The Country 04/09/25: Chris Russell talks to Jamie Mackay

Our Australian correspondent talks about worrying scenes in Beijing and the $100 billion barrier being broken by the Aussie primary sector. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's our guy in Sydney. His name was Chris Russell,
long standing Australian correspondent. We had two former Prime ministers,
Chris Russell and Beijing. Some would say cuddling up to
the Chinese. Two of our better prime ministers too, I
might add Helen Clark and John Key. Did Australia send
anyone over there?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
We said nobody, and our Batteldor in fact wasn't there either.
But however we did end up with two people who
were invited. Bob Khr former Premier of New South Wales
and former Foreign Affairs minister in the federal government. He
went over but at the last moment said he was
never intending to go to the parade. He went and
talked to a conference instead. But predictably, probably Dan Andrews,

(00:43):
the Premier of Victoria during the COVID period, was invited
and proudly on display there and proudly meeting President She
having tried to introduce the Belt and Road program into Victoria.
There are people over here calling him to be charged
with true reason, you know, because he's been he's so
disloyal to our rights here. But it was a scary

(01:05):
parade really, when you look at that, Jamie. When I
was listening to an analysis by some of our arms
experts this morning, they had hypersonic missiles there, which are
probably ahead of where the US is at. They had
underwater drones. They now have nuclear tip missiles which can
be launched from an air capability. The only area that

(01:27):
they analyzed that probably America was still ahead was in
the aircraft and an air power, So that's obviously critical.
But I think we're in for some scary times, and
especially when you hear Putin, Kim and She on hot
mic discussing immortality and how with modern technology they're hoping
they could live to one hundred and fifty God God

(01:50):
help us.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Yes, And of course you've got that version of she
Putin and Mody cuddling up and holding hands together. A
bit worrying for the West.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
I think it is very worrying, and I think that
a lot of people would see the fact that she
has got really totally transparent ambitions for being the superpower. Certainly,
since nineteen forty five, the West has dominated world power
and the world balance of power. But I'm not sure
we're still in that happy position. I think where he's

(02:23):
spending a disproportionate amount of money, certainly not limited by
percentage of GDP on defense when you look at the
advances they're making, both technologically and just in sheer numbers.
And what's scary is the robotic look of those armies.
I mean, every army wants their soldiers to be more
or less robotic and automatic and responding to the call

(02:43):
the fight. But by gee, they even had robotic dogs,
actually robotic docks on display there. Well, I say most
of the people in the army looked at that. They
are pretty robotic too in the parade.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
On the home front, I see that primary sector production
in Australia has cracked the one hundred billion dollar mark.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Well it's forecasts too, Jamie for the financial year which
ends June thirtieth next year, and that is really in
completion of the target that they set themselves back full
five years ago. But certainly it's amazing how we've continued
to grow. We're now also planning to be able to

(03:24):
have enough food produced in Australia to feed one hundred
million people, so we've got twenty seven million of our
own and the rest of the world's population also benefiting.
So clearly Australia is making a significant contribution to food
security and we're on forecasts, of course, helped by some
pretty favorable seasons in most of the big crop producing areas,

(03:46):
even if at the last minute over in the West. Jamie.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Always good to catch up on the country.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Thanks for your time, No worry, Jamie,