On scoring Wields Ostrodia.
This is the Reader Panekee Show.
Good evening, Welcome to the Reader Panahe Show.
I'm Caroline Derusso, the great Reader Panahe will be back next week, but for tonight you've got me in the hot seat. Here's what we've got coming up on the show tonight. The jury in the Trump trial is out on deliberation. You will not believe what the judge has said. We will give you the latest on all that the Albanesi government scrambles to try and fix the visa system
they broke. Meanwhile, Labor is still split over the issue of gas, as some members are finally mugged by the reality that we will still need gas and will do for a while. And speaking of gas, you'll never guess what North Korea filled these balloons up with. But before we get to that, we have just clicked over a week since the UK general election was called and today.
Parliament will be formally dissolved.
As they say, a week is a long time in politics, and it feels as though much has happened, but most of it seems like white noise. We've had the Libdem leader Ed Davy oddly fall from a paddle board into Lake Windermere.
The point of that.
Exercise totally escapes me, but I'm sure some political nuff he thought it was a good publicity stunt.
You'll recall that recently Labor whip Diane.
Abbott was stood down over anti Semitism allegations and was barred from standing as a Labor candidate, and then yesterday it was reported that the bar was overturned on the outcome of the investigation. And well, we think she's allowed to run, but it's hard to get a straight answer.
Even the Tories aren't quite sure about the result of the investigation and have asked questions themselves.
In any event, she's still better off than Jeremy Corbyn, who's been formerly binned from the Labor Party. He was banned from standing as a candidate and was then expelled after.
He confirmed he would run.
As an independent. Corbyn believes he could retain Islington North as an independent, and one wonders whether this campaign will become a focal point or a pain point for Labor on the foreign policy front, given the conflict in the Middle East and Corbyn's cushy relationship with Hamas. All of this is going on while a veritable congoline of Tory MPs decide to put themselves out to pasture before their.
Constituents do it for them.
And if that isn't enough, rukis and dysfunction, Rishi Sunac is on the blower to Boris Johnson to discuss the risk that Kiir Starmer and Labor post to the country. It's a very interesting chitchat given Sunac resigned as Chancellor in July twenty twenty two, which saw the Johnson government fall within days. Oh how short and convenient memories are in politics. And then there's Nigel Farage, who isn't standing
for election for reasons which are not entirely clear. Apparently he was going to run, but it's hard to win a constituency, so he didn't.
And then he's worried about the other side cheating.
But he will still help Rishi Sunac's salvage of the Tory campaign. So instead of spending six weeks stuck in a constituency, he's going to travel around the country, not just supporting reform candidates, but also trying to get proper debate going. I'm not quite sure I follow that maze of reasoning, except that debate is never far from mister Farage, that is for sure, and ladies and Jens, this is just the musical chairs. We haven't even really got stuck
into the policy platforms yet. But rather than try and appeal to voters, Sunak appears to be playing to older Brits with promises to raise the pension tax free allowance and return to the nostalgia of national service. They seem like odd policy announcements after being so long in government, but perhaps that political calculus is less focused on the future of the country and more focused on who's actually
likely to turn out to vote now. The polls have shown a slight improvement for the Tories recently, and when I say slight, I mean the plunge appears to have been arrested, not enough to retain government, but perhaps enough to ensure the morning after papers label and an election defeat as a loss rather.
Than a total unmitigated she lacking.
Now it is an old, tired government, but is it worse than the alternative? And that appears to be an inevitable choice for many Brits. The Tories have been, let's be honest, roundly disappointing in recent times, but Labor is directionless and hapless, broadcaster and commentator Esther Crak who described the choice between Sunac and Starma as like having to
choose between cholera and dysentery. A recent poll showed, amongst other things, that Sir Kir was more trusted by voters and mister Sunac to change a tire, assemble flat pack furniture, and offer to pay for the first round in the pub.
The Labor leader also beats.
His Tory rival on who is more likely to lend money if usked and to win popular game shows such as Celebrity Master Chef or I'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here.
With such serious issues at.
Play at the moment, it seems almost inappropriate to be so cavalier about this decision making. Or maybe it's just an exercise in if you don't laugh, you'll.
Cry the sherry.
On top of all of this is an article in The Australian by Troy Branston lamenting Kirstarmer's lack of charisma. Now, when someone as blamage as Troy Bramston notices a lack of charisma, you know a.
Party League leader is Pete Vanilla. But then again, maybe that's all Kirstarma needs to be. Well, that's the first week.
It's a long time until the election on July four, and it's anyone's guess where this circus ultimately ends up. Let's bring in mensi's Research Center senior fellow and columnist Nick cat Nick before we dive into domestic news. What's your view on the UK general election campaign so far.
