Shari, It's good evening well tonight to our continuing expose of Anthony Albanesi's history as a pro Palestinian activist. I can reveal Albanzi met with the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat two years before he Albanzi protested against Israel during the Second into Fada, and that was the violent Palestinian uprising that included terror attacks. Our now prime minister took part in Iralian Sydney, where Israeli and American flags were burned.
Albanzi also met with Arafat, the terrorist turned president of the PLO, in Ramala two years earlier in nineteen ninety eight. Unlike other politicians who met with Arafat, Albanzi did not meet the Israeli Prime minister at the time. It was Benjamin Nettanyahu the Israeli President Aza Weizman. On his trip to the Middle East. Albinizi was on a trip sponsored by the Palestine Liberation Organization and it was all expenses paid,
including flights and accommodation. Saurcers who knew Albanesi at the time told me he was starry eyed and fawning at the prospect of meeting Yasser Arafat. Here is a photograph that captured that moment. You can see Albanesi sitting on the far left of the screen. Next to him is a farmer labor MP Leo McLay who was strongly anti Israel.
Then in the center there's Arafat. To the right of Arafat is one of his advisors, who then sits next to the former Palestinian delegate or ambassador in inverted commas, Ali Kazakh. And then on the far right of your screen is Joe Hockey, who was also on the tri Joe Hockey's father was born in the Palestinian territories, and he and Alberizi set up the Australian Parliamentary Friends of
Palestine Group together. National Party MP Peter mc Peter mcgarren, who'd worked on a kibbutz in Israel and had visited Israel on many occasions, was also present. I asked the Prime Minister's office about the meeting, and a spokeswoman said it was a widely reported cross parliamentary trip to Egypt, Jordan, Gaza, West Bank and Israel. The majority of people on the trip were Liberal and National MPs were During the Palestinian
sponsored trip. Albanesi and the group also went to a dinner in Gaza, which I'm told was attended by about sixty PLO officials or men. As I mentioned, the group did not meet with the then Israeli Prime Minister or Israeli president. At the time, Albanzi was an activist for the Palestinian cause. Two years later, while Arafat was president,
the Second Into Farda rocked Israel. More than a thousand Israelis were killed in the violent uprising, which included Palestinian terror attacks where suicide bombers killed innocent families, including a busload of people. There was also violence and threats against Jewish institutions here in Australia. But during the Second Into Farda, according to left wing news website Criche, Albanizi joined pro Palestinian protests against Israel, where American and Israeli flags were burned.
Israel. Trum Oh Well.
Projects now that vision we first obtained here on this show, but Kriikee placed it to during the Second inter Farta, and as you saw, that was Albanesi yelling into the megaphone at the protest when Israelis at the time, during the second into Farta, Israelis were being killed in suicide bombings. In a speech Albenzi gave that same month again during the second inter Farta, Alberzi in parliament spoke about Israeli aggression.
Palestinians lived with restrictions.
Every day.
Gaza in the West Bink are regularly closed, preventing Palestinians from going to work and creating a subsequent resentment. Roadblocks occur at regular intervals. The hotel in Ramala, the city Inn where I stayed with Peter Nugent, who's present here in the house, and also Joe Hockey, Peter McGowan and Liah McLay has been occupied by the Israeli Defense Force and used by snipers on the West Bank. Palestinians did not have equal rights in the Middle East.
So as you saw there. In that parliamentary speech in October two thousand, Albanzi referred to his trip two years earlier, but as far as we can see, he's not in recent years referred to his meeting with Arafat. But in the wake of October seven, the former Palestinian delegate Ali Kazakh, who took alber Easy to meet Arafat and was featured
in that photograph were he made the picture public. He published the photograph taken of the meeting and wrote under the image, and he wrote this on October the twenty first, twenty twenty three, and I quote in Gaza's Hour of need? What would President Arafat today make of Albanesi's one sided support for Israel's right to defend itself a denied to
Palestinians in decades of Israeli occupation Gaza's hour of need? Well, that was October the twenty first, twenty twenty three, just weeks after the brutal and barbaric Hamas attacks of October the seventh. Albanese's views at the time were out of step with many of his labor colleagues. Just a year
before Alberize, he met with Arafat. The former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fisher had invited Arafat to visit Australia, but then he was forced to rescind the invitation, and the invitation was described by Labor MP Laurie Brereton as an embarrassment. Have a look at this footage from nineteen ninety seven.
