Bit Sharry Good Evening Tonight an exclusive interview with the Jewish customer who is refused service by a pro Palestinian staff member at Officeworks. What'sir, I'm pro Palestine.
That's okay.
You're here to do a job of luminade.
Yeah, we have the right to deny jobs.
Utterly outrageous and here will be joining the show live. I'll also bring you Officework's unacceptable response to this saga. Also tonight, concern the nation's housing crisis will worsen under Clara O'Neil, and China blames Australian beef for the positive drug test of two of its Olympic swimmers. Basil Zemplers
and Matt Canavan will join me to discuss. This comes as the world is still processing a Chinese swimmer's jaw dropping world record and one hundred meter free, with one Aussie coach saying it's just not humanly possible that story coming up. So at first, we've entered an absurd new era where terrorism is, if not condoned, then accepted and
even understood by Western political leaders and authorities. Terrorists who have killed thousands of innocent people are being offered plea deals and if they're killed, the left is worried about what.
It will mean for stability.
One of the master minds of the September eleventh terror attacks, Kaylid Sheik Muhammad, has been spared the death penalty and instead given a plea deal by American prosecutors. Two other Al Qaeda terrorists involved in the attack have also been given plea deals. Now, these are the last people who should ever be given deals for their role in the murder of two thousand, nine hundred and seventy six people in the Twin Towers, because what they did is unforgivable.
The families of those who died are reportedly devastated. They've been waiting for twenty four years to see justice. The New York Post calls it an atrocity of justice. When Hamas chief Ismayo Honeyere was assassinated, you've probably heard concern in the media about the escalation in violence, rather than an acknowledgment or any praise for eliminating a bloodthirsty terrorist. Well, recall when President Barack Obama made this famous announcement in two thy and eleven.
Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.
Osama Bin Laden was killed when elite US soldiers attracked him down in a Pakistani compound in a high risk, top secret operation. The news was welcomed, movies were made. The courage and stealth of the brave squad was rightly praised. It was a great political achievement for Obama as well. No one criticized the assassination out of concern or fear that al Qaida would retaliate.
Of course not.
We weren't so weak in those days, and terrorists weren't so emboldened. So what's happened to the world in the past thirteen years. The operation to assassinate Honeyea was brazen, presumably drawing on high level intelligence.
Operatives tracked him down.
And killed him in his own home in Tehran in an early morning strike. We presume it was Mossad, although Israel hasn't confirmed it. It was without question an impressive hit. He thought he was protect it safe from the violence of Gaza in the powerful city of Tehran. The lesson, of course, is that there's no place where these terrorists can hide. But it's bizarre that the reaction to the very welcome news that Honeye was killed has been muted,
to say the least, both by authorities and the media. Instead, there are concerns for what it will mean for stability in the region and what will happen to the prospects of a ceasefire.
The message to the other negotiators is we were on the brink of a ceasefire, and they were very close. The Americans thought they were within days. You someone has now shot dead our key negotiator, and they will assume. They will say it's the Israelis. We cannot now make a peace deal with you.
And this could definitely have a negative effect on those ongoing negotiations.
Certainly does maybe even irreparable damage to the ceasefire talks, since Hania was essentially the chief Palestinian negotiator.
A ceasefire, by the way, that can't happen anyway until the hostages are returned and Hermas has surrendered or has been destroyed and is no.
Longer in power.
Well, it was a similar sentiment from the United Nations after the Security Council held emergency talks following the deaths of the Hamas and Hesbella leaders. The YUN concerned the air strikes have made matters worse.
Dangerous escalation at a moment in which all efforts should instead be leading to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Oh, Honey Yeh didn't remotely care about Palestinians. He was living in obscene wealth while causing misery.
For his own people.
Not only did he order barberic massacres against Israelis, but he was responsible for the military strategy where her Musk fighters operate from densely populated civilian areas, despite knowing this will cause innocent Palestinians to die. All the while, Honey Air was safely asconced in Qatar, living a comfortable life, plenty of food, and worth a call four billion dollars. The phrase that Benjamin NETTNYA, who uttered early on the
need for moral clarity, encapsulates what we're seeing here. There's a bizarre confusion about what's right and wrong. Some on the left seem to think terrorism might be justified. The concern over the death of a terror chief is bizarre. You've heard the argument that the mission to destroy Hermas is pointless because an ideology can't be defeat it. Now, if you don't realize how warped this is, perhaps because you're so conditioned to hearing it from authority figures. Well,
imagine if that was applied during World War II. I don't kill Hitler and the Nazis because you can never kill off the ideology of fascism.
