Live on Sky News.
This is Sharry.
Thanks Andrew, good evening, Welcome to the show. First tonight, to an exclusive report, Prime Minister Anthony Alberzi personally announced that his government was spending one hundred million dollars to upgrade the road that you guessed it leads right to his new four million dollar house. I can reveal that in June this year alban Easy personally spoke about a Voker Drive undergoing a major upgrade. Have a look.
The minister might want to respond there, but a Voker Drive one of the times I was here. I know that the surveying work has all been done, and I know that this is a real choke point. So it's very important and that's why we've provided funding to make sure that it happened.
The planning work is still being finalized for a Voca Drive, but it's set to start middle next year. We're working with the new South Wales government, who obviously the delivery partners for the project, to deliver that. We provided additional money in the last budget. One hundred and thirty million dollars has now been allocated for this project.
As you just heard the Infrastructure Minister Catherine King saying one hundred and thirty million dollars was being spent on the road and that work would start the middle of next year. Now one hundred million dollars of that is federal funding and thirty million from the state government. Mister Albanezi initially committed thirty million during the federal election campaign and then another seventy million in January last year. Now, this is a road that alban Easy will need to
drive on to get to his new waterfront mansion. And you can see that on this map. A Voker Drive turns into Empire Bay Drive, that into Cullins Road, you make a right turn at Cape three Points Road and then you reach his new digs on del Monte Place. The proximity to the property is pretty clear. Now, Albanizi probably knew that he wanted to buy a place in the area. He said yesterday that he chose Copa Cabana because his future wife is a coasty.
Jodie's a coasty, She's a proud coasty.
So did Albanezy know he was going to buy in the area before he announced the one hundred millions of dollars in taxpayer funds? And is this something that he should have disclosed if it was already on the hunt for properties when he spoke about that funding in June this year. Well, these are questions for the Prime Minister to answer. It is a matter of public record that he's committed one hundred million dollars to a road that he'll need to drive on to reach his new cliff
top mansion. A spokeswoman said the funding was complet completely unrelated to the house purchase. She said that the Albanese government has delivered record road infrastructure funding to ensure Australians everywhere have better roads to drive on. Well, in the past two days, we've seen that labor and peas are shocked at Albanese's poor political judgment. His decision to splurge over four million dollars on a waterfront mansion that won't even be his main residence is being called one of
the dumbest political decisions he's made. The Australian's Political editor, Dennis Shanahan says that it's up there with Scott Morrison's Hawaii holiday and Tony Abbott's decision tonight Prince Philip. He writes that no matter what Albanese says to justify the purchase, it's a bad political look that makes him appear out of touch with people renting and trying to buy their own home. He says. It also raises the immediate thought that it's a time at parachute for after the election.
We spoke about that here on the show last night. Labor and Peas were left to have to try defend the prime ministers out of touch property splurge today.
I don't go and talk to the Prime Minister about, you know what, my finances. He doesn't come and talk to me about his, nor should he. If he had, I would have said, mate, you do what you think is necessary for your family with respect. He's a prime minister. He's also an Australian citizen.
He wouldn't be a the verse politician or indeed person in Australia to buy and sell property.
Yron.
Yes, he grew up poor in council housing.
As he said, he's been on a good wicket.
He's devoted his life to public service. He's been frugal, and he's in a new relationship and has bought a house with his fiance.
It's a topic they just don't want to be speaking about, and Coalition figures today called it out of touch?
Is the Prime Minister out of touch?
I've been saying he's out of touch for a long time. Just think that the timing and the tone of this one, it has been a little bit tone deaf.
The homeowner is in Australia that I'm worried about it at the moment of people who can't afford their mortgages.
But the Opposition doesn't need to attack this. It's obvious to anyone that it's tone deaf, insensitive and out of touch. It's a slap in the face to ordinary Australians who can't afford to buy a home or meet their mortgage repayments. How can the Prime Minister stand up there and tell Australians that he understands what they're going through when he's
buying a cliff top mansion. Now I've confirmed that he did take time out from running the country to go and do an inspection of this home before he bought it, so he was off house hunting while Australians were struggling to pay their bills, meet their mortgage repayments after thirteen interest rate rises. But there's also shows that he just doesn't care enough about winning the next election, and he doesn't care enough about his MPs in marginal seats where
housing affordability is unquestionably the top political issue. One can only assume that he's become swept up in the entitlement. He travels in a private plane that he jokingly refers to as Toto one, after his dog. He's got a chauffeur, a cook, free travel, and hotels. He's become so used to the life of luxury that perhaps he can't understand why his own MPs are stunned that he's bought a waterfront home during an economic crisis just months out from
polling day. Now, Michael Kroger and Graham Richardson are going to be on the show in just a moment to talk some more about that. But let's get the latest now. On the Middle East, the United States has sent a threatening ultimatum to Israel demanding it increase humanitarian aid to Gaza within the next thirty days of face weapons cuts.
