Live on Sky News.
This is Sharry, Thanks Andrew. Good evening.
While I start tonight with breaking news. The Albanzi government has backflipped on its opposition to mandatory minimum sentences for anti Semitic offenses and terror attacks. Now, Peter Duartan has been pushing for this policy. As you know, Albanezi insisted he wasn't going to interfere, there'd be no mandatory minimum sentences.
And yet as we speak.
Right now in Canberra in the House, Tony Burke is introducing new laws that will have mandatory jail terms both for terror offenses and for anti Semitic hate crime.
So I'm going to come.
Back to that breaking news a bit later. James Patterson will be on the show, but of course the weight of tonight's show will be full coverage and analysis on this bold move by Donald Trump. Today he stunned the world by declaring America will take over Gaza. Israel's deputy Foreign Affairs Minister would join me from Washington. Plus, as I said, Shadowhome Affairs Minister James Patterson also on the
show tonight. In a fiery question time, Peter Dutton claimed Albanezi wasn't briefed on the caravan filled with explosives for seven days. The Prime Minister now fighting off allegations that the agencies, his own agencies don't trust him enough to brief him on a terror threat.
I'll speak about this.
With tonight's Political Panel and the Chaffir scandal rocking the new South Wales Parliament.
Well couldn't claim another minister.
Michael Kroger and Graham Richardson will debate if Rose Jackson should go too. But let's start tonight with today's bombshell news, Donald Trump's plan to level Gaza, have the US takeover, rebuild it, and relocate Palestinians to Arab States. Here is the President making this massive statement that rock the world today.
The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.
Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings.
Level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. Do a real job to something different. Just can't go back. If you go back, it's going to end up the same way it has for one hundred years.
Major news that Donald Trump wants to take over Gaza and clear out the terrorists. This is a world changing and historical shakeup that could shape the future of the Middle East. Trump is also saying that nearly two million Palestinians should leave Gaza at least during the rebuild and relocate to neighboring countries.
We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the one point eight million Palestinians living in Gaza. The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative. It's right now a demolition site. This is just a demolition site. Virtually every building is down. They're living under fallen concrete. That's very
dangerous and very precarious. They instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety, and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony.
And here was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyaho's reaction to Trump's idea.
I believe, mister President, that your willingness what you're conventional thinking, thinking that has failed time and time and time again. Your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas will help us achieve all these goals. And I've seen you do this many times. You cut to the chase.
Okay, here's my analysis. Well, firstly, it's.
Likely that Trump is trying to coerce the Arab nations to take control of Gaza, to step up and take responsibility for its governing. And this is Trump's modus operandi. He makes a big statement to big threat and it prompts immediate action that otherwise never.
Would have happened.
So the Arab nations had all but washed their hands of Gaza. They wanted nothing to do with the problem. But after Trump's declaration that America will take control of the Gaza Strip, a highly contested, sought after peace of land in the Middle East, it's very likely that Arab nations will now find a way to step in.
It's widely accepted.
Now, although not by the Albanese government, that Gaza does need to be a protectorate. A protectorate that's a state controlled by another har mass cannot continue to govern it. It has comprehensively failed both its own citizens and its neighbors. It's terrorizing people and causing unrest around the world. Trump's move that America will take over could very well prompt Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others to get on board in a protectorate arrangement.
So that's my first point.
But secondly, I think if they don't come on board, Trump is clearly prepared to take control of Gaza.
Nothing has worked so far.
Self governance in Gaza certainly hasn't. Israel handed the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians in two thousand and five. It made all Israeli citizens leave the area, and it gave the Palestinians independence. They elected a terrorist group and Harmas
has controlled Gaza since two thousand and six. They could have built an international city with its own airport, but all they've achieved is a terrorist infrastructure, including amassing weapons and tunnels, and they've only brought death and tragedy to their own people by continually provoking Israel into war. So the territorial solution has failed, as Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharon Haskell tells me on the show tonight.
So the territorial solution. You know it wasn't.
It didn't give us the answer. It actually blew up in our faces.
As she says, the international community surely has to admit that giving Gaza sovereignty has failed. I wish it hadn't, but it has. In that full interview, by the way, is coming up in a moment. So statehood isn't the answer here, despite the repeated please from Penny Wog and Alban Easy, you just can't give terrorists a state. And the fact is terrorism does need to be finally eradicated.
