Why On Sky News This is Sharry Good Evening, Welcome to the show.
Coming up tonight, top law enforcement officials are sounding the alarm about the Albanese government's lacks vetting of Gazans. In this exclusive New South Wales police are highly concerned that her Musk supporters could put community safety at risk. That major story coming up in a moment. Also on the show tonight, how Tanya Plibacek Plivacek is shaping up to be a major threat to the Prime Minister her eleventh hour bid to shut down a gold mine the latest
controversial move. Or Andrew Caswell will be on the show to discuss and calls for The New York Times to suck its reporter who's behind a list of hundreds of Australians being doxed? And also tonight in breaking news, Albanezi has been slammed over an off color joke at a private dinner that has offended farmers.
Not the live export. We've made sure it was dead.
More on that recording with my political panel a bit later, but first tonight, Police in New South Wales are highly concerned the Albanese government may have given visas to Hamas supporters with inadequate security vetting, risking community safety. Security sources tell me that far more rigorous checks were done on the very young children of Isis brides that on Palestinians
coming to Australia from a terror hotspot. So lax with the security checks that the visas of twenty three Palestinians were counseled when they were already en route to the Australia. They are now stranded in Turkey or Egypt. The Australian government, specifically Tony Burke, has washed his hounds of them.
Law enforcement in New.
South Wales are frustrated at what they say is a lack of consultation and inadequate security checks. They see this as an unacceptable risk to community safety. One senior figure told me the last thing we need is Hamas supporters in the community, we have a responsibility to protect the people in New South Wales. They put the families of foreign fighters through biggest scrutiny and those kids have done nothing wrong and we're quite young. There were thorough background
and biometric checks. It's understood that counter terrorism police in New South Wales have received no information about which individuals.
Have come from the war zone. Now.
I asked Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Patterson about this issue and he said that all visas issued to Palestinians in Australia need to be reviewed.
So this is a hugely significant story. It's effectively a vote of no confidence by New South Police in the Albanesi government's handling of immigration, national security and community safety.
And that full interview with James Patterson in reaction to this story I'm bringing You Now is coming up later in the show. The Coalition stepped up its political attack on Albanizi in Parliament today accuse him, accusing him of running what they could a visa for votes scheme.
Will the Prime Minister admit that this visa for vote scheme was only done to shore up votes in the seats of Watson, McMahon and black slaand it doesn't these go to his true character?
Prime Minister, Why is Australia heading out tourist visas to gardens from the terrace controlled warzone in an average of twenty four hours and in some cases as quickly as one hour, while bypassing all the usual checks, including those the former coalition government used in Syria. Will the Prime Mister admit that the government's visa for vote scheme was only done the shore up votes in the seats of Watson, McMahon and blacks.
Or.
The Prime Minister in turn accused Peter Dutton of being a bully, and Albanezi also criticized Israel yet again as is not strength.
And punching down on vulnerable people is not strength. But that is what this bloke does at shows Australia who he really is every day.
Now this is the second week the Prime Minister has been unable to strongly defend or even explain the security process for the visas. He hid behind the intelligence agencies yet again, saying he has faith that they will do their job. But this is highly misleading and it goes to the very heart of the issue. AZEO has no oversight of this process. Fast tracked visit visas are being issued in just one hour after an online application process.
AZEO and the other intelligence agencies are scrambling to play catch up after the government deliberately decided to use visitor visas to rush them through, and on the weekend, ed Husick admitted the visitor visas were used because they were faster.
Why visit of.
Visas though because they're faster to process, ref G visas take longer, and given what's happening right now and the dangers presented, the view was to try and get people out as quickly as you can.
Well I revealed last night that many of the three thousand visas approved for Palestinians were done through an automated online process with no manual security checks. Home Affairs today confirmed that almost all applications for migration and temporary visas are lodged online, regardless of where the applicant is, and this includes Palestinian applications. So Home Affairs then also claimed that a departmental officer was involved in the process for
each visa. Now the Coalition asked the Prime Minister about this today.
Of the almost three thousand visas approved for people from the terrorist controlled Guarza war zone, how many were approved by an automated process and did not involve a referral to Asia.
And did not involve a referral to Asio. Well the Prime Minister initially joked about this question he.
Simply wouldn't answer it.
Eventually, he claimed none of them were fully automated, but he couldn't confirm that all had security checks.
Have a listen.
I decided with the involvement of departmental staff.