The letter, written by US Secretary of State Anthony Blincoln and also Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, has warned Israeli ministers I'm going to quote it here that failure to demonstrate a sustained commitment to implementing and maintaining these measures may have implications for US policy. So this is a very threatening letter from the United States, and it's been sent just weeks before the presidential election. But the United States knows all too well that Israel has been sending enormous
supplies of both food and aid into Gaza. The problems on the other side. It's up to the humanitarian organizations in Gaza to distribute it, and they're clearly not doing that properly. And in some cases we know that Hamas is looting the goods and then reselling them at inflated prices. But let's have a look now at the actual facts. Let's take yesterday, October the fifteenth, well A, one hundred and
four trucks carrying humanitarian goods were transferred into Gaza. Seventy six via the Kerem Shalom crossing and twenty eight by the Ers crossing, so one hundred and four a trucks, but only twelve of the seventy six were collected from
the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom. Every day there are up to thirty tons of aid going into Gaza, and these figures are published daily, but there are currently five hundred and thirty trucks worth of AID sitting in Gaza waiting for collection, five hundred and thirty trucks sitting abandoned now. Also yesterday there were six gas tankers for the operation
of essential infrastructure that entered Gaza. There was also the second round of pole vaccination for children that began just yesterday across Gaza, and on top of this, seventy six, three hundred and ninety four children received vitamin A. There are also twelve bakeries currently operating in Gaza, four in the north and eight in the south. Now Kogat, that's the Israeli body that distributes AID in Gaza. It has thoroughly rejected the notion that they're impeding the aid, the
entry of any aid at all. They say Israel has not halted the entry or coordination of humanitarian aid. Elon Levy, who was on this show last night, he made the point today on social media that the best way to ensure the uninterrupted supply of humanitarian aid into Gaza is to remove from power the terrorist regime that is hijacking that aid, siphoning some for itself and selling the rest at extortion prices. Now, of course the Democrats know that
this is what's happening. They know that Israel is letting aid in and tons of it, literally tons. This is all about politics as the election gets closer and Kamala Harris is worried she'll lose Nancy Pelosi. Also, this isn't accidental, this is by design. Nancy Pelosi came out overnight slamming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Not withnawho.
No, I don't think he's ever believed in peace or to state solution.
That's very, very disappointed. Well, given Nancy Pelosi played a prominent role in overthrowing Joe Biden, she probably now thinks she can end Nettiyaho's Prime ministership as well. Well. Pelosi needs to be reminded that Israel is a democracy. Up to the Israelis to decide who their leader is, not some out of touch left leading Democrat living a world
away from daily rocket fire. And perhaps Pelosi should spend more time calling for the overthrow of terrorist regimes that are raping, mutilating, and murdering thousands of people, including American citizens. Those are the ones who do not believe in peace, not Israel, but that would be asking too much from yet another fraudulent feminist. Now I've got another big show tonight. Former IDF combat commander Jonathan Conrichis will join me live
from Israel. Shorty plus James Patterson, Michael Schubridge. That's all coming up, but first let's bring in now former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger and former labor minister Graham Richardson. Welcome, gentleman, Michael. I want to start with youraw reaction to my revelations tonight on the show that the Albanezy government has announced one hundred million dollars in taxpayer funds for the Evoker drive upgrade a road that Albanezy has to drive on
to get to his house. Now coincidental of cost, but it's not a good look.
Yeah, it's a shocking look.
If you thought yesterday was terrible, today is even worse, given what you've said. Coincidental, yes, of course, But to spend one hundred million dollars of federal funds, which is going to probably increase property values in the area, which is what happens when these major upgrades take place, et cetera.
Center it's a terrible look. Look, Sharry.
