Why on Sky News.
Sharry Good Evening, And that's a wrap on the leader's debate.
We've got a lot to get through tonight.
But first we just saw Stephen Miles and David Chris Fuley go head to head in their last fiery debate as they try to win over undecided voters. This was a crucial test with Queenslanders heading.
To the polls in just four days.
Neither leader could afford a slip up. Now, the polls have for some time predicted a landslide win for the NP, but Labor just this week is closing the gap. As I said, we've got a lot coming up on the show tonight. I'm going to tell you about a secret visit Peter Dutton made today in Sydney. But first let's bring in former Queensland Premier Campbell Newman and former Queensland
Labor State Secretary Cameron Milner. Now, as I just said, polls have shown a tightening, especially in the southeast, so this debate really was important. Campbell, who did you give it to and why?
Look, I thought it was even Stevens tonight, But as I said, for the first debate, I think Miles has a more comfortable Alburt. This is a funny, funny thing to say awkward persona, but it is the sort of the daggy dad stuff. David is far more intense and it's a bit like the famous nineteen sixty debate in
the US presidential elections between Nixon and Kennedy. If you just had the audio, I think David is quite compelling, But when you see it on the screen, I think Miles looks more approachable, and I think Australians like approachable leaders.
So I think the other thing that happened tonight is I think David Christoph fully skated very close to the edge on the abortion issue earlier in the debate, and then finally he gave later on in answer to Miles direct question, he went, yes, he does support a woman's right to choose. If you said that a week ago or two weeks ago, perhaps they wouldn't have been hurt so much.
One hundred and thirty two times David Christophooley has failed to answer the question about whether he does support women's right to choose. This was a big issue not only in the debate, but it has been in the Queensland state election campaign. Let's have a look at one of the most heated moments on this very issue.
Will be no changes to abortion law, and I want Queenslanders to hear that directly from me.
Can anyone tell from David's answer just then what he thinks about this issue?
I mean, this is this is a really important issue.
I think it shouldn't change.
Everyone knows I think it shouldn't.
Change the law.
What will remain the same.
Where you have a conscience spoke, the laws.
Will remain this view there will do.
You need no change.
So the scare campaign will continue, but you need to let me direct.
Let me answer, well, let me answer the question.
The scare campaign will continue, but it's not happening.
Give a straight answer.
Okay, there will be no change, none at all.
Pro to us a lot.
There will be no change. The legislation is there and women will have access to that legislation that gives women the right to choose.
Cameron Milner, you know this has become such a big issue, clearly, you know Stephen Miles care bringing it up in the debate. David Crucifoli unequivocal that there'd be no change to the law, but he had been reluctant to give his own personal viewpoint. Has this been a scare campaign in your opinion?
Look, I think it's a campaign to a small group of people who are motivated by this particular issue. Cost of living overwhelmingly is the issue for Queens than's a going to vote on youth crime, housing supply.
So David Chrystophil.
Has been campaigning on the big issues and Labour's gone for a witch a US style smear campaign and fear campaign. I don't doubt it's an important issue, but I don't think it has a place in queens and politics and I don't think that are going after a binary situation on what is a very complex issue is up for a state campaign. Look, I think the result will tell itself on Saturday Night, and I think the L ANDP are in for government. I think the change of government's coming.
Despite the fact that Miles that you've performed really well, really well in this campaign, I.
Actually have to say that I disagree with you Campbell. On Stephen Miles's presentation. I thought, no, not you Cameron, you Cambell Newman. I've seen his presentation in that debate was amateur. He didn't look like a premier. I think when he kept saying he.
Loves the job.
Well, no one cares if you love the job. People Queenslanders care what he's going to do for them. Youth crime, as you just said, Cameron, has been such a major issue. David chris A fully zeroed in on that in his own question to Stephen Miles. He pointed out that there have been cases where people have been injured or killed because.
They were out on bail.
This is something that is just unforgivable.
Cambell Newman, Look, well, look that's the point I actually am making. And it's like this, if you just had the audio, I think David Christopher fully delivered some really killer keller blows, apart from not being able to give a quick succeed answer earlier debate on the abortion thing. And by the way, the problem with it, it's not the issue itself, it's just when people are sitting there at home seeing that sort of exchange and perhaps that
will be sharn on the nightly news tomorrow night. It's again playing into this thing about sitting on the fence and just give a straight answer, and that will motivate a bloke who's undersided as much as a woman who cares about the issue. But anyway, the audio has Christoph fully delivering killer blows. But I actually here's why I do disagree with you. I think Stephen Miles comes across as the daggy dad. He's someone you can relate to.
