Line is sharing.
Good evening well.
First tonight to the real story behind the shock appointment of Liberal powerbroker Matt.
Kean joining Tim Albo today.
Keem stands accused of being a turn coat by the Liberals after Albinezi announced he chair the Climate Change Authority.
Mister Keane understands the opportunity that the transition to clean energy represents for our nation.
I'll be making decisions and providing advice to the government based on facts and I'm really looking forward to getting into the facts.
Keen is divisive, he's polarizing, and he's always been highly ambitious. Liberal sources told me that he was considering running against federal Liberal Paul Fletcher, or even potentially challenging the New South Wales leader Mark Speakman.
But this role share of the Climate Change.
Authority, you'll give him a high profile platform, quite separate from the Liberal Party. Political insiders are speculating that Keene could use his new position to launch a future career in Federal Parliament as the informal leader of the Teals. A key piece of this is that Matt Kean is very close to Malcolm Turbull. You'll recall that Keen appointed Turnbull to be the chair of the New South Wales government's Clean Energy Advisory Board, but political uproar saw him
rescind that offer. Now Turbull's number one enemy is Peter Dutton, who was plotting a leadership challenge against him as Prime Minister. In August twenty eighteen, my front page story revealing this planned a challenge prompted Turbull to call a leadership spill, and less than a week later he was no longer Prime Minister.
In this new role, Matt Kean will come up against.
Peter Dutton, even though they've had had a good relationship in the past. Already Today, Keen dismissed Dutton's plans for nuclear energy.
In order to bring nuclear into the system, it would take far too long and would be far too expensive for New South Wales. Now, I didn't want to bankrupt the state and I didn't want to put those huge costs onto families.
Well, those comments came despite the fact that Matt Keane supported nuclear energy just three years ago.
As Andrew Clenell pointed out, today, do you.
Think we'll ever have nuclear power stations in Australia?
Yeah?
I think so.
There's some exciting things happening on the nuclear front. So a company in the United States is developing technology around small modular nuclear reactors into the future, will nuclear have a role to play? I think so and I hope so. But right now I can't bet on technology that isn't readily available.
Well.
When he was Energy Minister in New South Wales and also.
Treasurer, Matt Keen wanted to rush the closure of the largest culified power station in the state. It was a move that Labor Premier Chris Mins has had to reverse, and in fact Mins is now extending the life cycle of a rearing until twenty twenty seven just to make sure the lights stay on. This was an extraordinary move and it shows that Matt Keen was more radical and more ambitious in his rush to transition to renewables than even New South Wales Labor. This has undermined his authority
in the energy space. Now, Keen wasn't just a former state treasurer, but until a few days ago he was the leader of the moderate faction for the entire Liberal Party. Now he's joined the enemy team Albow. The truth is that Matt Keen is despised by many in the Liberal Party with senior figures today calling him treachery and a traitor. But even before today's move, he was far from loyal
to the Liberal Party. During the federal election campaign, he tried to stir up controversy for then Prime Minister Scott Morrison. He texted a Channel ten journalist encouraging her to pursue the controversy surrounding Liberal candidate Catherine Deeves. He texted the reporter saying you should pap her. That reporter, by the way, is now one of eleven media advisors for Anthony Albanesi.
Senior Liberal figures were shocked at the time that Keene was trying to deliberately sabotage Scott Morrison's prospects in favor of Albanesi, and then Labor premiers Mark mcgow and, Anisaja Palische and Daniel Andrews were all out there campaigning to help Alberzi win, and yet one of the most senior figures in the New South Wales Liberal government was working
against his own party's prospects well. The first time Matt Kean spoke out against the Liberal Party federally was here on this show in twenty twenty when he accused Scott Morrison of failing.
To take action on climate change.
The next day, Morrison retorted that no one even knew who Matt Keen was. Ironically, these comments made Matt Kean a more well recognized name.
My understanding is some of the most senior members of the government and they're not moderates, they're from the right of the party cabinet and they are saying that this is a huge issue cabnet in cabinet. Absolutely, And can I just say, Sherry, I mean this is because their communities are crying out.
They're listening to.
The majority of people in their electorates that are saying, we want you to protect our environment, but we don't want you to do it in a way that's going to destroy our economy.
Mc keen doesn't know what he's talking about. He doesn't know what's going on in the federal cabinet. Most of the federal cabinet wouldn't even know who mat Key was.
