The Late Debate | 20 May

Late. Welcome the Late Debate.

It's great to have your company on the Late Debate. I'm James Macpherson with Freileitch and Denika Di Giorgio.

Coming up tonight.

Would you buy toilet paper, toothpaste and tea bags as a wedding gift? One major supermarket is betting that you will. We'll talk about that shortly. Plus, when we look at what's making headlines tomorrow, I've got to tell you newspaper editors are having a field day with the coalition bust up. We'll show you some of the better headlines that we're doing the rounds tomorrow.

And striking workers on the Snowy Hydro.

Project complaining that their work site has been turned into a jail. We'll get to that soon as well. But first, United Nations experts have slammed the Queensland government's tough approach to juvenile crime. The LMP one government promising that children charged with serious crimes like murder would be tried and sentenced as adults. This week, the Queensland Government will expand that list of serious crimes to about twenty, including attempted

And I say to the United Nations with the greatest of respect, this place will govern its laws. This place will determine how we keep Queenslander safe, and this place will be accountable to Queenslanders, not United Nations boffins. We stand up for Queenslanders, not unelected officials.

A long way from this place.

I don't know.

Frayers should the Queensland government be kinder to children.

Who commit murder or attempted murder or rape.

Well, it's pretty clear we need a victim centered approach. Just ask one of the many victims of youth crime in Queensland. And the reality is that fifty five percent of youth crime is committed by serious repeat offenders. Fifty five percent. These are not kids that had some sudden impulse and didn't think through their actions and had no idea what they're doing. These are kids that are in a life of crime that will keep reoffending and will

When you violate.

Your responsibility to your fellow citizens to treat them how you would like to be treated when you murder, rape, com in us and a whole bunch of serious offenses, Guess what, you don't have the right to claim you're just a child and you shouldn't go to prison.

And a lot of these kids are repeat offenders. Right, they go through the system, the justice system, and what happens is that they get a slap on the wrist and they're back out there. There was even a case actually even in New South Wales last year there was an eleven year old boy who went to court for the seventieth time in his life.

Eleven year old boy.

So once again, what we're seeing here is a situation where the United Nations are just proving themselves to be a real irrelevant bunch of hacks.

They just sit in a corner office making these decisions.

I'd like them to face the families, the victims, those who have actually been the victims of home invasions by these little devils, or even the family for example of Emma Lavelle up in Brisbane who was brutally murdered by teenagers, and that case has already been and gone in court. But these are people, these are the real victims of this. And youth crime has actually jumped in Queensland. In fact it's jumped all across the country as well.

The United Nations needs to actually.

Get back to its basic work and stop intervening in issues that actually have nothing to do with them. Because youth crime is a serious problem in this country.

But half of the problem.

With it is the justice system itself, and not to mention, let's not forget the other issue are the parents?

Where on over the parents?

You said the United Nations should get back to their primary responsibility? Is there are what their primary responsibilities are? They've been freelancing on crazy issues for so long. I should point out the special repertoire for torture from the United Nations is Alice ed which she's actually an Australian woman, but she doesn't point out any solutions. And it's this softly, softly approached to juvenile crime that's got us into this position in.

The first place.

He's David Christofooley in Parliament today stressing that this problem has been going on for a long time and Queenslanders, who voted for a tough approach to juvenile crime have had enough.

He's going to do something about it.

We have followed exactly the timeline we outlined to the people of Queensland. We said that the first reign of changes would be done before Christmas.

We said there'd be an expert.

Committee set up and then the second wave of changes would come into effect. And we are determined to end a youth crime crisis a decade in the making.

I'll make one more point, Deneka, and that is if adult crime, adult time laws are the biggest issue for the United Nations special repertoire on tour right now, then I reckon the world is doing pretty well.

I think we must be doing very very well.

But look, youth crime is a very very big problem in this country and it should not be ignored. So you know, these boffins, as David chriso Foley rightly put, it needs to just get back to their knitting because we can't keep going and that youth crime cycle, that the cycle of crime.

Can't keep going.