None are fully automated. We have dealt with this process.
But you know that's not the real point of this question, is it. It's not to get an answer, it's not actually to get information.
It's just so out and the Stoke.
Division order ANTI.
So he couldn't say that there was an AZIO security assessment for each visa because it's just not happening. Visitor visas are being issued through an automated online process with no checks by ASIO. The Prime Minister keeps trying to claim that ASIO has been involved in background checks for the nearly three thousand Palestinians who've been given visas, but
the claim is simply false. The Australian's political journalist Jeff Chambers also wrote today that the Australian Security Intelligence Organization ASIO was drafted in only if the department requested higher level assessments. In fact, most electronic visitor visas were issued after an online questionnaire basically self assessment. By contrast, humanitarian visas refugee visas that Ed Hughesick said would take too long, well, they would have involved extensive biometric checks, face to face
interviews and intelligent screening. None of that has happened in most cases here and in further proof that the visa process has been rushed and inadequate is the fact that twenty three people were issued visas they were on their way to Australia when they were canceled. The process has
been chaotic to say the least. Now, the Coalition asked the Prime Minister why his government security assessments have been far weaker than our Five Eyes counterparts, which have required face to face interviews.
Why have we fast tracked visas for nearly three thousand people from the terrorists controlled Gaza war zone since October seven? Yet our allies like the UK have taken in one hundred and sixty eight in the United States only at seventeen. Many cropable countries require face to face interviews in third countries or biometric tests to apply for vv conditions that Albanese government has waived. Was this decision based on security advice or political expediency?
Well, the Prime Minister again just wouldn't answer the question. The Albanese government is shockingly naive about the risks they're imposing on Australians.
It's inexplicable.
The Australian Newspaper's editorial today makes this critical point. Egyptian President Abdel Phatta Elsisi has warned that any mass exodus of Gazans would risk bringing militants into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, from where they might launch attacks on Israel, endangering the two countries forty year peace treaty, and Jordan, with its large Palestinian community, has been similarly reluctant to open up
to Gazans. So have other Arab states. That has lessons for mister Albanesi and mister Burke as they put out the welcome mat So that from The Australian's editorial, But it seems Albanezi is uninterested in learning lessons from Gaza's closest neighbors.
He appears driven.
By his lifelog pro Palestinian activism, activism that has seen him personally as an MP protest outside the American Embassy at a rally where Israeli and American.
Flags were burnt.
It's my belief that's what drives him, along with his desire to remain in the plum job of Prime Minister, now a job he only hopes to retain if Labor doesn't lose marginal seats in western Sydney. All right, James Patterson will be on the show a little later, but let's bring in now former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger and Labor legend Graham Richardson. Welcome to you both. Michael,
having a look this and we've just learned. I've just reported that senior police and law enforcement agencies in New South Wales are highly concerned about the inadequacy of the Albanese government security vetting and the lack of consultation.
Do you think that the Prime Minister.
Has overseen here a flawed security process.
Well, there's no doubt about that. I mean, what do you think Asia knows more than the CIA in America, who've got tentacles all over the world. The CIA, you know, like all security organizations, makes mistakes, but it'll know far more about what's going on in the Middle East than the NASO. And as you've reported, the Americans have taken seventeen people, we've taken thirteen hundred. So I regret to say I draw the same conclusion that was drawn in
the Parliament this afternoon. This was Albanisi and the former minister Giles. Don't forget all these All these people came here under Giles when he was the minister, this disastrous minister who they sacked. This has been done to shore up three labor seats in New South Wales and that is a disgrace and shame on you Albanisi. By parting from every other developed country in the world. And you know, from what I can see, this's only looks like seven
or eight countries now we had four last week. I can only get to seven or eight who have taken refugees from Gaza. Now Chechner ranks number two. It seems to have taken two hundred in Italy one hundred and fifty six. I'm not sure about the UK numbers in Australia at thirteen hundred. Shame on you, elbow Richo.
The coalition has really put the heat on Albanesi. Now for a second week in a row in Parliament. Do you think this issue is resonating with voters.
Not yet, but that doesn't mean it won't. If it continues for another week or two, then I think people will start to take notice. I think Arbo has gotten away with it so far, but you never get away with it forever in this game.