We can't keep on living like this.
We're living in twenty twenty five, when rockets can go into space and come back in one piece thanks to Elon Musk, when Ai can reason like humans can, and yet somehow we're still expected to live in a world where terrorism is allowed to flourish and monsters slaughter and kidnap babies, children and mothers. There's no question the status quo can't continue now. There's been a massive absence of leadership in the international community when it comes to Gaza
up until this point. The Wok ideology has sided with barbarians and terrorism has therefore been able to thrive. We can see with our own eyes that Gaza is broken. These scenes of Hamas terrorists swarming around a single Jewish female hostage are sickening, and ever since I saw that, I've been thinking, well, what hope is there for Gaza. It's broken, it seems beyond repair, and clearly the President of the United States has come to that view as well.
An American takeover if that's what eventuates, And as I've said, I think it's a negotiating tactic to get the Arab nations on board. But if it's what eventuates, it might be far from the perfect solution, and there are pitfalls to it, including indefinite deployment of American troops in Gaza who would become a target for terror. But like I already said, this is a typical Trump maneuver to encourage ourb nations like the Saudis and the Emorts to take
the lead. But even if America does take the lead, it's better than the status quote and look at Trump's vision for Gaza compared to its future otherwise, the President says it could become the Riviera of the Middle East.
We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal.
And I don't want to be cute, I don't want to be a wise guy.
But the riviera of the Middle East, this could be something that could be so bad.
This could be so magnificent.
And there are beautiful beaches in Gaza like there are in Israel. Billions of dollars in international aid is pouring into Gaza anyway, it's being wasted on terraced infrastructure like the underground tunnels. Why shouldn't that money, billions of dollars go into transforming Gaza into a beautiful and peaceful city. Trump struck the Abraham Accords, which no one thought he could achieve. He has forged strong relationships with Arab nations
and of course with Israel. And Trump is meeting the Jordanian King Abdullah in the coming days and Gaza will be discussed in those meetings. Now commentators tonight have said that this is Trump taking America into a foreign war. Well, that analysis is incorrect. Trump is speaking about rebuilding Gaza, not fighting.
He's showing leadership in an.
Area where no one else is stepping up. The question is how far can Trump get with this plan? Seeing as he only has a four year term and how will the international community react? His move has already sent shockwaves around the world, and we can probably expect major Palestinian protests on our streets. Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanezi, well, he's going to need to come up with a better response than his weak and pathetic answer today when he was asked about this.
Well, I've said before, though I don't tend to have a running commentary on the President of the United States statements. Guy's position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year, and it was ten years ago, and it was under the Howard government, the Australian government support and a bipartisan basis a two state solution in the Middle East.
Now, of course he wouldn't support Trump's plan because remember this is a man who's been a lifelong pro Palestinian activist. He reportedly protested outside the American Embassy in Sydney at a rally where Israeli flags were burnt, and he was a Federal MP at the time. And it is great to watch Albanesi squirm over these questions, and you can
only imagine how Penny Wog would be having kniptions. But nothing shows the difference between the Trump administration and the Albanese government more than their response to Israel's war on Hermus on terrorists. Pennywog wanted to reward the terrorism of October seven with Palestinian statehood, while Trump says Gaza needs
to be leveled and let the Americans take over. The reality is, though, that the destroyed condition that Gaza is in now is entirely because of the actions of their own governing body of her Mus, and the Palestinians deserve better than this. Better than her Mus, they deserve better than an uncertain future where barbaric, bloodthirsty and misogynistic terrorists bring death and destruction to their own civilians. The Palestinians deserve to live in peace and safety, and of course
the Israelis do too. The Israelis can't live like this, having to wait for the day when October seven happens all over again. Israeli hostages are still being held in Guys, so we still don't know where nine month old baby Kaffir is, where four year old baby Ariel is, where their mother Shiri is.
It's unacceptable.
So under Trump's bold vision, at least the status quo of the endless cycle of terrorism will change. I'm going to have full analysis on the show tonight on this topic. I've got James Patterson, Michael Kroger, Kosher Gada, and more. But I'm going to start my coverage now with Israel's Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Sharen Haskell. She joined me from Washington a little earlier. Sharen, thank you so much for
your time. This has been an unbelievable day. What's Israel's reaction to Trump's plan to relocate Palestinians.
And have the US take over Gaza.