But look, let's move on now because it's official. The divorce has happened between the Liberal Party and the National Party. It is not good. The coalition has now split. Now they've split for the first time in nearly forty years, and only for the third time since they formed a coalition back in nineteen forty nine. And they've only been two other splits since. And look, this is really really not good. If you have a look.

At the numbers.

Now, we'll bring up the graphic that the Parliament numbers after that split.

Look at labor.

Ninety three seats twenty eight for the Liberal Party, fifteen for the NAT's six for the tials. So Labor right now are rubbing their hands together saying this is fantastic and what we know is another three years of labor is an absolute disaster. But the Nationals in today announcing their split, have put out a number of different.

Demands, mainly to do with energy policy.

Firstly, they want nuclear power, which was obviously something that the coalition took to the last election, but it petered into the background in the final weeks. They want supermarket breakups, twenty billion dollar regional fund as.

Well as telco services.

And here was a Nationals leader, David little Proud today announcing the decision.

Our party room has got to a position where we will not be re entering a coalition agreement with the Liberal Party after this election. What we have got to a position is that the National Party will sit alone on a principal basis on the basis of looking forward, how having to look back and to try and actually regain important policy pieces that change the lives of the people we represent.

And look, I can see it from both sides, but I also think that David Little Proud is not wrong here. Why on earth are they going to wait around for the Liberal Party to make policy decisions on key issues that are actually affecting regional parts of Australia right now. The biggest problem, and as I mentioned earlier, is what this means for labor because Labour now are.

Going to be in government for a very very long.

Time while the coalition is in the wilderness and the Libs and Nats sort out all of their drama. And it's something a little proud was asked today.

Happen your hands with Anthony Alberonizia a massive.

Thing by splitting Yeah, as I said, our first the commitment both Susan and I made is that we will work together to give her the space. I'm still there and the door is still open, but you need the time and space to know who you are and what you want to be.

Well, the door is still open, but what is it going to take Because it's going to mean that the Liberals are going to have to come out with a very very firm policy when it comes to energy, in particular net zero, dropping those targets by twenty fifty, but ensuring that they readopt that nuclear policy.

Here was Susan Lee.

It is disappointing that the National Party has decided today to leave the coalition. But the most important thing I want to say is this, the National's door remains open and our door remains open, and we look forward with optimism to rejoining at some point in the future.

And John Howard tonight on Andrew Bolt's program had some advice.

I am very sorry that this has happened, and I urge both parties to work over time to put the coalition back together again, because all the history of Australias suggests that the glory days of the Liberal Party, the National Party, the Old Country Party are when they are working together in government. My experience as a Liberal leader and as a coalition prime minister is that if you have a strong coalition and plenty of trust, you can resolve any policy different.

Well, here's how I look at this. I don't blame the Nationals for what they have done. Do I think this is good? No, I think this is an absolute disaster.

I think this is really really poor.

But in the end, it's actually the Nationals who are propping up the coalition right now because the Liberals did so poorly during the election campaign, and it's actually the Nationals who did very well other than the seat from the former Deputy Leader Peren Davy. Other than that seat, they actually are propping up the coalition right now. The Nationals know what they stand for, they know what their

And if this is a.

Serious Liberal party then they're going to have to put some serious policies together. Otherwise the future of Conservative politics is going down the wayside.

No look, I think we're being a bit unfair to Susan here. I actually think think about where we are. Less than three weeks ago the election was held. Her mother has tragically passed away. The Nationals have then come into the coalition agreement making process with a list of four specific policy demands. They also want the ability for shadow ministers to break shadow ministerial solidarity and vote against the party on contentious issues. Now, I just think that

So I just don't see why they've done this.

I think it's caused so much more harm than good. And David little Proud was questioned about this on Paul Murray tonight and this is what he said.

But the circumstances that Susan had in terms of wanting to be able to announce a shadow cabinet, which meant a coalition agreement had to be done in the coming days, but not being able to give us that comfort or guarantee that those policies that we were looking at could be guaranteed because she wanted to go through a longer elongated period of policy formation that we couldn't sign up to her because these are hard fought wings that would change the lives of people in region.