The biggest mistake when it comes to energy policy in Australia is that it's been driven by ideology over and above energy security or cost. Peter Dutton has suggested nuclear energy form part of the energy mix, not all of it. But in recent days we've seen a farcical display of Labour rejecting nuclear energy because of ridiculous suggestions of three eyed.
Fish and three eyed koalas.
This line of attack only diminishes Labour's credibility. If there is a serious objection to nuclear well let's hear it, let's have the debate. But so far Albanezi's resistance to pursuing nuclear as part of the energy solution is ideological because he himself has been against nuclear policy for.
Almost as long as he's been in Parliament. The times have moved on.
Thirty two countries internationally now rely on nuclear energy. Polling shows Australians are open to the nuclear conversation and even our aucust submarine's.
Are nuclear powered. With all of this in mind, Matt.
Keane will be a useless weapon if Labor tries to use him against Dutton.
In the lead up to the next election.
Now.
Also coming up on the show tonight, the University of Sydney under fire for appeasing extremist fringe groups. The former Deputy Commonwealth DPP and one of the country's most formidable.
Crime fighters will join me live to discuss this.
Also, the failure of law enforcement to protect Australians. Plus how Albinizi is using Victoria as a dumping ground for his bigger Australia migration policies and the eye watering pay rise Albo has given to his left wing.
Mate, the new Governor General.
How can he possibly defe and this pay rise during the cost of living crisis. But first, now let's bring in tonight's panel Sky News contributed Joe Hildebrand and host Listora Great Casino. Now, I just want to add to this a couple of extra points that I've learned tonight during my many phone.
Calls on this matter.
Firstly, it looks like the Liberal Party is not going to expel Matt Kean. The Liberal Party needs his support. They think they need his support for the upcoming by election in his own seat. Meanwhile, Peter Duttan's office doesn't think this is such a terrible move to have Matt Keen in this role.
They say that.
He's so that the people who know him dislike him, that he's unpopular, and that having him on the side of Albo won't help their case. Pretty much in the same way that having Chris Bowen as Energy Minister also diminishes their case because he is so strongly disliked.
Liz, what do you think about this? I mean, Australians haven't warmed to Matt Kean.
There were multiple policy failures in New South Wales. Chrismins has had to reverse the closure or delay the closure of a wearing. So it is a curious decision and it looks like Labor thought it was just being too smart to make this.
Move, too smart by half. They're like, look, we've got to live on side. He's going to be heading it up. Now, look at this independent body. Look perhaps it was a bit of stroke of genius on their part, because that does now look quite bipartisan. But Matt Kean has been the left of the party for a very long time. I know you said he used to head up the moderates. I think there are a lot of moderates who would disagree.
With that, even if that was his official position.
I think that this is a perfect appointment for Labor. This is where Keen has always belonged, heading up the climate Communism Authority.
It's a hand in glove appointment.
But what I can't get over is how quickly he's just switched from being re elected doing his thing to just stepping out the door for a by election because he's got a better offer. Basically, well, people.
It depends on the timing, and there's a lot of thought that this was a very last minute appointment that he announced his restoration to join the private sector. And by the way, on Tuesday, I think, and by the way, there's a lot of inside speculation that Matt Kean might go work with Malcolm Turbull.
He's got a renewable energy company.
Malcolm Turbull and Lucy Turbull were at Matt Kean's valedictory speech, so there's a lot of speculation he might go join the Turbules.
But do you find that hard to believe?
Though, don't you?
Resigns like less than a week ago and says it's to join the private sector, and within a week he's just got this amazing opportunity and he's off work.
It's perfectly possible.
It's not saying it's impossible, but it's a bit hard to swallow, I think, and what to say that fact? Yet, now we've got to fork out for a by election.
This is a guy who ran.
Obviously, when you run, you're promising your elector I'm going to stick. That sort of stuff happens all the time he leaves for a better role.