I don't think I can add much to that brilliant summary you just gave, Caroline, except to say that because we're talking about all the peripheries, all the show and the circus of it is a worry for Britain because they've got some serious po the issues to deal with, not Lisa, which actually is energy. Electricity prices are through
the roof there. But it's got all that feel, hasn't it, of a tired government coming to the end of its third term labor thinking they can just waltz in and they don't have to do terribly much to get into power, which is worrying because they are going to be I think, by far the most left wing government Britton's ever seen if they were to be elected. But let's see, you've got a few weeks to play out.
Yet well back home, we continue to get nothing but bad news out of the Department of Immigration. The implementation of Direction ninety nine is at the very best misguided, Nick, and today the Prime Minister has confirmed that it will be reviewed. Can you explain to our audience what is Direction ninety nine, what are as consequences and what on earth was the Minister thinking.
I can't explain the last bit, but what the Minister was thinking, but I'll give you the rest.
I mean.
Direction ninety nine was an edict from the Minister to the Administry of Affairs Tribunal who deal with immigration appeals, saying that if somebody spent a bit of time in Australia, if they've got some ties to the Australian community, and that's all left very vague, then we should give that
weight as against other factors like their criminal record. So you know, the AAT Commissioner to have taken the Minister seriously and they've done exactly that in these high profile cases where people with rape offences, child abuse offenses, violent crime, drug dealing, people that would all you know, would have been before Direction ninety nine would have been out on their ear. Now they can stay because they've got some
connection with the Australian community. I thought the only connection that really mattered was whether you're prepare to take out citizenship and take an oath of loyalty to the country. That's how it used to be. But now apparently you don't need to do that. Not called the Direction ninety nine.
But you think the minister's incompetence in this is absolutely indefensible.
But apparently not. Here's Clara O'Neil going into bat for her colleague.
Actually, Minister Giles has stepped in here. He's taking action as a good minister would do. He's doing the right thing. He's stepped in at the right moment.
He stepped in.
At the right moment.
Okay, A lot of people would dispute that he put in this direction, this ministerial direction last January. Then they use the laws, this direction that was put in by your government to stay in this country. So do you think it's maybe too late that Andrew Giles is acting now?
I just reiterate what Minister Giles has said yesterday. Those visas were canceled by the part that government plays in this. An independent tribunal overturned those decisions.
Nick, When is the Prime Minister going to show some leadership here and put the safety of Australians before his mate.
Look, you know, we call this incompetence and that's what it looks like from our point of view. But actually, let's not forget that Albanezi and Andrew Giles they actually philosophically wants an open border policy. They've only been forced to do the turnback thing because of the electoral reasons, but that cuts across the grain to them. I mean what they've done here in making it easier for all sorts of migrants, whether desirable or not, to stay in
the country, that's exactly what they think. I mean, it's the same as the Democrats in the United States, isn't it. Look at the open borders there. It's in their mindset. So it's not in competence as so much as ideological madness in my view.
Now on to the ABC and the fallout from the Laura Tingle racism SAKA continues. Yesterday, ABC News director Justin Stevens released a statement which said the following, amongst other things, Laura Tingle's remarks at the Sydney Writers Festival at the week and lacked the context, balance and supporting information of her work for the ABC, and will not have met
ABC's editorial standards. Although the remarks were conversational not made in her work capacity, the ABC and its employees have a unique obligation in the Australian media.
Yet there doesn't seem.
To appear to be any acknowledgment of this failure from Miss Tingle in her op ed length statement.
Does any No, No, she's full of self justification in there, and she's been misunderstood and it's the Murdock Press and all that sort of stuff. It's what you expect. We've seen this play out before, haven't we That an ABC reporter or commentator, you know, makes some outrageous statement or does some misreporting, say for instance, on Donald Trump and Russia, and it's just ignored. They get away with it. It's
a travesty and absolute travesty. And I wonder what it would take to actually bring some discipline to the ABC, because it seems that management are trying their best to look like they're saying the right things, but you know, it's very gentle slat with a wet letters leaf. I think to Laura Jingle from ABC Management and there's no consequences for us. She's too powerful.
Speaking of no consequences, and the Greens continue to take a rather myopic and jaundice view of the conflict in Gaza. Here's Adam Bant at the weekend struggling to admit that Hermas is a terrorist organization.
Do you also agree Hamas is a terrorist organization that needs to be dismantled.
Well, they're listed as a terrorist organization and our point is now, well, it's it's just a fact.
Supported.
Do you think they're a terrorist organization? We're not.
We're not arguing to change they were saying they're listed as a terrorist organization.