Austrade, but that period of policy formation was one of the key planks Susan Lee ran on when she became a Liberal leader because there was criticism of the last leader that decision making was centralized, shadow minister's backbenches weren't consultant. Susan has been very focused in making sure those mistakes aren't repeated again.

James, was there any point to this move?

Okay, A couple of things.

I disagree with you on Frere firstly, and I want to be careful with this because I don't want to be misinterpreted. Everybody is very sad and sympathetic for Susan Lee that her mother passed away.

That's a given. That's a terrible thing for any family to face. But I have a.

Little bit of a problem with that being used as her mother just passed away. To be fair, she took on the leadership knowing her mother was in pellative care. I think with the understanding that her mother could pass at any moment.

So I think you've got a way up.

Do I want to take on that position with my family facing this problem right now? If you take on the position, then you take on the position knowing full well you may have to deal with this while confronting that. I don't think you can use that as a where the Nationals should have been kinder and weighted. I don't think this is a divorce, Frayer. I think this is, you know, both parties having some alone time or they work themselves out.

And I just think, it's not you, it's me exactly, and not you, it's me. But hopefully we might reconcile later on.

And I'm sure, but how do you have a relationship with someone who's still trying to figure out who they are? And that's where the Liberal Party are at. They're not ruling anything in, not ruling anything out. They've got their feet firmly planted in mid air. How do you hold hands and walk with that?

I agree, and I still think this is a problem with a liberal party right now is they do not know what their policies are.

But the Nationals are full formed.

They're going, let's drop net zero by twenty fifty, let's reintroduce nuclear and what are the Liberals doing?

But that's fraggering it out.

But that's the whole point of the party room. That's the whole point of having your shadow ministers. You then have those debates. I don't see why they couldn't do this in a couple months time, once those debates have actually been had. But bringing this now, it's just blowing the thing up before they've even got together.

Doesn't it suggest to you that there are too many moderates in the Liberal Party who do not support nuclear energy and do not support pulling out of the Powers Agreement, And that is that is the problem here, because if you keep going down this track.

The lives are going to be in the wilderness for.

So many more years to come unless I have actual, straightforward and straight down the line policies to differentiate.

And the other issue I have is people saying, well, the Nats have blown up the coalition.

The Liberals blew up the Liberals all by themselves. They did a great job.

And the short poor number of seats they've got in the Parliament that you showed the nika A pretty much proofs that.

I Well, it'll be interesting to see how they can reunite after this.

I'm sure they will. They'll come back.

Well, they have to.

Love always wins in the end.

James first and beautiful exactly.

Now moving on to the Australian housing sector is it is no secret that this has been a challenging industry for Australia for a long time, but some new data has revealed some startling statistics. Official productivity data has revealed that while dwelling construction productivity has collapsed over the last decade, the downturn has accelerated over the past five years, with estimates that the supply of new homes is forty percent

James Well, my question, Fray is when does a government pledge become a government out and out live is the Labor government would they promised one point two million homes by the end of the decade. According to these figures, we'd need sixty thousand new homes every quarter.

We've never built that many.

Homes and at the same time we're demanding the most we've ever asked of the construction industry. We've got the lowest productivity ever in the construction industry and this would not be news.

To the Albanezy government. They would be fully aware of this.

So how can you promise one point two million new homes whilst knowing you're asking for something never done before from an industry that's never been less productive. It's an out and out lie masquerading as an election problem.

And look, the Master Builders has been very strong on this from the beginning. You've got Alberizi coming out promising one point two million homes by the end of the decade, but there were estimations last year that they would only build one hundred thousand homes last year alone.

So it was so it's so well below the target. But overall, you've.

Got housing affordability at its worst level in more than two decades, and building approvals are already at two year lows. People are being squeezed out of the housing market. We've got record migration, well the one point one million migrants have come into this country since Anthony Albanesi took office three years ago.

Where are you going to house all these people? And this is half of and this is half the problem.