This guy was elected to parliament when John Howard was elected Prime Minister twenty eight years ago. On the second of March next year, Albo will have been in Parliament twenty nine years and he's going to try and convince the electorate later that month or in April or May that he wants to stay for another four years. That would be thirty three years in parliament. People are not going to buy that. This guy looks as if he's moved to retirement. He's getting married again, he's buying a
house on the beach up in the north. He's run out of path. He looks like someone is exhausted. He doesn't look like he's inspired or ready to go for another five years as Prime Minister or leader of the Labor Party. The stuffing was knocked out of him from the voice onwards. He's never recovered and he just seems to be going through the motions and he looks as if to me and I'm sure everyone out there, this guy just looks as he's headed towards retirement.
Yeah, definitely got one eye on it. To spend your time house hunting when you're in the middle of a cost of living crisis, a housing affordability crisis, Richoe, what was he thinking?
That's a good question.
I think the timing is, shall we say, somewhat ill considered. Obviously he's been in the job a long time. Politicians are relatively well paid, so imagine if you go to the bank manager, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to raise the money. But that having been said, it's how it all looks, and at the moment, you know, with so many people battling to get a house at all, it's not a good look. It wasn't politically clever.
Rich I've got to ask you, what are some of the labor insiders saying to you.
I think there's a little bit of disappointment in his judgment. That's what's been conveyed to me. But you know, in each defense, I've got to say, you've got.
To be able to buy your house.
That's one of the fundamental things that Australians have always talked about is the right to home ownership.
Well, he's got a couple of homes already. We're talking about a beach house here in a cost of living and housing affordability crisis. So I don't know if you Australian dreamans you've got to be able to have a third and fourth property and one on the beach.
Yeah, I know, but we're talking about a beach house to which he's going to retire. I mean, we're not talking about something he's going to be having on the market to rent for the next thirty years. He's going to retire in it in the next couple of years and live in it forever.
So Michael, But Michael, I mean, is this the message that he should be setting to Australians, that is preparing to retire when he's meant to be focused all of his energy on the multiple scandals that he's unleashed on our country.
No, Look, it's a terrible message. I mean, look, the one thing a politian has to do is say I'm going to serve out the full term. I'm definitely going to twenty twenty nine. It's what he'll have to tell people. I've got no intention of doing any other than being there. If you give the electorate any sense at all that you might retire midterm after the twenty five election, you might retire in twenty six to twenty seven, so you're not there for the long term. You will get trounced
at the polls. The elector will not vote for a politician who is who is basically announced their retirement. Oh but could you reelect me pleased for another few years whilst I workout who should be most successful.
Or to enjoy the job whatever, No, there's no way.
The electorate always want a politician who is going to work one hundred hours a week on their behalf for them and for the country. If you give any impression all that you're on the way out the door, you'll get flogged. And this is just such a shocking look. He looks as if he's He looks as if he's headed for the door, and everyone can see that.
Everyone knows he is headed for the door.
That's why Charmers and Burke and all these other people are sniffing around.
It's a terrible look.
No, one hundred percent. Well, let's turn to someone else who is about to get chanced in the polls, and that's Premier Stephen Miles in Queensland, ten days now away from losing office. If the career mail poll is anything to go by, the primary vote has the L and P ahead by eighteen percent. And this comes as the leaders faced off in another fiery debate.
He can't tell Queensland how he is funding is more than seventeen billion dollars of election commitments.
We are in a youth crime crisis, we are in a health crisis, and the fact the government won't say those words tells you they will never be able to fix it.
Rich O, Queensland has clearly seem ready for a change. Do you think this sentiment might also impact federally as well?
No, I don't think so. It's I think that we've seen so many times that people do think separately in those two instances, but certainly in the Queensland election, things are looking more than grim for labor.
Michael. Do you think this will be a wipeout in Queensland?
Yeah?
I do.
I mean, you know, in defense of per Old Stephen, they are going for fourth term and as they keep saying, fourth terms are almost impossible to win. Because the Electric thinks, well, if if it's so necessary to reelect you, because you've got those great ideas, why did you implement them before?
I mean, the implement the fifty cent transport feares, before the free lunches at schools before, No, the Electric things lease are just destinate measures so you can get another four years premiere if they were such good ideas you've had, you've had since twenty fifteen to Wilming with them. So he looks as if he's headed for eight percent plus swing against him. I think christophully On he needs five in a mid eleven or twelve seats. So Miles is
going to get flogged. He's trying his best, but he's just he looks desperate and he's going to be headed for the door on Saturday week.
Yeah, indeed, And well I'll be watching of course. Now. Foreign Minister Pennywong has been pandering for some time now to the pro Palestinian crowd. Well she got to see some of them up close today at the University of Tasmania. She was trying to deliver a speech. She just couldn't get through it. Here's what happened.
