Why on Sky News This is Sharry.
Good Evening, Welcome to the program. Will tonight Albanezi's support is evaporating as Peter Ditton escalates his Palestinian visa attack. Upholster will be on the show to tell us how badly this security issue is costing the government. Plus Kevin Right accused of treating the Australian Embassy like a party house. You won't believe how much he's spent on a barbecue. And also on the show, the ABC has been awarded
for its anti Israel coverage. Plus As Andrews said, Bombshell News that Britney Higgins will not give evidence in the Linda Reynolds defamation trial. I'll explain why a little later, but first tonight. Anthony Albanese's political fortunes are crashing, with the guars of visa debate turning voters away from Labor. New polling today shows that Labour's primary vote has fallen to thirty two percent, while the Coalitions is at forty two.
The Australians Denis Shanahan writes that Albanesi's tone deaf Gaza response risks a repeat of the voice, and Shanahan says this significantly. The latest Freshwater Strategy poll shows that since the guars of visa debate began, not only has done and closed on Albanezi as leader, but Labour support on the issues of national security and immigration and asylum have fallen markedly and Freshwater Strategies Leo Shanahan will be on
the show tonight to explain this. Then there's the Herald's Resolve monitor which has shown that only ten percent of voters support Australia taking Palestinian refugees. This is an indication of where public sentiment is on this issue. Most Australians would want to be assured that a rigorous security of process is being followed, not security checks done in as
little as one hour. Yet still Albanezi dug his heels in today, refusing to back down on security concerns around issuing visas to those in Hamask controlled gaza, and Dutton escalating his political attack on the Prime Minister over the issue. He tried to move a motion to force the Prime Minister to explain the security process.
Can the Prime Minister confirm that no other government in Australian history has brought people from a war zone controlled by a listed terrorist organization on tourism visa on a tourist visa without the requisite checks and balances that would normally be conducted on a refugee and humanitarian visa.
During their time in office, they issued more than one thousand visitor visas the two Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territory during that entire time. Hamask Control old the Gaza strip their hypocrisy is just extraordinary.
And Dutton also attacked alban Easy for misquoting the asiobos Mike Burgess. Here's how the Prime Minister took Burgess out of context. This is what he said in Parliament on Thursday.
I'll refer to what the ASIO Director General himself has said. If they've been issued a visa, they've gone through the process, they're referred to my organization and ASIA does it sing.
And and this is what Mike Burgess really said.
They've been issued at visa, they've gone through the process.
Part of that visa process is with criteria hit they're referred to my organization and ASIO does its thing.
There were other remarks as well where the Prime Minister took Mike Burgess out of context, and we played those on the program on Thursday night, well with Parliament resuming today, Peter Dutton accused Albany being duplicitous.
You might leave out a sentence for the purposes of brevity or to make a point, but you can't leave out the middle of one sentence that you're quoting and pretend that that is an accurate reflection of what has been said by the person you are quoting. It's duplicitus.
Look, public sentiment may very well be with Dutton, but many in the media are happy to accuse him of being heartless over the issue, showing once again how out of touch they are with public sentiment. Now. I have mostly tried to ignore the offensive bias of other media outlets and journalists on this program, and the ABC, as you know, is the worst offender when it comes to
anti Israel bias. But on Friday Night, a journalist with a history of criticizing Israel, a journalist who even supported Antoinette Latouf, was awarded the top journalism for moral clarity on the Israel Hermas war. You recall when Israel was wrongly blamed from misfired rocket in Gaza. Not long after that attack, Hermas had claimed that Israel was responsible and
had killed five hundred people. The lies spread around the world, but in the days that followed, major media outlets quickly corrected the record to say that actually it was a Palestinian Islamic jihad rocket that misfired and had hit the car park of the Al Ali Hospital. About fifty were estimated but not confirmed, to have been killed, not the five hundred claimed. Within minutes well, the ABC's John Lyons did not admit unequivocally that the earlier reports blaming Israel
were wrong. Instead, he said it was in dispute this week.
The blast at the Alali Hospital could prove to be a pivotal moment in the early stages of this war. Israel was blamed initially, but it has presented evidence suggesting it was in fact a misfired rocket shot by Palestinian militants, and the US has backed that version, as have a number of independent experts. But what do you make of this tragedy this week and the impact it's having on the broader conflict.
I think there is serious doubt I'm in both sides are claiming the others did it. The Israelis have presented what looks on the face of it compelling evidence that it wasn't one of its rockets. I think in a way, until this an examination, we'll never know.
