Sharri | 21 November

Live on Sky News. This is Sharry.

Good Evening Big Show tonight. The Albanese government accused of raiding the nation's nest egg to fund Labour's green dream and ideological whims from a future. Fund chairs have come out to condemn this misuse of money for pet causes.

More on that shortly.

Also tonight, the horrific rampage of anti Semitic vandalism in Sydney and how the Albanesi government has not lifted a finger over the past year. My take on this in a moment, and Federal Court Justice Michael Lee of Bruce Lehman Fame weighs in on this rise of anti Semitism in Australia.

My exclusive on that a little later.

But first tonight, this was distressing to wake up to today, the state of anti Jewish vandalism in Sydney. Overnight in the very streets where we live, eat and work, a car torched up to a dozen others spray painted, and a Palmer building a restaurant with anti Semitic graffiti. CCTV shows two hooded men in dark clothing and wearing face masks leeing leaving the attacks.

Now this is how it unfolded.

The evil captured on cameras not long after the attack. Now we don't know for sure who did this, but the graffiti PKK is coming was sprayed on some cars, a reference perhaps to a Kurdish terror group. Now this took place across several streets in Wallara, near a synagogue, also a Jewish care facility. Even Matt Moran's restaurant, Chiswick was spray painted. And he said today that there's no place for this in our community. This criminal anti Semitic violence is now too much, it's.

Gone too far.

But the Prime Minister's only response is a pathetic written statement where he said the conflict in Israel and Gaza shouldn't be brought to Australia, even though it's exactly what his ministers keep doing. Alberizi said there is no place for antisemitism in Australia. Conflict overseas cannot be made a platform for prejudice at home. He says he has trust

Statements like this, You can't.

Bomb your way to peace, you know.

I think the last twelve months have shyness that the bombing has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, in Lebanon, more than a thousand people murdered in Israel as well.

An estimate of one point seven million people in Gaza are internally displaced, and there are increasingly few safe places for Palestinians to go. What Australia would say is Israel must now exercise special care in relation to these civilians, and not doing so would have devastating consequences.

Tony Burke, He's Home Affairs Minister, He's in charge of our safety and our national security.

Well.

Back in June, he posted on x about Islamophobia. He said that he's seen discussing examples of graffiti dehumanizing to Palestinians and other examples that are clear Islamophobia circulating online. Yet curiously nothing today on his ex account after last night's attacks. But why can't the Prime Minister tell his own ministers to stop aggravating tensions and potentially inflaming anti Semitism when already we're at such a dangerous inflection point,

We watch this horror unfold now.

In an interview this morning, both Ray Hadley and Peter Dutton so that Albin Ezy and Penny Wang we're to blame for not showing leadership against this anti Semitic violence.

For months and months. The weak merely mouthed words out of the Prime Minister, I think have just given encouragement to these lunatics. Mister Albanezi has allowed it, and it's sent a very clear message that you know, we've got tolerance for a bit of anti Semitism, and the Prime Minister coming out today to condemn these attacks. Frankly, they're just hollow words and I think ultimately an insult somehow the Albanzi government, through Penny Wong and Anthony Alberizi somehow

As he says.

The Albanezy government seems to have set a tone where there is tolerance for a bit of antisemitism. They don't seem to think it's a massive problem, but it is a massive problem. It is criminal and today police set up as strike force to track down the perpetrators, describing this as a hate crime.

It is brazen, it is offensive. The behavior of the people who did it is disgusting. This incident is an isolated incident. Those vehicles, like I said, there were ten that were graffitied, and there were three premises and that's all that we have at the moment, and it hasn't been anything of this similar type of graffiti in recent times.

Now, Like others, I took exception to that police description of this as an isolated incident, because it's certainly not an isolated incident. Her Maas has been spray painted on buildings across the East over and over again, not just in Sydney, but in mel Lyn as well over the past year.

In Sydney's East in Bondai.

A kosher kitchen, Missus Lewis's, was set alight in what police said was a suspected arson attack. They've been investigating for weeks still no update. Avner's Bakery in Surrey Hills was also vandalized, with a threatening note left under the door.