And I just I just had this one more point that they there was even predictions that Melbourne alone will reach the size of New York City by twenty fifty nine million people. Again, where are you going to put all these people? We have not planned properly for the future. The master builders have had it because they're under pressure. They're trying to get their tradees and they're not they're

Can you I mentione the population of New York and then consider their social policies with the population of New York with the culture of San Francisco would.

Want to live there.

But he picked up on a really interesting point there, Dinaninka. The reality is that even if Australia was building at our record high rate, which is around two hundred and thirty thousand homes a year, it would still not be enough to sufficiently house Australians because of the record migration. And that is the elephant in the room. No amount of housing future funds, no amount of government funding, is going to solve the fact that you have a huge

And the other thing is is that nobody ever voted for a big Australia policy, but this is where we're finding ourselves in and no wonder we can't get people into homes. But the other issue, I don't actually think it was properly front and Center at the election. I know that Peter Dutton did put a policy on the table, but I don't think it was prosecuted enough.

And I also think that if the Liberals want to.

Be fed income, they should go hard on migration, because I do I think that it is a vote driving issue.

Absolutely.

Let's change pace for a moment because I want to talk about a drug that has become incredibly popular right around the world, including here in Australia.

There's a miracle drug.

Ostensibly to treat people with type two diabetes, ozem pic, but it's also been found to help people lose weight, so it's become very popular. And I get the appealed Dane could take your drug, you lose weight. You don't have to do other things, just take the drug. But get a load of headline which we'll be ringing alarm bells for people taking this drug both here and overseas. The headline reads, Ozenpic and wigo v have been linked

And it does frustrate me that I spent an hour a day in the gym and now other people can so injecto Zepik. I'm like, seriously, but if you do look at the statistics on a macro level, I do think this is an incredible drug, despite some serious side effects because obesity in twenty eighteen, it costs the Australian economy eleven point eight billion dollars. Around thirty percent of Australians are obese. That puts a huge burden on our

So I think it's a really great drug.

I just think the way it's being used at the moment as an off label drug to basically assist wealthy, probably Sydney siders to shed a few kilos'.

Is probably not ideal.

Now one of the unintended consequences of this has been there's now a shortage of OZM picks in Australia.

Look, I look, I think that, and I go to your point there, Freyer. The problem that I have with ozen peak is that OZM peak it is so readily available now. You know, I even know people who take it just before their wedding, just to shed a couple of kilos just before their wedding.

I how long had you take it before the event you take it?

Maybe a couple of months before you lose a little bit of weight then you stop. And I don't agree with this, okay, I don't think. And the reason is that I know Type two diabetics who have been on this drug and it has helped.

It has done wonders. It has actually lowered their sugar levels.

But the problem is is that these type two diabetics cannot get access to the drug because it is that there's such a shortage because everyone is using it as a quick fix and I'm talking healthy, young adults using it as a quick fix. The other problem is is that we still don't know the long term side effects. And I mean, if it's causing blindness, that is a problem, and I've heard of other people who have had quite

We just don't know. But I do agree to your point, Freyer.

If it can help people, it can help certain communities, go for it if that's what people want to do, but take it only if you need it, if you're a young, fit, healthy adult.

Come on, seriously, So what we're talking about medicine.

I'm going to tell you a story that happened to me last week, and I want to get your thoughts on this because I went to my GP just for your general checkup.

It's okay.

Not to get the weight loss drug just for my general checkup. And he asked me a question I've never heard from a doctor before. He said, do you mind if I use AI to take notes from our discussion? And that kind of caught me by surprise, But because I like you, I said, yeah, sure, didn't think.

Too much about it.

Well, I've just read today that now one in four gps in this country are using AI to write their consultation notes. Their argument is that it's faster because, let's face it, if you've ever written a doctor's read a doctor's script, their handwriting is not great, and I suggest they're typing not much better. On top of that, they argue it enables them to focus more on you, the patient, rather than looking away and scribbling notes.

The downside, of course.

And I did ask this, does this mean the Chinese Commanist Party now has access to all of our discussion? He assured me of privacy, But is anything really private these days? Like that The other argument against it is when AI is transcribing conversations, it's not always accurate. And what if down the track you're reading medical notes that have been transcribed inaccurately, and then a diagnosis or medication is prescribed on the basis of inaccurate notes.

