June 22, 2025 • 15 mins
Having fought his way to the top of the South Australian Liberal ticket, Alex Antic is working to reshape the party as a radical outfit more interested in ideology than governing.
The Liberal senator calls himself an irrelevant backbencher, but he’s installed allies, toppled moderates and is pushing the party’s politics to the edge.
His playbook mirrors Donald Trump’s: dominate the narrative, fight the culture wars and never aim for the centre – and moderates fear he will keep the Liberal party unelectable.
Today, special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis, on the rise of Alex Antic and the fight for the soul of the Liberal Party.
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Guest: Special correspondent for The Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis.
Photo: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
From Schwartz Media. I'm Daniel James. This is seven am.
Alexander doesn't want to lead the Liberal Party. He wants
to reshape it, and he's already making headway. Senator Andy
calls himself an irrelevant backbencher, but he's installed allies, toppled moderates,
(00:23):
and pushed the party's politics to the edge. His playbook
mirrors Donald Trump's dominate the narrative, fight the culture wars,
and never aim for the center. Now he's turning disruption
into power, and moderates feared the party is becoming unelectable. Today,
senior reporter for the Saturday Paper, Jason kotsukis on the
(00:45):
rise of Alexanderik and the fight for the soul of
the Liberal Party. It's Monday, June twenty three. Jason. A
single photo of Liberal backbencher alex Antik posing with Donald
(01:06):
Trump really set things off last week. Tell me about
that post.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So, Daniel. As we all know, Anthony Albanezi has been
trying to get a meeting with the US President Donald Trump.
He thought he had one at the G seven summit
in Canada until Donald Trump suddenly changed the script and
said he was going back to Washington early, effectively standing
(01:32):
the Prime Minister up. Alexantik, the Senator from South Australia,
the Liberal powerbroker in that state. He was quick to
post this picture that he had of himself standing next
to Donald Trump with a caption bad luck at Elbow MP.
He doesn't meet with everyone. This is really very much
(01:53):
his style. Alexandik is of course number one on the
Liberal Senate ticket in South Australia. He comes from the
hard right of the Liberal Party and he's been able
to effectively take control of the Liberal Party machinery in
South Australia and he is the most powerful politician in
(02:16):
the Liberal Party in South Australia. He's someone that does
instill a bit of fear in that moderate wing of
the Liberal Party.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
So is that why the photo itself stirred such a
big reaction within the party.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I think Donald Trump did so much damage to the
Liberal brand during the election campaign that we've all just
been through that to see a Liberal come out and
lean into that in such a public way did cause
quite a bit of groaning inside the parliamentary Liberal Party
because I guess what most people are thinking is, how
(02:51):
are we ever going to get back into government. If
we have people like Alex Antik posting photos of themselves
with Donald Trump and really trying to emulate Donald Trump
in the way they do politics here.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
The welcome in the country is nothing more than something
wealthy city people love to do to make themselves feel good.
What does it say about our society when we commemorate
Anzac Day for a single day, yet we get a
whole month of pride? Now what is point? Young men
are entitled to feel let down by the manner in
which they're treated in modern Australia, let down by the
(03:25):
housing market, let down by the job market, and let
down by a society that continues to call them toxic.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So he is just a backbench So how much power
does he actually hold within the broader party.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Well within the broader party, many of his colleagues would
argue not much. And while he may not be on
the front bench, he does have regular guest appearances on
on Sky News.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Alex, you've heard what I have to say, tell me
what you think about the loss and our viewers outside
his viewers will not forgive me if I do not
say you should be the next leader of the Liberal Party.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So there I've said it.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So you often see him on Peter Kredlin's program, or
Rowan Dean's program, or Rita Panahi's program.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
The tragedy of this is that people never really I
don't think, saw the very kind, very quick witted and
mischievously humored Peter Dutton out of all of this. I
wish that there had been more of that, this push
on the doge, but also out of countries like Argentina
that we're doing this two years ago under Havier Malay
are now showing that there's an appetite for lean, mean government,
(04:31):
so they shouldn't be And I.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Think he does have through that quite a bit of
influence on the parliamentary Liberal Party, and if he wants
to kick up a big stink on an issue, he's
probably going to be able to bring a group of
people with him. Alexanderik rose to kind of national consciousness
in March last year when he succeeded in demoting the
(04:55):