Agree the terrorist organization?
Well, but the point is what are you going to do with the Palestinian civilians? Do not cannot be collectively punished.
Having some trouble saying that Hamas is a terrorist organization.
And then Nick yesterday the Greens engaged in an epic display of wedge politics, seeking to put up a motion to recognize Palestinian statehood. The Coalition, Labor and part of the cross Bench they oppose the motion to suspend parliamentary
business to debate recognition of a Palestinian state. Now there were two things which I thought particularly interesting to my mind, the part of the cross bench which voted with the major parties and the ones who abstained, and then the Greens tantrum in the aftermath about labor preferences.
It was a rather instructive vote, wasn't it.
Absolutely. And the fact that Adam Bant and the Greens are prepared to play politics with a crucial foreign policy issue like this, it just shows we're in a very very dangerous position if they get the balance of power in the next election. And I think you're right. You know, what I think is going on here is that nobody in the Greens or is really taking the foreign policy issues seriously. They're just after another Totalstinian people are their
latest totem. You know, was the polar Bear one day and the climate the next, and today it's the Palestinian people. They've got nil understanding, zero understanding of the history and the politics of this, as Julia Gillard wisely pointed out last weekend, and they're simply trying to make get their supporters on board with this virtuous statement over something they know absolutely zero about. And they're ignoring and closing their eyes to the terrible terrible events of October seventh.
Here here now onto the corporates and the new cycle. Nick is littered with corporates taking positions on matters they probably shouldn't and then receiving an uppercut from.
The public for their effort.
An interesting piece in the AFR about US corporations who are deciding to stay mum on non call business. Are they finally learning.
Well, this is interesting, isn't it. They're backing away from this ESG business, which you know, a couple of years ago was supposed to be the new way of accounting. Everybody was supposed to do their accounts according to this.
This is just not workable, is it. In the end of the day, I don't think that we're seeing the end of woke capitalism by any means, And in fact, I'm probably only just beginning, because the sort of people that are now filling their offices, or the different diversity and inclusion staff and so forth, they've got it just in sheer numbers. There are so many of them. They're influencing these companies. But at the end of the day,
you know, reality does hit. I mean, they have to make a profit, and if ESG is really seriously damaging the bottom line, they're not going to do it.
I think that's fair.
And ultimately nothing brings anyone crashing down to reality, quite like some corporate insolvency. But still over in the US and the dury in the Trump trial, they're deliberating the moment. Let's just say the last day or so has been rather eventful.
First, Trump said.
This, what's happening here is weaponization at a level that nobody seen before ever. In listening to the judges. From the judges, as you know.
Very conflicted and corrupt.
Because of the confliction, very very corrupt, Mother.
Teresa could not be these judges.
These judges are rigged.
The whole thing is rigged.
The whole country's have messed between.
And then the judge's direction to jurors that raise some eyebrows.
Here.
It is one thing in particular that this judge said that these jurors could do. He just delivered what is being called really the pinnacle of all of this. He said that there is no need to agree on what has occurred. They can disagree on what the crime was among the three choices. Thus, this means that they could split four four four and the judge would still treat them unanimously.
And then lastly, this was the hot take from a commentator at MSNBC.
As you've noted with respect judge Mushan, I mean, I am, I am like now you know, I have like a man crash on him. He is such a great judge that it's hard to see that the jurors wouldn't have the same impression. And he's just you just keep on thinking. If you looked in a dictionary for judicial temperament, that's what you get.
Nick, Can this chial get any more ridiculous?
That's weird that MSBC quote, isn't it? That really is very strange. Look, no, you can't. And Trump is right, you know he said that even mother Teresa couldn't escape the charges and couldn't get off this one. And he's absolutely right that the whole thing is terribly rigged against him. But is that, Caroline, you know about the law. Is that right? Are they going to say, okay, we've got three child is you can pick anyone. You don't have to all agree that he's guilty of one of those charges.
Just if anybody thinks he's guilty of something, that'll do That's just not justice, is it? That surely have been challenged in a higher court. But you know, it is a circus at the end of the day. And Trump wether he'll you know, whatever the sentence, whatever the verdicts, you know, he's a winner out of this.
I think, yeah, I think that's fair, definitely politically in any event. And no, I haven't seen a court in this country or a judge in this country give that sort of direction.
I'm not quite sure how far they would get.
But moving on, and there are a number obviously of fragile geopolitical situations around the world, and the Korean peninsula well that one there's been dicey for decades, but recently a balloon has erupted. What on earth is this about?