This is a very distressing Well, I don't actually believe, and I've never believed that we gain any thing by shouting each other down.
Right now, leading.
Twenty twenty four is on track to be even worse. She eventually just got fed up and she left the stage. She tried to lecture them she tried to tell them to listen to what she had to say. Rich, Oh, this is the crowd she's been poundering to.
Yeah, well that's not much of a crowd that's worth poundering too. At any point, I think, you know mugs or trumps sometimes, and that's what you saw, then.
Yeah, Michael, I mean, unless she comes out and actually says that she doesn't support Israel's right to exist, she's she's not going to win with that group. And yet they keep trying to. They keep going further and further to the left, more and more extreme, to try and win them over.
The noisiest vessels of the hard left and the hard right. And she's been pandering to the hard left for all the reasons we know, trying to stop the Greens winning seats, et cetera, et cetera. She's been panted to them. But you can never be extreme enough for these people. So I thought when I first saw that, oh, these will be you know, pro Jewish demonstrators angry with the treatment of Jews on campuses, for example.
Then I thought, oh, no, it's the it's.
People from her left, I mean, to be left of Penny Wong on the Middle East, is some damn achievement, to be honest, let's you know, that's some achievement. So you know, you can't panter these extremists. Their whole motus operande is to intimidate. They're trying to intimidate Wong. They certainly intimidate Albanez. You know a lot of people in the labor government. You have to stand up to thugs
and bullies and Jewish hating racists in this country. You've got to stand up for them with honor and integrity and courage. And although you'd expect them to say this, that's what Peter Dutton has done, it's what James Patterson's done, and it's what Simon Birming has done.
Yep. You know what, Michael, We have been broadcasting on the show just how unsafe it is for Jewish students to turn up to universities like A and U and Canberra, like University of Sydney. They can't actually get through classes lectures sometimes because of protests and activity like that. The federal government has been basically silent on it. And then Penny One got a taste of it today. I wonder if she regrets failing to stand up for the Jewish
students exactly. Well, let's have a look at where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are up to now. The latest polls have the election results so tight that Greg Sheridan wrote today that Democrats will spring both an October surprise and an election Day surprise in desperate last minute efforts to keep Trump out of office. Rich O, the polls that I've seen over the past day or so have Trump just ever so slightly ahead, zero point four percent
ahead in those seven battle ground state. But we know that in the past elections his support has been underestimated. So where do you think this has had it?
Well, I've got to say I'm a little worried. I wasn't so worried six weeks ago. But the closer it gets to the day, the better Trump's doing, There's no doubt about that. The question then becomes how many people go out to vote for it, because that's what it's all about in America is getting your team out onto the paddock. And I'm not sure that you know you can always guarantee that because you look okay in the polls, your team's coming out. And so, as far as I'm concerned,
it still looks like a knife edge. But I'm certainly not giving Harris any edge over Trump, which I would have been doing a few weeks back.
Just to be clear for any shadow of doubt, Rich, I strongly supporting Kamala Harris Kroger. How do you see this? Just you know, two and a half weeks or so out from polling day.
So I think there's a sixty five percent likelihood And now that Trump will win. He looks like the winner in Arizona. He looks like the winner in North Carolina.
He looks like the.
Winner in Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. She was well ahead and now she's only mildly head or the lioneball. She was ahead in Pennsylvania, now he's ahead. It's just it's all eyes on Pennsylvania, sar As. I'm concerned if he wins that he'll win the election. It looks as if he's going to win that The worst thing that's happened to her is there's a drift away from her. The momentum is slowly drifting away from her with not long ago, and it's going to be very hard for her to
get that back. I think what's happened is this It's taken months and months and months, but eventually the electorate in America have worked out that she's not a serious enough person to be president of the United States in a world crisis and an economic crisis. For all these terrible faults, they feel safe with Donald Trump and she just doesn't seem to have the worth wherewithal to be president.
Some of the answers she's given to questions seriously about inflation, et said that we've all seen totally unqualified to be president of the United States.
Yeah, at the moment, she's her own worst enemy. If she can't handle media interviews, voters are saying, well, how can you be president of the United States? All right? Michael Kroger Grae and Richardson, thank you both very much. Now let's turn to deeply concerning comments by a Sydney barrister, as in a lawyer, a barrister who celebrated Hasbela leader Hassa Israla for being on the right side of history
and a hero of the Arabs. This exclusive story in The Australian says that barrister Mamudmando said that Hesbela was created by the Israeli aggression and occupation of Lebanon shutout home. A fairs minister James Patterson joins me. Now, James, great to see you again. Do you think the New South Wales Bar Association needs to investigate these comments and whether this barrister is a person of certain standing to be able to continue to operate as a barrister.