I think the problem is, firstly, Matt Kean announced his resignation from the Parliament on the day of the New South Wales state budget that was handled down by Daniel Wokingham,
magnificent human being. They of Crispians, Daniel and Preuka, and that was seen very much among the New South Wales right of the Labor Party as a real sort of dog act to sort of you know, look at me, look at me, trying to divert all the attention to him, as as Matt Kean is wont to do at a time when the New South Wales government has delivered five billion in social housing, something no one can actually remember doing, probably the best state budget I've ever seen anyway, point
bing I talked to a lot of people in the Labor Player that night and the idea that if that had been known, that had been known that Matt Kean was about to take up a cushy labor job federally on the day it was doing that. You know, these guys are very very sensible, practical, calm and common sense people, But there would have been a riot, people would have been.
So is why they.
That tells you how the sense I've got, but you know, I haven't confirmed it yet, But the sense I've got is that this is a last minute thought bubble.
A captain's speaker Albourne Easy was taken to cabinet at the last minute.
Was asked about this today whether it was a captain's pick, and he just said, I went through the usual processes, which meant presumably that it was taken to cabinet, but.
Then also it is to assume but no particular changing.
I thought.
I thought, without knowing this is coming up, didn't didn't go through the usual process of applying for it was a captain spicking in the sense that Chris Bowen said, I want Matt Kean cabinet, mean, all right, there, you can have it. Okay, what single vote does this shift?
Like?
How does this shift the debate on climate? Is anyone going to say, oh, I was a climate skeptic, but now Matt Kean's on board suddenly I believe? Of course not, you know, do people people who already believe in climate change and want strong action and not the government's problem. So they're just preaching to the choir with Matt Kean without bringing anyone.
Of believing in climate change.
I mean believing in believing in the extent of the action managed the point, the point being, instead of having someone who is, you know, someone who is extremely an openly non partisan, someone who is perhaps a bit of a surprise someone would I wouldn't have thought they were all in on it, you know, like a leading business figure or someone like that could say, right, I'm just going to run the ruler over the economics of this action and tell you why a nuclear doesn't stack up
or be okay. Renewables.
Well, look at this amazing story.
Labor proposing a whipping two hundred and fourteen thousand dollars pay rise for the new Governor General, sound Mustin, who is a mate of Albanesi's, So this would take her salary from four hundred and ninety five thousand dollars already huge, to seven hundred and nine thousand dollars. No reason has been given for why sam Musten would need a pay rise like this to do the Governor general's job doesn't
seem like an arduous job. You wear nice clothes and go to opening ceremonies and you could say, well, is their gender parity here, She's been given a two hundred grand increase for the same job that a bloke was doing.
Interesting point, Liz, but ultimately.
Australians will hate this during a cost of living crisis one hundred percent.
And as you've already.
Said, this is a figurehead more than anything else. The Governor General doesn't exactly do all that really important pressing matters. They show up to things, they cut ribbons, they press the flesh.
That's pretty much the job in a nutshell.
I understand that they're saying this this rise has something to do with the fact that she won't be eligible for a pension, which the role used to be et cetera.
So they're now trying to compensate for that.
But when you know that it's a rather short term anyway, you don't get to become gg forever.
There literally is no proper I.
Don't think there is a reason that they could give that the Australian public would be happening.
We have been five years on almost half a million bucks, so she would have pocketed two point five mil by the end of her term. So I reckon you could probably get by on that. I mean again, it's just another terrible look. You can't defend it again. Turn it down, right labor government again, just to bring it back to what the sensible right does in the party. Have all given all MPs, all ministers wage freezes. They're not getting any wage rise at all. That's another thing that was
in this budget that Matt Kein tried to distract from. Meanwhile, you've got federal politicians still trousering pay rises, and then you've got this. How do you defend that? It's like this is like again, it's like the screen of Pillar in the Simpsons. It's like a creature that wants to die. I don't know why she should do not know why labor keeps making these kinds of decisions that.
She should turn it down.
She probably demanded it, you know, when they offered her the job. She probably said, I'll only do it for seven hundred grand I mean, you don't just voluntarily increase someone salary.
Back to I cannot imagine. I can't imagine why would say absolutely not, that is not that is demeaning to this role. If you're even asking for that.
I wonder if you want to be the all Australians hate as well. You just feel like you and that's fetching more than the Prime Minister himself.
You can't tell me that.
The role is.
More stressful or more bigger house in Camber. She's got a bigger house in Sydney. She's got two and a half million. You're asking for my I mean, I just how do you incredible? How do you go to sleep at night thinking this is an okay thing to do?
This next story, a Downing report today reveals that Victoria is taking in.