It's truly absurd.
Yes, there's risk of escalation and retaliation, but of course that doesn't mean you allow terrorism to foster. That doesn't mean you pack up and go home and allow terrorists to repeat atrocities over and over again without consequence. That doesn't mean your own citizens should have to accept living in a state of fear and violence. And it's actually weakness in our global political leadership that has sent the message to the Ayatolas of Iran that they can get
away with brazen strikes. They doubt America's global commitment to Israel. They doubt it's global leadership. The realization needs to sink in that yes, these terrorists are anti Semitic, but it's
actually anti Americanism that's driving them. They see Israel as an arm of America because Israel is a democracy amid dictators Iran, Hamas and Hezbealah can't comprehend that there are Western values, inclusivity for all religions, ethnicities, sexualities, and genders in a country in the very heart of the Middle East.
It's everything that Islamic extremism despises about the West in essence, Jews in the Middle East representing democratic values, and Iran and their proxies like Hamas can't compute that they've lived on the land of Israel for more than three thousand years. All right, a lot to come on the show tonight, As I said, the exclusive interview with the Jewish customer denied service at office works.
That's coming up.
But first now, let's bring in tonight's panel, Perth Mayre Basil Zemplus and National Senator Matt Canavan.
Welcome to you both. Great to see you again.
Look, let's start with this scandal where China is blaming Australian beef for two of its swimmers testing positive to a steroid two years ago. Chinese authorities say that they suspect the swimmers eight hamburgers, contaminated with an anabolic steroid. Despite Australian farmers and authorities confirming that the substance hasn't been used in any of Australia's beef production or medicine basil.
This seems as absurd as when the.
Chinese authorities tried to say that COVID nineteen came through in imported frozen meat.
Absurd and absolutely outrageous, And the question obviously has to be asked in response, is it possible that no Australian athletes have eaten in any similar sorts of products during that same period, yet mysteriously have not tested positive. We know that it is highly unlikely to be true. In fact, we know it's not true. It's a ridiculous claim. And why would those two test positive but no one else
who's eating Australian beef. Think of all the athletes in all of the sports competing all around the world at the same time with a similar diet who haven't tested positive. It is ridiculous, ridiculous.
Matt, there seems to be an issue here, China once again not taking responsibility and trying to blame Australia. I thought the relationship was meant to be back on track under Albin.
Ezi well, like Basil has said, this is absurdly ridiculous, and I think everybody right in the.
World will see it as such.
But there's a bigger concern here that you've hinted at, that China seems to be able to influence and gag international bodies of quite importance. We saw that during COVID nineteen, where where it was able to almost co opt the World Health Organization into it's hiding care, it's hiding the evidence campaign to throw people off the scent of the Wuhan lab as being now the prime suspect of the
origins of coronavirus. And likewise, here the Chinese authorities have somehow being able to convince international sporting bodies to keep these doping breaches under wraps for a couple of years, and now they go off with these absurd excuses trying to distract from that. So I think the bigger issue is not this ridiculous claim that it's austrained beef. It's that why has the Worldwide Sporting Body not being transparent with these complaints or these breaches that involve Chinese athletes.
Absolutely, it's a really big issue.
And look, this comes as the world is still processing Chinese swimmer Pan Zanli's jaw dropping world record in one hundred meter freestyle over ninety one goal. He was up against Kyle Charmers, who did an amazing swim but came second got silver. Now Pan did that swim in forty six point four oh seconds. I'm no swimming expert, but I read the comments that Australian swim coach Brett Hawk made on the Nightly this evening.
This is a big story on the Nightly and he says that that time is not humanly possible.
Basil, what do you think I mean, You've got a top Australian coach questioning this. There's no suggestion that swimmer has any history of drugs, but there is a cloud under the Chinese swim team.
Well, we know past form obviously, so we can certainly point to that. We can point to that with some confidence. There have been breaches in the past, they have been found guilty, they have been suspended. That time was a ridiculously fast time, and to beat Kyle Charmers by over a second was either a phenomenal performance or a superhuman performance. Without wishing to find anybody guilty of anything before the
proper process has run. Let me say this, I'm really pleased that Kyle Chalmers swum from eighth on the turn to be second on the line, because if anything is awry, if anything is found to be out of place with subsequent testing that happens post race, Kyle Chalmers is in an excellent position to potentially be elevated from that silver medal. Not pointing the finger of blame at anyone, but at least Kyle's in second and can bump up. But it
was a ridiculous time, incredibly fast. He's either the absolute greatest we've ever seen or there's something else at play.