Who then is liable? So I guess I'm not a fan of it, But that's the first I had heard of it last week.

Now reading it today in the media, this is going to be a common thing.

I think it will be, and there is no way we can get around the AI revolution. This will be the new frontier in productivity growth because I think we've all been in the doctor's office and you see your doctor sitting there two finger typing for like half of your fifteen minute appointment and you're just seeing the money go down the train while you watch them type. So anything to speed that up I think is good. But it does raise some interesting concerns as well around privacy.

Doctors don't want you to go and google things, right, because then you become a medical expert and.

You've become a hypod time, you've become a hypochondriac because suddenly you've got every single.

Day he's under the sun if you use it.

But look, I look, it does worry me because my concern is the privacy aspect, as we mentioned. But I do believe that there are benefits to using chat GPT, because there was also this article here that says that a number of young ossies are using chat GPT and almost like as almost like a therapy as a therapy session.

Now was that good?

Look you know, look, I actually.

Don't have a problem with it, because if you're struggling, if you know you're struggling, and it's late at night and you need something to talk to to help calm you down. I think putting a couple of lines into chat gpt. This is how I'm feeling. Can you provide me with a bit of advice? Chat GPT comes back to you and says, take a breath, relax. I don't mind it, James, I don't mind it. Now call me a bit cuckoo here, but I don't have a problem with chat GPT being used as a therapist as a friend.

Far bit from me to call Denika de Giorgio a bit cuckoo, but totally con the past that the point of these AI configurations is to create dependency. So if I was to go to a therapist, the therapist would properly advise me, but that the goal would be to get me to a point where I no longer be am dependent on therapy. But AI its whole modus op randi is to keep you in if.

You agree he do become addicted to it. I always say that I do believe it's an addiction.

But if you can't afford to go and see a therapist and you want immediate adverts.

You've had a bad real ers.

What if you don't have a friend, James, I mean not everybody's a social join the club, maybe for a.

Walk and talk to someone in the past.

But maybe some people aren't.

Maybe some people are genuinely lonely and they need an outlet to make themselves feel better than I am all for artificial intelligence.

I do not have a problem with it.

I'm with you on this one, Dania. I think that there's a role.

It feels like you're ganging up the joke about my weight.

Now you're ganging up at me on this.

There is one hundred percent a role for AI. Now.

I saw a girl on TikTok who told this story. She downloaded all the messages between her and her ex boyfriend, uploaded them into chat. GBT said, analyze this conversation and tell me where he's manipulating me. Then write an essay back rebutting all of his points. And she did that. She sent it back to Himan speechless. So this can result relationship dramas as well.

The coalition you get the Nationals A.

David, little crowded artificial intelligence is waiting for you to resolve your divorce exactly. Well, look we've got to talk about half the City of Sydney Council. I mean, I wish they would get a divorce, but no.

They're still there.

Now, look, let me just paint a little bit of a picture for you. It's a bustling night in Pop's Point in Sydney's a fancy eastern suburbs. There's a restaurant called Lady Chu. It's a famous Vietnamese restaurant. It's a busy night when Lady Chu is visited by a number of council rangers. Now, council rangers weren't there to discuss, you know, what's going on.

It's a busy night. Is everything going okay? No?

No, is it a picture that we just brought up. The council rangers were upset by the pop plants. That's right, by the fake plants, the fake greenery, everything on display that makes the ambiance of this fantastic Vietnamese restaurant just so absolutely brilliant. They rocked up unannounced, they say, and they meant serious business. Choose plants, Lady Choose plants were obstructing the footpath and that is when the owner.

Lost it.

She whipped out her phone to film an expletive. Layden ran to the rangers, who probably wish that they could have been anywhere else, and well, we don't have the video, but I've got the quotes and I'm going to try and read them out to you. She said, I'm trying to activate a dead city and you're trying to effing shut it down.

I'm not an effing naughty school kid, so don't speak to me like that.

And then in a subsequent video, I'm paying effing taxes and I'm paying your wages.

Well, you certainly get the picture there.