Good evening, Shari.
These are extraordinary comments for any Australian to make, glorifying a dead terrorist leader and a terrorist organization, but they are particularly alarming from an officer of the court and a barrister. And yes, the New Sepals Bar should be investigating whether this is consistent with their guidelines and rules.
I'm not privy to what they are, but I'd also encourage mister Mando, given that he is a barrister, to go to his office to take out a copy of the Commonwealth Criminal Code and to read it, because if he does so, he'll find that supporting a list of terrorist organization is a very serious crime with very serious penalties.
That praising or glorifying a terrorist organization in a way that could incite others to order terrorist organization or commit an active terrorism is also a serious crime, and he should reflect on whether it's a good idea for a lawyer of anyone compared to anyone in the community to run close to breaking that law or close to that line. I think it's very ill advised behavior and you should reflect on that.
But you can see why people feel comfortable to come out and say this in media interviews because there's barely been any action taken by law enforcement, even though, as you say, it is illegal to support a listed prescribed terror regime in this country. Now we see stories both in The Australian and the finn Review today that Jewish Australians are defying the new Albanesi government warnings to leave Israel while they still can and to not visit Israel.
We're seeing that people are saying, or Jews are saying, they feel safer in Israel because of the horrific anti Semitism that we're seeing in Australia. And so we have seen the Australian government has upgraded its advice. They're now saying do not travel to Israel, and to any Australians
there that they should come home. Now, James, from my perspective, there is no question it is physically safer here in Australia and having just been in Israel last week, having to listen out for sirens that warn of incoming missiles and then have to get down on the ground. I mean,
it just is. It's alarming. The Iron Dome does intercept most, but not all, of the rockets, and then, of course, even if they do intercept the rockets, there's the danger of falling shrapnel, which does injure Israeli's But then when it comes to as a Jewish person expressing your identity, showing your identity with a mug and David or other jewelry or clothing, there's no doubt it's safer in Israel
than Australia. So I want to ask whether this concerns you that the level of anti Semitism we're seeing in Australia that's been allowed to take hold is so bad that we're seeing a group of peop people now feel safer in a war zone than here.
So it's deeply distressing to read stories like this. And I've also heard stories firsthand from members of the Australian Jewish community in Melbourne and Sydney that they are contemplating moving to Israel because they do believe they'll feel safer there, and that's an absolutely remarkable thing to say when you think about it. Israel's under attack right now from three terrorist organizations and a very menacing regime and the Iranian state, and so that people would feel safer there than in
Melbourne and Sydney. In Australia, it is a travesty and actually, frankly a stain on our great country. It's something that we have to fix and it can only be fixed with two things.
The first is.
Political and moral leadership from the very top, from the Prime Minister, saying that we'll never tolerate this anti Semitism, that Jews are welcome in Australia, that they're part of our country, that they enrich our country. And the second is fixing this law enforcement crisis that you were talking about before and actually making sure the laws that on the books are enforced and extremism and extremists feel the consequences of their behavior, because until that happens, they will
continue to be emboldened. And Jews who have lived here all their lives, who've come here and fled the Holocaust, who have been here and can trace their descendants back to the first fleet can feel safe again in our country.
Yeah, it is a really sad state of affairs. And by the way, because I spoke about this in an article in the Sunday Telegraph and then I posted the article on x or Twitter, and the comments under it people just say leave, go to Israel, get out, We don't want you here. So the anti Semitism is there in black and white. It's astonishing. And I don't think any of them were ABC employees, by the way, but you never know. Now Kevin Rudd has caused a stowe. He's got a new book on She as in shi Jingping.
This is a revamp of his old thesis in which he argued that the world will be most danger under She's leadership. Now, James, I want to see if you agree with this, because he says that if China is successful in invading or reunifying with Taiwan, then this will see a period of US decline. So if his assessment is right, do you think this therefore means that America
should intervene to stop China from invading Taiwan. And we've just seen in the past couple of days those really aggressive war games that one hundred and twenty five military aircraft from the PLA and also the naval vessels encircling Taiwan.
Sharrey.