Acting Prime Minister. Would you agree that consistency is an important element in the conduct of the nation's foreign relations. Why did you invite the Palestinian president, mister Yasser Arafat to visit Australia as a guest of government when you met with him in Bethlehem on the thirteenth of March. Did you obtain the agreement of the Prime Minister before you extended the invitation to mister Arafat? Is it not a fact that last Thursday the government withdrew that invitation?
Acting Prime Minister, what has changed since you met mister Arafat on the thirteenth of March, and how do you explain this latest embarrassment to our international relations.
With regard to Yes Arafat? Yes, I extended invitation is not convenient or suitable to process or progress that at this time, and there's no inconsistency whatsoever.
As you heard there that invitation was referred to as an embarrassment of international relations by a labor politician, Laurie Breton, an embarrassment. Well. Just today in Parliament, Albanezi admitted that he had been an advocate for the Palestinian cause his whole life. He was angry that protesters had been outside the office of MPs and that they were undermining that very cause, the cause of the Palestinians. That's what he seemed most angry about today. Have a look.
I've supported justice for Palestinians my whole life and still do. It is tragic that the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people are undermined by some people engaging activity that completely alienates the Australian public due to the nature of that. No one should be targeted for who they are. The targeting of people because they are Jewish because people disagree with some of the actions of the net and Yahoo government are completely unacceptable. Political debate must be respectful.
Again. Albanezi can't seem to mention antisemitism without also speaking about Islamophobia and justice for Palestinians. Have a look again at this from today.
There's no place for any Semitism, prejudice of any sort, Islamophobia.
Well.
By contrast, Peter Dutton responded to the anti Semitism that's gripped Australia in a very powerful way today. He gave a remarkable and moving speech that expressed utter dismay for what Jewish Australians are dealing with, and he also referred to the event that we it Sky News held and took part in on Sunday evening. It was to fight anti Semitism. It was held at a Jewish school. Peter Dutton came and I interviewed him at that event, and that was part of his speech in Parliament today.
Last week I was at a school in Sydney where armed guards have a permanent presence to protect young children going to school, to protect young kids going to day care centers. Not because they've done anything wrong, not because they're families have done anything wrong or stand for any bad cause, but because they are Jewish. That's why. And that has no place in our country whatsoever. It's not with any precedent in any other part of the country
and it needs to be condemned. And what the Prime Minister does today in condemning the actions of those who seek, for their own political purposes and their own political advancement, to pour fuel on this fire, deserve condemnation of this chamber.
That speech was very powerful, went for five minutes. That is leadership on anti Semitism, and that is the leadership we should have seen on this scourge from the Prime Minister since October seven instead, we have a pro Palestinian activist himself as Prime Minister, someone so radical that he protested on the side of Palestinians during the Second into Fata and is now leading our country down a dangerous
path where social cohesion is eroding fast. Now tonight I'm going to hear from Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Patterson about this topic. We're going to bring him on live later in the show and heal express his view about Albanese's past as a pro Palestinian protester. That's going to be a very strong interview coming up in the show.
Also tonight, Australia's GDP hits, COVID lows, confirming that we're in for a long per capita recession, and the woke e Safety Commissioner finally drops the absurd court battle against Elon Musk. This is a win for free speech. We'll have more on that coming up. Well, let's go now to the economic data we saw today, the weakest economic growth rate apart from COVID since the nineteen ninety one recession. The latest figures show GDP only grew by zero point
one percent in the first quarter of the year. Joining me now Tonight's political Panel Labor MP Andrew Charlton, a National Senate leader, Bridget Mackenzie Andrew Bridget, welcome to you both. Look Andrew, we've avoided a technical recession so far, but there is a per capita recession for ordinary Australians. How tough is it at the moment? And what else does this data tell us?
Well, you're right, Shari, per capita GDP growth has been low in Australia and it was low again this quarter. But I think it's important to remember about per capita GDP that it is quite a volatile series and countries right around the world have been struggling with low per
capita GDP growth since before COVID. If you compare Australia to other peer countries over that timeframe, Australia actually does much better on a per capita GDP basis than Britain, than Japan, then New Zealand, than Canada, than the Euro Area. So I think those per capita numbers do speak to the struggle that many families are experiencing at the moment, but it's certainly not a problem unique to Australia or unique to this time. More broadly, on the economic numbers.