Indeed, I echo all of your sentiments about we're not saying there's anything wrong here, but if it does turn out that situation that you just explained, Basil, I mean, Kyle Chalmers would never get that moment back of standing on the podium winning gold, having the Australian Anth and played and Matt. I don't know about you, but we were all hanging in there for Chalmers. He wanted this
so badly. It was the third Olympics where he had Swami, he'd overcome a lot of challenges and he was just he really wanted it.
He was determined.
Yeah, he really felt for him. I watched it live and it wasn't remarkable second fifty meters from the Chinese swimmer. I hadn't seen, ever, seen a one hundred meter race in an Olympics final be decided by such a margin. But look there's Basil said. We don't know, we don't know anything, and I don't think it helps throwing around accusations. Kyle did an amazing swim himself, and good onying. Congratulations. Silver medal is a fantastic achievement, so I'll leave it at that.
No, absolutely, it is second best in the entire world. It's incredible. Australian politicians are reportedly being threatened more than ever before. The AFP says that there've been more than one thousand complaints of harassment, nuisance, offensive and threatening communications against MPs over the past next year. Bazzil, you're a
politician yourself. I don't know if you've experienced anything like this, but it is troubling and we have seen a lot of aggression and violence outside the offices of some labor politicians as well.
Yeah, it never had anything physically confronting. I've had the odd protester at council House. You'd expect that for any Lord mayor in any jurisdiction. But I must say online it does come thick and fast. I've potentially got a thicker skin than most I've had thirty years in the media. It's a very good preparation for what you might get in the political world. And I do feel well adjusted, so I sort of see it through a bit of
a different lens. But I must admit if I was a first time er, if I'd had no experience or exposure to it and was reading some of the things that can get sent my way in other politicians way, it can be very confronting. And that online world, that dark, anonymous world, that wed world where no one is really held accountable, that's where this danger and evil festers until such time as we're able to eradicate the anonymity aspect, that part of it. I think it will continue to exist.
When people have to own up and own their own actions, they often act very differently.
Yeah, I think that's right.
People feel free to say the most violent and vile things on social media. Matt Canavan, what about you? Have you had ever had issues with this? I presume you would have.
Well of Basil's right.
What Basil said is right. I mean physically, in my face, I've never had anything, never had any issues. But yes, that separation that exists online allows people to put their manners in the drawers or some people, it's only a minority of people. Look, I would not support imposing some kind of removal of anonymity online. I think sometimes it's important to get that feedback online too, and people are less likely to give honest feedback either if they're not anonymous.
We've also seen situations where people have lost jobs and been persecure for just political statements they've made online. So I think if we were to remove a nonanimity across the board, that would lead to perverse outcomes. But look, look, we're very lucky in this country. We haven't had a history of political violence along that stay that way, So I don't want to jump in shadows here. We do
have a very good security system in place. We have a good culture in this country, notwithstanding some people going too far online with their comments. So I, like Basil, I'm very worried about how it would discourage people getting into politics. But you do develop a thick skin very quickly and ultimately eurialize very fast. It's really only your family and friends that what they think about you that matters.
Everybody else doesn't matter at all, exactly.
I completely agree with that sentiment, Matt Canavan. Now The Australian's reporting that a new survey has found that nearly thirty percent of Australian companies say they have no intention of meeting net zero emissions targets by twenty fifty. Another
forty two percent say they haven't even begun decarbonizing their operations. Basil, Well, has this been a bit of an unrealistic target given we've just seen and New Zealand come out this week and say they're not going to meet their twenty thirty targets, Perhaps it's the start of other companies admitting the same.
Well, perhaps the targets weren't unrealistic, but the ability to actually achieve those targets, I think we're seeing more and more is increasingly unrealistic. The ambition has outweighed the practicality and obviously the expense of being able to get there, and ultimately, when there's a cost of living crisis on
in Australia and in many parts of the world. We know what is most important to families is being able to get through this crisis, to pay the bills, to get the kids to school, to look after the mortgage that has to and logically becomes priority one. And so it's no surprise to me that some of these ambitious targets are now a distant second, not only in family life,
but in corporate life also. We all want want what's best for our environment, but we want to get there sensibly, not unrealistically.
Matt Canavan final word, Well.
Look, you say that earlier that thirty percent of Austraian businesses so they can't meet the net zero targets by twenty fifty. I think that indicates that the other seventy percent of the strain businesses are telling polkies they're.