Do you think that's right, Michael, that voters don't recognize at the moment. I think the message is getting through to mainstream Australians. They see the aggression and violence that we've had in our streets for months now, and they're already worried about social cohesion, and they hear that Hamas sympathizers might be coming into the country. They hear that the security process is flawed. I think this would be a concern.
What do you think, No, Well, I think people draw the line. I mean, you know, we all agree that there should be a freedom to demonstrate. But over the last number of months Australians have decided overwhelmingly, and you've seen polls that these demonstrations of Jewish hatred have crossed the line between what's acceptful and what's not acceptable in the democracy. People are well attuned to this issue in
this country. Everyone's been hearing about the war in the Middle East since October, since that disgusting attack on Jews on October seven. This is not an issue out of the blue, and so people are actually well attuned to what's happening, and now they're hearing that we are such an outlier on bringing people from guars that no other country in the world is doing six times the next biggest number. No, I think people are well attuned to
this issue. Certainly they are in Victoria, and even though this state is traditionally voted labor, it's going down very badly here. Albow has crossed the line between stretching people's tolerance and belief in wanting to do the right thing, compassion, etc. But when they see that we are way beyond anyone else, the answer is no. It's resonating big time around this country.
Richard, Will the Prime Minister eventually have to properly explain how this security process has.
Worked or if it hasn't.
Is he going to have to houn to review into people who are already here and whether they should have been issued visas?
Yeah, well, the pressure is going to be on him, and I think the pressure will continue to rise, and so he's going to need a circuit breaker of some kind. A review perhaps would be the answer, but something will have to be done. He can't simply sit back and allow things to go on as they are. Because I think Labour's losing ground over.
This all right, let's have a look at the chaos inside the Liberal Party and two GB host Ray Hardley launched a scathing attack on two Liberals over this embarrassing council fiasco. He says the pair are cowardly for not fronting up in public about this.
Have a listen, stop sending me text messages, cowardly letting me be your mouthpiece. Get on the air now and tell the left of your party you've had a gutful of them. You know who you are from the right, Anthony Roberts, Alistair Henskins, come on, get on here and challenge them.
And Roberts and Henskins have since that denied that they were trying to undermine their leader, Mark Speakman's leadership. Michael is a former party president yourself, you must be looking at the Liberal Party in New South Wales in utter dismay.
Well, obviously this was a complete stuff up and everyone knows that. Unfortunately it happens in politics. I mean, this was unforgivable. Obviously we all know that. That's just starting the obvious. But you know, the New South Wales division electorally have not had such a bad record over the years.
They certainly been in government in the state a lot more than we have, and they won more seats than we have and most of the country, I might add, So whilst the organization's got some issues, you know, electorally, of their performance hasn't been all that bad. I might add though, that I saw this guy, George Newhouse, I think it is who's drumming up, drumming up support for a class section. Well, is he the same Blake who was the Labor candidate.
For Yes, yes, yes it is.
Yeah, that's right, that's right, that's right. So the Blake. So any Liberal counselor who hasn't had their nomination put in and who's quite rightly extremely aggrieved and angry about what happened, please don't fall for the bit of falling into this Blake's trap of him being a great community servant. I mean, he's a Labor Party operative and no one should give him any any work whatsoever on this issue for goodness sake.
Tony Abbott of Courses us All weighed in. He says that the Liberal Party president Don Harwin's position is untenable. Rich O, do you think he has to go? Do you think potentially Mark Speakman also needs to accept some responsibility, seeing as he was warned that this was happening, that there was chaos in this process.
Well, I think the president's got to go. I don't see any way that he can possibly survive. He and Richard Schiels, I think are finished, and i'd hope that they would see to it pretty quickly. Just go, because I don't think when the whole world knows you've up mightily, there's not much point and continuing on stubbornly pretending that it's all okay, because it's not and it's not going to be okay. So you know, they've got their share of difficulties, and I'm delighted to see it.
Frankly, Now, the reason this matters, the reason this matters is so that counsels aren't overtaken by Greens and other radical counselors. And just to prove this point, have a look at this social media video from a Palestinian activist.
His name is hush Taya.
Some of you will know who he is, and he wants to run for Merrybick Council.
Have a look when I announced that I'll be nominating to run as a counsel of Marybick, so many Zionists, their sympathizers and bigots wrote comments.
Like running for councils about waste management, running for councils about filling potholes.
I do care about all that.
It's always important to take the Ribish out.