According to the report, too many imrants.
This is noting the huge costs of trying to keep up with infrastructure, roads, public transport, schools and hospitals could see the Victorian government face yet another financial disaster.
Already, debt levels are extraordinary, but.
Liz the Home Affairs Minister Clara Neil has repeatedly said that she was going to scale back on migration.
But it just hasn't happened.
No, It's been eight months since Labor promised it and we haven't seen anything of the sort. So I'm glad someone's sounding the bell in Victoria.
But the truth is the same is to go.
For every single certainly Eastern State unless you're sending these in these newcomers somewhere rural where we've got I don't know, jobs that they can feel that need doing, but we already know even that isn't happening.
We are allowing these masses of people in.
There seems to be no comprehensive system by which we go These are the skills we need. These are the skills you've got, and we're.
Sending you to we system.
It's happening.
Joe's catch up to.
Catch up after we literally zero people in during the COVID years, and now there was a big there was a big spike to sort of play catch up with that, and that was the half million that got everyone's scared. And now it's coming and now it's coming down to two hundred and fifty thounds. So it is coming down, but it comes down year by year. It's not that someone just comes out and says right, and that's it.
Someone just does a little ball, you know, draws up a little red rope at the airport, says sorry, no more people coming in.
This is ten thousand a week.
Joe, Yes, I know.
That was.
Five hundred thousand divided by fifty years.
It's not coming down conto years.
That's what that's Exactually, what I'm saying, understand them is now.
Shortage of time.
They never took to the election a big migration policy. This wasn't disclosed to Australians, and the pace both instruction hasn't kept up with it.
And that's ultimately we've got a shortage of we've got a shortage of construction workers.
You bring here, you've got to give them house and we already know due to we talked.
About this the other week, Joe.
On the list of skills, they've left out important skills.
That there's also presumably because they think, well, we don't actually have a shortage in these particular fields, but in things like plumber's electricians are the other fields that you need to build houses, we don't have enough to keep up with demand. And again say to Blue in the face, the reason why developers stop building houses because they thought there's no more migrants coming, so there's not going to be a demand. So this is not a black and white issue. You ask anybody who's.
Certainly not that black and white housing crisis even without the migration.
Not white.
It's construction with stuff, but we are out of time, Joe hud Brand Lizta, thank you both very much. Coming up, a former Deputy Commonwealth GPP will speak out about the failure of law enforcement to protect Australians from violent and aggressive pro Palestinian protesters and the government's not so new climate change star Well after the break the reason the Liberal Party doesn't want to spell him despite some pushing for it and accusing him of treachery.
Welcome back.
Well.
Working on this next story today really upset me. Some members of the University of Sydney encampment were reportedly members of an extreme Islamist group, his Butteria, which is categorized as a terror organization in the UK. The group held a press conference on Friday night in which they chanted Ali Wakba, the phrase that has been used as a battle cry at least twenty times.
Have a look at.
It went on and on, and they were celebrating in that press conference. They were boasting because the University of Sydney had made a deal with that fringe group who will now be privy to the University of Sydney's defense and security related research activities online and here they were boasting all about it.
The Muslim Encampment led by SUMSA is probably the largest, most active and longest lasting part of the encampment. United factions previously thought would never be united came together. We brought numbers in the front laws of the quadrangle we
thought we'd never see outside of Erwig. It is the witnessing of such abhorren crimes that ignited the flame of activism within us, and it is that flame that eventually led us to negotiate with the highest executives of this university, including the University of Sydney by Chancellor and President Mark Scott.
They spoke about Islamophobia in that press conference, no mention of anti sermity. They spoke, as you just heard about abhorrent atrocities, no mention of October seven attacks. And there was rightful criticism today of the University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Mark Scott doing this.
Deal with groups that are linked to his book to Rear.
The Strategic Analysis Australia Director Peter Jennings said this is yet another example of poor quality university leadership in Australia. The Shadow Home Affairs spokesman James Patterson said the deal was a pathetic capitulation, grossly irresponsible and raises very real questions about whether the university can be relied on to conduct sensitive national security and defense research funded by taxpayers. Ray Hadley on two GB also criticized it strongly on air today.