Not going to be met.
These targets are not going to be met. They're totally fantastical and the more we pursue them, the high costs of the higher cost of living goes for you.
All right, Matt Canavan, Basil Zemplars, great to see you again. Now after the break, our exclusive interview will be live with the Melbourne Jewish Man who was refused service at an office works because the staff member was pro Palestinian and they're outrageous response. That story coming up right after the break Welcome Back. A Jewish customer was refused service at officeworks because the manager was pro Palestinian. He wanted to laminate an article from the Australianish News, and the
manager at the Elstonwick Melbourne store refused. Have a look, what's that I'm pro Palestine.
That's okay here to do a job of laminade.
Yeah, we need to have the.
Right to deny jobs.
Is that an office works position or your personal position?
It is an officer, so we have the right to deny jobs.
So office works position is that you're pro Palestine and you want to.
Take a why that's my position?
But we have the right to deny jobs.
What's the reason of denying.
I'm not comfortably proceeding with it.
Which part are you? Not?
The entire thing?
The article?
It's anti Semitism, no question to refuse service to a Jewish person wanting to photocopy an article from the Jewish local paper. But what's most upsetting about this incident is not even the response from the ignorant and racist manager. Clearly she's been captured by the Prohamus movement. What's most
upsetting is office works response. The woman is still employed there, the man was only offered one hundred dollar gift voucher, hardly adequate for such an extreme example of racism, and the woman hasn't offered an apology, despite inaccurate claims by Officeworks.
Earlier today, in a.
Statement to Sky News, office Works Managing director Sarah Hunter said they were deeply disappointed that the incident occurred and confirmed that the customer's job should have been performed by the team member and that office Works does not discriminate against our customers on the basis of political views, religious beliefs, gender, sexuality or race. Office Works said that the team member
had undergone education and training and had visited the Holocaust Museum. Well, this is utterly unacceptable and until Officeworks takes this seriously and addresses it properly, that no one should shop there. It's not the only complaint about anti semitism by the way, at office Works either, and I'll bring you another one
on Monday. If Officeworks isn't going to take responsibility here, then we need to see some leadership from West Farmers it's one of Australia's largest listed companies and it also owns Kmart, Target, Bunnings, Price Line, Soul Patterns and Chemist, Catch dot Com, Dot a You, Beaumont Tiles and many more. The Office Works Managing director Sarah Hunter ironically told The Nightly just in May that hiring someone for their values
was more important than their skill set. She said this, and I quote it is so important to ensure that you are working with someone who is a cultural and values fit.
With your organization. She said.
If that means taking extra time in the recruitment process to find the recruit who aligns with the values of your business, it will pay off in the long run once you have found that the skills can be taught later. That was Sarah Hunter in May saying that the values of an employee were more important than the skill set that was in May. Office Works had been either ignoring or not adequately dealing with the complaint of anti semitism since March when the incident happened. Well, let's bring it
now for an exclusive interview. The Jewish customer. Welcome to the program. Now, I want to say you want to keep your identity private for understandable security concerns, but thank you so much for joining me tonight, Hi sharing. So tell us how did this all unfold?
So I went to office works to get a page laminated from the Australian Jewish News and I had given the office works employee of the article and she went away to do the job. About twenty seconds later she returned and she said she can't do it as she's pro Palestine. I had my phone in my hand and started recording and asked to repeat what she just said and why she wouldn't laminate the newspaper. And the rest is just what you would have seen on the video and very.
Quick thinking to film it.
What was your reaction when the manager first started to refuse you service.
I was very shocked, like very very very shocked. I couldn't believe what was happening. In the moment. I felt vilified, discriminated, and I also just felt embarrassed in front of others, the other staff members and the customers behind me.
Yeah, understandably.
So now this happened in March over four months ago, so for four months you've kept quiet about this, trying to get a proper response from office Works and also their owners West Farmers.
Can you tell us what's happened?
Yeah, So, as far as I understand, there's the process to follow. My legal team, Alex s. Flilmberg and Justin Azzarti and doctor Emon Kelly were writing to Office Works and there were some back and forth, but they were not properly engaging.
It's unbelievable.
So you're now taking legal action. They weren't properly engaging. You're now taking legal action by lodging a complaint with the Victorian Civil and Administration's Tribunal.
Is that right?
