Why on Sky News This is Sharry.
Good Evening tonight, Why jd Vance jeopardized Trump's peace plan for his own future White House run Plus Zelenski ignoring warnings before the meeting not to take the bait. All of this in a moment, and I'm going to be joined live on set by Ukraine's ambassador to Australia. Also on the show, a Green's pro Palestinian candidate has been invited into a school where it's claimed she lectured children about.
The so called genocide in Gaza.
Well, why are Green's politicians saying these dangerous things to school children in the classroom? This outrageous story coming up, And former RBA governor Philip Blow says interest rates are not the reason for the cost of living crisis. This rare intervention just days from the election campaign. But first tonight, let's talk about the dramatic scenes in the Oval Office
on Friday. Now, the media is trying to turn this into a question of Donald Trump abandoning his allies, and they're asking if Australia needs to be worried.
But that's not what's unfolding here.
There is no suggestion at all that Trump is abandoning America's leadership role, particularly in our region in the Pacific. This is a simplistic take that's not based in reality. The reality is Trump was trying to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and his mission, which is very personal to his own legacy as president, was then derailed by
both jd Vance and Zelenski himself. Jd Vance has a dangerous isolationist view of the world and didn't hold back from insulting Zelenski, while the Ukrainian president has now three times refused to sign the minerals deal that everyone understands is the gateway to an American security agreement.
Now. One of Donald.
Trump's central campaign pledges was to end the Ukraine Russia war. He says his role currently as one of a mediator trying to broke a piece in a war that he believes never should have started.
Well, if I didn't align myself with both of them, you'd never have a deal. He wants me to say really terrible things about Putin and then say, Hi, Vladimir, how are we doing on the deal. That doesn't work that way. I'm not aligned with Putin. I'm not aligned with anybody. I'm aligned with the United States of America.
We all know Russia is a murderous dictatorship. It kills more journalists than anywhere else in the world. It poisons to death its enemies, its critics, and its political rivals unsuspectingly. It does this no matter which country therein. It has totalitarian rule that has no freedom of speech or freedom of the press. Russia works hand in glove with Iran, which has an active plot against Trump and is currently planning to assassinate him. Russia also invaded Ukraine unprovoked.
That is a fact.
Now Trump knows all of this about Russia, but as he says, his aim now is to end the war. So Trump is engaging in his version of diplomacy by not launching a tirade against Vladimir Putin. This is a deliberate tactic, and it's one that Secretary of State Marco Rubio supports. Rubio has in the past card Putin a war criminal and a butcher is both of those things. But Rubio isn't repeating those criticisms while he's trying to extract achieve extractions from Russia at the negotiating table.
I'm not going to fall into this trap. Of the who's bad and who's evil. People can make those conclusions. People have seen how this narrative has played out and where we are today and how this.
All started and so forth.
The point now is it has to end. And the way it ends is you get people to a negotiating table. And the president, who's the ultimate deal maker, knows you don't get people to a negotiating table when you're calling them names and you're accusing them of things. Because at the end of the day, this is not a political campaign, okay, this is high stakes international diplomacy and an effort to bring about an end to a very very dangerous war.
Now, you can agree or disagree with the tactic, it is the one Trump has chosen as he tries to end the war and bring about peace. He wants to show Russia that he's acting as an impartial mediator. And we don't doubt that Trump does want peace. He doesn't want this to escalate into World War IIIE, he doesn't want more lives lost or more costs to Americans. And for his own benefit or his own ego, he certainly wants to be the president that ends the war.
You're gambling with the lives of millions of people seeing you're gambling with world War three. You're gambling with world War three.
Now, Trump could have calmed the situation down in the Oval.
Office, absolutely, but very clearly.
The two problem figures here are jd Vance and Zelenski himself. Now, first to Zelenski, Zelensky.
Is a war hero.
He's been bravely defending his country since it was invaded by Russia. But he also mishandled this meeting, and he hasn't signed the minerals deal. This is now or that meeting on Friday was now the third occasion that we know of where Zelenski has refused to sign the minerals deal, and it's not clear what his concerns are with the deal or why he isn't signing it. The Minerals Deal is seen by many as a back door for an American security agreement, a gateway for American presence in Ukraine.
Maco Rubio again Secretary of State, and he's morally rock solid.
He's said as much publicly.