No answers there either.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the thugs just get away with this behavior. And Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Patterson today said that the fact that the law hasn't been enforced means that this violence is only escalating.

I am concerned with the approach that they've taken across the country since the seventh of October. I think they have been too permissive with some of the behaviors that we've seen. It's astonishing to me that it took twelve months before the first charges were laid under federal legislation about the display of prohibited symbols, hate symbols like the

Excellent points as always from James Patterson. Now, as you know, just recently Benjaminette, Yahoo had to send planes to Amsterdam to rescue two thousand Jews. Well, now Israel's clearly concerned about what's going on in Australia, because the Israeli Embassy set in a statement that there needs to be and I quote immediate measures to protect and uphold the rights

This is an attack that's designed to menace, intimidate and silence one group of Australians. Only it took place in the heart of Sydney's Jewish community and it has no place in Australia.

This community of Australians.

Jewish Australians have been feeling besieged and under threat for the past year and it simply has to stop.

To target the Jewish community in Sydney in their homes and on the streets is antisemitism, plain and simple. And the sort of vandalism and the sort of violence we saw last night has no place in Australia.

And they're right.

This attack last night in the heart of where we live and work was purely designed to intimidate not just our Jewish community but all Australians. It's designed to bully Jews and those who support Israel into silence. But we won't let these thugs succeed. Yes, we demand better from police and from politicians, absolutely, but we won't be intimidated. We won't be scared away by anti Semites aligned with the far right, aligned with Islamic extremism, or with the

I'm yes, rah el hi.

Okay, We've got a lot to cover tonight, but I want to get reaction first from someone who was there this morning, who woke up on these streets to this graffiti. Elliott Spira joins me. Now, his building is on the same street in Wulara where.

This attack took place.

Elliott, thank you for speaking out, having the courage to be here despite those attacks overnight. Can you tell us about how you woke up to the news this morning.

Yeah, I actually didn't realize what had happened. Overnight I woke up. I wasn't aware, but my wife got up to take care of our six month old. During the night there was commotion on the street.

It woke them.

She got him back to sleep, and this morning, after a bad night, I went to get his carrier from the car. Walking him down the street, I noticed some graffiti and I saw soon thereafter that it said f Israel right there the car outside my building. And I got to say, I was really disappointed, but not all that much surprised, because unfortunately this has become a reality for the Jewish community living here in Sydney, Australia, since October seventh, twenty twenty three.

Exactly, you're right, and you know that.

I think clearly the police have every intention. They've said that today they're putting a lot of resources into this.

Particular strike force.

But the police commander who stood up there and said this is an isolated incident, well, it's just wrong because this is now an established pattern of behavior. We had the convoys that went through the suburbs not that long ago. We've seen protests outside synagogues, we've seen extensive graffiti everywhere. But yet they can stand up there and say this is isolated.

That's that's not how it feels to the community, is.

It not at all?

I mean, you only have to cast your mind back to two days after the greatest loss of Jewish life since Holocausts, October ninth, outside the Sydney Opera House, great symbol and icon of our city, and a hateful mob calling for effing the Jews. And I'll leave it to your interpretation whether it's gassing the Jews or not. But

And even the hate preachers the day before that they were just allowed to get away with saying they were related that the terror attacks should be incitement to violence.

Absolutely, and it continues everywhere. It continues with politicians who have hollow words. But at the same time, I'm freeze funding fun and right, despite being complicit and actively involved in fact in the events of October seventh and everything that happens since you know, it goes to well, the labor government is doing some part of them, but it's just reality. Money is being taken, taxpayer money for social cohesion is going towards groups that actually support Hamas and full in terror.

So it's shocking, it's totally ridiculous.

Now you were actually living in Tel Aviv with your pregnant wife at the time that October seven happened. I mean, you know, you left Israel because of the terror that was unfolding to make sure your new baby, just six months old, is safe, and now you're living on a street where this happens.

We actually left just before we left, you know, two weeks beforehand, to come for my cousin's wedding, and very soon thereafter it happened, and it is truly shocking. Her family currently actually refugees from the north from a large city up there, Qhmuna, and they've been living in hotels in the center of the country for a very long time.