Look, I think that first of all, you know, we are very grateful for the friendship and the support that we've received from President Trump. We've seen that in his last administration. I don't think Israel had a better friend than Trump.
He brought, you know.
The Abraham Accords, where no one really believed that something like that is possible. Everybody thought that was a fantasy, but he actually he actually locked that in and he created his peace and stability in the Middle East. You know, we knew that these days and I'm now in Washington, they are going to shape the future of the Middle
East and how it's going to look. And we really want to make sure, you know, that the Abraham Accords are expanded, that we bring back stability, peace coexistence, that we can build bridges between our neighbors. And I think that with his statement, I think it's it's pretty obvious that President Trump is committed to that, and we are very grateful for the friendship and the support that he keeps on showing to Israel and our people.
But does Israel support Trump's plan to take over Gaza, rebuild and relocate the Palestinians.
I think that many of the things that we're discussed, and many of the things that we heard the Statesman about, I think that in the next couple of months, and he also said there's going to be more declaration within a month's time, you know, a more obvious plan is
going to be shaped and draw and written. And once that has happened, then we will have a better understanding of some of his vision and in some of obviously our needs and vision in regards to the Middle East and the stability and the building of bridges and how we can achieve it. So, you know, I still think it's early days, very difficult to say exactly how it's going to look, but hopefully within the next few weeks we'll get a better picture of that.
It's clear that.
The status quo is unsustainable though, isn't it. We can't go back to the situation before where terrorism is a constant threat.
So we've always said, we have to make sure that tramas Is doesn't have any military capability and power, and we have to make sure Hamas doesn't have civilian power either. Look showing throughout all these years, the Israeli governments have tried different solution to be able to live side by side. We tried a territorial solution because some people.
Thought this is a territorial conflict.
So we disengage from Gaza, evacuating every single living Jew from this area, withdrawing all of our troops, giving them an autonomy.
To build a Singapore or you know, a Hong Kong.
But instead they actually democratically elected a terrorist organization that's on its platform has sworn to completely obliterate the State of Israel and annihilate the Jewish people inside Israel and outside. So the territorial solution, you know, it wasn't it didn't give us the answer. It actually blew up in our faces. And then we tried economical prosperity, where you know, we get working permits for Palestinians to come and work in Israel.
There was a lot of money and funds that were invested in Gaza, and that economic future and prosperity and idea didn't work either. Okay, it blow up in our face on the seventh of October where you know, a terrorist organization Hama's Death called you know, entered Israel and you know, murdering our people, our grandparents, burning babies alive, raping little girls.
That's the reality of that. And so we have to think outside of the box.
And I think that Trumps is bringing ideas that are outside of the box, and I think that we should lay them all down and start thinking what is a possibility and how we can actually achieve that.
Sharon, would you need the support of the Arab nations? I mean ideally surely what the involvement of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and so on in the governing of Gaza.
Well, we understand that to create stability, real stability, we need to create corporation with some of our neighboring countries as well.
And we are really hoping for that when.
Trump is speaking about expanding the Abraham Accord, he speaks exactly about.
That building bridges. We don't want our neighbors to be our enemies.
We want to be able to live side by side. And so I think that the international community needs to understand that the ideas that were brought time after time again the same ideas have completely failed, and that it is time to think outside of the box and to lay down these options.
I think that, you.
Know, Trump has got a different way in managing things and what we've experienced also even before he entered office in regards to negotiations about a ceasefire with Lebanon or with Hamas you know, he's not just escorting the process and overseeing it like the Biden administration, but he's really taking control and leading a lot of this process, very much involved in every single detail about.
It and leading it.
And it's a different approach, and he's bringing ideas that are outside of the box. And we know that Trump has done that many times before on different issues as well. And I'm not getting into one issue or another, but the fact is that in many of these issues he
was actually pretty successful. And I think that if he's capable of bringing us that's outside of the box, and it can be successful and bring stability and coexistence and prosperity to our regent, where in the last few years it's been absolutely devastating with war and death and economical destruction. So if this other option is on the table, I'll take it, especially after what we've seen in the last few years.
But just back to the question about the Arab nations again, do you need their support for this and are they meetings underway about this?
Prime Minister Antoniao met with the envoy Witkof and with Waltz and they've outlined and the Prime Minister has you know, discussed the framework of Israel's need and our expectations as well. Today actually Witco is flying to Katar to speak to the Prime Minister to discuss the issue of the continuations of the negotiation for a second stage. So things are unfolding and there's a discussion with some countries around.