They also understand that this agreement that was supposed to be signed today was supposed to be an agreement that binds America economically to Ukraine, which to me, as I've explained, I think the President alluded to today is a security guarantee in its own way, because we're involved, it's now us,
it's our interests. That was all explained, that was all understood, and nonetheless, for the last ten days, in every engagement we've had with the Ukrainians, there's been complications in getting that point across, including the public statements that President Zelensky
has made. But they insisted on coming to DC. This agreement could have been signed five days ago, but they insisted on coming to Washington, and there was a very and should have been a very clear understanding, don't come here and create a such scenario where you're going to start lecturing us about how diplomacy isn't going to work. As President Zelenski took it in that direction, and it
ended in a predictable outcome as a result. It's unfortunate that one's supposed to be this way, but that's the path he chose, and I think, frankly, you know country backwards in regards to achieving peace.
The White House Oval Office meeting was meant to be about signing the minerals deal, not realticating an argument that a diplomatic solution can't work. Now, Marco Rubio is a strong supporter of Ukraine, but he's now questioning Zelenski's aim. He's asking why Zelenski undermined the first step of a peace deal, and he basically accused Lelensky.
Of self sabotage.
So you start to perceive that maybe Zelensky doesn't want a peace deal. He says he does, but maybe he doesn't. And that active, open undermining of efforts to bring about peace is deeply frustrating for everyone who's been involved in communications with them leading up to today.
Now that mention there of communications ahead of the meeting on Friday, it seems that Zelensky did the precise opposite of what Trump's advisors suggested to him. We've seen reports that US senators warned Zelensky not to be emotional or confrontational with Trump in the meeting. One of them, Lindsey Graham, told the New York Times, and I'm quoting, don't take the bait I said, and he's saying, he said to Zelenski, don't get into arguments about security agreements. Well, instead, it
could be argued that Zelensky did the exact opposite. Lindsey Graham, again, one of Ukraine's greatest supporters, is now saying that the president should resign.
What I saw in the Oval office was disrespectful, and I don't know if we can ever do business with Zolensky again, I don't. I think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go in business with. The way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the President was just over the top. He either needs to resign and send somebody over.
That we can do business with, or he needs to change.
Now that call for Zelenski to resign is clearly over the top unacceptable. No leader could have done more for their people to defend their people when it's during war, when their country is under siege. Now, Zelenski's argument, though, that he doesn't trust Putin not to break a ceasefire deal, those are legitimate concerns, But does that mean that he doesn't want to sit down at the negotiating table at all?
And if he's concerned about Putin not abiding by Trump's deal, then he could have raised this with the President privately rather than in front of the world's media. And there was a twenty minute bilateral meeting before the press cameras were called into the oval, but it's been reported Zelenski didn't raise his concerns then. Now, it's also worth keeping in mind the backstory. Yeah, Trump has viewed Zelenski, rightly or wrongly, as too close to Joe Biden and the Democrats.
And this goes back to Hunter Biden's involvement in that energy company in Ukraine. As you may recall, there was a vote to impeach Trump after claims he was trying to pressure Zelenski to order an investigation into Hunter Biden. Now, Zelensky did publicly say that he was not pressured by Trump. The New York Post then reports today that Ukraine hasn't been a friend to the US either, voting against its
strategic instrates strategic interests at the United Nations. And that's including, by the way, on Israel, despite Zelenski himself being Jewish.
But let's turn to JD.
Vance now, because what we saw from the Vice President was someone who was clearly a childish agitator and aggressor, and he poses a major problem going forward. In fact, in my view, JD. Vance should never have been made Vice President. This debacle has exposed JD. Vance as not up to the job of VP or a future president, and that's a role he's trying to position himself for. He was the one who was hot headed and grew aggressive first. As you can see here.
What kind of diplomacy ggus became involved.
What do you what do you mean?
I'm talking about the kind of diplomacy that's going to end the destruction of your country. But mister President, mister President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for to bring it into this conflict.
JD.
Vance shouldn't even have been in that meeting given his past comments on Ukraine, comments like.
This, We've spent two hundred billion dollars on Ukraine. You know what I wish Zelensky would do when he comes to the United States of America, say thank you to the people of Pennsylvania and everybody else.
Now, Vance's very presence would have been antagonistic to Zelenski with Vance in that meeting, there was always a high risk that it would escalate into hostility, and Trump would have every reason to be pretty unhappy with the way Vance performed in the Oval and how he derailed the
minerals deal. Vance didn't think twice about openly attacking a leader who is more heroic than he'll ever be, who stood up against a well funded murderist dictatorship, attacking his far smaller country, who has had to fight a war on two fronts, getting allies to support him while in combat against Russia on the front line as well. If Ukraine was led by anyone with less courage and conviction, that it may very well be Russian territory by now, as many predicted it would be at the start.
And JD.
Vance's suggestion that Zelensky was ungrateful is simply not supported by the facts. Look at just how many times and more than this, the Ukrainian later has expressed his gratitude.
Thank you for booth financial texages you have already provided us brilliantly. All my appreciations from my heart for the heart of Ukrainians, all Ukraine.