In Israel, there's a lot of solidarity amongst all Israelis, regardless of religion, but unfortunately we're seeing this breakdown in social cohesion in Australia totally.

Elliott, thank you for being here, really appreciate it.

Thank you.

All Right, Well, we're going to come back to that a bit later on, but now let's talk about the Future Fund and to discuss I'm joined by Perth Mayor Basil Zemplus and commentator Jason Morrison.

Welcome to you both.

Well, the Treasurer has rewritten the two hundred and thirty billion dollar Future Fund to prioritize investments in green energy, housing and infrastructure.

Now, this is the.

First time the federal government has actually mandated specific asset classes for the fund and we've seen it be widely criticized. Today the first Future Fund Chairman, David Murray, he's slammed the idea. He said it could jeopardize returns and also would risk the fund's independence. Now the Treasurer Jim Chalmers disagreed. Here's what he ought to say.

But David Murray is not on this occasion correct. He is factually wrong to make the comments that he is making. Fund will be required to consider the national priorities in its investment decisions where possible, where appropriate, and consistent with strong returns.

But Opposition leader Peter Dutton was furious about this change to the Future Fund.

Here he was in Parliament.

Labor is now rating the nation's nestig to cover its economic failures.

Prom minis to wire Australian's.

Paying for the Albansi government's economic incompetence basil.

Now, this was always going to be a controversial move. The idea of using an independent and body for political purposes.

Do you think this is concerning?

Independent is the keyword here.

The Future Fund was set up some time ago to look after the future generations of Australians and in particular safeguard their superannuation, to make sure that subsequent generations of Australians can be looked after and know that their savings are safe. So independence being the key word means it is not for the government of the day of whichever persuasion, to be meddling and suggesting to the board that they make certain investments in particular priority areas of the government

Yeah, look, and we saw that.

You know, Peter Costello as well has come out in a lengthy interview with The Australian. He said that the Future Fund was never set up to be a political slush fund to finance, as you say, Basil, the whims of the government of the day, Jason. You know, I think the moment that Greg Combey came in replacing Costello, there was always a risk that something like this was going to happen.

Yeah, they put one of their boys in who had no track record at all in running a fund of this caliber.

And look what's happened.

It's become a plaything.

The thing that frightens me about this is that to have charmers who really in life in business has achieved that tell someone like Murray and criticized Costello, and criticize the fund for that matter, that what eighteen years ago started with about fifty billion in the bank and has now for around two to twenty billion. It doesn't make losses as well, it does very very well, and it is well ahead of the tide of its obligations of four or five percent growth. It's doing exceptionally well and

And no one is really shocked.

This is what labor does, because labor has a habit of doing what it can with its institutions in order to achieve its outcome. And we've seen that for really generations in this country.

But this is a step too far.

And if he was so wise about these kind of investments, you've got to stop and wonder why isn't.

The government doing it itself.

And there's a good damn reason for that is because the returns are simply not there and the money is not there, so leave the super fund alone.

Well, I think this is going to continue to be a big issue. It could even become a pivotal election issue. So we're going to keep following this. Now, social media giants could be slapped with a fifty million dollar fine. This is under the new proposed legislation by the Albaneze government to make sure that under sixteens are not on social media sites. So any company that systematically breaches the age verification laws would face this financial penalty. Now, not

Have a look.

It is absolutely despicable.

How serious is the government that they want this rough and we haven't even seen a draft? You know that would I want to do? Just put it in there without us looking at it. I'm sorry, but there might be things where what can make amendments make it even better? And same with other people out they're making those amendments to make it better.

We'll give us the bloody draft now.

Elon Musk has also criticized this on X. He said, and I quote, seems like a backdoor way to control access to the Internet by all US Australians. Now, Basil Mask's point, and there's actually a correction on how bit Easy's ex post that says the legislation will require age verification of all users, including adults, to use social media. We don't know necessarily if this is true because we haven't seen the legislation. But Basil, if that is true, do you think it's going too far?

I think it is at the moment.

By the way, you can give your date of birth to X, and I think that allows you to be fast tracked when you might be trying to see certain types of contact that have some sort of limitations on it. So that already exists. But it's an opt in or opt out. If it was mandatory, then it is going a step too far. But I am in the camp that says, listen, we've wanted to bring social media usage under control for our younger people for some time. We've

We should all be able to see it well, Jason.