The most One Students Dociation earlier on Friday said that defiance of the university orders to vacate had worked in their favor across many fronts, mostarticularly being the catalyst for negotiations with the YUNI and the University of Sydney have hideously capitulated and done a deal with a group dominated by his butt Teria, an organization prescribed as a terrorist organization in match of the world, including the UK, as I said, in an earlier lifetime, Mark Scott would have
been front and center with a headdress on, screaming and yelling and waving placards.
And as your recall, Mark Scott in his previous role was the head of the ABC.
Now that group itself.
The Muslim Students Association responded to claims on social media that it was linked to his book to Reer, but in its response it didn't actually deny that some of their members were linked to his book.
Terrier have a look and.
De were relentless attack and flag from dementary media that were often clutching its draws to dear legitimize any true efforts for Palestinian resistance. They tried to associate his with the head as a scapegoat to push a pro Zionis agenda, with sixty minutes directly saying that Chief Ibrahim de Bourn is a hate preacher for calling for the end of Zionism, and there.
Were other similar posts.
Now the University of Sydney needs to come out publicly and clearly explain if it has done a deal with an extremist group and what checks, if any, it took to make sure this wasn't the case. Or doesn't Mark Scott care if he's capitulated to a group where some of its members are part of his book career classified
as a terrorist organization in other parts of the world. Well, it seems the university is more concerned with appeasing extremist fringe groups, some of whose members have on social media deny that October seven atrocities took place at all, and meanwhile anti Semitism surges. The university is an unsafe place for young Jewish students and the university leadership just turns the other way, doesn't care, doesn't return the phone calls.
Of Jewish leaders.
It's this inaction that is making life so unsafe for Australians, including.
Jews who just want to get an education.
Now, one person who has written a powerful piece against the lack of leadership we're seeing across the board is the former Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions for the Commonwealth and he was also a member of the National Crime Authority, Mark Legrant, and he joins me live now. Mark, thank you very much for your time. Now, you've written an incredible piece in The Australian. You have shown leadership on this.
You said while this jew hatred is accelerating and hurtling towards a disaster, there is scarant leadership to combat it. And you've said that to avoid a future tragedy, Albanezi must act with commitment, vigor and courage. What do you think the response ability is here for the Prime Minister?
Well, thank you, Shari. The Prime Minister's responsibility is clear under the Australian Constitution. He leads the government and as Prime Minister he's required to deliver peace order and good government. This part of good government is upholding the rule of law. The rule of law requires that all our people be
treated equally, and it's clear that he's failing in that duty. Yes, since the horrific events of the seventh of October last year, nine months of Alps in which there's been accelerating abuse of the Jewish citizens of our country, They've suffered horrific abuse, They've suffered violence, they've suffered vandalism to their businesses, they have suffered being having their children excluded from university campuses, and effectively nothing has been done. The government, to beyond
a few platitudes, has done nothing. The police, state and federal I'm not aware of any substantial charges that have been laid in that time. And as a result, there's no deterrence. The activity is green lighted and it continues and accelerates and becomes more serious. Unless something happens soon, some real
tragedy is going to occur. And I'm not just speculating because Australia has faced situations like this in the past, and for instance with the issue between the criots and the Serbs in the sixties seventies, but then leadership was given from the Whitlam government and Attorney General Murphy who said you do not bring your ancient hatreds to this country and set about a strong and effective program of law enforcement to stamp it out. It took some time, but eventually that occurred.
Very powerful response there. You're worried that a tragedy might happen.
You say, we're seeing platitudes instead of any substantial policy action.
Why do you think, I mean.
You've been involved, Marc Legrand, in Royal commissions, in senior investigative task forces.
Why do you.
Think we haven't seen law enforcement use the laws that are available to them to actually stop the violence that's being unleashed on our streets.