I think I'm going to be first to line up at the bookshop to buy Kevin's book because based on the excerpts that I have read, there's a lot that I agree with. In fact, it sounds an awful lot like the kind of things that people like me and Andrew Hasty have been saying since about twenty seventeen, in fact, the kind of things that Kevin Rudd used to criticize Andrew Hasty and I and others for saying. So it's
a welcome change of heart from Kevin. Based on what I understand his argument is, I think there's a lot to agree with. There's probably two things that I disagree with. One. I think he over emphasizes the extent to which Hijinping represents change rather than continuity in the Chinese Communist Party. I think the most persuasive evidence is from people like Rush Doshi, whose book The Long Game really sets out that nothing has fundamentally changed about the trajectory of the
Chinese Communist Party under Schujing Ping. He might have just accelerated it and the second is he makes a remarkable argument that once Shijingping leaves the stage, China will return to more moderate leadership under the Chinese Communist Party. I don't share that confidence at all, particularly because basically every analyst got Hijing Ping wrong. They said that he would be a moderating influence, and he certainly hasn't been that. So I don't think we can rest on our laurels
and assume that that's not the case. To your early question, I think what it commands of us is to be as strong as possible and to work as closely as possible with our allies to deter Shujing Ping and the Chinese Communist Party from doing something incredibly reckless like invading Taiwan.
M I think the comment that Joe Kelly made because he was the journalist who interviewed Kevin Right about his book. He said that Penniwang and albanize he should read this book because it's a wake up call. There seems to be this complacency Australia at the moment towards the communist regime in China. But I agree with you, and not only do we not know who she's successor will be, so therefore we don't know whether they will be more
authoritarian or worse for the world. But also there's the fact that she has eliminated many of his rivals, so you know, anyone more moderate. We just don't know what's where they are, what's happened to them? Will there have been many mysterious disappearances. All right, James Patterson, really appreciate your time. Thank you. Now, after the break, what will
Israel do with three captured Hezbla terrorists? A former IDF combat commander Jonathan conworkers will join me on the show, and later Kamala Harris takes Aimurt Donald Trump's dancing more on where this election is headed. Welcome back, and let's bring in now former combat commander and retired lieutenant colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces, Jonathan Conracates. Jonathan, thank you very much for your time. Look, I want to start
with this letter from the United States. What's your response to the accusations from the US that Israel isn't sending enough humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Yes, good day, and thank you for having me.
It's a very serious deterioration, I would say in the relationship between the US and Israel.
I would say that, on one hand.
There is important information in it, and I think that Israel would be wise to improve and enhance the humanitarian operations full stop. And on the other hand, I would say that it is regrettable that this is the first important letter that the US government sends to Israel. As Israel is fighting on three active fronts on the ground and seven total fronts. It's a very delicate situation because Israel is very, very dependent on US support diplomatic and military.
So bottom line, I think Israel has little choice but to make serious, enhanced, more efforts that beyond what Israel is already doing, in order to improve first and foremost the situation on the ground and then very importantly, the appearances of the situation on the ground. It's a difficult task because what Israel hasn't communicated well enough is that the problem isn't the amount of trucks that are delivered
to the Gaza Strip. It is the final stage of distribution in the Gaza Strip, and that's where the big challenge is because that is where most of the aid either is stuck in you and warehouses or is looted and stolen on the way by local gangs or by rama's operatives, and at the end of the day, suffering Palestinians they don't many times get the aid that they need because of disruptions by Hamas.
And Israel hasn't communicated.
This well enough, and I think that the letter will urge Israel to do so.
So I went through some of the figures at the start of my program, up to thirty tons of aid going into Gaza every day. As you say, there's a distribution problem from both the humanitarian groups inside Gaza, but also the issue of Hamas stealing the aid and then often reselling it at inflated prices. But Jonathan, while Israel hasn't communicated this well enough, as you say, to the public, the US must surely know this.
Yes, But of course there's an election cycle getting close to the final lap in the US, and I think that the letter is part of that. It's part of an effort by the administration to show to various constituencies in the US that the administration is tough on Israel and holding Israel accountable.
I think the elections.
I'm not sure that the letter would have been sent had it not been election cycle. So I take that into account, but you know, addressing it seriously. There is more to do, and I think that it is within
in Israel's interest to do more. But the challenge here is that the real combat environment in northern Gaza specifically, but also in the southern part is very very challenging and frankly, you know, to really supply all of the goods to the final distribution inside Gaza, that means that the IDF would have to safeguard the convoys itself in order to make sure that they get to the final user.