Well.
In response to questions today, John Lyons claims he never reported or suggested that Israel had bonded to the hospital, and as for wanting an examination, as you heard there, he says he's covered fall Gaza was and has learned that often one only learns the definitive truth later when there's time for an investigation. Let's have a look at another incident. You recall that last month twelve Israeli Drew's children were tragically killed on a soccer field.
Well.
It was widely reported that this was most likely a Hesbella rocket, but John Lyons was skeptical and said it might have even been Israel. He said he'd like to actually see the rocket that was fired and see the evidence, even though Israel had released that evidence. Have a look.
Hezbela is denying it's them. Usually they claim rocket attacks into Israel or into this occupied part of the Golan Heights. They're insisting it's not them. It may be them, but it's still not confirmed. Some people on the ground are suggesting that it could have been an interceptor, an Israeli interceptor rocket that was trying to hit an incoming Hesbel rocket. On that particular day, Hesbela did claim responsibility for aut
twelve strikes into Israel. It's very unusual, though, for Hezbollah to target this area, which is in the gol An Heights. It's mainly members of the Druze population, Arabic speakers, and it has not been a heavy target for Hezbola. But Israel is assuming it is. The United States and Israel are insisting it is, but there is some element of doubt over that at the moment. I'd like to actually see the rocket that was fired. The Israelis are saying
it's an Iranian made Fullack number one rocket. I'd like to actually see the evidence.
So John Lyons would like to see the evidence. He'd like to see the rocket well. In his defense today, Lyon said that many of the locals in the area claim that they thought it was possibly in Israeli anti missile gone wrong. And also in another instance, according to a report in the City Morning Herald, John Lyons has also sided with anti Israel activist Antoinette. Lyons reportedly spoke at a meeting of ABC journalists who were angry at how ABC management had treated the Tooth and Lions blamed
Jewish lawyers for complaining about her. The Herald reports and I quote, when I read those WhatsApp messages for the first time ever and hopefully the last time ever, I felt embarrassed to work for the ABC. I was embarrassed that a group of one hundred and fifty six lawyers could laugh at how easy it was to manipulate the ABC.
Lyons has even attracted criticism from other figures on the left, like The AG's former editor Michael Gwenda and Michael wrote an article about Lyons's criticism of what he calls the lobby, the so called Jewish lobby in twenty twenty one. And there's a history of hostility between Lions and Israel and Jewish groups here in Australia. But on Friday night, Lyons was awarded major journalism prizes, including the main one for Journalists of the Year, the Kennedy Awards. Judges claimed that
his reporting showed moral clarity. They said, with both accuracy and moral clarity, the vastly experienced Middle East hand has framed this conflict in ways that will stand the test of time. It is journalism of the highest standard, moral clarity, journalism of the highest standard, or many of us would see his commentary as laden with anti Israel bias, far from the gold standard of journalism. The Kennedys are refusing
to release the names of the judges. The Kennedy's general manager, Anna Magnus said, the Kennedy Foundation never reveal what judges judge what categories. We stand by the independence of our judging process. But in fact, in previous years the Kennedys have under different management, proudly published the names of their judges, like the Walkleys do. In response to my questions about his reporting, John Lyons told me today, I have many
times attacked Hamas and others for their behavior. I have frequently said that what Hermas did on October seven was a war crime. I have frequently said that Harmas's firing of rockets from Gaza into civilian neighborhoods in Israel is a war crime. I have also noted that President Biden has said Israel's bombing of Gaza has been indiscriminate. You'd be aware that bombing civilians indiscriminately is a war crime.
Now this all matters because if the media industry elite think that anti Israel reporting shows moral clarity, then this explains why so much of our media a hostile towards Jews and Israel. It explains why the ABC has comprehensively failed to cover the anti Semitism crisis gripping our country in any meaning way. It explains why the coverage in the media broadly speaking, regularly accuses Israel of wrongdoing, which in turn inflames tensions in our community. We do need
more moral clarity in the media. Moral clarity is the ability to see that Israel was brutally attacked on October seven and has been trying to bring home its hostages ever since while destroying barbaric terrorists. Moral clarity is knowing that the world would end immediately if Hamas released the hostages and surrendered. And this weekend, once again the unfortunate news that Hamas, not Israel, has again rejected the latest ceasefire proposal. They hadn't even bothered to send a representative
to discussions and Qatar over the weekend. We desperately need moral clarity when it comes to Israel's existential fight for survival. The Jewish home Land, but we're not going to get that from most media outlets, especially the ABC. And I'm going to come back to that topic a bit later in the show with Colin Rubinstein, but right now let's bring in tonight's panel. Joining me Sky News contributed Joe Hildebrand and Sky News host Steve Price. Welcome to you, boy,
it's great to see you well. Once again, this issue of Palestinian visa's dominated question time today. This is becoming a recurring theme now and you can't help but think, Joe, that this is having some impact in the community. That's why Peter Dutton keeps bringing it up, keeps hounding the Albanezi government over this issue.