Well, this is supposed to be retaliation, isn't it that the North Koreans are retaliating for the South Koreans sending a little USB sticks across on balloons with k Pop on them. And they're added by sending lots of rubbish and feces in these balloons which fall to the ground. It rather confirms our thoughts about North Korea, doesn't it. I mean a lot of people get to go there and those who do aren't given free access to walk around. Still.
But you know, if this is the best that Korean culture, North Korean culture could provide to the South in return for wonder all usb sticks of K pop, it really does confirm our thoughts about what sort of regime and what sort of country it is.
It's just.
On that level. But it's also pretty disgusting. And I can't even say what's in those bags on television?
Yeah, well, look, it was not something that I was expecting to read about today, and I was a little shocked myself even by what we know about North Korean standards on those sorts of matters. Anyway, Nick Kata, thank you so much for your time.
Thank you, Jeren.
Joining me now is renewable energy project developer and consultant Peter Kerr.
Peter, welcome to the show, Thanks Keren, thanks for having me now.
Peter, your neck deep in the energy market here in Wa and across the country. There seems to be a myriad of energy infrastructure projects which have been proposed. Obviously, they're not all equal, and it's been reported this week that a proposed offshore wind farm in Victoria that Shell was going to build has been quietly shelved. The federal and Victorian governments have been big on offshore wind power.
Why this one make the cup?
I think there are two reasons.
The first is all those Shells one of the biggest energy companies in the world, They're not the leading offshore wind players, so they're probably beaten to the punch by some of the more experienced types. The second one is that their CEO has recently made a big play about winding back some of Shell's renewable energy ambitions. So I suspect this project was marginal for them, okay, and became surplus to requirements.
So yeah, it's still going ahead. But with other bigger players in their shore wind market.
Yeah, no fair enough.
And still on Victoria, we've seen the Energy Minister Lily dan Brose. She's moved a little bit on gas, but she still seems to be at odds with her federal counterpart, Madeline King, that Victorian labor government has had some pretty strident anti gas policies in recent years. How impactful is that not only for their energy market but for their economy going forward.
Look, maybe if I step it back.
It's a debate we often hear in the renewal industry, there's no lack of desire to want to move as quickly as you can from fossil fulls to renewable energy and one of those people, but there is a pragmatic part of the industry that acknowledges that gas will be a major part for many years to come off the transition to renewals, and so I think that's where the
challenge is. And if you're not planning carefully that transition, you can have unintended consequences, and that is higher gas prices if you're not bringing on you know, supplies or at least maintaining adequate supplies. And so yeah, at the moment, for example, in Victoria, gas prices domestically for industry are at least fifty percent higher than they are here in Western Australia, and so that goes to the bottom line
of businesses. Yeah, so I think, you know, no one disagrees, you know, with the idea of getting to renewable engine or a largely renewable system, But how do you get there is the challenge and is.
That then an issue definitely obviously to Victoria in this particular circumstances, because there still seems to be that bit of political friction and political angst about it, particularly given the way they've demonized gas in recent times, but more broadly in Australia, is that something that we need to consider a cross the country. How much gas do we need, how much new gas do we need and how long we're going to need it for?
Yeah, So the trick you know, if you talk to the pragmatic part of the industry, and I'm not just talking, you know, the fossil fuel industry. So there's a group in Western Australia called the Sustainable Energy Network, So.
They are hand on heart. They want to get as fast as they can to renewable energy.
They're modeling, and most modeling, pragmatic modeling will say you can get to renewables of about eighty to ninety percent of your system pretty quickly.
The last ten percent is pretty hard, right, and it will be hard for decades.
And so rather than having the debate about, you know, gas, should we not have it, Let's go as hard as we can on renewables, get to eighty or ninety percent, and then let's deal with the ten percent problem later. But in the interim, we're burning less coal an extra gas, yes, but it overall is a better outcome because you're racing towards renewables and I think this gas has been demanized and it can be in a very effective part of an overall balanced energy system.
Yeah, okay, And I suppose there's an ancillary issue to that around the discussion of having more and new gas supplies coming on. Obviously, the federal Environment Minister tanivsk is talking about a national EPA Environmental Protection Agency. To what extent do you think that, you know, adding that extra regulation and potentially that extra delay could make that process more difficult, and that ten percent at the end more difficult.
Look, I think it's not just environmental approvals. It is a range of approvals. Whether it's a network access approval, whether it's a community development approval, whether it's environmental heritage.
They all layer on top of each other.
So at the moment in Australia, you're generally, even for the best planned wind farms from go you know an idea through to sending electricity out on the grid, it's about seven to ten years, which is too long. So yeah, I think there are some concerns about the complexity of the development process, and this may at the margin add to it.
So I think there are some suggestions, and you.