I think tomorrow or the next day.
The next visit is going to be a visit here in Washington by the Jordanian king as well, so he's not waiting.
Sharon Haskell, really appreciate your time late at night in Washington on such a historic day.
Thank you very much, Sherry.
Okay, for further analysis, let's bring in now former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroeger and former Labor minister Graham Richardson. Welcome to you both, as always on a Wednesday. Michael's starting with you, and what a trait it.
Is to have you in Sydney studio with me. I am very lucky.
So what's your assessment of this, of this astonishing move by Trump today?
Well, like everybody, my first response was I was gobsmacked by what he said. I mean, it was an unbelievable announcement. But you have to analyze what Trump's is, right. It's like in chest he goes poor to King six, which is in legal move, and then he comes back to Paul in King four, which is legal. So what's he actually doing here? Is he actually going to take over Gaza?
No?
Is it going to become an American protected at state whatever. No, he is saying to the Arab States, as you correctly said, he's saying to the Arab States, you people have had eighty years. You've had eighty years to sort this out, to find a place for the Palestinians to allow there to be peace, co existence with the Jews in Israel, for the Arab States to stop fighting each other. You've had eighty years. I've had enough, You've had a good go,
You've stuffed it up. Look where we are now with Jews being slaughtered eighteen months ago, it's now Gaza is a hellhole. And I'm now going to, you know, push my pawn down the board. So what's going to happen. What's going to happen, as you say, Saudi Arabia, the Jordanians, the Egyptians, the Qataris, the probably the Abraham Accords, four countries, maybe even the Syrians, to keep the peace will all come in. There will be a multi national peacekeeping protectorate, government,
et cetera in Gaza. The Americans may not even need to be involved. But this is what he's saying to the Arab States, You've had enough. You've made a complete hash that I've had enough. That's what he's done.
I think that is also the most likely.
As I've already said, Richo, what do you think do you think we're going to have a Trump tower on the Gaza strip or do you think you know this is a negotiating tactic to get the Arab nations on board.
I think it's probably a negotiating tactic, mind you. I'd like to love to see her a Trump tower on the Gaza fabulous, And I wouldn't put anything past him. But now, look, I think, you know, well, I' often been a critic of Trump. I think on this issue, he's really doing pretty well. I mean, if you think back, every American president has had a crack at this, Every American president has failed, and so you know, you look
at these things, you're entitled to be pessimistic. That the great thing about Trump is he never is never pessimistic. He's always looking on the bright side, always looking for a wind, and I think he might have one here.
Yeah, it's a good point you make about the past presidents. Bill Clinton once told me many years ago that his greatest regret from his time as president was the Middle East, that he couldn't bring peace to the Middle East. So, you know, this would be totally legacy defining for Trump that Abraham Accords already are from his first administration. I just want to bring you another piece of news from their meeting. Natan Yahoo and Trump Nettan Yahoo gifted Trump
a golden pager. How funny is that that's a reference, of course to the top secret corporation where Israel blew up heswella pages, although they've never admitted to that, but but now this is an admission of sorts Nediyahu giving Trump a golden pager. And then Channel twelve reports that in Israel reports that Trump gave Nedija who a photograph of the two of them, and Neddiyao who sign has shared that photograph and social media so have seen a picture of that.
Also.
I want to show you very quickly the Nightly front page tonight.
It's a great cover.
Bye, and my good friend christ Or who doesn't want me to mention him, but great cover.
From the Riviera to the sea.
Well, don't forget, yes, Beirut was Paris in the Middle East twenty years ago. That was brut Here's the other thing. But what Trump's doing, there's going to have to be a Palestinian state. There's going to have to be a place to the Palestinians, Okay, somewhere now. The Jordanians are going to have to come to be involved in Gaza because they've got two million Palesitians. They don't want anymore. Know we know, they've taken zero Palestinians from Gaza. We've
taken over a thousand, they've taken zero the Jordanians. But you look at the Jordanians, they've had trouble with the Palestinians right back to the murder of King Abdullah in nineteen fifty one of the Alexa Mosque when their king was murdered by a Palestinian terrorists on the Temple Mount. The Egyptians don't want any Palestinians, they don't want the adjunct of the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt. They've taken zero refugees, as we know, and so you look around the other
Arab countries they haven't taken any either. So Trump's basically saying to them, if you're not going to take them, we'll take over here. And they're going to have to say, oh no, no, no, no, no no no, because Trump's saying, well, if you don't want the Palestinians, are you know, there'll be no state. So he's put the ball back in their court, and the Saudis is basically the national leader of all of those countries. They're going to have to
step up to mark. They'll be one of the first countries. I would think that it's going to come in and say we will help run Gaza.