And it goes on and on with content that's equally as offensive as that. The Herald Sun reports that he plans to run as an independent Michael. This is why the council issue matters, so that voters do have the option to vote for the Liberal Party, that they aren't left with a council that's run by radicals and the.
Greens and people like him, who, if I'm not mistaken, isn't he the same blake that was involved in a number of anti Jewish demonstrations around Corfield one particular night, he was involved in one implying implying that Jewish people might have been involved in burning down his Hamburger.
Jeweys the exactly and of course that wasn't it. It is the same guy. It wasn't the case at.
All, as police the Jews, it wasn't the Jews up, it wasn't the Jewish. What a shock, what a surprise. So of course these council. These council elections matter, but we have people like this putting his head up and let's type the good people of that council area reject him because he doesn't even live in the area, although.
He says his business is in the area.
Day two of the Democratic National Convention, we saw Barack Obama speak he backed in Kamala Harris while slamming Donald Trump.
Have a look, here's a seventy eight year old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he wrote down his Golden Escalator nine years ago.
It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually been getting worse now that he's afraid of losing the common There's the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes.
I mean, the convention was as much about Trump as anything else, Richo, not many policies to speak of. And on the Obamas, I got the sense that they had hoped Michelle might run this time, but now, of course they've thrown their full support behind Kamala.
Well.
I think a lot of us, me certainly, would love to have seen her run I think she's a spectacularly good polly. Even though she's not in politics full time, she certainly knows how to make a speech that's very, very political, and so I think she would have been a tremendous candidate that having me said, I'm a fan
of Harris's. I think she's doing well. I think she'll beat Trump, and I think she'll beat Trump comfortably, and I think that'll there silence a lot of people who have really i think, gone out after in a way that I've found quite distasteful.
Well, I think in American politics, nothing's left on the table. People are going after Kamala just as in just as strong a way as they are going after Trump. But Michael, there is an issue that you know, there are concerns about the substance and the policies behind Kamala Harris. What is she s DOWND for, what is her policy platform? Of course none of this has been developed because she came to the candidacy so late in the peace.
Yeah, it's interesting watching that convention today. I think that audience are just in shock, But I don't think they can believe that Kamala Harris has been competitive and in many polls in front of Donald Trump. I think they all know she's pretty ordinary. She's been a hopeless vice president. She's trying to airbrush Biden out of history, so as
she wasn't there for the last three years. I just think they're totally stunned that the American public have fallen for this sort of three card trick of you know, it's great, isn't she laughing and smiling? It's a new era, et cetera, et cetera. I think Trump's support is very deep seated. There are hard Trump voters. I think a lot of her support is very skin deep. And while she's in front at the minute, there's the possibility that
her campaign will collapse. And what we've seen so far is CNN, the New York Times and MSNBC protect her from this, not giving any interviews. Can you imagine a leader here not giving an interview for months. I mean, you wouldn't get away with it in Australia, they've protected her. But even thoughy now are going to have to come to the realization that she's going to have to give interviews, you're going to have to debate Trump, and once she's
out there having to answer questions. I think she's in a world of trouble because we've all seen her answer questions in the past and it ain't pretty and it ain't deep.
No, I agree, and it's also going to be fascinating what happens with RFK Junior. I'm going to come back to that a bit later in the show with the New York Post reporter. All Right, Michael Kroger, grah and Richardson. Great to see you as always on a Wednesday.
Now.
Environment Minister Tanya Plibasak has sparked outrage this week after her decision to block a billion dollar gold mine. This eleventh hour move shocked everyone involved. It was done on indigenous heritage grounds despite both state and federal departments giving it the green light. Plibisk has defended her decision.
Have a look.
Crucially, I have I'm a good a Section ten declaration and sixteen percent of the toll project fopprint and that sixteen percent is on the headwaters.
And the screens of the Bilbo Loba Bar.
But Shadow Indigenous Australians Minister jess Enter Price has slammed the move.
It's utterly disgraceful that Minister Plibisk has determined to ensure that eight hundred and seventy jobs do not go ahead, that Indigenous Australians from the Orange Area will miss out on economic development within their region. We know that the Orange Land Council, who are the legal authority to speak on this particular issue on issues of development within their region, had voiced no concern with this project going ahead now.