Know, I'd be one of those that would welcome a reconsideration of the holistic nature of this layering of approvals on realbal projects.
Right and onto labour's future made in Australia policy. We know that that there is very much centered around fast tracking the transition and removing some of those.
National security issues which sit.
Around foreign manufacturing. To what extent do you think that that policy can actually work and will that production of manufacturing be able to occur without government subsidy?
Look, probably the thing to say is that every bit helps, and more broadly, that initiative is actually quite small in the scheme of things, so at the margin, I think it helps. I don't think domestically production is necessarily going to succeed without subsidies, and I think that's the government's intent. The thing to say is that Australia has always been
a trading nation. We've relied on imports and exports. That's who we are, just by the nature of our geography, and so we are always going to rely on some form of assistance. I don't think you can do it all the time. The notion, however, and this is where renewables get you. The notion that you might take more control of your energy supplies rather than say, having to import oil is a good.
Long term notion. And so yeah, it's a small piece.
I don't think it's going to be either a huge blocker or a huge enabler, other than to say it is support in the right direction.
Now.
Lastly, onto nuclear and the CSIRO has gone back to the drawing.
Board this week.
They're asked to redo their home CSIR right by the coalition. Look, I think most people, most people wouldn't well, wouldn't disagree that the moratorium could come off.
And can we at least.
Talk about it, Like whether you actually go ahead and have nuclear power?
I think is step two.
But I think most people would say, well, we should at least be able.
To talk about it. Is there a world.
Where nuclear either in the large scale form or the small scale form can work in Australia.
In Australia, look, I don't see it financially stacking up given the advantages we have.
Around renewed energy and gas.
I just don't think, and we've not got a big market, it definitely will play a part in industries and countries where they're pre existing, absolutely, so I'm not against it. I think the challenge is a little bit that it's a distraction in Australia will take at least twenty years from the start to get something up.
So look, I don't disagree with the premise.
I guess what's the harm in at least planning for maybe planed c if you need it in twenty fifty, well let's at least start now having those you know, those conversations. I think you know, we only have to look at the waste dump issue in Australia. We've been unable to resolve that for thirty forty years, so these are long duration we are.
Going to have to sort it out for aucust.
So that conversation, so that conversation need to say yeah and look, so one hundred percent, why not have a genuine conversation. I guess the trick is not to pretend like it's in the next twenty years in terms of energy or is the panacea.
But yeah, look it may in the future be a long term need. But let's not get distracted right now. But yeah, you can chew gum and walk at the same time, right.
Like, so excellent insights, Thank you so much.
Thanks still to come unhelpful news on inflation, But wasn't the surprise the government seems to think it was. Welcome back to the show. Joining me now is journalist and analyst Tarek Brooker. Tarik, can we receive some very unhelpful news on inflation yesterday? It was reported as being a surprise, but I'm not entirely sure who was surprised. What were the key takeaways in those figures for you?
I think the key takeaway was that we are seeing deflation, outright deflation, so falling prices in things like recreation and culture and in household goods and services. But even with all those advantages that we're seeing, it's not putting enough
downward pressure on inflation to get this resolved quickly. And I think that when you look at the graph of inflation, whether it's the RBA's preferred measure, which is the trim mean or headline rate of inflation, they're not going in the right that they've stopped going in that downward trajectory and they've started to sort of bottom out and in some cases rise, and that's that's not what the rbas want to be seeing, and that's not what Australians in general want to be seeing.
No, they don't.
And we also keep hearing about the future for potential rate hikes or at the very least a longer period of time before there's a rate cut. Given some parts of the economy are already softening despite the inflation, the bba's job is becoming increasingly difficult, isn't it.
It is, and I think that that job is only going to get harder. And this is the point that it's some you know, a various numbers of prominent economiests have made you know that they're saying that, you know, the budget is in a lot of ways inflationary, and while we will see the electricity subsidies and increases to rent assistance put downward pressure on inflation as it's measured in the CPI, we could see more upward pressure on
underline inflation as a result. So this really sort of in a lot of ways traps the RBA in a very very challenging position, particularly when you factor in that we could see a significant rise in unemployment because we are seeing that deterioration in things like job ads and job vacancies across both the public metrics and those done by the private sector.
And inflation and the cost of servicing debt are obviously putting increasing strain on household budgets. Are we starting to see any movement in housing stock or housing prices or anything like that.