Now the owner of this restaurant and got on her at Naji Chu is her name. She said that she escaped communists Southeast China for freedom, only to come to a worse ragime. She said, if I have to go to jail to change this stupid.

Law, I will.

I mean, good on her, Good on Naji Chew. I think for taking a stand. And once again, what does this suggest the City of Sydney have absolutely no idea what they're doing. I mean, they're going after busy, bustling restaurants that actually was putting money into the City of Sydney, that is trying to revive the city.

Which Lets be honest, Sydney's nightlife is absolutely dead as it is.

They're trying to do the City of Sydney a favor and instead of focusing on roads, rates and rubbish, they're always picking the wrong find this city.

I got to say, I'm not a massive fan of Vietnamese food, but I would go and eat at that restaurant just to support someone who stands up for her rights like that. Talk about just getting over getting stumbling over little stupid, petty issues. You've got enough problems trying to run a small business in Sydney without council rangers complaining about the pop plant obstructing the foot path.

Give me a break.

It is honestly ridiculous.

But this seems to be a theme with the City of Sydney council. They also banned festivals because of climate change, because apparently, like standing on the grass is really really bad, except there's an exemption to the ban for Invasion Day festivals and mightighti grass, So they're keeping the essentials going. But it is honestly ridiculous, and they can't complain about a dead Sydney when they're the ones killing it.

I agree with you, Hey, just Before we go to a break, I've got to show you the latest aircraft that the Chinese military are putting on show.

Now.

I'll show you this because Australia has recently signed up, at a cost of about five billion dollars to buy twenty or thirty new Apache attack helicopters, but the rest of the world is going with drones. This is a new Chinese plane that can fly at high altitude and then it releases into the sky up to one hundred drones that could be used for surveillance or that could be armed with weapons. And you can imagine all of a sudden, one hundred drones being unleashed. It would completely

Well, meanwhile, our adf are struggling with recruitment. They've got pronouns on their enrollment forms, and we really are leaving ourselves exposed in the event that we are attacked me while China have got these sophisticated drones.

That is very concerning.

And keep in mind Trump has asked the EU to raise NATO, sorry, to raise their defense spending to far percent of GDP. Australia's is stagnant at just two percent. It's not just that we're investing in the wrong things, We're not investing in anything at all.

Well, we're going to go to a break.

When we come back, we'll take a look at what's making headlines tomorrow, including the fun newspaper editors are having with the coalition split, all of that more in just a moment. Well, it's a great week to be a newspaper editor, and tomorrow's front pages show they have a lot of fun with the Coalition bust up. I'll show you a few of tomorrow's front pages. Will start with the Adelaide Advertiser. They've gone for noalition divorce, eighty year marriage hits the rocks as Nats dump Liberals.

That's not bad.

The Canberra Times have gone with an atomic bomb nuclear option Libs and Nats blow up the coalition with the faces of the two lead is. They're large, but probably the best of tomorrow's headlines I think with regards this particular story is the Courier Mail in Queensland.

It's not me, it's you.

Coalition divorce, how NAT's broke bad news to lives. It reads a little bit like a reality TV show. So that's how the coalition bust up is being covered in the papers tomorrow. There's a lot of other news making headlines. Rape laws overhaul is the second story featured there in the Career Mail. The opinions of friends and family of accused rapists will be given less weight in court under major new reforms for sexual assault sentencing in Queensland.

Now.

This comes from recommendations from the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council, who, amongst other things, have advised that there needs to be a reduced weight given to character references when people are convicted of sexual crimes like rape. Those character references could be used to assess someone's suitability for rehabilitation or their likelihood to re offend, but should not be given weight when it comes to sentencing.

The other recommendation.

From the Council is that harm done to the victim needs to be the key factor in sentencing and needs to take priority above all else. And a third recommendation is that sex offenses against children should be regarded as the most serious of sex offenses and sentencing should reflect that. I'm pretty sure afraid those are the sorts of recommendations to be implemented in Queensland that everybody would agree very sensible and long.

Overdue one hundred percent.