Yeah, that's correct. So even though they said they're taking this issue seriously, it's clear that they haven't. The anti semitic employee is still currently employed, which would make it seem that Office Works condone to behavior. It seems as though you know, you can be blatantly anti Semitic and still keep your job. I haven't got the whole claim in front of me, but we are swing it under the Equal Opportunities Act.
Suing under the Equal Opportunities Act.
Do you think it's appropriate that the woman who refused your service is still working for Office Works?
Absolutely?
Like I mentioned, I cannot understand how that would not meet the criteria for a for an immediate dismissal from her role. I even wonder if she's still acting as a department manager.
And how has this affected you personally, you know, and has it shaken your faith in Australia as a safe place to live for Jews.
Look, I'm extremely shaken. Even though it's been several months, I still vilified a target for anti Semitism, and it's it's just become a table conversation where you know of whether it's safe for Jews to just go about their normal lives doing normal things, even something as simple as you know, getting the newspaper laminated. And more so, especially since October seven, I think Jews have increasingly felt unsafe
in the diaspora. And now I find and myself asking my family is it a matter of when we are moving to Israel? But not if? And this really really saddens me, as this is not the beautiful Australia I grew up and that we all love.
Absolutely well, thank you so much for your time for speaking up here on this program. It's unacceptable what happened and for a managing director who speaks about values to think it's okay to have a racist employee.
It's just not good enough. So thank you very much for your time.
Thanks so much.
Lie.
All Right, we'll keep following up and covering that story next week. Now let's have a look now at Australia's housing crisis. It does continue to be a problem for so many families across the country, new dwelling approvals falling to their lowest level in twelve years.
For the year to.
June, there were only one hundred and sixty two thousand houses and apartments that were given the green light. This is a drop of eight and a half percent. It's just not enough to keep people off the street. Thousands of Australians are sleeping rough every night because of the demand in housing and services. Well, let's bring in now a shadow Minister for Housing, Michael Sucker.
Thank you very much for your time. Michael.
Look, before we get into housing, I just wonder if you want to comment on that interview that we just heard from that Jewish customer who was refused service at an office works in Melbourne, and their response that they think it's okay to keep that person employed.
Well, Sherry, thank you for giving that customer a voice. I think this is a shocking example of the sort of twisted logic and twisted thinking that has consumed so much, particularly of the left in this country, that someone couldn't see in that case, that worker at Office Works couldn't see how blatantly bigoted she was being. That that wasn't
something that was obvious to her. She clearly couldn't expel playing why she was unwilling to do the laminating of that particular paper, but it was just clearly a hatred of Israel and potentially of the Jewish people. I think it is depressing, though that swift action from Office Works isn't forthcoming. I mean, it's a clear cut case here.
I'm not someone who rejoices in seeing people lose their jobs or rejoice in people being canceled, but you're as a business putting people on the front line to deal with customers in a respectful way, and it's the most
blatant and worse form of anti Semitism. I think that you could imagine in that sort of instance, and the fact that the company couldn't see that that would be an obvious situation where that person was ill suited to dealing with the public and ill suited to dealing with quite frankly, any customer that walks through that door and asks for a lawful service, which is clearly what the customer you just spoke to did. So the truth is here, and you know, you don't want to draw too many
long bows. But we have not seen any leadership from the Prime minister down on this issue since October seven. It's bizarre to me that we have a situation in this country. We're large groups of people think it's entirely acceptable to show their anti Semitism towards Israel, the country who was attacked in the most brutal way by Hamas, And I would say part of that permission structure that I think has crept into our society, I think has partly come from the fact that there's so many mixed
messages from the Prime Minister in his government. No leadership on this. You could imagine a prime minister like John Howard, Robert Menzie's Bob Hawk. You could imagine that they would rise to the occasion. Here we've seen a prime minister that's not willing to offer that leadership. Instead, we said that leadership being offered by people like Peter Dutton, who you know has has obviously taken a very important trip
to Israel. So I think it's shocking that this thing hasn't been dealt with until it hits the headlines, and even then it hasn't been dealt.
With exactly exactly very well, said Michael, Completely agree with you. Let's return to the housing issue now that you've come on here to speak about Labour has committed to the target of building one point two million homes over five years. Do you think this is going to be yet another broken promise?