Scott Morrison's former Press secretary Andrew Carswell wrote in The Nightly that Plebersac is emerging as the single biggest threat to the Albanese government's tenuous hold on majority rule. He says the wrecking ball that albaneze never expected nor countenanced. And Andrew Carswell, our regular guest on the show. He
joins me, now, Andrew, good to see you again. Look, we'll get to the specifics of this gold mine in a minute, but I just want to start with the politics of all of this, because clearly Albanezey wanted to sideline plebisc He views her as a rival threat to his leadership. He didn't want her to pose a threat, and yet how is she now emerging as a problem for him politically.
Tania Pliti Seca was effectively banished to Siberia after the twenty twenty two election. She was the key rival in New South Wales on the left. She did support Bill Shorten against Albanesi in an earlier leadership spill. She was someone that Alberanzi did not want anywhere near his leadership or the key leaders within cabinets, so she was banished
to the outer ring of the government. She was saddled with an environment policy which usually is an innocuous policy, but suddenly it's not so innocuous, and suddenly we are seeing environment policy front and center in the national debate, and it's a feisty debate, and Tanya is in front and center in that. And the government wants to talk about cost of living, they want to talk about the economy, but they're instead talking about environment laws and changes to
the environment laws, particularly around approvals called nature positive. That is hogging the spotlight from what the government wants to talk about.
And you've seen this close up because you are a lobbyist representing some of these groups that have come up against Tanya Plibisek, you know, with huge fights over policy.
I want to look at the detail of this gold mine.
So a leading indigenous group in Orange had said there were no issues at all. But then another rival group and it's been described in media outlets as a green radical, has expressed concerns. It appears that Plibisek has sided with.
Them yes and put out on Friday and night just before the TV newsers. So it just escapes into the ether. But what a decision this was. I mean, what it's effectively called in indigenous circles is mob shopping. It's where governments look for the one splinter group of indigenous leaders to get a decision out of and ignore the others. Now, the Orange Aboriginal Land Council, who govern this area, are
very happy with this project. It would deliver six hundred and seventy jobs, it would deliver a huge amount of investment into the local community. They're happy with the project.
It went through the Department of Environment, it ticked all the boxes, and then suddenly we get this last minute decision from a minister based on the whisperings, the whisperings of one or two indigenous leaders that said there may have been some secret thing that happened at this site, but we don't know what the details are because it is a secret and the minister herself said, you can't reveal those details because it is too sensitive.
What message does this stand about investment in Australia when you can't trust a minister or a government's approval process, when it appears to be so unreliable.
Well, this is why the Minister herself is emerging as a threat to the Abanezi government's ten years hold on majority rule, because it will extract its whole politically, particularly in Wa. I mean, this project's a long way from Wa. But if there's one state that knows the connection between the mining community and economic outcomes for their state, it is Wa. It is Queensland, it is Tasmania, where projects are so intrinsically linked to the economy. So when things
like this happen, people get nervous. Proprietors of projects get nervous. The bar goes up in terms of what they need to leap over to get projects off the ground, and investment doesn't come into the country to see those projects get off the ground.
All right, Andrew Carswell, good to see you again.
Thank you Now still to come on the show.
Albanezy slammed over an off color joke at a private dinner last night.
Not the live expert. We've made sure it.
Was dead and that was about the meal that was eaten.
Plus James Patterson, it's the pressure on labor for failing to get Asio involved in guards and visas. And he'll join me after this quick break.
Welcome back.
Well, the Prime Minister has finally today admitted that a number of the three thousand visitor visas granted to Palestinians in the wake of the October seven attacks have been canceled, but he continues to defend his process. I spoke with Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Patterson about this a little earlier. James Patterson, thank you so much for your time.
Great to be with you now.
Police in New South Wales have expressed concern about the inadequacy of the visa process and the security vetting. They're concerned that it could be risking community safety. Law enforcement in New South Wales also say they're frustrated because they haven't even been consulted by the Albanese government. What do you make of these concerns from senior police.
So this is a hugely significant story. It's effectively a vote of no confidence by New South Wales police in the Albanesi government's handling of immigration, national security and community safety, and no wonder because it's police who are on the front line who have to deal with the consequences of a rushed and inadequate vetting process that the Albanezi government has put in place since the seventh of October in handing out almost three thousand tourist visas to people leaving Gaza,
an average time of just twenty four hours, and some instances as quickly as one hour, Far faster and in far greater numbers than any of our like minded allies around the world. So I am not surprised that police are alarmed, but it is very concerning.
Home Affairs has admitted to me that almost all of the applicants did apply through an online electronic process. How far I do you think these checks can be when they're being approved in as little as one hour.