And the thing with character references is, in a lot of cases sometimes these crimes literally occur out of the blue. There was the high profile case at St Andrew's Cathedral School where there was no obvious indication before this horrendous murder happened that there was any character flaws with the murderer, and if anyone had given a reference, they would have said he was a pretty good guy. And that was what all the witnesses said, everyone who knew him, And

Yeah, because it does carry a lot of weight in a court room. So I think it's I think it's a good one. Now let's move on now to the Gold Coast Bulletin their headline tomorrow is police probe into DV post.

A Gold Coast police officer.

Is under internal investigation after a Facebook comment on a domestic violence rally post said quote, all I see is a lot of women sitting around and a lot of sandwiches not getting made. Queensland Police Services said it was aware of this matter. I mean, look, obviously time and place, you just come on, you pick your time, pick your place.

You don't say stuff like that.

That's just absolutely ridiculous to be putting on your Facebook in the middle of a domestic violence rally, especially in Queensland where there have been multiple instances of domestic violence where women have allegedly been murdered at the hands of their partner.

I think it's pretty poor taste.

It's a very poor taste joke and unfortunately I suspect for that officer not the sort of joke that a policeman who's dealing with domestic BARANCS issues can be seen to be making so.

And I don't get what he was trying to achieve by this, Like, seriously, your job is to protect women and to enforce the law, and you really undermine public confidence when you make comments like this.

But moving on to Victoria.

Now, Victoria's state debt is on track to hit a record two hundred billion dollars.

That's seventy one thousand.

Dollars for every household, amid serious questions over future spending in education, health, justice, energy and transport. Official forecast release in Tuesday's budget predict a net debt will continue to arise to one one hundred and ninety four billion by twenty twenty eight, with an attached interest bill of ten billion dollars per year or twenty eight million dollars a day.

That is truly staggering.

I feel like, just when we think Victoria can't get any worse, they somehow managed to do it again. But that figure there, especially the interest bill twenty eight million a day Victorians are paying to service the existing debt. I would feel outraged if I was a Victorian.

Yeah, if you get real quiet.

You can actually hear the cars driving across the Victoria ordering in New South Wales and up in the Queensland right now, because who would want to live in a state where the government is spending that much money from taxpayers just serving interest. Interestingly, the Victorian Premier Jacquelin Simes, she said, Danika, we're not like Perth, and I know you're from Perth and you love Perth. She said, We're not like Western Australia where they can just dig up

She actually said that, but I didn't think to myself, hang on a second.

I know Western Australia is very rich in mineral resources, but doesn't Victoria have gas sitting right under the refusing to access.

And also, let's be realistic, the Victorian government absolutely bugged things up during the COVID pandemic.

Everything was shut down.

So not only have businesses gone broke, the state's gone backwards and now people are going to have to play higher taxes to repay all of the debts that the Victorian government has put that state in.

I just think it's absolutely appalling.

Let's move on now to the Australian newspaper tomorrow.

A couple of stories there. We'll look at this one here.

RBA flag specter of recession. The RBA has rushed to cut the official interest rate by zero point twenty five percentage points and considered a half percentage point reduction after downgrading economic growth and business investment forecasts on a weaker global outlook and a slow and household expenditure. The Central Bank, which warnted of an outside risk of recession in the extreme case of Donald Trump's trade war, lowered its forecast

Yeah, no, one's ever going to complain about a rate cut, but I'm not sure that that says the economy is doing well. The other interesting part of this article, and you alluded to it a moment ago, Danika, is that the article says a further increase in government spending is forecast to make up for the shortfall in business investment growth. And that's a really concerning thing when government spending is propping up the economy, because you never wind that back.

Well, over the last three years under labor, the majority of jobs growth has come from government funded sectors. Our entire economy right now is being propped up by government spending, and that itself has pushed up inflation. It's kept inflation higher for longer. It is also leading to a less productive economy where labor isn't allocated based on demand from the private sector. It's being allocated based on a government

No, your spot on it certainly won't.