We are seeing not so much in prices as of yet. We have seen in for example, on the call Logic figures in Melbourne, we have seen prices start to flatten out and in some cases decline. But in terms of stock, that's where I think things get interesting. We are if you look at the prop track, which is real estate dot COM's new listings figures, we are starting to see some very strong rises in the number of new lists
in Sydney and Melbourne in particular. Now while the number of overall listings on market still remains quite subdued in
most places well with the exception of Melbourne. We are just seeing that very very interesting divergence, you know, in the places where we are seeing those high levels of mortgage stress, where we are seeing those people with the larger loans, places like Sydney and Melbourne, we are seeing more stock come to market, but in the smaller capitals where loans tend to be a lot smaller, we haven't seen those same issues.
Now, the issue with inflation doesn't only affect households. We are seeing business getting squeezed as well with obviously increased costs of.
Production and wages.
What are the current pain points in your view for business and what is the impact on real wage growth.
Well, businesses are a bit stuck really because we've seen we've seen inflation come down, we've seen their ability to pass on rising costs come down, even though if you look at some of the various surveys, so for example, the NAB business that we're still seeing those input costs at a relatively high level, but wage demands and while wages may have peaked, wage demands remain quite high. And as the chart on the screen shows, workers have a long long way to go before they regain where wages
were prior to the pandemic. Let alone the blowoff top that we saw following the introduction of lockdowns, and at the current rate, we're talking about a pathway that could potentially take years, if not well, could potentially take well over a decade. And that's really not great news for Australian workers who are on this long, long path back to normality.
Absolutely and not great for living standards either in the introm Now onto housing more broadly, and despite us suppose that what it seems like a cacophony of voices lamenting this housing crisis, home construction nears a two year low. Can you explain to us what we're seeing and how is it possible, given so much focus of the discussion on housing at the moment, that this is actually happening.
It's honestly, it's honestly a bit of a mess because we saw construct housing construction in terms of completions peak all the way back in twenty seventeen and that cycle, that building cycle hasn't yet come to an end, and that's a rather significant issue now. As the child on the screen shows, in terms of completions per capita, we're actually at a very very low level, but relative to the rest of the world, we're actually doing quite well.
So Australia is a little bit of a contradiction. We've got this ginormous juggernaut of a construction sector that manages to at times outbuild multiple rivals put together in terms of per capita outcomes, but it's not employed very efficiently.
Now there's a lot of reasons for that. There's red tape, green tape, just you know, issues that have crept into the sector over the years in terms of labor being employed efficiently, and we've seen the output per worker in terms of whether you're talking about the number of homes being completed or the square majia each of homes being
completed fall over time. So I think that that's a really important part of the conversation that the government and policy makers and stakeholders need to be having, that we need to use our construction sector more efficiently in order to do more with what we have to get closer to that unfortunately quite unrealistic target the Albaneze government as set of one point two million new homes.
And just on that.
You know, the governments can set construction targets and that's one thing, but it really does appear that we just don't have enough skilled labor to carry out these works.
Not only for housing, but given the huge number of.
State and federal infrastructure projects that are also on foot or are in the pipeline.
Is that right? And are there any other impediments that you see?
There is the biggest impediment I see is the continued rise of knockdown rebuilds. Now that doesn't sound like it's something it's going to be like a fit in really all that significant. But if we go back, say to say twenty sixteen twenty seventeen, only roughly about six or seven percent of dwelling completions were in effect knockdown rebuilds. As of the latest comparable figures, that's now fifteen percent. So we have to build a lot more in order
to get net dwelling growth. So I think that's part of the problem. And as I said previously, it's just about employing our construction sector efficiently. Now our construction sector employees over one point three million people. It is the largest, is one of the largest construction sectors in the developed world per capita. And I think that we can do a lot more with what we have, even with the burden placed by the increased levels of infrastructure construction, to
keep up with population growth. But I think that that requires a lot of difficult conversations from policy makers and just an acknowledgment of the fact that we have gone backwards in a lot of important ways, and that those issues need to be addressed.
Yeah, absolutely, And on that, I've only got about a minute left. You know, we know that housing is going to be a hot topic for the federal election approaching. Both major parties are proffering policy on housing. But what policy settings do you think will best alleviate the current crisis?
I think, realistically there needs to be a conversation about immigration, because if it depends if you say, for example, amp Shane Oliver's analysis that says we have a shortage of two hundred thousand homes, if that's the case, in attempting to alleviate that shortage while we are still running a migration intake of two hundred and fifteen hundred sixty thousand as laid out in the federal budget, you're talking about something that's going to take the best part of a decade.
So I think that there needs to be a conversation about how many homes do we need, do we actually need to alleviate this shortage, and how are we going to achieve that with the settings that are being employed. So that's going to be a tough one for the alban Eze government, and I think increasingly as we're seeing with our premier Stephen miles in Queensland an increasingly difficult conversation between the States and the federal government.