All right, although in an early state meant from five Arab countries.
That's just been reported.
Tonight in the Times of Israel. Look it's not encouraging. They're resisting. They're saying there does need to be a Palestinian state. But look it's an early statement and the negotiations are happening behind the scene. As I mentioned, the King of Jordan, Abdullah, is going to meet with Trump in the coming days. All Right, let's talk about this story, the Rose Jackson issue. That she's the new South Wales Housing Minister. Rose Jackson, she's spent today explaining why she
shouldn't lose her job. She also took that free caravan that was organized by Joe Halen, the van that was organized by Joe Halen. This is the taxpayer funder she first scandal broken by the Sunday Telegraph and in fact the day out was to celebrate Rose Jackson's fortieth birthday.
Richo, do you think there's a.
Case for Rose Jackson to resign over this as well? Do you think she's going to end up holding onto a job.
I think she'll hold onto a job. I don't think it's a hanging offense. Yes, bad judgment's been shown and that's regrettable, but I think after you've apologized, that should be the end of it. I can't see any way that you can say that that era of judgment of hers was so great that she has to resign. Just can't see that.
It was her fortieth birthday lunch. She got the taxpayer funded Shaffer driven van as well. She didn't organize it, but she still took it.
Richo.
Yeah, as I said, there's been some bad judgment here, but not hanging the offenses. I think she'll have learned from the experience, at least I hope she has.
What do you think, Mike Corman?
You can imagine how labor would have gone so hard on the Coalition government if it.
Was something like this.
She has to go. I mean this argument. I left my house and I went out the front and law and behold, I shocked horror there was a government car out there to take him in my birthday for three or four hours. Oh did. I just was flabbergasted at what happened. She got in the car, she knew what was going on. She's engaged in exactly the same hanging offense as the minister who's resigned. The only difference was
she didn't organize it, but she participated in it. And you know, men's men's who's been great on other issues, as we've said, has been you know, to let Jackson off the hook is you know he will he will carry that around. So he should sack her and quarterize the bleeding now and start again with a short, fresh, freshoet of paper saying to the public, we don't cop this, I don't cop this as premiure. So she has to go for goodness sake.
It's more complicated for him, Richo, because these two women, the female ministers, are from the left faction and they supported him into the leadership.
So do you think he feels obligated?
You know, obviously eventually he moved on Joe Halen, But do you think he feels like he can't Zach Rose Jackson as well?
Well.
I think he certainly doesn't want it, but he may yet be forced into doing it. I don't think this game's over yet. I think we might be passed half time, but the full time bill hasn't run, so I'm just going to keep watching it.
It's fascinating and I'm sure Linda sill Marlis will have more in the Telegraph this week. All right, Gray Richardson, Michael Kroger, so great to have you, Graith.
All right, still to.
Come more analysis on Trump's bold plan for the Gaza strip. Plus did the AFP deliberately keep Albanizi out of the loop on the terror threat of the caravan filled with explosives because they don't trust him?
James Patterson would join me next. Welcome back.
Well, let's return to the breaking news that I mentioned at the start of the show that the Albanezi government has done a massive backflip. They said that they opposed Peter Dutton's idea a mandatory minimum sentences. So this is a minimum jail term for those who commit anti Semitic attacks or terror offenses. Albanesier post it and now in breaking news tonight, Tony Burke is introducing that legislation to the House. Let's bring in now shadow Home Affairs Minister
James Patterson. James, what's your reaction to this capitulation by labor.
Well capitulation is the only way to describe it Shari a total and utter capitulation. It was only two days ago that senior Albanesi government ministers were publicly dismissing the idea of the need for mandatory minimum sentences, and in fact, on Tuesday in the Senate they voted against emotion that I moved to call for the introduction of mandatory minimum sentences.