So what can I say to American people in English.
My English is poor to see all my messages and all my thanks to you, and thank you very much for supporting us our people.
Thank you United States, Thank you America.
Ukraine is grateful to the United States for it's overwhelming support.
But when JD.
Vance continually accuses Zelensky of being ungrateful, he's doing that deliberately to paint a picture of Ukraine as sponging off America for one hundred and seventy five billion dollars in US funding. The isolationist Magabase feed off this, and there are horrible racist calls for Zelensky to leave America and they call him antisemitic names that I won't repeat.
Now.
Vance was clearly playing to the MAGA audience to try and win support for his own future run for the presidency, and in doing this, he's jeopardizing Trump's current term in office and Trump's stated goals. This won't be the last time Vance derails Trump's agenda for his own egotistical and selfish political agenda. Now, today we saw European leaders come in to save the day, with France, Germany and the UK to form a coalition of the Willing, and it's
one of course that. Anthony Albanezi jumped on board, saying he'd support we.
Will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, because this is the struggle of a democratic nation versus an authoritarian regime.
Now, of course a coalition of the willing is great, but where the hell have the European leaders been for the past three years that Ukraine has been fighting Russia.
They've been missing in action.
Now, Peter Dutton today welcomed Europe finally stepping up so that it's not only left to the United States to defend every country globally.
The European nations, particularly the bigger nations, can't continue to rely for financial support or military support from the United States. They need to chip in themselves. And I think President Trump's made this clear. It is forty fifth present in the forty as now newly elected as well. The United States has an incredibly important role to play in the world, but it can't be everywhere at once, and I think
it's important for Europe to step up. It seems that that's what's happening at the moment.
Yeah, they were far too slow, and they've only stepped in now in response to Donald Trump. Now There are a lot of different views on what unfolded in the over office, pages and pages of analysis in the media, but one thing is for certain. Ukraine deserves the West's support, and so does President Zelenski. The fight against Russia isn't just one for Ukraine but for all.
Of Western civilization.
If Russia is successful in this war, then it won't stop, It'll be emboldened. And Ukraine deserves an outcome where its sovereignty is respected. All right, and i'd like to invite now welcome to this studio, Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vassal Murashenko.
Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for being here.
Good evening.
Now, this argument from.
Selenski is that he needs security guarantees. But he was in the White House to sign the mineral's agreement. It's been presented to him at least three times.
Why hasn't he signed it.
I think we just have to look at a broader picture because one of the elements which has been discussed, as we've seen in the videos, was a ceasefire, and for Ukraine to commit to a ceasefire, we need to have those security guarantees. As you know, Russia invaded Ukraine in twenty fourteen. We signed a ceasefire with Russia in twenty fifteen. After that, Russia has violated twenty five times and broke the ceasfire deal, including many of those times on Trump's watch when he was a president. So we
don't really trust Russia. More so. We have given up the third largest stock paller of nuclear weapons in nineteen ninety four in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, u As, Britain, France and China, so that we get assurances that our waters will be always like they were in those days.
And everybody who signed the deal have not delivered on the deal because Russians came back and they destroyed us in twenty fourteen, got emboldened by the very weak reaction of the global community, and they came back eight years later. It was a mission to destroy ukraine sovereignty.
Despite this understandable distrust of Russia, isn't it worth going to the negotiating table?
How else does the war end?
We want this war end more than anybody else, but for that to happen. That was a concept which was offered by President Trump. Its peace through strengths and we need to demonstrate unity because security in Europe depends on
American commitment. It's a backbone and the badrock of that is Native and it was actually those countries and the leadership of American leadership of BA and to create a coalition of countries in support of Ukraine have enabled Ukraine to defend herself and we are extremely grateful for that. Australia has contributed and chipped in with military equipment and
other financial assistants. But to end this war, we have to be strong and for us to make sure that Russians don't come back, we need to have some serious guarantees. And let me just explain to you. Critical deal is fine, it's pretty negotiated and I'm sure it will be signed. I hope to be signed, that it will be signed soon.
It could have been signed on Friday, five days before that.
But it was not the problem. It's not the problem.