Yeah.
Absolutely, thank you so much for your observations. Really appreciate it. Thank you so much, Terry Brooker.
No worries, thanks for having me.
Still to come, potential fresh charges for Harvey Weinstein could see more Hollywood types dragged into this scandal.
Plus Harry im Meagan At demanding not only an apology from the royal family, but more praise and recognition. Are they having a laugh?
Joining me now is entertainment and royal reporter Kinsey Schofield.
Kinsey.
Harvey Weinstein hasn't been in the news for a while, but he was recently.
Back in court on the wrong end of some more charges. What's the update?
That's right? Havevey Weinstein appeared in a wheelchair before a judge on Wednesday afternoon in the scene NYC Court house where President Donald Trump is currently on trial. Manhattan prosecutors told a judge that they're exploring new claims of sexual misconduct made against Harvey Weinstein and are considering seeking a new indictment against him ahead of his scheduled retrial on
rape charges leader this year. Additional alleged victims have come forward with assault claims, and prosecutors are currently assessing which while under the state's statue of limitations. The retrial on that rape charge that was tossed out by the court I believe it was just a month ago, is tentatively scheduled shortly after Labor Day.
We'll see where that goes. But I feel like they're still a bit to wash out there, Kinsey. Now onto our next topic, Northwest and the trials are having a go at North where she's Kim Kardashian and Kanye West daughter. Apparently her performance is Simba is not up to what the armchair critics expected.
Here's a.
Little king. I'm looking now, I'm working.
Kinsy, She's just a kid. What do you make of these?
Yeah, she's performing. I just can't wait to be king. This is the Hollywood Bulls thirtieth anniversary celebration for the Lion King. Criticism has been ridiculously harsh, but you know, North was quick to join TikTok years ago. She worked on her father's latest album. She has clearly chosen this path, so hopefully her parents are preparing her behind the scenes
for the negative attention. This industry will inevitably attract, but at the end of the day, her mother and father will open a lot of doors for her that genuinely talented children will not have the privilege to enter. So her life will be a blessing and a curse, with a few more perks than the average person.
Absolutely, but let's hope she still gets to be a bit of a kid in the meantime, And it seems that not all is well in the Lopez Affleck household. We understand j Lowe is canceling some shows and made some relationship termoil.
What's going on here?
You're absolutely right, you know. She has had a bad year, three critically panned films, her worst selling album ever, She's canceled concert dates across the States, and she's currently living
separately from her relatively new husband. But despite reports that plans for Jennifer Lopez's Las Vegas residency are now in jeopardy, the Daily Mail reports that negotiations are very much ongoing, and it was reported earlier this week that n GM Grand and Live Nation offered her one million dollars per night for ninety shows in twenty twenty five. So Ben Affleck's back tattoo might not be there when she gets home, but the bank account will be, so I think she's going to be okay.
And kisy onto.
Our favorite topic, the royals, and the commentary on the not Royal Royal touring Kenya continues, but this time it's Nigeria's First Lady who offered her view on the Sussex's visit.
What was her particular criticism, Yeah, this.
Is really set the internet ablaze. She said, tell young girls and women, we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. She also stressed they do not want to mimic and try to emulate film stars from America. They don't know where they come from. Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? Whether there was resentment towards
Megan there, I'm not sure. I don't have an opinion on that, but I do think it's an odd coincidence considering the fact that Megan was criticized for her wardrobe being culturally inappropriate throughout that trip. And I mean friendly reminder, Meghan Markle is a Hollywood actress, so you know, it's a very odd coincidence.
Absolutely, And another story which just won't go away is the Prince Harry visa saga. The information still hasn't been publicly released, and it appears.
The kid gloves are out for the Prince.
What's the latest, Well, I mean, it's again the Biden administration protecting Prince Harry. The Telegraph headline read Biden administration pleads with court to keep Prince Harry's visa documents under wraps. This is found inside a fifty three page transcript from a court hearing all the way back in February. Again, this is the Heritage Foundation saying, the American public just wants to know the truth. How is Prince Harry here? Did he lie on his visa application? Or was he
given special privilege? The Biden administration fighting and their new I guess their new argument is this, many of these records are law enforcement records. They believe there is a stigma associated with being mentioned in law enforcement records, and they argue that publishing those files would expose confidential law enforcement tools. The government insists even Prince Harry deserves some form of privacy.
That's very interesting considering that the stigma doesn't seem to be an issue when it comes to other people, because we know the rules for everyone else. So it's very interesting that this here seems to be the principal argument in this case, and in so far as Prince Harry is concerned. Now we've seen a continued and stunning lack of self awareness out of the Sussexes, but apparently now
Harry's reportedly frustrated that the Royal family won't acknowledge his achievements. Now, I'm not quite sure where to begin with on this, Kinsey. The entitlement is thick and fast here, isn't it.