Well, I can't meet the target, Sharry. I mean it's clear this year alone there'll be about seventy five thousand homes short in one year. Most reputable commentators are saying they might be lucky to get to eight hundred and eight hundred and fifty thousand, which would be the smallest number of homes over a five year period that we've
seen for twenty five years. We saw approvals yesterday down again, and for your viewers, Shari, the problem with approvals being even further down is that if we're saying we're not building enough homes now and there are less homes being built under Labor now than we're under the former coalition, government. The lack of approvals we're seeing now is going to flow through the pipeline of housing over the next eighteen months to two years, which means even fewer homes will
be built over that period. And the great irony of this situation now is we've got the failed former minister Claire O'Neill, who was dumped from the Home Affairs portfolio into this portfolio, now facing up to so much of the mess that she created in her failed job as
Home Affairs Minister. Because in two short years of this government, we've had more than a million migrants come to this country, so we're running a world record gold medal level of migration in this country, yet we're building fewer homes and as I outlined a few weeks ago, it means we need to build a new home every two point four minutes just to house and accommodate the new migrants that
labour's bringing into this country. So sadly we now see a failed former minister being put into housing and quite frankly, I believe housing is one of, if not the most important portfolio in any government and it shouldn't be treated as a dumping ground for a failed minister. Who's really ordered with being demoted.
Yeah, and it's an interesting point that you make that she was immigrated, well, she was Home Affairs Minister, so she was in charge of bringing in the higher levels of immigration that is now adding to the problem she's going to have to solve in her new role as
Housing Minister. And we've also seen the reporting from Simon Benson in The Australian that the Albanezi government under their ten billion dollar housing fund has paid out thirty million dollars in executive salaries and bonuses, but as of June hadn't built it one completed house. So this is definitely going to be a problematic area and it's a crisis for families. Michael Suka really appreciate your time, Thank you
very much. Now still to come, Tony Burke left to clean up more of the mess by his predecessor Andrew Giles. Plus the photo that has broken the internet. Ask my panel what they think of Macron's cozy kiss with the French sports minister.
Stay tuned.
Well, lots more to get through tonight, so let's bring in our political panel, The Australian's National Affairs editor Joe Kelly and commentator Jason Morrison.
Great to see you both.
Now, the new Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has been left to clean up the debacle left by his predecessor Andrew Giles, with the news that two more foreign criminals have been allowed to stay in Australia. A convicted child sex offender and a man who was involved in a drug operation both escaped deportation under Direction one hundred and ten.
This was the ministerial.
Order which replaced the failed Direction ninety nine. Joe is Burke now under pressure to once again have a look at these directions and why they're not working to protect the community safety.
Sharry. He's under immediate pressure. Tony Burke's challenge upon taking this portfolio as to be a Minister of action and a man of solutions. It's very important that he assert his authority to do that after ten months of mismanagement under Andrew Giles. So I think he should move very quickly. I think that the first thing he should do is override this decision from the AAT in relation to these two individuals. As the minister, he does have the power
to do that. He should recancel the visas and then very swiftly I think he should overturn Direction one hundred and ten and replace it with a much stronger direction. If you look at Direction ninety nine and Direction one hundred and ten, there aren't major differences. Direction one hundred and ten still requires decision makers to have to take into account the connection between an individual and Australia. So that's Tony Burke's problem and I think he should fix it, should fix it fast.
Do you think, Jason this is an issue that the Albanezi government is still putting, As Joja said, an individual's connection with Australia, not their citizenship, their connection above the safety of Australians.
Connection of the individual above protection of the masses.
All right, what are we up to one hundred and eleven?
Now?
Direction one hundred and eleven look after the Australian people first.
That is the number one role of anyone in government.
And they will see and be able to talk themselves in their crowded rooms of advisors that they have these obligations to all these treaties and things like that. Their obligation is the people who put them there and pay for them and vote them in.
And I think that is forgotten.
And I read that article in the Australian and no criticism of the newspaper here, but every paragraph is full of gobblygook from the bureaucracy that essentially goes through and rationalizes that this is how they think of things in Canberra. Well outside of Canberra, in real Australia, people expect their governments to stand up for some protect citizens and that is simply not going on here.
So, mister Burke, you know one hundred and eleven.
Direction look after the Aussies first mate, simple as that.
Well, let's go now to Peter Dutton's comments about the ABC. He made them here on the program last night. He's a reminder of what he said.
I think the ABC needs to have a recheck. I think Kim Williams really needs to show some backbone and stand up to people like Laura Tingle and others who have hijacked the ABC. I mean, I think there's people who really have been quite amazed by some of the reporting, particularly the ABC, and that's been expressed to us by different people on this visit.
Joe, do you think this is a surprise move from Dutton? You know he's picking a fight, he says the new check Kim Williams needs to show some backbone. He's accused Laura Tingle of hijacking the ABC. Very strong comments from the opposition leader when you know he's going to need positive media coverage to get elected next.