It staggers me. I've worked with law enforcement in various capacities for four decades and some of the finest people I've met in some of the most dedicated, have been law enforcement officers, and I just can't understand how for the last nine months, effectively not a finger has been lifted to pursue the people who are perpetrating these actions against our Jewish Australians. The horrific hate preachiness coming out of West Western Sydney. It's clearly contrary to law. But
nothing happens. Now. I've worked sufficiently closely with police, from police commissioners down to officers in the field to know that that is not their determination. They're not going to wholesalely decide not to enforce the criminal law. They're getting a message from up the line, from government, through the police minister, through the premiere, or through whoever is the senior public servant, carrying the message that they're not to action these laws. The police are not going to make
that determination themselves. The police, left to their own devices, would enforce the law. But it's clear to me that they'll deny it. They'll deny it vehemently, and you won't find any record of it. It'll be verbally delivered. But I can assure you that's what's happening. And you ask why, well, I can speculate, as you can speculate. But I've heard people speculate that that's because of the Muslim vote in certain electorates. I hope when not become so venal that
that's the case. I've heard that. You know, it's the whole mantra of the Neo Marxists of oppress and oppressor flying for our universities. I don't know. I do know that there is a dark anti Semitic side of the union movement, and that was clear from the AC two US statement on the twenty second of April. That was really quite scandalous in the way it were slanted against what happened on the seventh of October last year and what happened since. But I can only speculate as you can only speculate.
Yeah, yeah, but still a part stage one were you that you believe law enforcement would like to take action and there's been a message given to them not to take action. Marc Leground, Just before you go, I want to ask you about you know what I spoke about in the introduction to your interview, the anti semitism on university campuses, how it's allowed to go unchecked, the capitulation to extremist groups. I mean, Mark, we have seen Iran
and Hamas back in these university protesters globally. I mean, what do you think of the inaction from university leadership that we're seeing on this matter.
What I saw come out of Sydney University today is insane. Now I withdraw that is sinister, and it's treacherous. I mean, let's see what power you've given to people influenced by Pittsburgh, Teria declared terrorist organizations in other countries. And as you say, the support that these protests are getting from Hamas and the greatest state sponsor of terrorism, Irun, and the agreement is that there will be disclosing details of defense and
security related research and investments. One has to wonder what's happened to our country.
This is just insane, it is indeed, Marc Legrand, thank you for speaking out.
Thank you for caring about this issue.
That is one of the best interviews, one of the strongest interventions in this public debate that I've seen from such a credible and highly regarded figure. Thank you very much for coming on this program tonight in this first interview.
Really appreciated and I hope you will.
Continue speaking out and that your colleagues will do the same.
I hope so too. Thanks sir, Sherry, Thank you.
Now let's look at nuclear now. But it wasn't he impressive? That was incredible? Really really was now? A new resolve political monitor Pole found that forty one percent of voters back nuclear as an energy source. Thirty seven percent reject it, but then there was around thirty percent of people who said they didn't have a strong view and would consider the idea. It's those thirty percent that Dutton is trying to target with his message.
Meanwhile, the Daily.
Telegraph reports exclusive polling that indicates six in ten Australian support nuclear energy. Joining me now to discuss this is The Australian's.
Environment editor Graham. Lloyd Graham, Good to see you.
Look, do you think there is support or potentially that the support is trending in the right direction for Peter Dutton when it comes to nuclear energy. I mean it has already increased from when he started discussing this about eight months ago.
That drug good evening, Charri.
Certainly, the poles have been fairly consistent around the world that people are far more likely to consider nuclear power and if you like, this reflects that people have sort of got over the seventies attitude towards it, which was really bound up in nuclear armament and other things, and they're far more likely to give it a look. Sixty percent is a fairly respectable starting point for Peter Dutton.
It's the margin that was there in the referendum, and it really represents a sort of main view if you like. The challenge, of course is going to be maintaining that level of support or building on it as the campaign gets bogged down. But I think one of the key lessons from it is that it shows how misguided Labour's initial response with cartoons of three eyed fish and that sort of thing really was. People are taking a much
more grown up view of the debate than that. I think they see how important it is to get energy right and they're prepared to consider something that is being used in other places. So it will be fascinating how those polls develop.
Yeah, I think that's right.
I think people are tuning into the debate and saying, all right, let's have a look at this. If this is what Dartan's proposing, it would be a major change for Australia. So what are the objections to it? And as far as I can see, Labor hasn't articulated any credible objections. They're saying it will be too expensive. But then the opposition today said to label, well how much will your renewable energy policy cost? And there were no
answers there either. And Graham, you know, what do you think about this debate that it comes down to overcost, and also Albanize's use of Matt Kean to try win over the public.
Well, there's a lot happening there, isn't there.
It's really come down to a fight over the cost of doing things, which really is a bit of a fake argument, because the argument that you want to have is what's going to work, what's going to work best, and what's going to deliver at the best price. Both sides now seem quite confused about what their proposals will actually cost taxpayers. There's no clear line from the government on what it's going to be. In fact, there's no clear explanation on how it's going to work. For many reasons.