It's also unclear how social media platforms are meant to police this.

Yeah.

Look, I differ with you, Basil on this. I do the parenting in my household. I control it now before I left here control.

The parenting, Jason.

I know your wife, Heidi, and I'm sure she would disagree with your coadens that you do all the parenting.

We control it.

I mean I control I tell you the parenting I control.

Here is a thing.

You pull it out and they can't. They can't play on it anymore. That's how you're in control of it. And I think you know I would like the government to solve the problem we have with the kids fighting, or with the lot of other things going on. But the fundamentally comes back to a point it's your job. And I don't think that the solution here is to find a government solution.

I'm got a twelve year old who.

Can find his way around anything, and the only thing he can't find his way around is me pulling the thing out of the wall. That's the only thing he can't stop yet. And you know, and I think it's sort of at the stage now where we can go and hope there's a solution here, and we can go and pray that the government gets the policy things right.

But you're down to kids who have a desire.

To want to do something, and you don't have to go too far in life to find that. Kids find their way around their parents' rules all the time. And you know, right now there's fourteen year old sitting in parks drinking grog and they.

Are it and bought it.

Illegally as well.

They will always find a way.

The only thing that will stop it is by parents doing their job, not by relying on Elon Musk's coding or by Anthony Albanesi's legislation.

And I just think this is such an.

Art of waste of time, and I hope it falls down because I do have the concerns that have been expressed that we're giving them a little inch here and you know what will happen next, And I don't trust.

This mob all right, A bit of debate about that still to come.

But thank you for setting me straight on the pairing too.

That's very important.

So we've saved a brawl.

That was obvious, Jason, that was obvious.

Yeah, that definitely needed an intervention from me, a correction.

Live on it now.

Just lastly, this is really tragic this news coming out of Layos today. One of two Melbourne teenagers on life support who had been poisoned on a night out has sadly died. This is nineteen year old Bianca Jones. She was supposed to be on the trip of a lifetime with her best friend Polly. The two reportedly had their drinks laced with methanol. Absolutely every parent's worst nightmare, Basil.

It's so shocking, isn't it.

I mean, here we are, Jason and I are paiding various methods of parenting and I think we all accept we're all coming from a good place. And then there are some parents in Melbourne who no longer have their teenage daughter because of this absolute tragedy, a heinous crime, whether accidental or otherwise, just absolutely horrific. And we send our young kids overseas. It's a bit of a rite of passage. We want them to go and discover the world.

Yeah, it truly is really devastating.

All right, Basil zamplus Jason Morrison, thank you both very much for your shame. Now, just before we go to a break, we've been talking a lot about antisemitism. Now you might remember Justice Michael Lee. He presided over Bruce Lohman's defamation trial. He rose to prominence in that role. He has tonight made a major intervention in our social cohesion crisis. He says that we need to shine a light on antisemitism. This is an exclusive story I'm bringing you right now.

Justice Michael Lee has.

Given me a copy of a speech that he's delivering tonight where he says we need to shine a light on antisemitism when we need to.

Reflect on its cause.

He says Justice Michael Lee that since the October seven terror attacks against Israel, he's had a stark and discomforting realization that despite living our whole lives in this country and thinking we knew it so well, we do not now recognize an aspect of it.

Those are his words.

He says, the growth and mainstreaming of antisemitism we've all seen emerge over the last thirteen months must be tackled, but understand how it is to be tackled requires some understanding.

Of how we got to where we are now.

He quotes in his speech the Racial Discrimination Act. It's about to reach its fiftieth anniversary, and he makes the point that Jewish people are protected from discrimination and vilification under the Act because the laws provide that they can be classified as an ethnic group. But he goes on to say, but the law has gone and will only go so far, no one in this room would be under any misapprehension as to the scope of the present problem.

Now.

He also says that good leadership can make a difference on anti Semitism, and he mentions in his speech that he's on the board of an institute at the Western Sydney University, and he says that despite this university having the largest Muslim population of any university in Australia, he says, I was pleased to see it has had no encampments and the leadership of the university spoke out promptly and firmly against and his midic speech that's worth me mentioning

To sprout slogans. We just know that too well.