It's not possible to do an identity verification loan, a security check on someone leaving a war zone control by a terrorist organization in as quickly as an hour or even twenty four hours. And it is very illustrative that every single one of our Five Eyes partners, that all of our democratic allies and friends around the world have
adopted a very different approach. Even Canada, which says they ultimately hope to resettle up to five thousand people, has only taken in a fraction of that a tenth of what Australia has in the six months since the seventh of October. Because they are taking the time to get it right, and they are granting them refugee in humanitarian visas, which have higher levels of security screening, not tourist visas. The Abaneza government has taken a globally unique approach to
this issue. It's a very brave thing to do, and I fear there'll be consequences for our national security.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Look, the Prime Minister keep saying in Parliament every day that he trusts the intelligence agencies, he has faith in them to get the process right. But James, hasn't it become clear that actually Azio is and vetting every single visa.
I trust our intelligence agencies too. The person I don't trust is our Prime Minister, and his performance in question time last week and this week on these issues has only deepened my mistrust in him because he's failed to be upfront, he's failed to be honest. He's failed to answer basic factual questions and he's deliberately obfuscating when it comes to questions like how many cases are being referred to ASIO or not. Mike Burgess has already answered this question.
It is settled. We know not every case is being referred to ASIO, and the Prime Minister won't acknowledge that. But he's very careful with his language to make sure that he's not accused of misleading the House this week, as he was caught out doing last week.
There's this extraordinary situation where apparently it's okay to have people come to Australia and live here, become citizens who have rhetorical support for a terrorist organization.
Do you think this is problematic?
And it's just at its very fundamental level, How would this change the fabric of Australian society.
It's hugely problematic, Shari Frankly, I think we have enough problems in our country already when it comes to record levels of anti Semitism, when it comes to extraordinary strains on social cohesion, before we go adding to those problems by bringing in people who will exacerbate them because of the views and the values that they have I mean, if we were really traveled as a country by the scenes that we saw at the Sydney Opera House on the ninth of October, or the rally in Western Sydney
on the eighth of October that celebrated the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, then we wouldn't be bringing in people who also shared those views and in fact may have even more extreme views and stronger support for Hamas. That seems like an entirely counterproductive thing to do if you're genuinely concerned about social cohesion, as the Prime Minister claims to be. What we should be doing is having a high standard for who we bring to this country.
We're a very attractive country. There are millions of people around the world who'd like to come, and we're entitled to say that we want the best of the world coming to Australia, not people who support listed terrorist organizations and their atrocities.
What do you think it says about the visa process that twenty three Australian visas were issued to Palestinians that were then counseled while the people were en route to Australia. They were already on their journey here.
Well, this blows apart the Prime Minister and Tony Burk's defense of the government that all adequate security checks took place before visas were granted. By definition, if you granted visa and then subsequently cancel it, not all adequate checks were done in the first place. And it sounds like from media reporting that in some instances it was just a matter of hours or even minutes that these visas
were canceled before people got on planes. Now, while that's important, is had they been out to get on those planes, had they come into our country. They are very difficult to deal with once they're here because they have access to our legal system and can tie it up in knots for years. So if they did pose a risk, we would be stuck with them until the legal system
resolved their status. That is the risk that this government has exposed us to by not doing this properly, as we did with the Syrian and Afghan intakes, of taking people to third countries, having face to face interviews, conducting biometric screening, they're the kind of things that you need to do if you want to make sure you're not bringing in a risk to our country.
Look, these Palestinians coming from Gaza have been brought in on visitor visas, so this is intended for people who might be visiting family members in Australia. It doesn't include Medicare or other taxpayer funded support, so they come here and visit a visas, but then quickly we know about four hundred and then quickly have been transferred to bridging visas so they can access taxpayer funded support. Are you concerned that this initial use of visitor visas is in fact fraudulent.
It was totally improper for the government to grant tourist visas for people who the Minister for Home Affairs has publicly admitted have no prospect of returning to Gaza anytime soon. They should have been a says for refugee visas and if they met the threshold and passed the test then they could be welcomed in Australia. But if they don't, then they shouldn't and that hasn't happened here. And the problem is it's ultimately Australians who will pay the price
of this. We've calculated that if all three thousand are converted to permanent visas or refugee visas, in this country after having first been granted tourist fizs that over four years, that will cost the Australian tax path three hundred million dollars. Frankly, I think in the middle of a cost of living crisis, the appetite of the Australian public to pay that level of support to people who came here improperly on tourist vizs is going to be very low.