And to be frank the IDEF doesn't have that amount of personnel, and the IDEF has to rely on Israel, has to rely on other institutions to do it, you and and other humanitarian organizations, and they are reporting that they are afraid to do so because of what Hamas is doing and other law lesson gangs inside Gaza.
So it's a complex situation.
There is suffering and I think we recognize that and is what is doing a lot of efforts, but not communicating it well enough yet.
Yeah, just finally, Jonathan, what's your response to this demand from French President Emmanuel Macron. We see he keeps lecturing Israel. He's now demanding a ceasefire. What's your response to this?
Very very unfortunate, very disappointing, I would say, and you know, I'm a student of military history. It rings familiar from the Second World War and before that, siding with the wrong side, not with the democracy, but with the aggressor. And it rings familiar in Jewish years. It rings familiar of dark times in French and global history. I think it's very unfortunate, and I think that any democracy in the world should have its priorities straight and understand which
side of history they stand on. You're either on Israel's side, a democracy and imperfect democracy fighting for its survival against the forces of darkness in the Middle East, or you're with the forces of darkness. You can't have it both.
And when you support Israel, which is what democracies should be doing, in my humble opinion, that shouldn't be caviated, and it shouldn't be with pressure on Israel, but it should be strong and proud support, even if it isn't convenient from domestic political purposes.
Yeah, and that's what we're seeing across the board, including as you say, in the US, because there are high Muslim populations in some of those battleground states that the Democrats are desperate to win. Jonathan Connacist, thank you very much for joining me tonight live from Israel. Now plenty more to come on the show. New data exposes the financial pain Australians are feeling, all while the PM bats
off claims that he's out of touch. My panel will talk about that next plus with the US Poll's Neck and Neck. Kamala Harris takes a sweat at Trump after his music fest. Stay tuned, welcome back. Well, let's bring in now for our political panel, Julia Gillard's former Press secretary Darren Barnett and National MP Keith Pitt. Welcome to
you both. Darren. I want to ask your view, as a former Labor Press secretary, how can the Prime Minister buy a beach house just months out from the federal election being caught?
I think also part of it is the price tag. Part of it is the scenario that most families are facing at the moment where times are difficult, the cost of living has gone through the roof, the idea that someone has a little bit extra to have an investment property, where most people are struggling to pay rent or meet their mortgage. I think he should have just waited until after the election, after his marriage, whatever the case may be.
But the timing, it's not so much necessarily the even though that has some questions, but the timing is really surprising.
Yeah, Keith, what do you think. I think Australians want to get the sense that their leader understands what they're going through, showing it with.
A different view. I think to strike a genius.
He's in the position to watch where Jim Chalmers has parked the Australian economy right on the edge of a clifford about to fall into this. So I've heard all the talk about retirement and everything else. And if the Australian people decide they want to retire the Prime Minister, they've got an opportunity between now and the end of May and that they can make a choice. But I'm not going to buy into the PM's personal circumstances that
that's up to him. And I've also got this very unique view that I want people in the Parliament who can actually manage to hold alone pay their bills, run a business. I don't think it's actually in the nation's interest to have politicians who are basically can't scratch two cents together. I've never done anything terribly constructive, and in fact, we've all got to be poor. So I just this
is a tough one, Shari. But let's be frank. He's purchased something with a new partner, and good luck to them, Darren.
Look my only I agree that it's great that the prime minister is able to buy a home and all the rest of it. But the prime ministerial job is a unique job. That's why at the start of the campaign they ask you, how much is a leader of milk a loaf of bread if you go to the service station and buy forty leaders of petrol. They want to know that. People want to know that you have your finger on the pulse of what it's like to be one of them.
That's the problem, one hundred percent well said, and I haven't heard anyone else make that point, and it's a really good one. Now let's have a look at Donald Trump. He was at a rally near Philadelphia. It took quite a bizarre turn. The former president ended up spending i'm told, forty minutes dancing after two audience members had a medical episode have a look.
You'll play ymcre go ahead, Let's go nation laud.
And then Kamala Harris seemed to comment on this. She posted, I hope he's okay on social media. That to me looks like a pretty fun rally, though, Keith, I mean maybe they were just going through his own Spotify Spotify playlist.
In terms of the playlist, Sharon, there's only one out of two that it'd be on mine.
It's not my MCI.
But you know, it's a bit of fun.
And Trump's obviously confident and he's in character, and at these rallies, you know, there's a lot of energy and it's good to be upbeat. And I think Kabala Harris, the longer this campaign runs, the more.