Yeah, I've always been very, very skeptical about Labour's strategy of just pile a whole bunch of crap on Dutton. Everyone hates him, he's you know, he's able to say his deviceive says, you know, he's angry and racist or whatever it may be. Not the alpctually calling racist, that's the teals. But this idea of sort of make it everything an anti Dutton sentiment instead of a pro Labor sentiment,
I don't think works. I think just because all your friends don't like Peter Dutton doesn't mean that the average Australian doesn't like Peter Dutton. I like Peter Dutton, is a lovely man.
You like everyone.
I like everybody. But so it doesn't work. And again calling people, I mean, if we haven't learned from the Voice campaign that calling people who disagree with you racist just doesn't work. Apart from being probably wrong, in fact, it's incredibly stupid in terms of a political strategy. I mean, I just don't know. You just tear your hair out, And the thing is that when you do that, not only does it probably fail to stick on Peter Dutton in the eyes of the electric, but all those people
who quietly agree with him and do have concerns. I'm not one of them. I think we should still take refugees. But all those people who understandably do say, well, these people could be a security, which maybe we should have a freeze. Suddenly the left, Zales, Steggle, the teals, whoever it may be, will call all those people racist too. Those people say, well Peter Dunn's racis then I must be racist. And whoever calls me a racist doesn't know Jack, because I know I'm not a racist, and that means
that you must be wrong. Backfight on the Voice and will backfire on this. These people are fools if they do it again.
Yeah, Steve, I think you know that analogy with the Voice debate is quite fitting here.
What do you think, Well, I just should point out to Joe that I don't like everybody, just so I know that will come as a great surprise to everybody. Look, I found it today quite ridiculous when Tony Burke stood up in Parliament and called Peter Dutton a sook. Now you can call Peter Dutton a lot of things. I don't know that the word sook would apply to Peter Dutton ever. I mean, he doesn't strike me as being
a suck. In fact, he strikes me as being the sort of strong leader that the Liberal Party and the Coalition have been looking for for a very long time. And I think Shari and Joe probably you both agree that the public. If you polled the public today on a direct question of whether we should pause immigration from a war zone in Gaza, I'm not sure any of us would be surprised if there was a vast majority of people said yes. I mean, for a start, no,
one's getting out of there. The place is locked up. You can't get out of the borders. But I think the thing that really resonated in the Coalition attack last week and again at the start of this week is that there are people being given in that part of Gaza tourist visas. I mean, what the hell do we think we're doing. They're not tourists. They're either refugees or victims of an ugly war. They're not tourists. And are they giving them tourist visas so that when they come
here we can send them back again? And if that's the case, labors should be ashamed of themselves. What are they said in the back?
The issue is the Prime Minister hasn't been upfront about all of this. He said initially this was only temporary, and then that was never the case because Tony Burt came out and said no government in its right mind
would send people back to a war zone. And there have been serious security flaws that we've exposed on this program for more than six months now about the screening process that it is taking place in as little as one hour, that Hermas sympathizers have been let into the country on Australian visas at a time when we have an anti Semitism crisis in the country and we do not need more erosion of social cohesion, violence or lawlessness
on our streets. Let's move on to Kevin Rudd, now, Australia's ambassador to the United States, has been accused of turning the Australian Embassy in Washington into a party house. This front page exclusive by Linda Somalis in The Sunday Telegraph, in voices released by DEFAT show that fifteen thousand dollars was spent on a new barbecue. Joe, I mean, I'm sure you'd love to go to a party at Rud's place, but is and you probably have been before the message, Yeah,
exactly the lodge. Is this the best use though, of taxpayer funds?
Firstly, it was Kiabilly house. I don't go to Canberra for anybody, even the PM. Now, look, I think the fact of the matter is that ambassadors entertain people. They are there to schmooze, they are there to network, they are there to build relationships. It's a cracker of a yarn, like it's a great yarn, and you know you'd put it all over the front page. You'd buy two front pages so you could put it on both of them.