He's awkward, but that's what he's been doing on TikTok and other social media channels for months now, and it's like this, Shari, it's working. You know, he has improved his position through this campaign, and I don't want him to improve his position, but it's happening. And I think this could be a lot closer than anybody has thought.
Yeah, I think it will be a surprise if the results are close, because we have been expecting a landslide result for the L ANDP for so long. I just found the grinning really frustrating, Like why are you grinning so much?
At the premiere?
And now Paul Murray is going to have a lot more on this topic at nine o'clock tonight. He's also going to have the results of the People's Forum. Who was the winner according to those in the room. But before we go, Caaron Milner, you wrote a sensational piece. Another sensational piece in the Nightly where you talk about
Labour's signature future Made in Australia policy. I mean, this is twenty two billion dollars in taxpayer funding, yet you say it should be known as future made for Mates because the taxpayer funds, you say, are only being given to a select few, some of whom have been shown by Paul Fletcher to have connections to labor figures. Can you tell us a bit more about.
This, Well, it's not future Made for Australia, it's future made for mates, as I said. And the first billion dollars went to Sundrive, which is backed by a venture capital company called Blackbird Ventures. And the next billion dollars we're decide Quantum, who no one ever heard of, who'd been doing a whole series of secret deals behind the scenes to shape up their deal with the government, backed
again by Blackbird Ventures. There's lots of questions here because Blackbird Ventures key partner has been a mate and a friend and a colleague of the very minister handing out these deals, ed Husick. Ever since twenty fifteen, Nicki Slavic has been with Eddie Husick. Now, I think there's lots of questions to answer, and I wouldn't be surprised, wouldn't be surprised if this all gets referred to the National Anti Corruption Commission. That's what I expect.
That absolutely needs to be an inquiry into this. I've had Paul Fletcher on the show to talk about this. I'm going to get him on the show again because it is a major issue at Cameron Milner, Campbell Newman, thank you both so much for your thoughts.
On that leadership debate.
Now let's turn to calls for Lydia Thorpe to resign after humiliating Australia on the global stage. And this is all on the Prime Minister Anthony Alberezi. Shouldn't have invited her to attend the prestigious event yesterday where distinguished guests were given.
The opportunity to meet the King and Queen.
It was utterly predictable that she was going to try and ruin it. Lydia Thorpe is a volatile woman who caused havoc at the Mardi Gras, outside a strip club, in the Senate repeatedly, and on the lawns of Parliament House. It would have been a surprise had she not tried
to make the Royal visit all about herself. As political writer Jeff Chambers said today, Lydia Thorpe is a one trick pony who craves shameless publicity over substance while pocketing a taxpayer funded salary of almost two hundred and sixty thousand dollars working in an institution she claims.
To rage against.
Now she's given embarrassing television performances in the UK and there are now also calls for her to resign, and Peter Dartin said today that he thinks there's a case for this should she resign.
I think there's a very strong argument for somebody who doesn't believe in the system, but it's willing to take quarter of a million dollars a year from the system to resign in principle. And if you were really truly about your cause and not just about yourself, then I think that's a decision that you would make, all right.
Former Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop and senior fellow at the Menzies Research Center Nick Kata joined me, Now, Ronwin, do you agree with me that this is all on the Prime Minister. He shouldn't have extended an invite to Lydia Thorpe when it was obvious this was going to happen.
Yes, she's a perennial exhibitionist, and I think we've seen it in so many areas that she just wants to cause a fastened draw attention to herself. I don't even think that she's particularly got a cause. I think she just likes the attention that comes to her. But the thing that really makes me angry is that when she took the oath of allegiance, she only did it so
she could be sworn in and get paid. There's nowhere in the world she's going to resign because you know, if she's going to pocket another what seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, why would she resign. But the point is that I think far too much attention is paid to her. Yes, it would have been a good idea not to invite her, but it's a bit hard not to invite a member of Parliament who's entitled to walk the floors of the Parliament and all areas of it.
But it is to be expected that that's the case. But she is really and truly a problem in the set itself. If you watch the Senate you'll see that it's almost impossible to deal with her because to get the numbers to throw her out you have to get the Greens to vote against her and all sorts of people, so it doesn't happen. But I do think we have to remember she was a dei pick by the Greens and they're responsible for her being there.
Yeah, unfortunately for all of us.
Right now, Nick Kate, I want to ask you about some comments that Matt Kean.
He used to be the new South Wales Treasurer.
He's now the Climate Change Authority Chair, handpicked by Anthony albit Easy. He has slammed Peter Dutton's plan for nuclear energy. He says it's a wild fantasy. Nick, Countries all around the world now have nuclear as part of that energy mix. So do you think these claims are starting to sound quite alarmist.