The critic bills is not a problem because at the end of the day, how can we get investors to commit into the development of critical minerals if Ukraine does not have security guarantees, If Russians can come back four years later destroy what's been done, or capture what's has been developed, and it's a cornerstone for any rebuilt and reconstruction in Ukraine, because no private cap is going to come to Ukraine if we don't have security guarantees, because
there is no guarantee that Russians will not come back. And they've done it already once in twenty twenty two, and they will come back later. They just need time to restore recipply and regroup and mount another attack. So for Ukrainians it's existential to have a security guarantee and the most viable option is to become a NATO member. If we can't become native member, now we should build
NATO in Ukraine. Strong military, strong strategic strategic conventional weapons on the territory of Ukraine, which would be you know, non nuclear, but which serve as a deterrent air defense systems, long branch missiles, a presence of a navy of a native country in the Black Sea. There must be a deterrent or boots on the ground, as British and French are now discussing potentially as for that. And this is how we can then get the investors, including American investors,
to come into critical minerals. As you know here in Australia, development of any minerals takes years. We're talking about at least two decades that needs to take place before we can have any revenue from those resources. But in that time we need to make sure that that area is protected, that we have the security guarantees to develop them.
The meeting in the Oval, though, was meant to be about the minerals deal, So if there were concerns about the security guarantees, shouldn't that have been raised prior instead of having that argument in front of the media, which ended up being this embarrassing spectacle for all involved.
I'm not across all the agenda which was out there because my mandate is Australia and New Zealand. This is what I'm responsible for, So i cannot comment on the approach and strategy of what had to be discussed there and at what sequence. But I'm giving you the official position of the country of what needs to happen when and criticalous mineral deals was actually something that Ukraine has offered to America. That was our part of our victory plan.
The President Zelenski announced at the end of September, and he brought it to America. President Trump liked it, but they worked on the tax. It took us two weeks to develop the tax. Everybody was happy with that, and that was a discussion, and of course it's very unfortunate of what we've seen what happened, But nevertheless, American commitment to security in Europe is essential, and European Union is the largest donor of Ukraine.
One hundred and.
Thirty eight billion years was provided to Ukraine by the European Union, only then followed by the United States. So even if you look at the top five countries who supported Ukraine, four of them are European. America is still at number one in terms as an individual country. Other individual Germany is number two, followed by Britain, followed by Netherlands, followed by France. So we see these countries which are
European countries. Of course they need to spend more money on defense, and I think that was part of the discussions that we've seen in London. We'll probably see more of that on Thursday when Georgia Moloney will be hosting a summit. But at the end of the day, security in Europe depends in America. Security in into Pacific depends on the US leadership, and therefore we are all in the same board with Australia to make sure that America stays committed to its security guarantees globally.
Well, given what you've just outlined about how American investment is by far higher than any other country, then do you think, and this is what the critics have said, that Zelenski should have been more respectful when he was in the Oval office, that he shouldn't have taken the bait and engaged in an argument with the President of the United States.
President Zelenski as a wartime leader, and you cannot really learn to be a wartime leader. And he was offered a write in exchange and he said, I don't want to write. I need ammunition. And he was fighting, and he demonstrated that he can fight and community he was fighting.
That he set back Ukraine's interests with America by having that public argument with the president.
And that was a commitment that US government has put on the signature of the Buddapest Memorandum. That was a security guarantee that was provided in nineteen ninety four by the President of the United States of America who asked US to give up those nuclear weapons. That was part of the deal. We also destroyed our strategic aircraft which carries some strategic bombents which were also destroyed and dismantal and that was part of the deal which happened in
nineteen ninety four. So we now have countries supporting us because they put their signature there and I think we had an agreement and that was an agreement that was in place. So what the Landski is currently doing, the Landski is protecting Europe and protecting the free world because we understand how that will further involved in putin how
it can embold in other authoritarian leaders. Because if a global power, which is a nuclear country, which is a permanent member of the United Nation Security Council, can change borders by a force, what kind of world does it leave for Australia. Were the security of New Zealand going to be what's going to happen to Japan? If not Korea is going to get nuclear weapons? Now we all understand and that nuclear non proliferation is that because now can you see that probably nuclear weapons is on the
solution and this is what we are seeing. We gave it up voluntarily and we got invaded, we got destroyed, Our people get killed on the daily basis. You can imagine how many people were watching that video from the Oval Office, including all those are the frontlines, including all those displays, all.
The families, are all those saving us their lives. I just want to ask you.
We're out of time, but I just want to ask you one final question about Australia. Now, there are sanctions on Russia, and yet Australia remains one of the world's largest imports of oil based Russian products, and this is via third Much of this is via third countries like India.
It's been described as a legal loophole. What is your comment on our Prime Minister standing up expressing support for Ukraine, but yet at the same time helping to fund the war by importing, by being one of the world's largest importers of Russian based oil products.