But you know they do have this thing. I think the barbecue from what I gather, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the barbecue is actually ordered by the previous ambassador, Arthur Synodinas, and maybe rog just took possession of it. The what I found most how amazing, was what I found most amazing was that my former colleague Norelda Jacobs was apparently paid twenty six thousand dollars
to host a function at the ambassador's residence. And can I just say I'm free, I'm available if you want to. You know, I'll do it for half that I can MC, I can sing.
Steve, Steve seriously, though you know that there have been this isn't the first story about the use of funds at functions and parties in Washington. What do you think about this?
Well, there was a Pride event as well with some transvestites along that Kevin set up as well. Clearly they don't have Bunnings in Washington, otherwise you wouldn't be paying fifteen thousand dollars for a barbecue. But unlike Joe, I've got a bit of history with Ambassador Rudd. Now I carry around with me in my little diary a letter to the editor that one k Rudd sent eighteen months ago after I wrote a column about him. I'll only read one line of it for you, and he says,
this is Kevin Rudd. It's always a matter of personal and professional pride to be attacked by the greatest non entity in the history of Australian journalism, Steve Price. And that's the nice part of from Kevin.
Well, there you go. I think there's wouldn't be too many journalists, especially at our company, that Kevin Rudd hasn't complained about. While we're in the ABC BABYC is under fire for sending the Adelaide breakfast radio hosts to the Olympics. It's the sum is around or it's estimated that it'll come in at one hundred and thirty five thousand dollars. Joe. They didn't call any live sports, so there's criticism over, you know, the sight seeing that happened in Paris.
Just I just do not understand any Can you imagine anyone like imagine our imagine No imagine if you said, hey, boss, could you send me over to Paris for the Olympics. I'm not going to call any sport, but I'd like to do a bit of sight. Say I've never seen the Eiffel Tower. It'll just cost one hundred and thirty five thousand dollars, let's call it, you know, one hundred and fifty with change. What do you reckon?
Like?
You would?
You wouldn't?
You would be I believe the word is defenestrated. You're just be thrown out the window. And yet someone at the Abay says, Oh, I am getting a good idea.
I'm going to be a bit contrary here because for about five Olympic Games I sent throughout breakfast program to Olympic Games where they never called an event and they actually delivered a fantastic program. I also am a big contrary. Oh here's a fun fact for you. The two people who went from ABC Adelaide, Jules Schiller and I can't remember his colleague's name. They're the highest rating ABC Breakfast program in the country. They're the only ABC Breakfast program
that rates in double figures, actually rate twelve percent. Everyone else in Sydney and Melbourne down around five.
Can I say that says more about the quality of the ABC team around the country necessary rather than them.
I think it says more about Adelaide than anything else.
The fine city of the future.
Now Larry Emda won the Gold Logi last night. Now, he made a joke during the week that if he won, he would have the initials of the people he was up against the other runners up tattoos on his bottom live on air. No one expected him to actually follow through with this, but here's what happened this morning on Channel seven.
Basically it's a little line drawing of a LOGI holding the TV and within the TV the other the initials of the other wonderful nominees who are up for a Gold Logi.
Last night, Yes right, can I just tell you one thing? Tell me that love Butte you can see that that's from Aunt Middleton.
It's going to be Oh, he actually had the initials tattoo. I thought it would have been more painful to get a tattoo. I thought he would be screaming and wincing, and he just did it.
Barry MdeR I think throughout his entire career has been the most underestimated personality in the Australian media.
He bloke is.
Incredibly smart, he's incredibly funny, as he does really quick on his feet, and he would have firstly he would have said that knowing that there would be votes in it, that people would vote for him just to see it get done. He was always going to do it. I think he was going to win anyway, because just people just love the guy. I love the guy. I've been
out there with my ends everywhere I can go. He is just the He is just the best bloke is not honestly, TV we all know can be a bit of a vius and he's guine genuinely as I've got a terrible confession to make to you.
To go for it, Steve.
I was in a show called I'm a Celebrity Getting Me out of Here. I was at in jungle for forty three days and I had a bet with the AFL footballer Dane Swan who was also in there, that whoever got eliminated first had to get the other's initials tattooed on their bodies. Now, Dane swe owns a tattoo parlor and is covered in tattoos. I got thrown out before him and have his initials tattooed on the inside of my left bike.
You didn't you Actually, I'm not going to take them up.
I don't know that we can see it, but we'll try it. It's on this side, which tattoo?
Which your tattoos? You actually?
Wow, this is obviously a thing.