Well, they're entirely motivated by self interest. I mean, I don't know what Matt King's shareholdings are, what he owes the renewable industry lobby or whatever, but the fact is that the one organization or the one group of people who really really want to keep nuclear out of this country are not households who are desperate for secure electricity
supplies and cheap electricity supplies. It's the renewable industry. It's these people who they know their investments will have overnight the moment we introduce nuclear power of this country and continue to fall. They're the ones out a pure economic self interest. And I'm talking about people like Simon Holmes of Court, who backs the teals he isn't interested in
renewable energy. It's that they don't want competition. They want to protective market for this hopeless, useless, part time form of electricity which is driving us all broke.
I want to turn to Blackland because we learned today that there's another independent Muslim candidate running, this time against Jason Clare in the election of Blackland. Now, the candidate who's running against him was that offensive opera house rally a year ago. He says Israel has committed genocide. He wouldn't answer the question when journalists asked him if he viewed the October seven massacre as a day of celebration. His name is Ahmed uf. He's supported by the Muslim
Vote Group. He says he can win the next election Ron when look, Jason Clair, this is a safe seat he holds or he won Blacksland at the last election with sixty five percent of the vote, So I don't think this candidate has a chance of winning.
But his views are so deeply offensive.
I agree with you, and I agree particularly as Jason Cleaar had a primary vote of fifty four percent, so he's not going to be really in any danger of losing that seat. But the important point is that there is no leadership from Albernizi at all as to the acceptable way in which it has been allowed to praise what has been done by Hamas. There is no strength
in the leadership that says antisemitism must stop. There's been no indication to the police that they must arrest people when they are behaving in that way as encouraging violence. There has got to be a definitive leadership and it's only coming from Peter Dutton. It's strong from Peter Dutton, and there just doesn't exist from the Albanizi or Miles.
Yeah, no question about that. Nikita.
Do you think the rise of these Muslim candidates pose a threat to labor in the same way that the TiAl movement really decimated the liberal vote.
I think we won't know until election night, Shari, because this is so hard to measure, as we found with the tills, it's actually so hard to poll measure. But I think it's certainly to my mind, it imposed the threat to our democracy. I just hate the idea that somebody is standing for a party which has a religious basis. You know, that's not what we do in this country. Religion should be divorced from politics. It's separate. You're standing as a Muslim candidate or as you know, as the
ethnic candidate. No, you stand as an Australian citizen who has committed this country and wants to make it a better place. If you're just if you're just there for one sectional group, then stay out. So I would rather see Labor win this seat than an outright Muslim party. I don't know whether this one is, but now right Muslim focused party winning I would rather see Labor back in to be.
Honest, Yeah, I don't think it's even about the religion. I just think it's about the offensiveness of the views. And if you're not commenting on whether October seven was a terror attack, you know it's just.
Gone too far. Bron.
When I want to ask you about the Royal visit. We've obviously seen the King and Queen here this week are out on the water on beautiful Sydney Harbor this afternoon.
What do you take away from this trip?
Well, I think it chose that the King was determined to come to Australia, despite his health problems and despite cutting it down to basically Sydney and Canberra, that he was determined to go to Chogham. But I think his affection for Australia is quite genuine, and I think the Queen really conducted herself quite beautifully through the visit, and I think most people were quite chuffed. I was very taken actually with an interview with a young boy in
Canberra who'd been waiting for several hours. He chosen and I'm talking about an eighteen year old, and he chosen a bouquet of blue flowers because the Queen liked blue and he was just going to wait there and see if you could give him to her.
And it was just a sheer joy.
Of a young man who wanted to see them and meet them, and I think that was reflected and all this talk about the Republican movement, one third are interested in the republic and they can't agree what sort of republic they want, so I just don't think it's a relevant question.
Yeah, the Republican movement, it's off the table. The Prime Minister has said as much. I mean, we forget that. Actually, when he won office he had an assistant Minister for the Republic, Matt this Lthwaite. That's how much on the agenda having a Republican, a referendum on a republic, on monarchy was Nick Keta. Now after the failed Voice referendum, they don't want to know about it.
No, you wouldn't have recognized him, would you, from the Albanese who came to power and promising a referendum on the republic in his second term. I was incredibly moved by the visit, to be honest. I stood out there with some crowds in North Sydney and I just thought the sort of people who came out to wave their flags were just so pleased to see the king, And
you know what, I think it is showy. I think almost all of us, you know, we've only had the Queen Elizabeth for our entire lifetimes and we were nervous about the transition of power, but.
Very smoothly.