Year doesn't surprise me at all, Sherry. Peter Dutton has shown, I think, a willingness to weigh into media debates, to single out members of the media for criticism when he thinks they deserve it. Not just Laura Tingle, He's identified other members of the press gallery as well. I think that is a bit of a departure from standard practice from the political class. But Peter Dutton's got a point
to make here about the ABC. The ABC has a responsibility to uphold its charter to provide balanced coverage and frankly, I think there have been a number of examples where the ABC is falling short, and I think it is critical to hold the public broadcaster, which takes in such a lot of taxpayers money, to account. So it doesn't surprise me. It doesn't surprise me in the least in that regard.
What do you think do you think this.
Is going to end up being a bit of a war between Dunton and or do you think more people should speak out about irresponsible journalism.
We see that yes, because the public's already voting where they're remote. In ABC News viewership has never been lower. ABC primetime viewership has never been lower. ABC radio ratings are tanking.
There's a problem. There's a message out there, Kim Williams, listen to it. Read what the public are saying.
Peter Dunton, Yeah, you know, he's understandably frustrated with the ABC's You'll never win.
You can give all the money in the world, they'll never be your friend.
It's just sort of the sick thing that people in liberal party think if you look after your enemies, they'll be your friends.
No, no, no, you're just emboldening your enemy.
And that is the best way to treat. Treat them with contempt while they treat you with contempt. It's the only way to deal with them. I don't know why this is a hard lesson to learn. I just struggled to learn it, and Kim Williams is going to struggle to learn it.
It seems like the chairs I only ever criticize the ABC before and after the job, and they take no action.
When they're actually there.
Frustrating them.
Well, let's finish on the photo that's breaken the internet. At least in France Ssident Emmanuel mccrun's intimate moment with his spots minister.
It's caused quite the stir.
With people noting just how close the French spots minister gets to his neck.
Joe, what's his explanation here?
Well, well, Sherry, sometimes photos very difficult to explain. But I think this goes to the power of an image in telling a story. And you know basically better than anyone how important an image can be sometimes when you are telling a story. Am I particularly bothered by this image? Not really, I mean I find it a little bit refreshing. I don't think he can draw any sort of wider
conclusions about what's going on. I mean, both politicians have been married for nearly twenty years to their respective partners. Could I imagine a similar thing happening between Anthony Albanezi and Anika Wells, Of course not. I don't think that would happen in Australia. But I think the real story is whether the Olympic Games and the French hosting of them are going according to plan. Given all the numerous criticisms that are made about the Olympic village and so on.
Yeah, and we have been covering those stories as well. They just missed.
I just think they just missed.
Coming out. But it is quite in a brace.
She's holding his neck and holding his neck on the one side and then kissing him. I mean, the French are touchy feely, but that does seem a bit close.
I think I think it was an accident, and I think it's the perfect case of two people who lined up for an embrace that was meant to be a peck and they missed.
I just I don't know.
I kind of want to give them both the benefit of the doubt, because it's not sort of the place you show the world the little secret that no one's meant to be knowing.
Unless we're all missing the secret here.
Who knows.
We'll learn one day, right, Joe Kelly, Jason Morrison, thank you both very much. Now still to come, we'll hear from the US as Trump tries to defend himself from yet another pie line. But perhaps this time he made the wrong remark statuned.
Welcome back.
Well, let's go over to the US now, where the former president Donald Trump was asked in front of a national Association of Black journalists whether.
Kamala Harris was a diversity higher. Here's what he said.
She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage.
I didn't know she was black.
Until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black, and now she wants to be known as black.
So I don't know is she Indian or is she black?
Well, let's bring you now the elections correspondent at the Federalist, Brianna Lyman. Thank you very much for your time.
He's technically wrong. There isn't he, Donald Trump.
Yeah, Kamala Harris is half Indian, half Jamaican. That being said, I think what Donald Trump was trying to allude to is the fact that Kamala Harris is trying to play up half of her heritage while ignoring the other half to appeal to obviously black voters, because that is a
voting block that Joe Biden was actually losing. You saw a lot of black voters who had really low enthusiasm rates with Joe Biden, and Biden and the Democrats were headed for a twenty sixteen repeat in which black voters in particular, were so disillusioned with Hillary Clinton that they chose the couch as a third option. Right, it wasn't Hillary Trump, it was the couch and Democrats risk that, so now they have to try to win back those voters. And I think that might have been what Donald Trump
was trying to convey. Whether or not he did that the best way, that's up for you know, everybody's own interpretation.