I'm personally thankful to Preman austral Albanizi for his support. I'm also thankful personally to the Leader of Opposition Peter Dutton for the statements and support provided today. Support for Ukraine is bipartisan and we of course ask Australia to continue supporting us to impose more sanctions, and of course
the issue of oil needs to be addressed. It's all about the terms of trade and wto definition of the country of origin, because if the product changes and it's already processed in India or Singapore, the country of origin becomes disappoints you. It's not looks. These are the terms of the World Trade Organization. This is how it works. We want that to be addressed and if this is this could be addressed by the Australian government will certainly
welcome that. But this is just the legal matter which is out there. But of course we can use the frozen Russian assets. Nobody has to pay for other security. Three hundred billion Russian assets, most of them are in Europe. We should use it money to buy weapons for Ukraine, in America, in Australia, in Europe, to fund Ukraine. Nobody has to pay for our security. We should use Russian that they have to pay for what they've done in Ukraine.
Ambassador, really appreciate your time, thanks for having it.
Thank you so much.
All right, let's turn now to this shocking story in the Courier Mail in Brisbane today that Green's candidate visited a school to speak about the suffering in Gaza and other content that was far from balanced. She even spoke about genocide in Gaza. Reportedly, this is the Greens candidate Rama Naj. She's running for the federal seat of Morton.
It's currently held by retiring Labor MP Graham Perrot and the career Male reports that following her address, which was two years four to twelve boys, Naj, who was flanked by Green's MP Michael Berkman, encouraged other Brisbane schools wanting students to feel empowered to take action on genocide, to
arrange for her to visit Yes Genocide. Parents were reportedly and understandably furious the Green's politicians shouldn't be visiting schools at all and children shouldn't be given dangerous one sided views on the war in the Middle East.
I mean, do you think she spoke about her muss or the hostages.
Ambrose Tracy College Principal Chris Ryan told The Courier Mail that the college sought assurances about the speaker's focus and content, which were accepted by the speaker. Unfortunately, the college believes that those assurances were not fully upheld. In hindsight, the college says it erred in inviting her to speak. All right, let's bring in now tonight's panel, Sky News host Steve Price and contributed Joe Hildebrand.
Welcome to you both, Steve.
Why is a Greens politician, a candidate going into schools to speak to children about genocide in Gaza.
Well, I don't think politicians of any party should be going into schools, particularly in the heat of an election campaign, which you're about to start. But this is even worse, and the state education ministers and the state premiers right around the country should use this as an example to say to their department we do not want political speeches being made in schools. I mean, for goodness sake, year four to twelve year olds. I mean seriously, I mean
this just should not happen. And whatever state immediately says, okay, we're not having any politicians in any schools during any election campaign. It's not on stay away. Then I think that would be a good thing.
Joe, this is highly inappropriate by any measure.
I mean schools.
We don't need the hatred of the Middle East brought to schools. We don't need school children brainwashed via Greens ideology.
Yeah, it seems pretty insane to me, and I can't imagine that it would ever happen at a state school. The protocols they have for visitors to state school, and I know having done lots of stories on them and being one of those privilege few to get access, are incredibly tight and you have to have an incredibly high level of trust and assurances about what you are going
and going to do and say when you're there. I do not see why any political candidate should be at any school, and I understand that this is an independent Catholic school, but I do not understand why, you know, maybe the local MP, the local councilor the mayor, the
Prime Minister if he's in town or whatever. Of course there's a reason for official representatives to be at a school, but why you would allow a local political candidate, especially one from an extreme party like the Greens, and especially on an issue as incredibly contested and volatile and high octane as the war on pastime and the idea that you would you would think that you know, all.
Assurances would be met Palestine war on is that.
But the point is that this is something as you just demonstrate, this is something that is incredibly highly contested, and the idea that you would put your trust in a Greens candidate to present a fair and impartial and balanced account of it to a bunch of impressionable students. I mean, that is a level of naivy I don't think I've ever seen in the education system before.
Insane.
Way, just as well, you're not speaking to school students as well, Joe, there.
Was there was a war in Palestine, but anyway, yes, still.
Former RBA governor Philip Blow has come out today the front page of The Australian and said that interest rates are not the main reason for the cost of living crisis. He says that interest rates have probably suppressed aggregate demand by one percent this year. The lack of productivity growth over that time has suppressed demand now by nine percent.
So he's therefore saying that sluggish productivity growth, Steve Price, which is in the government's control, that that is the source of the issue.
Steve.
This is a rare intervention from the former RBA governor just days away from an election campaign being caught.
Yeah, very odd and I wonder what Michelle bull It makes of it when you think about it, because I mean, Philip Lowe is now outside the Reserve Bank. His comments about productivity are absolutely correct, and inflation is as well as now being driven by infrastructure spending by the States and the federal government. I mean, and what we've seen so far, Shari, in this fake collection campaign, both sides are determined to throw huge amounts of money at their
favorite projects. That's just going to add to inflation. But I think most Australians have a basic understanding of economics would be surprised that Lowe says, oh, well, interest rates have had nothing to do with inflation. I think that's not the story we've been being told over the last ten or eleven or twelve interest rate rises. So I'm not sure what point he's trying to make here, and I don't think it'll be welcomed by just about anybody.