I think it shows that the government has its fiscal settings right. You know, we received a lot of criticism around the budget that we hadn't cut enough, that the
budget surplus wasn't big enough that we should have gone further. Well, now we can see that since the economy is as weak as it is, it actually would have been a terrible mistake to take that advice, and instead the government with a modest, prudes prudent surplus, got the balance right between bringing down inflation and making sure that we didn't push the economy under.
Bridget What do you think do you think the economic data today shows that the government did get the settings right in the budget.
Well, I think we've got anemic growth at the moment. We heard from the Reserve Bank governor today in Senate Estimates who made it very very clear that she.
Wasn't looking at bringing it interesst rates down.
Anytime soon, which means for way journers and mortgage holders in Australia, they're still going to feel the pinch for a long long time to come. And the reason is because we know inflation is now homegrown by this government's record spending twenty seven point six percent of GDP, highest on record, even the peaks through COVID, which means there is no incentive for the Reserve Bank governor governor to
actually put downward pressure on interest rates. And that's the thing that's really killing everyday Australians in our suburbs and regional capitals.
And if you like everything else is index.
Your pension's index, youth allowances index, et cetera. All these other government payments are indexed. The only people that aren't getting index relief here in the face of inflation our way journals and mortgage holders.
And the government needs to get it spending under.
Control instead of flooding the economy with money.
Which is exactly what they've been doing.
And I did note that there were Labor senators today seeking to shame and blame shift the woes of our economy onto the shoulders of Michelle Bullock from the Reserve Bank.
She wasn't having any of it.
She's not going to be making political decisions on interest rates to suit.
Jim Chalmers, sure if I could just jump in there.
You know, it's great to be back on the show with Bridget, but what she just said is really confused. On the one hand, she's saying that the economy is really weak, that we've got anemic growth was the words that she uses point But on the other hand, she's saying that labor has got a big spending budget and can't control the spending. So she's suggesting that we should be spending less and is she willing to cop the consequences of what that would mean for a country in anemic growth?
For your she's trying to say.
Patronizing, Yeah, that's true, let's get bridgie, let's get only leavers.
The only lever that is actually left is to see a rise in unemployment.
So the strategy actually underlying the Labor Party at the moment is that they're hoping and their policies will actually result in people losing their jobs to actually ensure that the fiscal settings work in a way that will bring interest rates down quicker than I think Michelle Bullip would.
Be planning to do so. And it's not me, it's the economists.
All right, let's move on to another topic. Defense ministers Richard Miles and his junior Matt Keo seem to be have some struggles today. Put it that way, keeping their stories straight. There were mixed messages on which foreign residents would soon be able to join the Australian Defense FOSS. Let's have a look.
Well, in terms of who we're focusing on, we've really articulated that New Zealand, Five Eyes the Pacific. But what we're focusing on is New Zealand, five Eyes and the Pacific.
The first of January twenty twenty five.
It'll apply to other five ized countries and permanent residents from any other.
Countries, many other countries. Andrew Charlton, instead of allowing foreigners to join the ADF, why not do a better job at improving the organization so that it appeals to young Australians.
Well, I think we have to do that as well, Jari. You know, for the last nine years, the recruitment into the ADF has not been where it needs to be and that has left us with some capability gaps that we need to be acting to fill. And that means making sure that joining the armed forces is an attractive proposition for young Australians, that they are supported, trained and given career pathways through the armed forces. That means that we can attract the best young people in to defend
this country. And what the Defense Minister is saying is now we're also looking at options to use people who have been in Australia for a long time from New Zealand, from other like minded countries and not preventing those people from joining the armed forces if they meet the criteria that are set out for them.
Bridget, do you agree with the proposal to allow like minded countries America, New Zealand, Canada, other Five Eyes nations to join our adf.
Well, I think the Australian citizenry is the most precious gift that you can give somebody. We should all be prepared to do everything in our power to defend our country and we need to make sure the Defense Force.
To Andrew's point, and I agree.
With him on this, is that the selection criteria needs to be broad enough to make sure that more young Australians not only seated as an attractive.
Career, but also you can get in.
We got evidence in Senate estimates an hour or two ago where finally you're going to let people who have braces, have had braces into the Defense Force, et cetera. So remove some of those barriers I think is could. But at the end of the day Shari. We're not the foreign legion. I don't think we need to be bringing in non Australians to help us defend our own. We need to make sure the ADF is fit for purpose and employing Australian citizens.