This is another example of Peter Dutton leading, of seeing the problems in our country, of identifying the solutions, of calling for them, and of pressuring the Albanzi government into
very reluctantly acting to address them. It's been very clear in this country since this antiseptism crisis has become a terrorism crisis and got out of control on it Anthiobanez's watch, that we needed strong action to send a strong signal to deter people who are responsible for these attacks, and that only mandatory minimum sentences would be necessary It would
be sufficient to achieve that. But after Peter Dutton and I announced that we would introduce them on the twentieth of January, the Prime Minister dismissed the idea as being a distraction and unnecessary.
Look, I also want to ask you about the biggest news of the day right around the world, Trump's stunning plan to fix the Gaza strip. Let's have a quick look at what else Trump had to say on this today.
Do something different. Just can't go back.
If you go back, it's going to end up the same way it has for one hundred years. I'm hopeful that this ceasefire could be the beginning of a larger and more enduring piece that will end the bloodshed and killing once and for all.
With the same goal in mind.
Might st has been moving quickly to restore trust in the Alliance and rebuild American strength throughout the region.
James Trump is right, isn't he? He says, we can't go back. It'll be another one hundred year cycle of bloodshed and terrorism.
Isn't that right?
Well, there's no question, Shari that the status quo has been a disaster for Palestinians and a disaster for Israelis, and there is no positive future for either if Hamas remains in charge in Gaza, and very sadly, they do appear to be regaining control in Gaza since the ceasefire was put into effect, and so we do need to think about the best way to resolve that and ensure a peaceful future for both the people of the region. It's not our policies, you know, to go down this path.
We have a two state solution that we support and has supporter for a long time in this country. It's actually the Labor Party that's walked away from that and proposes to UNIL actually recognize a Palestinian state without the agreement of Israeli government, without any peace negotia. We don't think that's the right approach.
We haven't seen the detail of Trump's plan yet, had Sharon Haskell, she is the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister for Israel.
She was on earlier. She said, we are still to see the detail in the coming weeks.
But do you agree with the principle that there does need to be a new external garverning body in Gaza.
Well, the rebuilding project in Gaza is going to be an enormous task and it will need an international coalition of states, particularly those from the region. We do want to see leadership from Arab states in the region recognizing
their responsibility and interest in this issue. Of course, Israel will have to be satisfied with those arrangements and American leadership will be absolutely essential to getting this done, because what we should hope to see out of this is peace and security for the people of Israel, and peace and security for the people of Gaza and for Palestinian people. And it is not going to happen just by letting it to continue as it has over the last twenty years.
Unmas's terrible rule in that region now absolutely Look in question time today, Look, it was brutal for the Prime Minister. The Coalition grilled him over the explosives field caravan.
Why didn't he know about this? Have a look?
The Prime Minister has been embarrassed because he wasn't advised by.
The police because they're worried about him leaking the information ahead of any action by the police.
Was the Prime Minister first informed of the planned mass casualty terror attack against the Sydney's Jewish community. The Prime Minister is studiously avoiding answering the question.
If he doesn't want to be relevant to the question, he can sit.
Down, James, how concerned are you that the Prime Minister evidently wasn't told about a potential mass casualty event potentially for seven days.
Sure if that turns out to be the case. That will be a travesty and a shocking breakdown about national security architecture under the Prime Minister's watch. How he has allowed to get it to be so bad that our police and intelligence agencies don't feel compelled to bring news like this to him urgently to inform him so that he can take decisive action to protect our country is a real indictment on his leadership. He should have been driving this from the beginning. There should have been rolling
National Security Committee of Cabinet meetings. He should have been demanding answers from our police and intelligence agencies, and they should have been keeping him in the loop because they knew he would want to know about what was going on. And it speaks to his leadership that that clearly appears not to have been happening.
Yeah, it's beyond comprehension. How you know if it would have been executed a terror attack that would have had a forty meter blast wave and yet the Prime Minister didn't know about it.
There almost should.
Be an inquiry into what has gone on here because this is a major failure of national security. It's a major failure to protect Australian citizens. James Patterson, that's exactly right. Really do you think there should be an inquiry?
I strongly support an independent inquiry by an eminent national security expert to get to the bottom of why the Prime mister didn't know, or when he did know and what he did about it.
All right, James Patterson, really appreciate your time. Thank you so much. Now still to come more analysis on Trump's shock plan for the Gaza Strip. Koshergada would join me later pass the fight over giving tax deductions for business lunches.
The Political Panel will be on next for a fiery debate. Welcome back.