There's no question that the cost of living crisis is the biggest issue in the election campaign.
Well it will be in the election campaign. We've seen polls.
Today that Albanezer can't rely and the traditionally safe labor seat of state of Victoria, this is the Redbridge Accent. Data found that the government could lose up to eight seats to the coalition in Victoria alone, Joe, this is labor heartland. So and yet this is looking like it could be the worst state for Albanezi.
What do you put this down to.
Yeah, well, it's sort of only labor heartland because it became so kind of indoctrinated by the Dan Andrews one party state. I think Andrew's famously just recently said, you know, in Victoria, there are a few haters and everyone else votes for labor and that's fine by me. So that gives you an indication of the way that that entire state was just comprehensively overtaken by the labor left. The labor left took it over from the Liberal Party, and
they also took it over from the labor right. And now the scales are falling back from Victorian's eyes, the disasters that the government has presided over, the mistruths, and the clearly misleading promises it made in the last ditch election to get Dan Andrews a third time. He's now left the building, just Sinta Allen has left holding this
kind of flaming binfire. And that's what overwhelmingly is making Victoria so difficult for Anthony Albanezi and yes, it is a worry that seats like Karrangamite or Hawk that should be labor seats potentially at risk. There's at least three or four seats that probably should never have been Labour's either and will almost certainly go Aston, will probably go back Chisholm mcure and you know, the Eastern suburbs lot.
But again it's still a pretty tight run thing. That same Pole found overall among those twenty marginal seats, the margin between the Coalition and Labor actually titan from fifty two to forty eight to fifty point five to forty nine point five, and that was after the rate rise and the big Medicare announcement. So it's not all doom and gloom. But yes, Victoria is definitely the most troublesome state.
Doom and gloom for you, of course, Joan, not for everyone, Steve, You're in Victoria. And by the way, I was just in Melbourne over the weekend. In your view, because we just heard from Joe, they're you know, kind of blaming state government issues. But what do you think is making voters angry towards the Albanese government.
Well, the labor brand here is completely toxic. We saw that Wearriby by election. There was a massive swing. No it didn't all go to the Liberals, but it was against labor. So the labor brand, whether it's federal or state, is really on the nose in Victoria. The Australian newspapers reporting tonight, Damon Johnson saying that he's been told that during the election campaign, which we expect the PM to call Sunday for April twelve, that they're going to hide
Jacinder Allen the Premier. There's going to be very few appearances by those two, as opposed to when Anthony Albanezi goes to South Australia will be closing up to Peter Malinowskis Chris Min's in New South Wales, so onllly up Roger Cook in WA. But I don't think, and you know, I could be wrong on this, but don't expect to see too many nice cozy camera shots of Anthony Albanezi. Would just Sindra Allen because Jesus disliked as much as what Daniel Andrews is in this state.
Yeah, indeed, all right, Steve Price, Jo hude Brand, thank you so much.
For you tank guys.
Now still to come Donald Trump's invitation to a severely starved former hostage to visit the White House. After this emotional interview, plus the revelation that Albanezi has appointed a pro Palestinian activist to run his campaign, I'll talk about that with Cameron Milner after this quick break.
Welcome back.
As I mentioned, we are probably just days away from the Prime Minister calling the federal election campaign to discuss this and more. I'm joined by former Chief of Staff to Bill Shorton and former Queensland State Labor Director Cameron Milner.
Great to see you.
Likewise, now I want to have a look at this story that was in the Daily Mail by Peter van Onsl on the weekend that Labour's new election campaign communications director Adam Gartrell Well Here was an advisor to Tony Burke and now he's been pointed to this senior role running the Prime Minister's federal election campaign.
And he has previously posted a photograph of himself in a KFE year which will show you now so you.
Know, clearly ready to lead Labour's campaigning strategy.
Cameron well and he's also Tony Burke's deputy chief of staff as well, so a little surprise they're given Burke's views on Israel, Burke's views on Gaza, that his deputy chief of staff would be this of extreme and think that having a kefair and playing some hamas cosplay was
somehow funny or amusing. These people will have to communicate the Australian public exactly these views, and that's who's fronting the campaign that I think voters will have a very dim view of Alberts and his campaign come whenever that election is going to be.
I mean, the more you look into the advisors around the Prime Minister, it just makes sense why they've taken.
The attitude that they taken on this issue. Now Albiniz, he is doing more and more soft interviews.