Now, just before we go, we've seen elections in India. Look, this is an area a foreign policy that you follow particularly closely, Andrew Charlton. Prime Minister ner Andre Modi will now have to rely on coalition partners, it's been reported to form government. Are you surprised, Andrew by this result?
Look, I think the results certainly defied the exit polls, and they defied many people's predictions. You've got to remember that an Indian election is really a marvel of logistics. It takes many weeks. There are nearly a billion people who are eligible voters. And I think, for me, one thing that this result shows, which was much closer than people predicted. It certainly wasn't the walkover by a Prime Minister Modi that had been expected in some quarters. It
shows that Indian democracy is alive and well. They have a strongly contested democracy, vigorous political parties and an election process which was free of claims of fraud or interference, and has delivered a return of the Modi government, albeit with a smaller majority.
Apart from an economic textbook, You've actually written in a book on India, Andrew, haven't you.
That's right.
Yeah, I wrote a book about Australia's engagement with India and the importance of that relationship to Australia in the future. The point of the book is that I don't think there are many other nations in the world that will shape Australia's future as much as India. It is the largest country in the world by population, It is about
to become the third largest economy in the world. It has the fastest growing military capability, and it's on track to become a full blown superpower that will shape our region and Australia within it.
And unlike other superpowers, it's actually a democracy, which I think is super exciting. And I think Modi's whole vision to make India a developed country by its independence centenary in twenty forty seven, I think is something the Indian public want to see achieved.
Bridget and I agree.
Tonight. For once, Andrew Charlton Bridget Mackenzie, thank you both so much. For your time now. As we've been talking about, our economy is at a stound steel growth, falling to zero point one percent in the March Quieter, the weakest growth in decades here was treasurer at Jim Chalmers today.
The primary cause of this very weak growth in our economy was higher interest rates, but in combination with moderating but persistent inflation and global economic uncertainty. Over the past year, something like three quarters of OECD economies have recorded a negative quarter, while Australia has avoided one to date.
And IRBA Governor Michelle Bullock wand and Senate estimates that any decision to raise interest rates would be driven by the data. Here, she was if it.
Turns out, for example, that inflation starts to go up again, or it's much sticky than we think, we're not getting it down, then we won't hesitate to move and raise interest rates again. In contrast, if it turns out that the economy is much weaker than expected and that puts more downward pressure on inflation, then we'll be looking to ease.
All right, Harold Sign's business legend Terry mccron joins me now, Terry, great to see you again. What's your analysis of this data today? And I'm sure you would have heard the views of Andrew Charlton and Bridget mackenzie just a minute ago.
Well, Chie, I think that Michelle, I'm is glad that you showed the full quote because the meda is turnded only focus on the first part of what she said that she wouldn't hesitate take to raise interest rates if inflation proved sticky or went up. But she also said that she wouldn't hesitate to cut interest rates if the economy was sicker than she believed it was. So that's very important to bear in mind because we have a very messy economy. We have an economy which is very sick.
It's not performing, it's not growing, as you've indicated, it's basically standing still despite this massive inflow of migrants, which dramatically add to demand or should be boosting the economy, but it's also got this persistent inflation problem. This is not a conventional situation showing where the economy is either in recession and inflation is low, so you cut interest rates to boost the economy, or the opposite, where inflation is up but the economy is booming, so you try
to slow things down. This is a very messy situation, and it's not caused as charmers were suggesting by the result they put out interest rates. Certainly that's been a negative, But the real problems are what the government has been doing, what has been doing to energy, what has been doing to costs, what has been doing so damagingly to employers in business, not just small business, but business across the board.
You're talking about productivity here, you're talking about the slow productivity.
All of that charity, all of that charity exactly the sort of things that are anti productivity, anti growth, anti encouragement to business to actually make investments and to employ people, and to really think that the only thing that counts in this economy is building more and more roads and rail and infrastructure to house all those migrants. And also you know the mad rush to renewable energy.
I mean, we weren't expecting this, were we. There was a lot of discussion that we'd be even seeing rate cuts later this year. That seems to be disappearing fast.
Well.