I think the real story here is that Steve's been working.
Out all right, And on that note, naked, I've got nothing, I've got no tattoos.
I'm going to go and get Sharry tattooed on your right.
Butt cheek, all right, Steve Price, Joe Brand, good to see. All right. Let's return to today's polling results for the Albanezy government, and it was more polling pain with the latest Freshwater Strategy results showing that Labor is heading towards a minority government. The coalition is in front in the two party preferred result, while also beating Labor in key voter concerns like housing, tax, economic management, national security and
cost of living. And let's bring in now someone who I'm sure doesn't have the tattoos of anyone's initials on his forearm or butt cheek, the director of Freshwater Strategy, Leo Shanahan.
Well, how would you know, Shari? But yes, yeah, look, it is more polling painter as is said for at the Albanese Labor government. This is the second poll in a row. Now we do have the coalition behind in front, I should say on two pp. Now it is within that margin of error at fifty one forty nine, but it is a concern for the Alberanesi government. Obviously, of more concern is probably you, as you stated, those issues relating to cost of living, housing and accommodation, all those
key issues. Now there's a couple in particular in regards to immigration and asylum and crime that are climbing in terms of importance for voters, and at the same time those issues are falling away in terms of people's view
of the Labor government's ability to manage them. Now, the Labor government did paw back some points in terms of management on that key issue of cost and standard of living, but really it's a clear concern that with seventy six percent of people rating this issue as their number one concern and the Albanesi Labor government being minus seven points in their ability to manage it.
So if these results were replicated at a federal election, I mean we're not expecting the federal election, despite what many journalists keep telling us, we're not expecting the federal election until early next year. But if it were replicated these results, what would that mean for labor retaining government.
Well, look, they would definitely go into minority government status. They would more than likely be able to form a government ahead of the coalition, but we are now looking at definite minority status on these numbers. Now we should say that swings are really uniform. But if there was a uniform swing at a federal election based on these numbers, we would have the ALP dropping down to seventy one seats, the Greens at four, Independence at eight, and the Liberal
National Coalition at sixty five. Now that's a gain of eight seats on the last elections. So obviously still a while from away, I should say, from claiming any kind of maturity government the coalition, but it would give Peter Dutton a great deal of heart.
Yeah, and his line is that he's got the momentum at the moment Leo. The analysis by Phil Courry in the Finn Review today is that the Gaza visa issue is you know that you're polling shows that it is shaping the way voters see the government's handling of the national security issue. You don't have to look at the specific results if you don't have them there in front of you, but just generally speaking, you know the government.
Dutton must think that this issue is resonating with voters because this is the second parliamentary week in a row where he's hounding the Prime Minister over it. So how is this shaping the perception of the Albanezy government when it comes to security.
Well, look, immigration and asylum are rising in terms of importance among voters, and as I said, that is also coinciding with a rise in the coalition's ability to manage this issue among voters. So obviously Peter Dutton feels that
there's not a great deal. Well, he feels there is genuine risk here obviously, but from a political perspective, the risk is all on the Labor on the Labor government in terms of what that issue means for the electorate, especially in those key seats in Southwest Sydney that have
large Muslim populations. There's very much a lot of pressure on senior ministers within the Labor government in those seats and it's not one seemingly that Peter Dutton is concerned about putting pressure on Prime Minister o An easier beout.
Yeah, all right, Leah Shadahan, thank you very much for your time. Now after the break the promise Albin easy made to Muslim leaders before the election, plus should the ABC be awarded for its anti Israel bias? To discuss Colin Rubinstein will join me next. Welcome back. Well, we learned on the weekend that there was a Hermus plot to destroy the war graves of Australian soldiers and then hold them prisoner. This was detailed in a seven page
document found in Gaza two years ago. It was uncovered in a plastic sleeve at a compound in cainn units linked to Hamas leaders. To discuss this and more, let's bring in now Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director Colin Rubinstein. Colin, good to see you again. Look, this is a horrific plan. If this is true, if the documents were accurate, what was Hermas actually planning to do?
Look, as you say, it's horrific. It's a very very problem manatiring and I think it's part of the bigger fabric that Hamas has as a game plan for all to see to destroy Israel one way or the other, demonizing it and de legitimizing it, and to kill the Jews. And the unfortunate reality is it's acted on that game plan.
As I mentioned at Colin, as I mentioned at the start of the program, tonight, ABC journalist John Lyons was awarded the Top Journalism Prize for Moral Clarity on the Israel Hamas War. This recognition comes despite Lions facing criticism for history of anti Israel bias. He rejects that, Colin, what do you make of John Lyons receiving this award?