His final message is that he encourages every person of good will to spread their light. He said that everyone can do their best to combat the dark forces that have emerged by shining a light on the problem together. So huge, look, congratulations. We have to commend Justice Michael Lee for using his position. He's very popular in the media industry and with the public.

He's now intervened in.

The social cohesion crisis to stand up against anti Semitism, and I say thank you to Justice Michael Lee for that. Now still to come, we return to those scenes of antisemitic vandalism with a former FBI counter terrorism expert and Penny Woe grilled on our revelations last night that she acted against the advice of her own bureaucrats. Plus why Chris Bowen is so ideologically opposed to nuclear.

Energy, All of that is coming up.

Welcome back, well, Chris Bowen's ideological opposition.

To nuclear that's coming up in a moment.

But first, Penny Wang was grilled in the Senate today about why she rejected the recommendation of Australian diplomats at the United Nations and instead supported the one sided motion recognizing Palestinian sovereignty. This was my exclusive story last night. I revealed that Wog went against a recommendation made by Australia's mission to the United Nations which suggested that we abstain from this resolution.

Or here was Pennywog being pressed on this today?

Did defact or Australia's UN mission recommend that Australia maintain a position of abstain on the UN resolution regarding permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people? Why did you overturn their recommendation?

The guide is consistent with the priority the Albanese government mark places on building momentum towards a two state solution. The vote in favor of this solution by Australia was alongside more than one hundred and fifty five members of the international community, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan and New Zealand.

YEP, she couldn't really answer the question on why she did not follow the recommendation of our diplomats well to.

Discuss this and more.

I'm joined now by the director of counter Terrorism and Intelligence Program at the Washington Institute and former FBI analyst, Matthew Levett.

Matthew, thank you very much for joining me.

Look, what's your view on Australia supporting this resolution that was described by American officials as one sided and not conducive to the peace process.

Look, as a former US government official, I'm sensitive to the fact that you want to follow the advice of your experts, that you pay good money to work on these issues. So it's telling if your un staff, if you're a staff at DEFAT is give you certain advice. I understand the desire of people who want to try and find a way to move forward from the past year plus of trauma on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

Controls the government in Romala.

What we need to do is to find ways to isolate Hamas, create something in Gaza that does not include Hamas, get that local Palestinian self rule established security for Israel.

I am not giving up on the idea of a two state solution.

I just recognize that's a twenty year prospect at this point, and failure to recognize that reality doesn't contribute to stability in the moment.

It actually makes it less likely.

Because israelities in particular, we'll look at you and just want to know what universe are you coming from?

Why are you rewarding Hamas for October seven because nothing's changed since then for any long to have this position. Now, I want to ask you about you know, these deplorable scenes that we saw in Sydney overnight where cars and buildings were vandalized, clearly anti Semitic attacks.

This is an escalation of intimidation. We haven't seen.

Enough leadership in Australia over the past year, like in many global cities. You know, there've been protests outside synagogues also, they've been defaced. As a counter terrorism expert, what do you think needs to happen in Australia right now to avoid scenes like this escalating look, I think.

It's really important for authorities to see this for what it is. You know, even if you were against Israel and Israeli policies, this kind of stuff against Israel targeting local Jewish citizens is not opposing Israel. It's opposing these local Jewish citizens, and law enforcement has to take that seriously, whether it's as a.

Hate crime or something else.

There's a role for law enforcement to get involved, not only once it happens, but in advance. And community policing isn't only about making the victimized community feel better after it happens. It's about going out and finding where this happened and making sure that the people involved in understand we're going to be enforcing the law.

Now.

Have the opportunity a couple of days ago in Melbourne to speak at the Australia New Zealand Police Conference on a panel on the impact of October seventh on policing. It wasn't unique to Australia and New Zealand. This is truely the United States or elsewhere, and this was part of my message to them that you have an opportunity to be part of the solution, but we have to enforce laws we have to make clearity communities what those

Yeah, I think you're absolutely spot on them.