I totally agree with you, but I don't necessarily know if I believe this. I don't consider Prince Harry the most intelligent person in the world, but I give him more credit than to believe he was sitting around expecting a high five from the Royal family after calling a room full of Nigerian scammers his in laws. I mean, this guy's written to hot shacks all over the States, banned from entering the States. This guy over here, like is accused of funneling money through the United States, and
I think was also booted from the United States. So Harry knows that he made some mistakes throughout that trip, and he's got to acknowledge them if he wants to continue to play fake royal, you know, internationally, I.
Think that's that's probably a pretty good point. Maybe we don't quite give him enough credit, But onto Princess Catherine, and she's been saying out and about during her recovery, and you know, as you well know some of the scandalous rumors which have been circulating in recent months, it's probably some smart pr for her occasionally to be seen in the flesh.
Do you think that's fair?
Well, you know, I don't know if I think you're right. I think it is good pr for her, but I don't think that that's her objective because it's my understanding that she was incredibly hurt by the conspiracy theories, I mean emotionally hurt and just wanted to high away. But it is being reported that she has turned a corner when it comes to her health. The family is feeling
positive about the direction. She is spending time in the sunshine with her babies, and her children are especially grateful for the rare down time to just enjoy and love on both their mother and father, because how often do they just get to come home and mom and dad are both there, so I'm grateful that her health has improved. I'd love to see her at trooping, but my people are telling me it looks like more possibly an autumn
relaunch for the Princess of Wales. But oh my goodness, I would be so thrilled if we got to see her at trooping.
Yeah, that would be amazing.
And look, we do understand that her treatment is progressing, but we don't have any sort of return timeline yet, do we. I mean, you've mentioned the autumn, but you know that could be anytime.
Right, absolutely, And the Palace is insisting that they're not going to give us a date. And what I've also heard is that both Prince William and King Charles have stressed to her it's all about you. You know, once your doctors clear, you do not feel any pressure to return to work. Come back when you're ready. And you know, I think I'm sure she I'm sure she misses us too, but we certainly do miss her.
She's box office, yeah absolutely, But the most important thing I think is it that she gets well and if she needs the time, she should absolutely take the time.
Now this year we've really seen, obviously.
With both Charles and Catherine, the impact of what can go wrong with a slim down royal family. Kinzie a great piece in the UK Telegraph suggesting that William might put more and.
Younger royals up front.
Is that the solution both to the actual and the perception issues.
Well, I'm sure you remember that interview where the Princess Royal Anne was like, that's a ridiculous idea, the suggestion of a slim down monarchy, and the King actually made those comments deck ago. What we see today isn't that execution. It's just a tragic hand that they've been dealt. And when we see Prince William engaging with all of his cousins at the Buckingham Palace garden party, I think he's
expressing his love for his family and unity. But the Queen was very clear that half in, half out doesn't work, and it's part of the reason that Harry and Meghan continue to publicly fall on their faces. I don't really believe that Prince William will attempt to bring any additional family members center stage, but I do think he's going to keep his cousins close to him. But I think it's going to stay those core members.
And just on keeping those cousins close.
I was fortunate enough to interview Peter Phillips earlier this year. He really is a sensible and steady set of hands. It's reported this week that he has been really valuable support to Prince William, particularly since.
The brothers have fallen out. I've only got about.
Thirty seconds left, But what's your view now?
Peter's got great length experience, He's outside of that bubble, and he has his mother's backbone. He cares deeply about loyalty and their family, something Prince William also values more than ever. So I stand. I love this. I love the idea of these two.
Yes, so do I.
Kinsey Schofield, thank you so much for joining us. Now I'm going to leave you with a shout out to those fighting the good fight against the ban on live sheep export.
This week, the Labor Caucus gave.
The nod to the introduction of legislation to phase out live sheep exports by one May eight. In response, farmers in wa are planning a mass convoy through the Perth CBD tomorrow to protest the proposed.
Band and they aren't stuffing around.
They're not going to just sit back while their livelihoods are phased out and millions of millions of dollars are ripped from regional communities. We talk constantly about the need to diverse fire trade and so it's just ludicrous to ban a viable, world class industry so labor can indulge the ideological proclivities of its left flank.
To show your.
Support, please go to ww dot keepths sheep dot com dot au forward Slash petition and sign their petition. In Australia, we don't kick our farmers and this is one kick from labor we need to stand against.
And that's that's it for me. Up next to his Newsnight, good Night,