Well, I listened to your editor or early. You make a lot of very good points. Certainly you've given a number of examples on the other hospital, on a terrible hesbalar attack which took the life of twelve Israeli children playing soccer, and so on. Look, John has a long record in Middle East coverage, There's no doubt about that. But I think the key to all of this is that he blames Israel for the lack of peace and
the lack of a Palestinian state. Subsequently, the sixty seven war defensive war Israel Ford it took a tery Palestinian terratory he saw, and it's Israel's fault that there's not
a Palestinian state because they won't relinquish it. The truth of the matter is it is reluctant to report or to ask about facts that don't perhaps fit that narrative roll making three major offers for a Palestinian state which they've unequivocally rejected, like the clear determination to pursue his strategy de legitimizus in Israel to try and destroy very clear, and the more extreme how much approach to actually go after the destruction of Israel and the killing of all Jews.
So okay, So there is that element I think in John's reporting that of October seven war, you've given a number of examples and his reluctance to accept the Israel version of what happened. I wish you'd applied the same sort of scrutiny to come So is the problematic award somewhat questionable? As your editor points out the.
Look two leaders of Australia's largest Muslim organization have told The City Morning Herald that Albanezi promised in a meeting before the twenty twenty two election that recognizing a Palestinian state would be a priority for his incoming labor government. The Australian National IMAMS Council Legal Advisor Billao Ralph said there was a general acceptance in the meat that this
would be given priority in the first term. He says, there's no doubt many people will take this failure to recognize Palestine into account as one of the many considerations when they vote. Colin, do you think we should be hearing a response from the Prime Minister about this commitment if he made one, and perhaps you know, I suppose two state recognition or a Palestinian state recognition at this time would be problematic if HUMAS is still the governing body in Gaza.
Look, I think the stories I read it doesn't even substantiate a claim. Certainly labor policy is a priority for a Palestinian state at a time of government's choosing. There's no indication it would be in the first term. And so I think you could criticize the Prime Minister for a lot of things on many shoes. I'm not sure this is one of them. But of course the foreigners that did suggest did imply that a recognizing a Palatinian
state how will kick the process towards recognition. The truth of the matter is, I think the government even understands we had an unreconstructed Palestinian leadership at this stage. Recognizing a Palestinian state would be a reward of Hamas's tepism and the rejectionism that's continuing the Palestinian authority, and it
would only lead to further conflict. They wouldn't kickstart a process towards a resolution, towards a two outcome, which of course Israel is offered on three serious occasions.
All right, Colin Rubinstein, thank you very much, appreciate your time as always. Now let's quickly turn to some breaking news coming out of the UK, where an alleged horror stabbing spree in Manchester has seen a forty three year old woman killed and two others seriously injured. A twenty two year old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, while a seventeen year old girl and a sixty four year old man have been taken to hospital with life
threatening injuries. That breaking news just coming through. Will bring you updates as they come. Now still to come on the show, Peter Darton threatens to take over the New South Wales Liberal Party as leaked messages lift the lid on the candidate fiasco, plus why Brittany Higgins won't be
giving evidence in the Linda Reynolds defamation trial. Those details after this quick break will Leaked messages have lifted the lid on Liberal President Don Harwin's role in the failure to register one hundred and forty candidates for the local government elections. The Daily Telegraphs James Willis writes that several group WhatsApp messages of the Liberal Party State executive showed Don Harwin providing updates as the deadline for the New
South Wales Electoral Commission approached. Let's bring in tonight's political insider panel, Liberal Senator Holly Hughes and Bill Shorten's former chief of staff Cameron Milner. Welcome to you both. Cameron. Can you tell us a bit more about these leaked WhatsApp messages.
Well, Sharie.
Nominations are a fundamental birthright of political parties to do. I mean, it's something's essential, it's in our DNA to do. It's elections that we run for campaigns we won, and fundamental to that is getting nominations in to actually have candidates in the field. So it's not like it's something that happens once in a blue moon. It happens at
every single election. So is gross incompetence, gross negligence that the New South Wales branch couldn't get not just one, but one hundred and forty nominations in to local government. Thank goodness it wasn't the stay election or the federal election they failed in because it would have really mattered then.
But no, Look, anyone involved.
In this should be gone and should never be seen again in the party administration. That Don Harwin he should go as well.