We saw him on sixty minutes what I did and I did, But he was on sixty minutes last night speaking yet again about his romance in his private life.
If we've got that clip, let's have a quick look.
I think you've been through a lot Pam personally and to find happiness.
Did you think you would like this?
NAF And I wasn't looking for a relationship, Jody yelled out up the rabbit os is how we met when I went round the table.
That's how easy you were. You had me up the rabbits.
We should get that on the shirt. I mean Cameron, he prefers these soft interviews. He likes going on the FM stations. He's not going to sit down with someone who will ask him the tough questions.
No, he won't. He likes the soft puff pieces. I mean that's what he's about. I mean, he's after soft options because he's a WEEK leader. At the end of the day, I remember the day of the RBA cut interstrates by point twenty five percent and gave people some small relief. He announced the day of his wedding nuptsheals. I mean, this is a guy who would rather talk about soft issues than the hard issues and the real issues like cost of living.
And voters are starting to see that. That what's coming across in research on both sides, I'm told is the word weakness.
He's being seen as a WEEK leader.
He's not up to the job on national security or when it comes to protecting Australia's sovereignty.
That's right, and it's not just on the issues we've got around Israel and Gaza, where we see protests on our national streets, terrible things like what happened to the opera house where he couldn't stand up for Astralians and he was so weak in his response, so his response to China last week and the like. So no, that weakness is certainly coming through the polling, because that's what Albo projects. He's a week leader.
Looking at the demographics, how do you think younger voters are looking for this election?
Where do you think their sentiments are at the moment.
I think it's a fascinating question because the voting role grows every single election. So we've got about seventeen at nine million voters eligible. Seven point eight of them are either millennials or Gen zs. So as the role grows, just proportionately, younger people are a large and larger percentage of that, and they're looking for social media and other media platforms. We're talking mainstream media right now, Shari, but certainly in terms of social media and the ability to
respond and be part of the conversation. I think change is the way political campaigns.
Will operate, and especially when a lot of politicians are turning to TikTok. Definitely not on TikTok, but they're turning that's why you see these supposedly serious ministers doing these ridiculous videos.
You do, and I mean, you know, back in twenty twenty two it might have been the enger Deen mackers, that was the Scott Morris issue, and there's Peggys this time round. I understand it myself, but there's all that stuff that's going on in the social media sense as well. So I think the politicians are dealing with a very different level of communications when it comes to younger people and younger voters and certainly talking through social media.
Look some of the issues we've been talking about tonight. Of course, cost of living is absolutely the major issue. Do you think that one interest rate cut do you think the government has managed to sell the message that it means the crisis is over?
Regrettably not because people actually are living through it, where they're paying rent to where they're paying a mortgage, where they're a young person, struggling to make grocery mills, bills meat, They're all under that cost of living pressure. And regrettably, even though point two five was a great piece of relief, it's not enough to change the political dial in.
My view, or a tiny piece of relief given that people have had thirteen interes straight cuts.
Very true, shark. Yes, but yes, And you think the election is going to be followed this Sunday.
Well, the cyclone in Queensland is really bad and it might actually cross the coastline route around Brisbane or the Suntone coast. And you know, Albanie doesn't like Queenslanders and Queenslanders don't like Albow. But that would be a terrible thing to do, in the aftermath of a cyclone hitting a huge urban area, to call election on Sunday so.
It could push it back fire.
I think I can think it'd be blowing sideways by the cyclone.
All right, thank you very much, thank you for being here.
Still to come Trump's invitation to a severely starved hostage to visit him in the White House, plus the disgrace of Guy Pierce at the oscars that's coming up after this quick break. Well, Eli Sharabi was kidnapped on October seven and held by terrorists for more than five hundred days. Before his final release. He spoke to Israeli media about his unimaginable ordeal.
Exactly lor Bley, I tell mamages.
It was so horrific. What he went on to speak about as well. As a result of that very emotional interview, Donald Trump has now invited Ali to the White House, yet another example of his steadfast commitment to Israel. Let's bring in our Sky News contributor, Kosher Gata Kosher. This is an incredible and Trump didn't just invite Ali, but any of the recently returned hostages as well. This is such an important show of support.
It is it's very meaningful Shari, because the one issue in this conflict, which has certainly suffered from not having consensus globally, as you know better than anybody discussing this for now such a long period of time, five hundred plus days, the one issue that completely has consensus is getting the hostages out and the plate that they have had to suffer, and just the humanitarian aspect of it.
And in this busy news cycle that we live in, where everything is pushed off the front page within minutes, people forget about it. Sadly, I hate to say it, but that's just true. And when Trump goes and does something like this, it elevates it to the forefront again. We of course have the tragedy of the Beavers Boys that brought it back, and I think those things do matter to refocus the world on just the tragedy and atrocity that's still happening there.