All right, this is a very serious issue. You've been at the forefront of raising these questions, James Patterson.
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you, Sherry.
And after the break, growing calls for The New York Times to sack a journalist who leaked a list containing the private details of hundreds of Australians.
The legal action is heating up.
Plus Albinizi gets farmers off site after an off color joke at a private dinner. We'll play you the full recording next Welcome Back with the Prime Minister has been criticized for a tone deaf joke about killing off the live export trade at a black tie dinner last night.
Here he was when we had dinner, beautiful Australian beef, not the live export.
We've made sure it was dead.
And that was said in front of a room full of farmers. At least one tweeted to criticize him. Let's bring in tonight's political panel, National Senate Leader Bridget Mackenzie and Labor MP Josh Burns Bridget. According to The Nightly, which has run this audio, farmers were offended by this joke because it's a soul point in a major way that the live sheep trade has been killed off by the Albanese government. What did you make of his failed joke there?
Yeah, look, Shari I was in the room at the time. There are over six hundred rural and regional Australians there to celebrate women in agriculture and our leaders. And for the PM to give such a tone death response about the live cattle trade I thought was appalling, particularly in the light of when he made that comment, he was talking about his dinner he'd just had previously with the
Indonesian incoming leader. And when you remember the last time Labor was in government, they shut down a live cattle trade and shut off protein to our nearest neighbor Indonesia, which caused quite the crisis. And we're still mopping up from at an economic and a social level. This government has cut the live sheep trade in WA, which is an appalling decision and he's having repercussions right throughout Western Australia.
Not just primary producers, but our truckees and the sub herbs of Perth are appalled by this behavior and for him to joke about it, says this Prime Minister thought he was speaking and had to apologize about live export as if he were speaking to Marrickville vegans instead of a group of people packed into a parliament House who are very proud of our red meat trade, including our live export trade.
Josh Burns, do you think it's understandable that farmers are annoyed by this.
Well, good evening, Shari and good evening bridget I don't think the Prime minist and meant any offense by his comments. I would say a couple of things. One is that no, obviously we support Australian agriculture and Australian businesses, but at the last election we made it clear that we were going to end the live sheep export. There were industry was already shrinking dramatically, and that they were given plenty
of opportunities to clean up their act. There was too many instances where they did that, Josh our Bridge, I promise you, I won't interrupt you, but let me finish my sentence. And so there were plenty of chances for the live sheep industry to clean up their act, but there just wasn't a safe way of taking these sheep across to the Middle East and the soaring heat, I mean, it was torturing these things. So we said what we were going to do, and we did exactly that. We've
put the legislative date to twenty twenty eight. We've created a package of transition for industry. I know it's hard for a lot of people, and I don't celebrate that. I mean, I know it's a difficult decision and that's what government is sometimes, but we said we were going to do it, and we did it.
Bridget Do you think if the coalition won the next election, you might overturn that ban.
Oh? Absolutely, We've already made that commitment. If we had the great honor and privilege of being in government again, we will be overturning that ban.
But what Josh.
Completely misses the point here. The reality is the Prime Minister was talking about Australian beef when he joked about the issues with live export, as if there was something to be ashamed of that it was okay to eat avatar beef but not live export beef. And that is
the appalling decision. Everyone is appalled by the keep the sheep the sheep ban, But the fear is that the Labor Party has the same view about our cattle trade, and our cattle trade keeps our nearest neighbor, Indonesia in clean, green, aussy beef and protein, which which is exactly what they need.
And there have been reports that activists the thin edge of the wedge. There have been reports that activists might start to target beef expots next. Josh, I just want to ask you about the CFMEU reports this week that it's threatened a new Jewish community have been Sydney on behalf of a major construction company. It's threatened to bring protesters to the Hakawa Club in Sydney. What do you think of this threat from the CFMEU and does this show that they're an aggressive union.
It's absolutely appalling, Shari and there's no place for it. I mean, it's trying to intimidate really a hub that celebrates Jewish life in Sydney and in Australia. The Hakoa Club is not an outpost of the Israeli government. It's a Jewish community institution here in Australia and for the CFMU to try and intimidate them over a dispute over building contracts is absolutely unacceptable. It's intimidatory and I called it out at the time and I repeat it now tonight.