Yeah, it is extreme incompetence and now there's talk that some of the Liberal candidates who've missed out might commence legal action. Holly Hughes, obviously you're in the Liberal Party. Do you think Don Harwin needs to go over this?
I am absolutely appalled at what's occurred here. Cameron's right when he talks about this being a fundamental job of a political party and there needs to be a wholesale review into how this occurred. I feel absolutely that upset for the candidates who aren't able to contest. The current counselors and mayors who aren't able to recontest.
It's just appalling for them.
I'm very concerned for some of our federal candidates and members in New South Wales, some of them who are going into areas with significant seat redistributions and are going to have no Liberal representation on the local councils.
And we know how important.
It is with the brand, with the ID, with keeping up what local commitments are occurring.
It's just critical that.
All three levels of government have some communication with each other and are not going to have representation in many of these areas.
So I do think there needs to be a wholesale review.
It's there'll be a number of people.
Look, Brian Lockmain is going to do a review.
There's discussions around federal intervention, and if federal intervention occurs, it means the entire state executive goes and you know it's an unworkable size of twenty nine people. They were still doing endorsements, I understand up until the last possible minute, because candidates were being added from all sorts of places.
The whole thing.
I mean, I'm not involved in local government. I never have been. I've sat on the executive but from everything I've heard, which is generally what I've read in the press.
It is an absolute shamuzzle.
And yes, I think that there will need to be significant ramifications here.
All Right, Brittany Higgins will not give evidence in the Linda Reynolds defamation trial. The Nightly reporting that higgins medical state was one of the contributing factors to her decision not to fly back from France. Cameron, is this understandable that, given she is having difficulties she is suffering, that she shouldn't have to face another courtroom? What do you think?
Well, I think the horrible situation is that everyone who's been touched by this case, including my very very dear friend Kimblely Kitchen who lost a life in the midst of this situation as well, and everyone who's been touched by the Higgins Reynolds saga, has an awful story to tell and this is no different. Brittany should have a day in court, but if she's not medically capable of doing that, we'll let the judge decide. Of the evidence that's been tended to date, and obviously there's been a
lot of evidence tended to date. I think there's still questions to be asked. I think Pattie Gallagher's got questions to ask. I think Penny Wong has I think Mark Dreyfus for two million dollars settlement in twenty four hours. There's lots of questions for people who are still involved in this that need to be answered.
Indeed, Hully, I actually want to ask you about the NDIS because shocking revelations in the Herald that the anddis has yet to introduce any protective measures for work who support known sexual predators and violent offenders on the system. This is despite the launch of a justice panel, so one needs to be done here.
Look, it's absolutely disgraceful that this has been allowed to continue. There has been some changes made because we had an instance earlier in the year where a man that was released from prison who had sexual assaultant and I think from memory rape charges that he'd been found guilty of, convicted, serve time and left, was given an MDIs plan.
He was self managing that plan and was advertising for young support workers to walk along the beach with him.
I mean, I'm still not sure why he even had an MDIs plan, But there have made moves to ensure that people who have convictions particularly those of a sexual nature, are put on agency managed plans, so that means that they can't run their own sort of advertising for support workers, but there doesn't seem to be any protection. So agency plan managed means that they have to use registered providers,
which tend to be the bigger organizations. But I'm not aware that those organizations need to be told that the participant has this in their background.
And I think, you know, like so many.
Things, we've gone too far when it comes to the human rights of one group over the human rights of another group. And you'll see the civil libertarians argue that people that you know, have been convicted of things serve their time, that they should be able to access their services with zero consideration of the rights and the protections of those and quite often women that are sent out
as support workers. So there does need to be some modification here that you know, perhaps they're only allowed to use certain providers and those providers are fully briefed and aware, and they're not given people one at a time that there's not one on one support at any stage.
I mean, I don't know how they're going to do it.
Is putting the safety of particularly the young women that are quite often work in these allied health and support worker areas.
It's not acceptable no, as you say, putting often female cares at risk. Now, I just want to end with getting both of your views on the row that's unfolding in Parliament in Question Time that Cameron Milner Peter Dutton is being accused of being racist and divisive for daring to propose about on arrivals from Gaza, even when we now know that security checks aren't being done properly to ensure that noahr Musk sympathizers are arriving in the country.
What do you think, Well, Peter Dutton's not a racist. It's the easiest thing to say, and the primes should have stood up and said the same thing. Kelly Staggle overstepped the mark and grows slur on Peter Dutton and his character. Can I say, Shari that Labour's own figures show that seventy percent of these tourists have failed the security chests, the most basic security tests. Seventy percent the
rready failed. When Peter Dunton let twelve thousand people from Syrian Iraq in there's a twelve month process and five hundred didn't.
