steven Miles's complaints. But a forward slogan you want something done. I presume you would be backing David chrisofully In on this adult crime adult time policy.
Yeah, one percent. It is absolutely necessary now here in Queensland. The youth crime crisis across the state is totally out of control. It used to be a problem in Townsville and other regional centers. Now it is a problem in every suburb, in every corner of the state. It's reached plague proportions. And this is really the only step, one of several steps, but is I think a really important
step to try to get a handle on it. And Queenslanders have just simply had enough and those sort of blame excuses from Stephen Miles trying to play politics for the matter, this is something of top concern to the households my electorate. They're sick of having to have the conversation about where they hide their keys each evening. They're sick of having to worry about, you know, installing the latest CCTV and security cameras in their home. It's reached
the point where it is just ludicrous. And I really please the Chris of fully oppositions taking this big stand and are going to finally provide, you know, this sort of big stick approach. And I think it's actually a compassionate approach because if we nip this thing in the butt, we can actually give these kids an opportunity to do something else with their lives.
It seems to me that crime is one of those issues, sort of like immigration, that really divides the elite from everybody else, and people who have ordinary, everyday concerns about these issues like crime, you know, they get sneered at
by the labor types and the greenee types. Why is it then that parties like labor cannot bring themselves to say, hey, you know what, we acknowledge this is a problem that there's real concern we're going to do something, and instead we see this incredibly glib display from Steven Miles to say, oh, well, if you're concerned about crime, you know, suggesting almost that you're an out of touch idiot yogel.
I mean, that's exactly right, and I think so much of well, the thing with these policies is you can always wheel out some sort of expert who's willing to say that, oh, adult crime, adult time. That's never going to work. A lot of the legal field has been taken over by woke academics who try to continually find and you know, flaws in the justice system. And actually detention is never the answer, and we can rehabilitate everybody,
but you need to take a common sense approach. What is actually happening happening in Queensland at the moment, it's horrific. People do not deserve that they deserve to be protected in their communities. So I think it's at the point where you give everything a shot. And it seems like Chris Fooley is the only one bringing forward bold policies to tackle this very real issue.
BINGO, now I want to us very quickly. We've got a minute left here talk about the miserable ghost. We should have a think back on the on the screen behind me, Malcolm Turbule. The fallout continues from his remarks about Peter Dutton calling him a thug on the project. Imagine going on the project? How relevant deprivation syndrome must you be suffering to go on the project anyway? Here's what so Peter van Ansler is written in The Daily
Mail that Turble has not moved on. What did you make, Henry of Sorry of Malcolm Turnble's comments with Peter Dutton.
I thought it was rather just sad and pathetic. Really, he's reached the point now where he's totally trashed any legacy that he had left. I think he'd be less frequent in bringing forth his opinion if he realized how little people actually cared about his opinion. And I wish he'd just going to mind his own business and get on with life. Let it leave us to get on with ours. It's really quite sad at this point.
Absolutely couldn't say it better myself. I'm gonna have to leave it there, friar Leitch, Henry Pike, thanks so much for coming on. Now, stick around because I've got a big energy discussion to have. Labor's nuclear scare campaign has reached ahead and recent figures show nuclear costs aren't quite as high as the elbow Bob is making them out to be. You wouldn't imagine that, would you. South Australian Center David Fawcett is with me next to discuss more
after the break. Welcome back to the pro James Borrow here sitting in for Paul Murray on Paul Murray Live. And it is the debate that has Anthony Almanezy and Peter Dunton at ten paces over the past few weeks, and that's the debate over nuclear power and its role in our energy mix. The Prime Minister has a course shot down Peter Dutton and the Liberals push for nuclear as being too expensive and even scary and dangerous, with some MPs going as far as posting ridiculous juvenile three
eyed fish Simpsons memes. Now to talk about this and give us a bit more of a new perspective on this is South Australian Senator David Fawcett, who has been very vocal about some of the criticism aimed at nuclear energy. David, Welcome to the program. Thanks for coming on Palmurray Live. And let's start out with this simple question. Is the cost of nuclear energy as high as bad? As? Anthony alban Easy, Chris Bowen, Labor everybody else are trying to make it out to be.
Well, I think you should let the facts speak from themselves. So here in South Australia, where we pay average about forty five cents per killer what hour, and where the state that in Australia leads the renewables transition. If you go and compare us to Canada on average, they pay sixteen cents per killer what hour and they get nearly sixty percent of their electricity from nuclear generation. So I think the question is not is nuclear more expensive or
the most expensive? But the question should be is the renewables plan as cheap as the Albanese government is promising, or like Canada, should we be looking for an all of the above approach that has nuclear power generation for base load combined with things like hydro as well as some renewables.
Well, that's right. And you know it's funny because just before I came on the pro here, I popped by the house and there was a letter from my power company saying oh, your rates are going up again. And I know what the opera killer one hour and now, but there's just up another another time again. And you were recently critical too of entergy visus Chris Bowen's gen calls support of the CSIRO's gen CASS report, Sorry, which was used to push this renewable energy over nuclear debate.
What does and I want to just walk through this with you, what does Bowen and that report of the CSIRO get so wrong? Because the thing that I think about that is, let's put together by scientists, not economists.
Yeah, so look, the key thing it gets wrong is when I speak to people in the community, they're concerned about the cost of electricity to them as a consumer, whether that's mum and dad at home, whether it's a small business or whether it's a power intensive industry, some of whom are looking at going offshore because of the rising price of power. Here, what cost calculates And they say this upfront in the report, is they cost that or they calculate In fact, the correct word is they
model the cost to generate and store electricity. They don't cost the actual power to the consumer. And to do that you have to move beyond this simple measure what they call the levelized cost to look at the whole system cost, which includes all of your transmission, you're firming, etc. And on that basis, it's not measuring what it matters to the consumer, and more to the point, it is modeling.
And these gen Costs report highlights that they have picked a model with a set of assumptions using an algorithm which is not transparent, and that's what they have based
their whole argument on. But there are other expert bodies in the world that have different models with different assumptions, different algorithms that get different results which match the living experience of countries like Canada, and I think Australians should be seeking scrutiny as to why we can't have an open, fact based debate around how we do actually calculate what's in the nation's best interest.
Well, ancet, you know, one of the things that strikes me is you see the algorithm is a black box, and I think that that's disgraceful when it comes to a transparent society. But also it makes assumptions like a nuclear power plant only lasts for thirty years when they last decades more, and don't take into the account. You know that solar panels have a ten to twenty year lifespan,
that windmills save thing. You know, there's a lot of things that even I an untrained eye can see is wrong with this.
Yeah, and the assumptions they make, for example, are that the station only lasts that long. But the lived experience in the States is that of the ninety two or so reactors in the States, nearly eighty eight have already had approval to extend their life from four years to sixty years, and quite a few of them are now in the process of even now seeking an extension to
go from sixty to eighty years. So the lived experience is that that upfront capital cost amortized over such a long period is actually going to generate the cheapest form of long run electricity. And that's the conclusion of expert bodies such as the International Energy Agency and the OECD in a great report they put out in April of twenty twenty two which highlights the cheapest form of electricity is long run nuclear.
Senator David Fassit fascinating stuff. We're going to have to leave it there. That's it for me tonight, but stay tuned for The Late Debate coming up next