There is no place for that sort of sort of mixing of the Middle East conflict with targeting of Australian communities. And you know, there is a very clear word for that shari and that is anti Semitism.
Yeah, especially on a construction site. Bridget final word on the CFMEU here.
Well, it's great to say the Labor Party calling out the anti semitism of the CFMU. I wish they do it for the university students. I wish they'd do it in Western Sydney suburbs where we're seeing this type of behavior, you know, targeting and attacking Australian Jewish community, and they need to do more of it instead of just saving it for the CFMU.
Yeah, good point. I'm sorry both of you that we're out of time tonight.
Book.
Great to see you, Bridget Mackenzie, Josh Burns, thank you so much. Now, after the break, we're going to have a look at the news that six hostages have been recovered from Gaza, plus the news that RFK Junior might be dropping out of the race and siding with Trump, and how Kamala Harris has split the coalition behind her.
New York Post reporter would join me next.
Well.
RFK Junior is said to be considering dropping out of the presidential race and even throwing his support behind Donald Trump. There are reports that his campaign may have run out of money. Columnist for the New York Post, David Kaufman joins me.
Now, good to see you, David.
Look, RFK has been accused of splitting the Democrat vote, so if he dropped out, there's the possibility some Democrats would return to Kamala, But then, of course he could also bolst the Trump support.
How do you think this would play out.
Well in the wake of the Democratic National Convention which is going on right now, and the way in which Kamala Harris has really stolen the wind out of Donald Trump's sale. A former President Trump really needs a win right now. He needs to make some news, He needs
to get back into the action and the endorsement by RFK. However, that really kind of pans out in the end, I think would be a big, big, go, very long way towards making that happen, to giving him a return to the news cycle and helping him ensure that he maintains his visibility and momentum right now at a moment where Kamala has really dominated everything right.
Now, Well, let's turn to Chicago. Day two of the Democratic National Convention has wrapped up. You've written a column that the coalition behind Kamala could be about to split.
Explain this.
Yeah, so I wrote a piece in the Telegraph yesterday focusing on news that came out of you know, TikTok and social media last week that black groups and h pro palaciting and black groups had begun to show conflict and friction with Arab pro Palaestine Arab groups, Which is, there's been this long time, very vocal connection and affinity between Black groups supporting the Palastinian cause and Arab groups who have really depended upon them to booy their their
their their their their prominence there's been now this conflict brooming because many of these black UH influencers and TikTokers who've been supporting the Palician cause are now under pressure by these Arab groups, these these Arab influencers to denounce Kamala, to commit not voting for Kamala, to saying that they're going to UH not support her because she is perceived
as supporting the genocide, supporting supporting the Palatinian cause. Even though she has called for a cease buyer, she has not called for an arms And so these Arab American tiktoker's influencers are basically demanding their African American counterparts, who've been supportive and in solidarity with them since October seventh, not to vote for Kamala Harris because she is not one hundred percent on their side or on the right
side when it comes to the Palestinian issue. Naturally, for these Americans, especially women, you know, Kamala Harris's candidacy is a historic moment. They very much intend to vote for her, and they're questioning why can't they support Kamala Harris and support Palestinians in Gazo. Why must it be either or all?
Right?
I just want to end with this heartbreaking news overnight that the bodies of six is Raeti hostages were recovered from Hamas tunnels during an Israeli operation. David, what do we know about this operation and the hostages who were killed by Hamas?
Yeah, so it's actually a personal connection. I went to one of the keyboard scene a couple months ago and was given a tour by the Metsican family. The son who's now their father, has been identified and his body has been brought back, So you know, there was an
operation in Communists to bring back these these bodies. They were being held in tunnels as have as are most assumed the hostages who are still unaccounted for, six of them have died, and it's just another sort of a nail in the hearts of Israel right now, more bad news. It also shows the commitment to which the IDF maintains to rescuing and retrieving as many Israelis as possible, whether
they're dead or alive. As for Israelis, as much as it's extremely important right now that they bring home to live life hostages, returning the bodies for a proper Jewish burial is paramount to have enclosure for these families, many of which including the met family. Not only were was this father kidnapped, but the mother was kidnapped as well.
As she was all right, David will have to leave it. They really appreciate you joining us.
Thank you, thank you, and everyone at home. I see you tomorrow at eight o'clock. But up now, poor Murray