Pass the security test.
So eleven and a half thousand people came in, but under our bows watch, seventy percent failed the most basic terrorist
tach terrorist test. So look, I'm really worried about these gardens who come here, have come in without the tests, without security, and I think Peter Dutton is absolutely doing the right thing, not only is the Opposition leader, but for Australia to stand up for a national security on such a vital subject matter in terms of making sure that people who are har mass sympathizers or worse har mass terrorists don't slip into our community.
Shari.
We can't take that risk at the moment when there's already so much violence breaking out, when even labor politicians' officers have been targeted in appalling ways that could have easily put someone at serious risk. Holly, what do you think?
Oh?
Look, I mean I was here this morning and breakfast with Matt fist alway, and you know the rhetoric that's coming out of the ALP is around old Peter Dutton using divisive language. Yet not one ALP member has called out Zalie Stegel for her use of calling Peter Dutton a racist Cameron's right, he's not a racist. When he has been in roles around immigration, he has ensured that there have been due processes put in.
Place when it comes to security checks.
But we've also got to remember this is a government who has increased its funding to UNRA.
Now we know UNRA have.
People on the ground during the October seventh attacks. We know UNRA has an education program which is deeply rooted in teaching anti Semitism to young children. Even if these people that are coming through aren't Hamas, you know signed and sealed up to Hamas, they rightly have had their entire life home filled with anti Semitic tropes being pushed at them.
So you know, I think he's spot.
On completely right. All Right, Holly Hughes, Cameron Mill thank you both very much. Now after the break, all eyes on the US as Democrats prepare for their national convention. But could protesters derail the event? Plus, if the polls are right, are we really looking at a Kamala Harris presidency, Well, Kosher Garda would join me next. Well, let's turn now to the United States, where Kamala Harris is leading Donald
Trump nationally in the latest ABC poll. The former president is still performing better in key election issues, the economy, inflation, and immigration. Well, let's bring in now Sky News contributor Kosher Gada. Great to see you, Kosher. Look, this immigration poll has got to hurt Harris because she was in charge of border security. She was once tapped to be the bordersar. Now this is clearly her area of weakness.
She is on top. Though. Do you think it is looking like we could say a Kamala Harris presidency.
It is very possible we're going to be in a knife fight for the remaining seventy five eighty days that we have to go. This is extremely razor thin, as have been the last two elections. You know this further is in that regard. But I think what you're putting your finger on there, Shari is key, which is this is about issues all day and all night long. It's
about the issues. Immigration is a top two issue in the country for good reason when you look at just the quantum and what's been going on both illegally and legally. Trump has historically always been very very strong of that issue. It was his signature issue that led him to victory in twenty sixteen, and a very close call in twenty twenty,
So that is a winning issue for him. But the question is is he going to be able to get cut through on that and is she is Harris going to be able to distance herself from that track record under Biden? So far, with avoiding the press and taking the approach that she's taken, it seems to be working. And that's kind of her strategy. Can she run out the clock and sort of wash her hands of the immigration issue or will Trump be able to pin it on her?
Look where the Democratic National Convention is about to get under way, how do you think we're going to say the party pitch Kamala Harris to voters if she can't draw on much of her own experience.
You know, I think it'll be more of that sort of trying to present her as a clean slate and somebody will do all these great things on day one, which we've seen signals of that already. It's a bit interesting because usually vps ride the coattails of popular presidents and this is a very unusual situation that you know that she's found herself in and the reason that she's received this nomination. There's going to be other things like the protests that are due to be happening or happening
as we speak in Chicago. That kind of shows that fracturing in the party and other things like that. But I think the conventions, you know, I would expect to see a little bit of a bump in the polls for her, and they're going to bring out the stops, former presidents, sitting president, Hollywood celebrities, you know, the works, and people tend to leave these things with a little bit of feel good attitude for the candidate.
And then of course there's going to be the question of her debate with Donald Trump. You know, is he going to be able to put her under pressure without attacking her personally, because it seems to be that voters don't like that, and I've heard a lot of commentators saying it does seem to be true that in many ways she brings out the worst instincts in him, because the attacks do become quite personal and potentially sexist as well. So we've got all of that to look forward to.
A tough interview would be good as well. Kosha Gada, great to see you as always, and that's it from me. Thanks for watching. I'll see you tomorrow night. At eight o'clock. And up now in the man cave is Paul Murray.