Another interesting story on the front page says Snowy workers in prison. Snowy Hydro two point zero has been accused of turning the project into a jail after telling striking workers they will effectively be confined to their rooms and face discipline reaction if they try and leave the site. When they stop work for twenty four hours. Ahead of workers walking off the job on Wednesday, Future Generation Joint Venture Deputy project director Kevin Dunning told them.

Site access would be restricted from five pm on Tuesday until six am on Thursday. I mean, look, look Snowy two point Oh, let's be realistic.

I mean the scheme is an absolute disaster as it is, but now the workers are apparently in a prison, not allowed to leave the site. They can't do anything. Looking over their shoulder, Am I going to get sacked? What's going to happen?

That's one way to deal with strikers.

Well, that's true. Good point.

As our associate Tim Blair, a Sky News correspondent, remarked, today the snowy Hydro workers could go on striking, I don't think anyone would notice.

Correct, And they're the ones who chose to strike. So if snow we Hydro take some precautions to make sure they don't destroy the place.

I think that it's their.

Fault and the project will just be delayed by another decade and go to a break when we come back. Would you buy toilet paper, toothpaste, tea bags as a wedding gift? One supermarket is betting that you will. We'll talk about that in just a making.

Well.

Whenever you're invited to a wedding, you've got to think what am I going to wear? And what gift are we going to give the happy couple? But Danika One Supermarket reckons they've come up with an idea.

Well, you know, you think maybe you might get you know, wishing well, you might get a bit of money, perhaps some kitchen utensils. There's something something more practical that you can use when you and your then husband enjoy your lives together. But look, Tesco is taking it to a whole new level, launching their own apparently useful quote unquote wedding gift service.

Now here's some of the options.

It includes a five pack of twelve rolls of own brand luxury soft toilet tissue, toothpaste, refuse sacks, kitchen towel, an antibacterial hand wash, as well as shower products. So the supermarket giant says it's introduce a service after finding that many couples actually prefer practical items rather than extravagant gifts.

And according to a Tesco.

Supermarket spokeswoman, she says, while toilet roll and tea bags might not immediately seem like the most romantic option, it's clear from our research, but these are products that could help get married life off to a brilliant start.

Now.

Look, look, I actually don't have I want to see the research. I don't have an issue with this, no, but I mean what happens if you don't You know, you don't have a lot of money. You're starting from scratch here, and this could actually help somebody.

I think it. Actually, you don't have money when you're starting from scratch. You want yeah, but you might not crockery.

You're not having a big you might not be having a big wedding. You might just have a quick, little, small, little family function. It's very expensive and.

You just need a couple of items to help you buy in the middle of a cost of living crisis. James, come on, I actually do not have a problem with this.

To be honest, Denika, when you eventure get married, I'm going to remember this conversation.

Don't tolet and tea bags what you saw.

No, I'm with you here.

Look, I just got married and before my wedding, my grandma rocked up to my new apartment with a laundry basket and some towels and some nice spatula, just some kitchen essentials and I still use that laundry basket.

My mother in law.

We've actually got a picture of the gift you got from your grand here it is.

Oh, that's amazing.

You must have loved that my mother in law got me sprain wipe and sponges, and that it's practical. Maybe not as your only wedding gift, but certainly if you're just moving into a new place, cleaning supplies are a great gift.

I agree.

But moving on now to another fun story. In France, there was a horse racer happening and a jockey was seen holding on for dear Look at this.

Go into the Bullfinch and it is Lason who's very brave and at the back we have lost Lord Brett, Lord brod Lor. Look at Lord Brett's jockey. They're hanging on for dear life to Amazon's jockey and horse. Spectacular stuff.

So he fell off his horse.

He didn't just manage to hold onto his own horse. He also managed to grab hold of another horse and there was a solid four or five second period there where he was straddling both horses while going probably what sixty k's an hour.

It was an incredible effort, I'll tell you what. And lucky he didn't injure himself.

It was very lucky, and it didn't injure the other jockey as well, the other horse that he was trying to pull down.

He'll probably be banned for a couple of races for cheating by grabbing onto the other horse, but he saved his own hide. That's all we've got time for tonight stick Around. Coming up is the Reader Penalty Show.

Good Night, m