There have not been anywhere near enough arrests, barely any related to this sort of behavior. Just finally, you're quite an expert on Hesbala, You've written a book on the terrorist group.

We've seen reports.

Over the past couple of weeks that there could be some sort of ceasefire deal between Israel and Hesbela and Lebanon. Doesn't look like that's going to eventuate now, not because of the Israel side of it.

Where do you see this headed?

So thank you for mentioning my book. The Australia version comes out in a week and a half.

Thank you very much.

Look, I think that there will be a ceasefire. Whether it happens right now or not is not yet determined. Hakstein, the US diplomat was in Lebanon, now he's in Israel. Hasbela even weighed in on it. There is a situation where Hesbela has been so pummeled that they desperately want a ceasefire. This ceasefire will come with a sixty day window to make sure that everybody's doing what they're supposed to do.

It's not going to be perfect.

It's going to be trying to enforce UN Security Council Resolution seventeen oh one that ended.

The last one was that never enforced.

And so while there's no prospect of a better UN Security Council resolution because of the makeup of the Security Council, this time around it has to be enforced.

And the Israelis are on top of them making.

Clear if the Lebanese armed Forces or perhaps the UN contingent there UNIFIL fail to prevent Hasbala from coming in, the Israelis are going to do what they need to do to protect their citizenry and they're going to prevent Hesbla from coming back to that border.

But there's a real opportunity for.

A ceasefire, mostly because Israel created that opening by cutting Hasballa off at the knees, checking.

Out the leadership.

We need a UN resolution against the UN for failing to enforce seventeen oh one.

Since two thousands.

We can count on them to do that, all right, Matthew.

Lovitt, really appreciate your time and your expertise.

Thank you so much for having.

Me now Coming up after the break is the world embraces nuclear energy? Lay the content he News to argue against the technology. Bowen accused now of a catastrophic mistake. Well, what this means for labor with my panel Gary Hargrave and Graham Lloyd Next, welcome back with the battle over nuclear energy has hit new heights after Chris Bowen rejected a new agreement to speed up the deployment of the technology. This decision has been labeled by experts a catastrophic, strategic mistake,

It's not nuclear?

Is that its lowest share in forty years of energy? Globally more reactors are closing than opening. Well to fact check this, let's bring in Sky News contributor Gary Hargrave and associate editor at The Australian Graham Lloyd. Graham starting with you you make of tinya pluviusx comments and Chris Bones move here.

Well, it's an extraordinary thing, Charion. It's really an illustration of where politics gets in the way of common sense and good policy. What we're talking about here is an agreement at the cutting edge of nuclear research to develop these small reactors, and it's something that Australia has been involved in for the best part.

Of the last decade.

We have a very sophisticated nuclear apparatus here out at Lucas Heights and Anstowe. They've been feeding into these programs. That program is being updated and rather than admit that Australia has something to do with developing these nuclear plants that may be deployed elsewhere in the world, Chris Bowens pulled us out. And really it's shortsighted, both diplomatically and certainly from a scientific and research point of view.

And also you know, in terms of getting to a net zero position, which the government says at once to do. Gary, isn't Australia now increasingly out of step with our counterparts international countries, like minded nations.

Sarry I got to say, I think the average Australian has got it worked out.

They know this bloke Bowen is an idiot.

They not Tania Plivsek is also a sovereign risk, and they're blaming the Prime Minister. We are completely out of step with all forms of common sense. The price of electricity is going to continue to rise the longer we say no to having nuclear as part of the mix. It's as simple as that wind and sunshine is not going to cut it, not going to produce the baseload we need. We're just going to end up with diesel generators, very very expensive diesel generators filling up the gap like

This is ridiculous.

What they're doing is really ridiculous.

One of Labour's main arguments against nuclear is the expanse is how much it's going to cost.

But one leading.

Energy expert told my colleague Chris Kenny last Night that the transition to renewable energy under Labour's plan could cost six hundred billion dollars.

Have a quick look, if it was being done on time and at the scale that was necessary, it would be that I suspect we're going to need a little bit more than that as we look to firm up even beyond that that the thesis, the AMO thesis, has been that solar and renewables and hydro with batteries could get us there. But I think we're all admitting now that we're probably going to struggle in the twenty thirty period.