The opposition isn't able to cost its nuclear program, but in a way, the nuclear cost is going to come down to how much it saves on spending on other things. So this is a big forensic debate that has to be had, and the polls are showing people are up to listening to it. We're seeing, I think, with the appointment of ma Kean today, a bit of political opportunism
on the part of the government. I think they thought they could get a sort of change the story of the day with this and sort of try and blindside the opposition. But nobody would be surprised that ma Kean has these views. I think he's been compromised on day one by standing up and mouthing effectively the government's talking points.
All right, and the challenge is that.
Graeme Lloyd the challenges.
It doesn't turn it to a no, thank you.
Thank you very much for your time. Apologies for cutting you off there. I was just trying to wrap up the conversation where out of time after the break Labor and Pete Daniel Molina would join me. His office was trashed twice by vandals. Plus I'm going to ask my political panel about the story breaking tonight.
On Peter Dutton's son. Stay tuned, welcome back Well.
The Herald Sun has obtained an image of Peter Dutton's son holding a bag containing what appears to be a small amount of white powder. The Herald Sun and other newscop papers are reporting that an image of the eighteen year old was posted to social media with the caption birthday treat. However, there's no suggestion the white substance is drugs. Peter Dutton's office issued a one sentence statement saying this
is a private matter for the Dutton family. Joining me now Tonight's political panel Labor politician Daniel Malino and Liberal Senator Holly Hughes.
Holly, what's your response to tonight's report?
Look, I think it's journalism at it's grubbiest. The one thing about politicians is our families should be off limits. I've got teenage children. I would never want them to go through something like this. It's just grubby, And I think Pet is right, it's a matter for the family. It obviously looks like a joke photo, it doesn't look
like something serious. And you know, I just think targeting people's kids where the politicians, where we sign up for this, our family are conscripts to it, and I just really think it's quite grubby.
Yeah, Daniel, what do you think I mean?
As Holly says, traditionally, family are off limits when it comes to political attacks.
Is Labor going to pursue Dutton over this?
Well?
Actually, I was just going to say, Wholly just stole one of my lines, which is the volunteer conscript concept. But I think that's exactly right. Look, I think Australia's had a worthwhile and a broadly complied with line dividing line where we don't comment on family matters. And I think, particularly in this day and age where we've got the rise of social media and all sorts of exposure of people at the edges of politics, I think it's really
important that we don't cross that. Look my arguments with Peter Dutton's policies, and I won't go beyond that and comment on anything else.
Look, we don't know if it's real or not, or any circumstances, but you know, if it is, what it seems, and it's just every parent's worst nightmare. Now let's return to the political fight today over nuclear and the cheapest form of energy. Both parties are attacking the other over what their costs would be. Albinizi has also remained silent on what his twenty thirty five emissions reduction target would be, while at the same time attacking the coalition for not
revealing what their twenty thirty target would be. Holly, how do you think this debate is playing out.
Well?
Not well for the Albanese government because the costings of one point five trivion actually come from the University of Queensland and another a number of overseas universities that conducted a study into the full cost of what renewables were going to be, but also included the transmission lines. And this has been something that's been missing when the Albanese government talks about renewable energy and their cost because in their bible, that is the gen Costs Review, they factor
in no costs of building transmission lines. They took nothing about distribution because in their mind they had it as a sunk cost that they had already been built and already been paid for, which we all know is not the So when they're bleeding about eight billion for a nuclear power plant versus one point five trillion for renewals that require a new grid, something nuclear does not, and we're talking about brownfield sites, well let's.
Get Daniel's response to that.
I mean, is this hypocritical If Labour's renewable policy is going to cost one point.
Three trillion, well, I think there's going to be a lot of politicians throwing a lot of numbers around over the coming few weeks and months. I think people out in the community are going to look at the most reputable sources ultimately as they make up their mind and I think to date the CSIRO AMO gen cost report is the gold standard, and there'll be other pieces of analysis that get thrown out there. And look, it clearly shows that the cost of generation from both large and
small modul at nuclear reaction is higher. But for me, there's additional issues here. One is Peter Dutton, coming from the party that used to be about states rights, is saying that he's just going to override all these states bans. I mean, we could have a whole bunch of state elections fought on this issue and states reassert bands, which Peter Dutton will just write roughshot over. So much for consultation, plus all the delays and uncertainty around constitutional issues.