As Michelle Bullet made very clear, the reserve bankers trying to balance and sit on this very narrow path gently putting pressure on inflation. She's prepared to have inflation take till the end of next year to get back into its target because she doesn't want to sound unemployment rocketing up very sharply, and by and large she's managed to
succeed in that so far. The jobless rate is still around four and a half percent, and interest rates in Australia are actually lower than they are in other countries, in most of our comparative countries. So yes, yes, at the side of the many economics are predicting rate cuts. I remember one economs predicting we'd get a ray cut in February. Didn't happen, and you certainly can't predict it
from what Michelle had to say today. But I have a set shari that we're going to see in the next couple of months this economy breaking one or two ways. Either that inflation pressure will become so persistent that Michelle Bullock will have to hike, or in fact the economy really will snap. Because we're very close to this economy snapping. Businesses out there are in very tough times, and businesses out there are going broke, as you know, by numbers
which we haven't seen for decades. So this is an economy which is really teaching on the brink, and it's not an economy in which the government should be sitting there as a spectator. The government should be doing the things to relieve the cost of living pressures, and not just with a three hundred dollars energy handout, serious measures which will actually make this economy more productive.
Yeah.
Look, there's no question cost of living is the major issue. A lot of families are really struggling. Terry mccran, thank you very much for your analysis and we look forward to reading you in the Herald's sign. Now coming up, the E Safety Commissioner gives up her fight against Elon Musk plus Israel gears up for an offensive as Hesblah says they're ready for all that. Well more on that and the ABC not only refusal to cover the antisemitism crisis,
but its criticism of arcads Sky for covering it. All of that with James Patterson and Colin Rubinstein. Next Welcome back. We Israeli is bracing for war against the terror group Hesbela on its northern border with Lebanon. IDF Chief of Staff Hertzi Hallivi announced that they have strong defense, readiness
to attack and are approaching a decision point. This would mean Israel is fighting two Iran backed terror groups at the same time, Hamas and Hesbela yet across the globe, but we're seeing media bias, misinformation about Israel's military tactics and rising antisemitism. Over on the ABC, which claims to care about racism, will they continue to ignore the major problem of anti Semitism And shockingly, the ABC has even criticized us at Sky News for covering the crisis.
So what was Sky Off the Dark discussing? On Monday Night? Chris Kenny and Robert Gregory from the Australian Jewish Association were focused on the rise of antisemitism in Australia. On our account, it's around the thirtieth time it's been discussed on Kenny's show since the war began.
Well, I actually think it's much more than that. I would be surprised if Chris Kenny doesn't cover it every single night as I do on this program. Yet the ABC refuses to cover in any meaningful way the explosion of antisemitism in Australia since October the seventh. Many people have said that Sky that Josh Fredenberg Sky documentary, an important piece of journalism documenting the unprecedented racism we're seeing
in Australia, should have been broadcast by the ABC. It's a point that former ABC director Joe Gersh made when he came on this program last month.
My concern which is why has it fallen to Sky News and Josh. That's not a criticism of Sky News or Josh, but it is a matter of deep concern to me, as a member of the Jewish community, as a former ABC director, and as an Australian citizen that our national broadcaster has not fully understood and dealt with what I believe has reached crisis proportion, which is anti Semitism in this country.
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Patterson joins me now along with Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director Colin Rubinstein. Welcomed to you both. Look, James, I mean we make this point over and over again. The alban Easy government has no control over what happens in the Middle East, but they can control what happens on our street, so
they can influence it. That is one of the most shocking things I've seen Paul Barry over on the ABC criticizing us at Sky for covering the anti Semitism crisis. Shouldn't here be examining why the ABC hasn't covered it in any in depth.
Way, Shary, I thought it was a very bold call by Paul Barry and the ABC to attack Sky News for being too focused and too concerned about anti Semitism, which has reached an unprecedented crisis in our country over
the last eight months. When bodies like the Executive Council of Australian Jury track a seven hundred percent increase in anti semitism, when Victoria Police report massive increases in anti Semitic incidents, ten times in the frequency of anti Islamic incidents, I think we should all be concerned about that, and we should be focused on it. But the ABC has shown a lack of curiosity, a lack of interest, and
a lack of concern about this issue. In fact, the most tangible thing they've done on this issue in the last few months is to produce a documentary on Anthony Lowenstein, a Jewish anti zionist activist in Australia. Not focusing on the mainstream and broadly represented Jewish community who are deeply
concerned about what's happening in our country. When we have Holocaust survivors say they've never felt less safe in their own country in Australia, that's a national disgrace and the fact our national broadcaster is so uninterested in that is a great shame to them.