Concerned their camp will be.
I think Trump's starting to get his nose in front. But regardless of all of that, it's up to the American people and what's wrong with a bit of fun in politics?
Shary, No, exactly. I think more politics should dance on stage. I'd be tuning in for sure. But Darren, I think you know what Keith says is right. The more that people see Kamala Harris, they're concerned that there's not enough substance there. Donald Trump's doing multiple interviews every day, She's struggling with basic answers, and she hasn't at any point faced proper interrogation.
In the end, as Keith says, the American people will decide. I don't think she's done a bad job. I think, considering where Biden was that that's the fact that we are even talking about a possible Democratic win that Harris has done a terrific job. So whether that momentum can last to the finish line, I don't know, but I think she's resurrected what was an incredibly flagging.
Campaign, and that is one hundred percent thur. It would be very different situation the polls if Joe Biden was still there, they would have no hope. Yeah, Darren Barnett to Keith Fitt, thank you both very much. Now after the break, how Labor is trying to mix First Nations approaches to foreign policy, plus China's wanting to Canberra after it condemned its wargames in Taiwan. Michael Schubridge will join me next. All right, let's bring in now Strategic Analysis
Australia Director Michael Schubridge. Michael, great to see you again. Look, I want to ask you about the front page of the Daily Telegraph today. They revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs has hired a firm to touch base with indigenous stakeholders in order to devise a strategy that would embed First nations approachs to foreign policy. So having first nation's indigenous approaches to foreign policy, Michael, how is this relevant?
Well, Sherry, I think it shows you Foreign Affairs as the Department doesn't know, which is why they're no doubt paying this company a whole lot of money to try and tell them what it means. But the idea of embedding First Nations perspectives in the heart of Australian foreign policy is a bit nonsensical. Australian foreign policy has to be about a national security, our national interests and our values, and frankly, First nations issues, while important, are just a
tiny little subset. So this is a tail wagging the dog problem.
We're also hearing that members of the communist regime in China are sending rebukes to Australia after the Albanesi government quite rightly condemned China's large scale military exercises around Taiwan. Is this more bullying that we're starting to see from China. At the slightest pushback from the Albanese government.
Absolutely, I think it's preventative pushback, so in case mister Albanezi thinks he might do something. Now hearing this retired colonel from the PLA must have been licensed by the Communist Party leadership to speak say things like why would Australia threaten China? Why would China threaten Australia. There's no reason, but we can now easily reach Australia with our military capabilities. Well,
that is simply threatening language. That's the kind of behavior we're seeing from China, even with this stabilized lovely lobster relationship.
Look the Iran strikes in Israel, those two hundred ballistic missiles that really shook the nation. That was about two weeks ago. Now we're still yet to see Israel's retaliation. We're expecting it any day in the next week. They've had to coordinate with the United States. That Nettaniahu's phone call with Joe Biden was just a few hours after I met with him in his office. What are you expecting to see from these strikes from Israel against Iran.
Do you think it could be on the nuclear sites or the oil sites, or do you think it might be a military target?
Surey, I think it's going to be focused on military targets, maybe some of their command and control and some of their missile capabilities. I wouldn't be surprised if something like that guesthouse where the Hezbola chief was staying in the heart of Tehran gets a further dose of medicine, because this is about Israel demonstrating Iran is defenseless to Israeli power.
Well, we did see that those ballistic missiles that came in from Tehran were stronger, were more powerful than even Israel expected. Do you think that was a bit of a wake up call to America as well as to Israel.
Well, I think you can see the American reaction. Putting that additional missile defense system into Israel, which will be operated by American troops a pretty extraordinary move. Look, I think the Israeli air and missile defense system is the best out by far, the best on the planet, but even that will have holes and gaps. But Iran is completely open compared to Israel.
Do you think this could spark a next stage of the war, because for the past year we've seen Israel dealing with the terrorist regime in Hamas and Hasbala. But do you think this could yeah, spark a whole new stage.
It's possible, but I think the Iranian regime already knows that Israel overmatches it with military strike capability. If they want to learn that lesson in an even bigger, harder way, that might be just about to happen. But Iran is in no position to fight in all our war with Israel.
With the US stepping into defend it. And as you say, that THAD defense system that America is sending along with one hundred American troops on the ground, if nothing else, that's a big show of support, not the letter they've sent. However, Michael Shubridge, thank you very much for your time, and that's it for me. I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock. But right now, here's my good friend, Paul Murray.