But I just think it's the delay.
Ultimately with this issue, we're not going to be seeing these nuclear power plants till the twenty thirties or twenty forties when we need to have largely fixed this issue.
Well, yeaw, talking about twenty thirty five of the transmission capabilities are already there. We don't need to build twenty eight thousand kilometers of new transmission lines, which is what Chris Bowen's ideological run towards renewables would mean. And again all respect, Daniel, but no comment on what the cost of actually transmitting and distributing the renewable energy is. And
generation is only fifty percent of your bill. Distribution is the other fifty percent of the bill, and yet this government refuses to acknowledge that part of the cost.
All right, this is going to be a very big story in the months leading up to the federal election, Daniel. I just want to turn to your office in Victoria. It was trashed, you had to move out of it, and then just as you were about to move back in after two weeks, it was vandalized again by pro Palestinian protesters. We saw what happened to Josh Burns last week. Other MPs have also fallen victim to this, Daniel. How intimidating is it to have your office voundalized like this?
How frightened are your staff?
Well?
I think it's a very concerning development in relation to the way in which debate around this issue is being conducted. As you say, it's criminal vandalism and it's very intimidating, and I mean the immediate effect of this is that a number of electorate officers are being shut down and vulnerable people in the community who want to come into our offices and talk about NDIS and Centerlink matters can't get into their local electorate office. A lot of these
people need to have those discussions face to face. I think the other issue is that it's a way of prosecuting a discussion, which is for me completely anathema to our democracy. Like every time somebody holds a you strongly, does that mean now that these people think they should be able to smash up the buildings or the offices
of those who disagree with them. And the final very quick observation I'd make is that another dimension of this is I think the Greens Party as a major party, as a party that could potentially hold a balance of power, too many candidates and members of the Greens Party at state and federal level at times not only not condemning this, but actually egging it on. And for me, that's another dimension of this which is very concerning.
Well, Daniel, really sorry that happened to you. We were watching the vision there, extremely violent. Daniel Molino, Holly Hughes, thank you very much. Thank you for joining me this evening, and after the break we'll have a look at the upcoming presidential debate with Trump and Joe Biden at Stay Tuned, Welcome back. Well, let's bring in Sky News contributor Kosher
Garda Now Kosher, thanks for your time. Look, we're seeing the presidential candidates taking vastly different approaches to the upcoming presidential debate.
Yes, Reportedly, this week President Biden has been hunkered down in Camp David really practicing and prepping, and his personal lawyer is serving as the stand in for Trump on to impersonate sort of what debate style Trump would bring to the table. Meanwhile, you see Trump has been crisscrossing the country, holding multiple rallies throughout the week, which is where he thrives. And you know that I think suggests
a little bit about these two men. We know a lot about them, but one Trump being more instinctive and he doesn't feel the need to necessarily prep. He's got his issue set and he's got his style and he's going to run with it. Versus Biden, on the other hand, is really treating this as almost like a midterm exam, and he's looking to really make sure he's prepared.
I mean, we've seen you over recent years, but it has seemed to be escalating in recent months that Joe Biden does struggle with coherent sentences or continuing even his train of thought at times. Do you think this is something that is concerning the Democrats at the moment ahead of the presidential debate.
I think so, And we just see every day there's a new situation like that. Then you do see these glimpses like the State of a Union addressit he gave earlier in the year, where he was quite lucid and coherent, and you know, who knows what was underpinning that. So
I think that's definitely in play. The whole world is going to tune into this debate, not so much to really hear what these two men have to say, because there are known entities by this point, but I think to see that whether he can hold his own Biden and also a lot of people are speculating that is this a setup or lead up to this thing that's been swirling for a while now, if the Democrats are going to try and switch him out with somebody else
at the upcoming convention in August. Maybe this is part of that process on that critical path, but we really don't know for sure.
Yeah, it does seem like the presidential debate and live will be much higher risk for Joe Biden.
Then it will be Donald Trump.
And the question anyway is whether it's going to change anyone's vote, and that's probably unlikely. Koshia Data, thank you very much for your time this evening, Thanks for watching. I'll see you tomorrow at eight.
And here's Paul Murray