Absolutely and well, said Colin Rubinstein. We've been reporting here on Sky and even left wing media outlet Criche has been reporting about how Anthony Alberizi, in his early parliamentary career in the year two thousand, joined pro Palestinian protesters at a rally in Sydney where Israeli and American flags
were burned. Do you think his history as a Palestinian activist has prevented him from calling out some of the aggression and violence that we've seen at protests around the country and from taking a stronger position on anti Semitism.
Well, Charry, thanks for having me on. I mean, the Prime Minister's history is no secret. You've divulged, as have others, and the Prime Minister himself today said again he's been a longstanding passionate supporter of the Palestinians and meeting with Arafat in the nineties. I don't think that's original sin. Many people met with Arafat during the Oslo process in the hope that the Palestinians would actually move forward except
the reality of Israel and the two state outcome. Of course, the great tragedy is as we saw in the explosion of the Intifada, the rejection of the Barak and President
Clinton initiatives for two state outcome. We saw the Palestinians lynch towards continued extremists in wanting their own state, not alongside Israel than peace, but instead of Israel, which has remained a continuing problem ever since rejecting the Peace Office the two state outcomes that have been offered repeatedly by Israeli leaders, be It Olmert, President Olmert, even President Prime
minist Prime Minister Olmitahu. So the pity is that while the Prime Minister has mellowed somewhat over the years, he opposes the BDS, he accepts the Ira definition of antisemitism, which is criticism of Israel is legitimate, comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, or wishing for the elimination of Israel from the river to the sea, and an into Fada is inappropriate. He accepts those positions, but I don't know that he's understood the realities of the situation over the last two decades.
That the reason we don't get to do a state outcome is the continuing extremism of the Palestinians and the need for him to focus on that rather than giving three kicks to the Palestinians in terms of possible recognition, which will only reinforce that extremism, rather than encourage the moderation that is essential for moving forward to a resolution of christ.
Let's bring James Patterson back in James so Earlier in the Evening I revealed that Alberizi met with the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat in nineteen ninety eight in an all expenses paid sponsored trip by the PLO. He didn't meet with Israeli leaders on the same trip two years later. He then joined pro Palestinian protests during the Second inter Fada, when there were terrorist attacks against Israeli's innocence were killed.
Alberzi joined those protests, flags were burned. What's your reaction to these revelations, Well.
Shari, I can't say I'm very surprised that a Prime minister who only a few years ago thought it was appropriate to post selfies with an avowed anti Semite in Jeremy Corbyn has been paleling around with and indeed worshiping, Yaser Arafat and taking all expenses paid trips by the Pulsy and the Uratian organization to visit the Middle East. And I want to be fair to him and say, yes, he met Yaser Arafat in nineteen ninety eight. It was
before the second into Fada except shari. As you've demonstrated in your program, Anthony Ebenese's views didn't change after the setcond into Farda. In fact, if anything, they just got worse, they hardened even further. And let's remember what the second Intafarta was and what it involved. A fifteen year old Australian citizen, Malki Roth, was at a pizza restaurant in Tel Aviv mining her own business when a Palestinian terrorist walked in and blew him himself up, blew her up
and fourteen other innocent people. That's what the second Intofata was. And yet in response to the Second Intovada, Anthony Albernezi thought that the right thing to do was to turn up to rallies where they burned Israeli flags and American flags, where he indulged some of the extremists in the pro Palestinian movement in this country. And he's done it ever since. And I said it on your program on Monday night. He's the most anti Israel Prime minister we've ever had.
I don't say that lightly. I think it's well supported by evidence, and you've just provided further evidence.
Of it tonight.
Just a quick follow up there before I go back to Colin, how do you think this has impacted on his leadership in Australia since October seven?
Well, I mean, on the one hand, I think a lot of Australians to assume he's a weak Prime minister and he's terrified of the Green's political party, and that's why he's been unable to unequivocally condemn anti Semitism on its own without linking it to Islamophobia or owner issues.
But actually I think he has a deep seated sympathy for the Palacian cause which goes far beyond a genuine humanitarian sympathy for Palastinian people, which we should all have, and really goes into anti Israel bias and hatred, and I think that is reflected over a long period of time.
Some of his statements in the House of Representatives have been filled with bile, have been shockingly biased against Israel, have been totally unbalanced, and I think that has really impacted his ability to stand strong as Prime Minister against a moral crisis in our own country of anti Semitism.