At the Oscars today, Guy Pierce as straighting an actor. He was nominated for his role in a movie about the Holocaust, but he still turned up wearing a pin supporting free Palestine. Only saving grace is that he didn't win the Best Supporting Actor Kosher.
This is disgraceful, isn't it.
He clearly felt, you know, he starred in this role and he felt like he had to somehow distance himself from the themes of the role that he started and acted in. Look, I think the macro picture is the Oscars are just more and more irrelevant. Ratings are going down all the time, excuse me, year on year, and that's just a reflection of the fact that these folks are no longer as culturally relevant as they might have
been in Hollywood's golden era. So I think that's the other soul list in this that nobody's really paying attention to them. That said, it is a platform for signaling whatever position someone wants to take politically. He has done that, and I think he as do all actors pay the price with that where people just want them to zip it, do what they do well, act, entertain us and maintain some mystique rather than projecting your political opinions, especially for contentious issues like these.
Goosha very quickly.
The tariff deadline is looming looking less and less likely. Isn't it that albo is going to get an exemption?
Seems to be now anything is possible in a twelve odd days or so that we have left, But there doesn't seem to be any urgency or sort of that they've gotten any quick wins or any sort of a signal from Team Trump about some sort of exemption, and it doesn't sound like they're inclined to do so because Trump is going much more aggressively at leveling the playing field, including with allies where we may be running a surplus
in Australia. So I do think it's quite possible that this is going to hit all.
Right, Kashgatta, thank you so much for joining us, And after the break we'll return to that explosive White House press conference and what it means Fizzelenski's leadership back in a moment. Welcome back, well for more analysis on the Oval Office meeting. Let's bring in now the executive director of ASPY, Justin Bassi. Justin, thank you for your time. Look what's your view about the European leadership, how they finally stepped in today, but they've basically been missing an action.
It's great you with you, Shari. I think it's fair to say that since the end of the Cold War, many countries, including those major countries in Europe, didn't invest in enough in defense and didn't invest in military deterrence. And we've seen the outcome, the outcome being Russia and Putin thinking they could do whatever they want. But you're right.
Today or Sunday in London, we saw what looks like an excellent meeting and all credit to Prime Minister Starma for gathering European leaders and they've said all the right things. They've said they fully support Ukraine, they'll fight, they will support Ukraine until the end of the fight is determined by Ukraine and Stana saying that once peace is found, peace is achieved a lasting piece, they'll be willing to back the deal in with the UK boots on the ground.
So these are excellent things to say. We've now got to see them in action.
Do you think JD.
Vance, the Vice President, and his isolationist attitude, is going to be a problem moving forward.
I think there's no doubt that we have a shift with the new US administration. They have made it clear that they do not like being taken advantage of. They feel that they've been taken an advantage of over the last few decades, and unfortunately for US, they are not separating
friends from foes well enough publicly. The issue for countries like Australia, though Shari, is to ensure that we join in the support for Ukraine, not just by supporting Ukraine as a sovereign country, which it is and which is vital, but that we as an ally of the US, as a member of the Five Eyes, as a members of the Quad, as a member of Orcus, are saying to our American friends that an America withdrawn from Europe doesn't make America safer and doesn't make this region safer, even
if the American resources come from Europe and a spent all on China that will not serve our security interests. We need in America that sticks with its friends and allies in Europe to ensure that this region in the Indo Pacific knows that the US will stick with.
US, and that's one of the issues China could be looking at this. I mean, one of the deterrents from China invading or reunifying with Taiwan has been America. But China could look at this and think, well, America might not come to Taiwan's eight.
There's absolutely no doubt that China is watching. China has been watching since before the war started. They have formed their no limits partnership with Russia. China is the main enabler of the war. I saw your interview with the Ukraine ambassador Ambassador to Australia, Vassal Mushuin Schenko, a great man. You asked him about things like oil transhipment. Well, again, it's mainly through the Russian shadow fleet coming through countries
like China. So China is watching, China is enabling Russia. But there are also difference. It's not just a straight out and out analogy between what's going on in Europe and what might happen in the Indo Pacific. I think we have in the Trump administration an administration his looks at internationally issues differently. They are treating the Middle East differently to Europe, and no doubt they'll treat the Indo
Pacific differently to both the Middle East and Europe. That's why it's our job, Australia's job, along with Japan and South Korea in this region, along with our European partners and friends and countries like Israel, to make sure that the US knows that there aren't spears of influence are not good for any of us. We need to work together.
Justin Bassie, really appreciate your time. And that's the show for today. Thank you for your company. I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock. And here's Paul Maray