Well, it's a big week in Cambra. Election fever is running high. And joining me now National Senate Leader Bridget mackenzie and Labor MP Daniel Melino.
Welcome to you both.
Daniel, I just want to ask what you know first off about the legislation that Tony Burke has just introduced to the House on these minimum jail terms for terror offenses and anti Semitic offenses.
What can you tell us?
Well, Hi, Sharien, thanks for having me on. So look, this is going to be the strongest hate crime legislation that we've seen in Australia. It contains a number of very important components, and my understanding is that the government and the opposition have been working together in a constructive way. I think this bill is a big achievement and a really important step forward on a critical issue. But what we've also seen is that it's a good example of
the government and the opposition working constructively together. And my understanding is that amendments were put forward tonight that do include mandatory sentences for some hate crimes, and I think this is an important step forward.
For this bill.
Okay, I guess we'll get more detail on that as the night progresses and tomorrow as well. But unusual that the ministers were arguing against minimum mandatory sentences just a couple of days ago, as I've ready spoken about tonight with James Patterson. Look, let's talk about the coalition's policy to give tax deductible work lunches for small businesses, or to give tax deductions for work lunches for small businesses. The Treasury has costed this policy at one point six billion.
The Coalition says it would cost less than two hundred and fifty million. Now, Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor is pretty angry at the Treasury. He claims this is a lack of independence. Bridget do you not accept the Treasury's costings here?
Well, we don't think the public service should be politicized in this way. And our Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury overnight when this came to light and has received confirmation that the Labor Government hasn't actually had our policy for small business businesses costed at.
All, and that is the actual fact.
So we will stand by our costings that this policy will cost less than two hundred and fifty million dollars.
And the reality is Sharhi.
During COVID we all rang up our local cafe or restaurant and kept them in business by getting our home delivered meals. But in the last financial year under Anthony Albanesi's government, we've seen nineteen hundred businesses go under in this sector and ninety thousand hospitality workers lose their jobs as a result. And so this is the reality of the Labor Party's policy outcomes here in Australia, and so we are backing small businesses in the hospitality sector through this measure.
Daniel, what are your concerns about this policy.
Well, look, I just don't think it's a good policy. Firstly, so I think we're talking about a policy that, based on Treasury modeling, is estimated to be one point six billion, but up to ten billion dollars. And it's not only a poorly designed policy, but it's unfair. It's workers subsidizing long lunches for bosses. But secondly, Angus Taylor is saying that he thinks there's a different costing, but he won't
release his modeling. He won't release the PBO costing. He says he'll release it at some point before the election, presumably at the last minute. Now, nature appaus a vacuum, so it's entirely reasonable for his figures to be tested. This figure he's asserting is based on documents he won't release. And I might just say I think Angus Taylor has
a bit of confected outrage here. If you look back to the twenty nineteen election, Josh Friedenberg, when he was Treasurer and Angus Taylor was in that cabinet, had Treasury release a costing of a whole raft of ALP policies. So I really think Angus Taylor needs to take a good look in the mirror and calm down, and if he wants to challenge those numbers, he should release his costings.
We've been speaking tonight about the other issue that dominated question time today, why the Prime Minister didn't know about the terror threat of the caravan with explosives. Bridget How concerning do you think this is?
I think it's an absolutely appalling state of affairs that the leader of our nation in the middle of a crisis, which, let's face it, shari As, you and I have discussed many times on your program, the escalation of aggression against Jewish Australians, the normalization of anti Semitic behavior and now alleged terrorist attacks in our communities, is of such consequence that the leader of our nation should be getting regular briefings throughout the summer break. Our concern is that Christmas
Eve came and he wasn't getting those regular briefings. If this was occurring, if Peter Dutton was the Prime Minister or James Patterson the Minister Prime of Affairs, our National Security Committee would be meeting regularly with our intelligence agencies and getting regular updates.
If there were.
Joint task force with State governments, we would know about it and we wouldn't be afraid to give assurance to our community, particularly in this case Australian Jewish community that were onto it. We were across the issues and we cared about the outcome so that we could act swiftly if required. Right now, we don't have confidence that the PM was across the issue and could have acted had he needed.
To Daniel very quickly.
Why can't the Prime Minister just be upfront with Australians about when he was briefed and if he wasn't briefed, then why.
Not so Charie.