Graham Lloyd, do those estimations of cost six hundred billion dollars from Matt Rainy sound about right to you?

Well, certainly that is the findings of some research by Frontier Economics, and they've looked at the whole system cost of trying to achieve what the government is saying now. In the past, the government's only really admitted to a small part or fraction of what's involved. And now when you put it all together with the transmission lines and firming and other things, the numbers that are coming out are astronomically high. And as the interview showed there this

Yeah, it's an extraordinary cost, isn't it, Gari And we don't know the full extent of it.

You know there's no transparency here.

Well, there's no transparency for sure, but it's actually fourteen hundred billions point four trillion dollars involved in the duplication of the transmission lines and then down to the poles and wire. I mean, we saw what Chris Willman put to here on Sky just the other night. That is a compelling documentary that should be seen by any thinking Australian. Any grand parent or pairent that hasn't shown it to their children should queue the kids up to see it.

What they mean is poles and wires. So the two hundred and.

Thirty billion sitting in that that's going to go off to this sort of stuff. I think we are in a fearful problem right now and Australians all thinking Australians should rightly get angry at this government. They are hell bent on dragging this country back to pre colonial times.

Just very quickly, just thirty seconds gramload before we go. We're seeing another union, the United Workers Union, threatening to strike one thy five hundred employees. I mean if work stops at the four distribution centers in Victoria, New South Wales Supermarket and Liquor Star, shelves were being told could be bare this Christmas.

Well, it's really HARKing back to the passes and or back to the future where we have strikes and pay rise demands and things there really haven't been a big feature over recent years. From reading reports here, workers were concerned that they are going to be monitored too much on the workplace, but what they should be concerned about is being replaced by robots.

Well, yeah, that is a problem as AI develops, all right, Gary Hargrave gram Woyd, thank you both very much for your time. Thanks Now, communities in northern New South Wales feel abandoned by the government, so much so that an international aid organization that's helping in Ukraine has had to step in.

I'll tell you more on that after the break.

Well, from fire to floods, our regional communities are often hit by natural disasters and one international NGO, smart Aid, is now using its integrative, cutting edge technology to come to Australia to help with relief efforts, particularly in the New South Wales northern Rivers and in southeast Queensland. Shakha Zahavi, who's the co founder of smart Aid, joins me. Now, Shakha, welcome to Australia.

Now, can you tell.

Us why you've decided to come here to help our regional communities.

Thank you for having me. I'm here because we have an office here, smart Aid Australia, which is managed a great board member including Alethia Gold, and we're here to basically bring in technology to improve and provide humanitarian aid to communities and distress both in Australia and across the Pacific.

So how will this work? Because you've got a smart aid trailer. So you know, one of the problems that we've seen when there's severe flooding or fires in our regional communities is that often, you know, the telecommunication goes down, people are in distress, they can't contact emergency services.

They literally can't get through on the phone.

Tell us how this smart aided trailer will help?

Okay, the way that smart trailer helps, and we have more than a few of them in America and in other places. The idea of the smart trailer it's a telecommunications solar trailer that can reach in remote areas and basically provides support to both first responders as well as

It's extraordinary to think that, you know, we're our first world country in Australia and we actually need an international aid organization to help us in these areas.

And you know, we've.

Got a lot of regional viewers on Sky News and I know they'll be thinking, why can't the government do something like this? It's extraordinary. Now, Shakhah, you've been there right from day one virtually helping Ukrainians. Can you tell us what you've been giving to help innocent people who've been so affected by Russia's invasion.

Well, with Ukraine, we're still there. We arrived about three days after and started providing solar total communications. We installed starlink systems across the border so people can access the internet. We're currently we have a variety of programs. We have about three hundred smart classes that allowing Ukrainian children to study, and shelters so they're going to be able to continue their studies. We provide solar panels and solar off grid

Surgery important the next such important work, especially in Ukraine, Shakhaza, how do you really appreciate you joining us and being here in Australia. Now that's it for me. Thank you for watching this week. I'll see you on Monday at eight o'clock.

Right now, here's Paul Murray