Look, we've also seen Pennywong just this week refused to rule out supporting a Palestinian state even if HERMAS still played some role in the government in the governing of Gaza. Colin, what's your reaction to this, Well.
It's a complete contradiction in her position in the government's position. On the one hand, they AMAS is a banned terrorist organization and extreme organization engage in the worst sort of terrorism in recent history, the greatest massacre of Jewis since the Holocaust. It's abhorrent, as the Prime Minister said today, and they shouldn't have a role in the future that.
On the other hand, they're referring to the possibility of early recognition of a Palestinian state, voting for that UN resolution three weeks ago and previous statements to that effect. It represents a complete contradiction that Kamas will continue to be governing in Gaza and calling for a permanent cease fire. So there's a lack of moral clarity and there's a
lack of recognition of what the facts are. Early recognition of Palestinians won't increase the possibility of moving towards the reconciliation. It simply reinforces and terrorism and rewards terrorism. And that's the tragedy in the current situation. I think it is really totally counterproductive to moving towards arisable resolution.
All Right, well out of time, James Patterson, Colin Rubinstein, thank you both very much. Now coming up, Australia abandons the cop fight with Elon Musk and you won't believe the so called skilled migrants Albinizi is allowing in the country. More on that with Holly Hughes and Joe Kelly next. Well, the woke and anti free speech e Safety Commissioner has
finally abandoned her battle against Elon Musk. She was trying to get Twitter or x to remove videos of the Wakely church stabbing and then today executive Chairman of Newscott Michael Miller gave a speech at the National Press Club calling for tech giants to be held more accountable.
These companies have immense power and it is critical that they do not undermine Australian's sovereignty.
No company should be too big to regulate. The Australian's National Affairs Editor, Joe Kelly and Lib Will sent to Holly Hughes join me now, thank you both so much for your time. Look firstly to the e Safety Commissioner, Holly. I mean, this was about time. This was an absurd fight to make sure that no one around the world could play a video of a news event.
No, it was extraordinary, and I think what made it even more kind of distasteful was this It was definitely some form of terror attack against Christian It was Muslim against Christian and of course that can't be seen. But when it's something else, they're all happy to let it go. I think it was in a little more ideology than the Safety Commissioner would like to acknowledge. But I think it's a good move. I wonder how much it's already cost the taxpayer in what they were trying to do.
But X did what they were required to do with regards to GOO, you know, moving around so technically in Australia couldn't say it.
Thank you, I'm so technical, Charte.
But you know they you know, they did what they could on the GEO blocking and I don't think Australia is allowed to set the laws for everyone else around the world.
What do you think about this, Joan, and how does this contrast with what Michael Miller was arguing for at the Press Club today, Joe Kelly, can you.
Hear me, well, Sherry, I'm not getting anything coming through at the moment, so.
Well, we might just stick with difficult. We can hear you, but we might just stick with Holly Hughes. Then, Joe, what did you think.
Of, Mike of Michael Miller's comments today with regards to what was occurring with the Safety Commissioner and also the tech giants, see Shari, we can facilitate.
Willmen at this work?
Well, if I'm coming through, I think what happened is that Elon Musk has won a victory. But I think it's a defeat for common sense. And I think that the position that was outlined today by the News Court Boss Michael Miller is a sensible position, which is trying to bring greater regulation and rules into place for social
media companies, including x, Facebook and others. He's talking about a social license which would require these platforms to ablide by community standards and if they don't, there should be a punishment for them. And I think that's a common sense position which most Australians would agree with.
I don't think.
It's a good idea that vicious stabbing attacks are shared freely online, all right.
We have a slight difference of opinion there, but seeing as you can't hear me, it would be a bit difficult for us to have that debate right now. Holly, Let's move on to this downing analysis by Peter van Unslin after it's emerged that labor is letting some type of skilled migrants into the country but not others. So yoga teachers and dog handlers have come in, apparently over those who do have quality cations in a trade or
emergency workers. According to the Jobs and Skills Australia List, labor is set to reject migrants who are emergency service workers, nurse managers, disability service officers and others including beef and sheep farmers. Holly what's the reason given for this bizarre change.
Well, the funny thing is, Shari, there is no reason being given for the change.
But I was in Estimates today.