Yeah.
Look, it's been said that Kamala Harris brings out the worst in Donald Trump's instincts, that he often makes sexist comments about her, and I guess we're starting to see or not necessarily sexist, but inappropriate comments about her, and we're starting to see that. Do you think that proposition is right that the way he's responding to her isn't presenting him in the best lot.
Well, I would disagree a little bit. I would say that I have not heard Donald Trump say anything that was you know, sexist misogynists. Problem is is that in America, you know, there's not a ton of conservative outlets both on media, both on TV, in print, and so they're kind of crafting the narrative. They have been known to lie.
They're still lying or lying. Actually, as we speak right now, I've read a dozen articles in the past twenty four hours that really distorts what actually happened yesterday at the conference. When it comes to Kamala Harris, though, I think she does one thing. She agitates Donald Trump, and not for him to say anything that's sexist, misogynist, racist, but she gets him to speak. And if you notice a difference between the debate back in June to when Joe Biden
dropped out, Donald Trump was quiet. This is a man who was tempered, and we know Donald Trump, He's never this way, and it was working for him. People were actually saying, where's Donald Trump? Like, why is he giving us news to focus on? We have to actually focus on the Democrats. Kamala is different. Donald Trump is now kind of forced to go out on the defense because
Kamala is more active on the campaign trail. Kamala is taking hits at Donald Trump that Biden wasn't literally able to do because he was cognitively impaired.
And let's have a look at one of those hits. Here was Kamala Harris responding to what Trump had to say, and it was the.
Same old show.
The divisiveness and the disrespect, and let me just say, the American people deserve better.
The American people deserve better.
So, uh, Brianna, it's a different candidate, but the campaign strategy is the same, which is focus on Donald Trump the man, focus on his divisive character, focus on the chaos. And this is probably what we're going to see more of over the next few months from the Democrats.
Yeah, and again, I think it's important that when we frame this, you know, Donald Trump is actually not a divisive figure. If you ask the American mainstream media, he's divisive. But if you talk to the average American. I mean, I have Democrat friends fortunately sometimes who will literally say yeah, like, actually, the economy was better under Donald Trump. Hey, things were safe for under Donald Trump. I have friends who voted for Biden in twenty twenty that have changed the regis.
So Donald Trump isn't actually the divisive monster that Democrats and the media have portrayed him as. But that is their playbook. And the problem with that playbook is Joe Biden won in twenty twenty because his message was I'm not Donald Trump, vote for me, and that worked because people were you know, they were consuming mainstream media every day they felt like there was some really big problem.
But when you have four years of a Trump record versus four years of a Biden Harris record, and she owns every bit of that record just as much as Biden, people start to think, well, what made my pockets feel better? Who allowed me to put more food on the table, Who allowed me to pay my bills with ease? And that's the problem that Kamala Harris will have to overcome with independent voters.
Yeah, and inflation and cost of living of course, just a big issue in the US like it is for us here in Australia. Kamala is being criticized though for refusing to do any interviews with journalists. In the past, we've seen that journalists are able to easily pick.
Her answers apart.
She doesn't go well in those circumstances, but she can't avoid them forever, can she.
No.
But Kamala Harris has this really luxury or benefit right now, is that most candidates would have had months in the public eye before the election, right Joe Biden was technically chosen as the presumptive nominee back in what February. I think our primaries ended maybe March it was clear that he was going to be the nominee. Kamala Harris has what ninety seven days left compared to most candidates who have, you know, six to seven months, who have that intense scrutiny.
So she's going to skate by, you know, four months of solid interviews, of solid scrutiny of questions, and that's what she's going to use to her advantage. She has yet to sit down for a live, sit down interview. I'm curious as to when that will happen, and I think the fear from her handlers is that she has the same problem Biden does. She can read off a
teleprompter just fine. She can you know, chat with people for a minute or two here and there on the streets, but when it comes to answering questions, especially about her record, they don't really have a lot of answers to explain why things have gone so poorly.
It's interesting Donald Trump does expose himself to hostile interviews. We've seen that time and time again. The Black Association was one such hostile place. But Kamala will probably try to only do media interviews with friendly stations. That's what I think is most likely going to happen over the next few months to reduce the risk. Brianna Lyman, thank you very much for your time and thanks everyone at home for your company this week. I'll see you Monday at eight and up now, Paul Murray