It's in very good hands with King Charles long may he live, long, may he reign. And it was just incredibly happening to see him.
Yeah, and indeed and impressive that he made the visit. He made the trip out here. He is suffering from cancer. Seventeen commitments yesterday, quite an intense trip for him.
Nick cat and Rongan Bishops, So.
Wonderful to see you both, and plenty more to come after the break. I've got news of a secret visit that Peter Dutton made while he was here in Sydney. Today, Boy, I tell you what he is showing up alban Easy plus Julian Lisa will join me to speak about the anti Semitism that we're seeing across our country.
Stay tuned well.
For over a year now, we've been reporting on the disgraceful lack of leadership from state and federal governments and law enforcement on anti Semitism. But today Peter Dutton went above and beyond. Firstly, he committed eight and a half million dollars to the Sydney Holocaust Museum, but he then paid a personal visit without any media present, to Avner's Bakery in Surrey.
Hills.
As you know, this was the bakery vandalized by hamas symbols all because its owner is Jewish. We can bring you those photographs now of Peter Dutton at Avner's.
Here he is.
He was accompanied by Roe Knox, the Liberal candidate for Wentworth, James Patterson and Julian Lisa, my next guest. But what was even more meaningful was the way that Dutton spoke about the distressing racism we're all witnessing in our country.
Have a look, I've.
Said before, and I really feel this profoundly. I look much older, but I'm fifty four this year, and in my lifetime, this is the most terrific period that I
can recall in Australia. It's the most shocking and jolting period, and it's so so undeserved, and we need to make sure that it provides us with the resolve to make sure that better days are ahead, that children can feel safe, that armed guards are no longer required places of worship at synagogues, or at supermarkets, or at schools or preschools. That is not our country.
And Liberlain p Julian and Lisa joins me. Now, Julian, you are with Peter Dutton today, he just said, this is not our country.
You'd agree with that, wouldn't you.
I couldn't agree more Sharia. And Peter Dutton has been so strong and so clear in backing the right of ordinary Australians to go about their business. And that's why the commitment today for eight and a half million dollars towards the fundly the refurbishment of the Jewish Museum and
the extension of that museum is so important. That museum is going to tell an important story about the Jewish community, that Jews have been here since the first fleet, and that in every imaginable era, in every imaginable area, they flourished, and they flourished because Australia is the world dolcoming country that we know that doesn't judge people on the basis of their religious background, that lets people get on with it.
But what we've seen since the seventh of October last year is weakness in leadership from too many people in authority, and Peter Dutton has been a man of great moral clarity in calling that out repeatedly, and his commitment today to the Jewish Museum is just another instance of his clarity in standing with Jewish Australians.
Julian, I understand that you had an interesting conversation with the owner at Avner's Bakery in Surrey Hills today. He was feeling optimistic despite the fact that he'd been targeted.
Because he's Jewish.
But you pointed out to him as I'm told that we shouldn't be facing these attacks at all.
We haven't had proper leadership.
Ed is a really remarkable person. He's a person who has stood up despite the fact that his business was vandalized, not because baker. He's a person who's demonstrated the importance of standing your ground and standing strong. And I don't think that any Australian should have to put up with what he and his bakeries have to put up with.
And I wish Ed well. I hope more people do what to Peter James Ronox than I did today, which is go and patronize his bakery, because it's a great way of demonstrating to the Jewish community and to Laura abiding Australians that the broader community is with.
Them one hundred percent. I encourage everyone to go. Funnily enough, I was on the way there this morning when my two year old started falling asleep in the back seat and I had to call the trip off. But I might have bumped into you that now, Julian. Just finally, we saw protesters on Sunday celebrating Sinwa the hamas leader.
They called him a legend.
Do you agree with your colleague James Patterson that we have a crisis not just of political leadership but law enforcement.
James Patterson's completely right on this. What we saw with the protests at the weekend is exactly the same sort of conduct we saw with the protests in favor of Hesbalah a few weeks ago. If you list an organization as a terrorist organization, that's got to mean something. And when you have people displaying symbols evidencing support for those people who are engaged in terrorist organizations and they're not being bought board in by law enforcement, one has to
ask what's happening in this country? We need our law enforcement officials to enforce the law otherwise, as we've seen every day since the ninth of October Opera House protests last year, that more and more people keep pushing and pushing and pushing and doing worse and worse acts it's time that law enforcement officials at the state and federal level stepped up to the plate and protected other law abiding Australians.
Well said Julian Lisa.
And as always, they just have to commend you for all the work you're doing on this issue.
Thank you so much. Now that's it, that's it for me.
I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock a full hour tomorrow night. And right now, here's Paul Murray.