One of my shadow portfolios is mental health and Katie Gallagher was there representing the minister and when I asked her whether or not those workers that this labor government says it's prioritizing when it comes to very thin markets in mental health. I mean our mental health system doesn't have gaps, it has chasms. There are significant issues across
the board. When I asked her whether or not they were prioritizing on the skills list people that could work in mental health, or they prioritizing yoga instructors, Katie Gallagher got a little snippy with me. I mean she got a little bit upset because I don't think they like being asked that. You know, what they're prioritizing is not what Australians actually want to be prioritized.
So I had a quick look.
I did notice we could get an acupuncturist in if we need it those sharis, so in between yoga and acupuncture will be fine.
Look I'll stick with you, Holly, seeing as Joe can't hear me Mining magnate Gina Reinhart is urging parents to take a stand against Australian schools which are teaching radical gender ideology. This exclusive from my colleague Caroline Marcus ryan Hart said, I understand a rough estimate is that Woke Anti Australia and similar propaganda takes up approximately one third of the school curriculums. What do you make of Gina's intervention in this debate?
Well, look, I think she's completely correct. I have a daughter at an all girl school and I certainly don't want her being subjected to this kind of gender ideology. I grew up in Perth, so I know Saint Hilda's very well. I was across the road down this hill at John twenty third. Saint Hilda's was a very conservative girls school and I'm sure the parents that send their children to Saint Hilda's or I might get in trouble for this. Snelders as it was known to the Perth colloquial.
It was a very conservative school and to see this kind of ideology entering is not what parents are paying tens of thousands of dollars per year for their children to be educated in and I think there was also some elements of what was raised by Missus rein Hart around the spaces that were available to those teachers who
were transgender or identified as non binary. I think parents have a right when they choose an independent school, when they're paying considerable money in private school fees, to really understand what the school is teaching, what the school is advocation, and not pushing an ideology that those children would not be exposed to in their home environment.
Whether it's private, independent schools or public schools. You'd think that, you know, the most important thing is your children actually getting an education instead of having one set of ideology pushed down their throat.
Hoally, you know some basic math, real educator, you know, basically English in general history. It'd be really nice excarting point all.
Right, Holly Husa and Joe Kelly, if you can hear me, thank you both very much. Now, after the break, Harry and Meghan snubbed by the palace again, we'll cross live to London for the latest with the royal family. Stay tuned, welcome back. Well as expected, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle haven't made the cut for the trooping of the color the second year in a row. They haven't been invited, but there are rumors that Princess Kate might attend the ceremony if she feels well enough.
Well.
I'm joined now by ITV News Royal editor Chris Ship. Chris, do you think there's any merit to this rumor? Because we previously heard that Kate would be out of action when it comes to public appearances for most of this year.
That's still the position when it comes to Kate. She is still receiving what she calls her preventative chemotherapy, and that's basically meant she's been unable to attend any of her events. However, there is a particular event this weekend which is the kind of final dress rehearsal for Trooping the Color, which most people know is the King's official birthday parade on the streets of London, and that final dress rehearsal was meant to be attended by Kate because
she's the Colonel in chief of the Irish Guards. We've been told she's not going to attend that because of her health concerns, but they didn't rule out her attending the actual Trooping the Color ceremony a week later. That's not to say she'll be there. They just didn't rule it out, and that's how this rumor has crept up that she might choose trooping the color as her moment to re enter the public free. I mean, I have
to say, I still think that's highly unlikely. You've got someone who's having cancer treatment and has had that massive operation previously, So it's just that they haven't ruled it out, and that's how this rumor's managed to spread.
Yeah, and of course the most important thing is her health. And now reportedly King Charles was miffed when Prime Minister Rishi Sunac called a general election. You think he would have been advised before Richie Sunac did this, wouldn't you.
Well, he gets a little bit of notice, But Richie Sunac managed to catch out most of his own members of Parliament, let alone the rest of the country, when he decided to have a surprise general election here in the UK in a couple of weeks time. Look, the position with the royal family is they can't overshadow the politician. So if there's a big event like I'm in France at the moment, there are commemorations for D Day, those things are still going ahead. Trooping the color we've just
talked about. That's still going ahead as well, but the royal family is having to dial down other things. For example, if they were to go to a certain part of the country and get breast coverage at the same time as a politician.
All right, christ Hip, we are losing you, but we are out of time in any case. Thank you everyone for your company tonight. I'll see you tomorrow at eight o'clock. And right now, in a minute, here is Paul Murray.