What the PM has said right from the outset is that he's motivated first and foremost by community safety and the national interest. He said that he's going to approach this issue not by providing a running commentary, but by giving the expert agencies the space they need to dig
into who is responsible for this now. The new South wad As Police have said that a lot of the publicity around him has hampered some of their strategies and it's critical that the PM adopts an approach that is maximizing the chances that we can get to the bottom of this difficult situation. So he's behaving in an entirely responsible situation and not providing a running commentary.
Well, no one's asking for a running commentary with the hands off Prime Minister.
It was just the date that he was briefed, something that New Southwest Premier Chris Means was happy to admit he was briefed on the January the twentieth, So it's clearly not an operational matter. I think the Prime Minister just needs to be up front about this because he's looking more and more tricky and he promised integrity when he was campaigning for PM the last time. All Right, Bridget Daniel, great to see you again.
Thank you.
Now, coming up next, There's so much more to say about Trump's plan. I'm going to have Kosher Gata joining me right after this break. Okay for more analysis on Trumpnetta Yahu's press conference, let's bring in now Sky and Ney's contributed Koshagada Kosha, Great to see you. Look, clearly
this wasn't a thought bubble for Donald Trump. They were pre prepared remarks that he very carefully read, so he would have been waiting for this bombshell announcement for the press conference with net and Yaho.
Indeed, this, along with all the other executive orders and actions he's been taking, it's only been fifteen days in his presidency, which is hard to believe have all been a long time in the making. Actually, you can really see how prepared he is this time with these measures. But here, I think the question that everyone is asking
and few really know the answer to it. Only time will tell is is this again a signature Art of the deal style negotiating tactic where he's trying to shift the overton window, reset the chess board all for the purpose of bringing those Middle Eastern nations around to the table. Or is he actually interested in developing this region? It could be one or the other.
We'll find out, Yeah, exactly, And that's what we've been discussing on the show tonight. Look, there's also a lot of concern about Trump's trade deals. There's concern this could be a trade will But do you buy those concerns?
Do you think they are a bit over the top?
Isn't he just you know, bringing Canada and Mexico to fairer deals with the US.
So this is another one where again is it the art of the deal and he's using it as a negotiating tactic. I think in the case of Canada and Mexico and Colombia, you could say that that is the case because he used it. Within hours, they capitulated for the superseding priority for him, which is immigration in the border,
so that takes precedence over the economic deficit. However, with China and with others, I think this one actually there is evidence that suggests it is a legitimate policy position
for him. He is a strong believer in tariffs and shifting society from a consumption based society to a production based society in America, even if that means higher prices, it's better for jobs and unemployment and all of that is something that I expect we are going to see him actually push as a legitimate policy, unlike the Gaza statement, which maybe is a little bit unknown and more of a negotiating tactic.
We're also seeing news that it does look like RFK Junior, you know, we'll get enough votes to become an America's health secretary. Very controversial given his history of anti vaccination statements. You know, what do you think about this? Is he the right person to lead the health Department?
I think so. I mean, if you step back, it is really a remarkable moment that you've got a Kennedy assion of the Democrat Party, and he moved through the confirmation preprocess with the party line vote where every single
Democrat voted against him and the Republicans did. I think the reason why it's good is he is doing something different, and he's really zooming out and reframing what the purpose of this agency is in terms of food and agriculture and dyes and chemicals and all sorts of things like that, the entire structure of the healthcare system, not just being pigeonholed into the vat's argument, which is where most of
his controversy has lied. And the good thing too, is if it doesn't work out where he ends up being this kook that some people think he might be, Trump will fire him. Trump is very comfortable firing people. And you know that's the backstop.
Yeah, And you look at the other figures who've been involved in various health departments, not the actual health Department, but you know, the Infectious Diseases Department, Anthony Fauci. At least Trump's breaking the mold here. He's getting external people in who who aren't beholden too the system because there have been so many concerns about the current figures. You know, we're seeing a lot of that information start to become declassified, Kosha in twenty seconds.
Yes, absolutely, I think that's the through line through all of these people. They're out of the box thinkers, they're not behold into the establishment, and that is signature Trump.
No, indeed, it is all right, Kosha Gada. Really appreciate your time tonight. It was such a busy news day today. I'm sure tomorrow will be the same. It is every single day. I have another big show tomorrow night. I'll see you at eight pm. And thank you for watching this evening. But right now, here's poor Murray.