liberals number one Senate ticket holder Anne Rustin. And Rustin
is a nationally recognized figure. She's a former cabinet minister
in the Morrison government and she's also a prominent moderate
in the Liberal Party. And I think that really upset
a lot of liberals because there wasn't really any point
(05:17):
to it. It was just a way to demonstrate his
power to flex his muscles. And ultimately that means he's
a problem that the liberal leadership will have to deal.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
With for this story, Jason, did you reach out to
Senator Antique for comment?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I did email him. I actually emailed his media advisor,
whose name I was told was Matthew. They wouldn't give
me his family name. They gave me an email address,
and it was Alexandik that replied to that email, and
he was quite irreverent. Was probably the tone that characterized
(05:53):
Alexandtik's reply to me, He said, Dear Jason, happy to
go with the following In inverted commas, he said, I
am always amused by approaches from journalists looking to write
a profile piece. But I can see why your outlet
is so interested in writing about me. So, you know,
a heavy tone of sarcasm there, and he goes on
(06:16):
one wonders how you will take my advocacy for small government,
individual rights, and family values. Surely you wouldn't just roll
out many of the commonly used phrases as adopted by
the left wing media such as far right or hard right,
and then he finishes off with a brush off but
(06:37):
also a bit of a wink here. If you can
forward me a link, I will read it when I
find a moment.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
So he was just trying to betray himself as a
humble backbencher from South Australia.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
That's right. It's interesting that he seems to object to
these kinds of descriptions far right and hard right, but
I don't know that there's any other way to describe
Alexandik because the positions he takes are on the hard
right of Australian politics. There's certainly not where most voters are,
and as we know from Susan Lee, the new leader
(07:10):
of the Federal Liberal Party, that's what she sees as
being her mission is to meet voters where they are.
And I think she's going to have a huge fight
on her hands in trying to take alex on and
undermine the influence that he has on the Parliamentary Liberal
Party and ultimately on voters out there in the electric.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
After the break. Alexanderik wants the party to focus on abortions,
gender dysphoria and killing net zero. Jason Less drilled down
on Alexander's ideology a little bit more. Can you give
(07:53):
me a rundown of his politics and the direction he
wants to take the Liberal Party in.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I think the one issue that in capsule let this
question best is net zero. This is Australia's commitment for
net zero greenhouse emissions by twenty fifty. And Alexandik sees
net zero as a lion in the sand.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Putting Australia first has got to mean dumping net zero,
and I hope we do come to that position, and
I hope we come to it quickly as a party.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
He's not going to sit quietly on the sidelines and
allow the Liberal Party to recommit itself to net zero.
And earlier this month, at a State Council meeting of
the South Australian Liberal Party, a meeting that was dominated
by Conservatives who are aligned with Alexandik, the South Australian
(08:46):
Liberal Party formally voted to reject net zero.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
Alex you were the driving force behind the South Australian
Liberal Party's recent decision to abandon net zero by twenty fifty,
and he called the federal Libs also walk away from
net zero, but just hours later, the South Australian Liberal
leader poured cold water on the move, telling reporters that
(09:10):
none of these policy discussions bind any of the parliamentary
wings of the party. Tell my audience what's going on.
Are the South Australian Libs walking away from net zero
or are you sort of still half pregnant?
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Well, look, Rita, what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Actually the result of that is that you've got the
party now trying to australe three contradictory positions. Susan Lee's
federal wing has net zero under review, You've got the
South Australian parliamentary Liberals who support net zero, but you've
now got the state division that formerly opposes net zero.
(09:46):
And I think this is an outcome that's not just confusing,
it's incendiary. And you've now got senior Liberals in South
Australia fearing when they have to fight the next state
election in South Australia next March, that they might go
even lower than the thirteen seats they have in the
Legislative Assembly, that they might even go backwards.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Here in South Australia, we have been restocking the shelves
at membership level with people that share our values, true Liberals.
They have been pre selecting people who have been making
their way to Parliament to the extent that they can.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I mean, obviously you've been speaking to Monaris within the party.
What have they been telling you about him and their
concerns about Antick?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Well, one Liberal I spoke to described him as a
very dangerous man. This person added that Alexandik would make
a fascinating case study in psychological analysis, because they don't
think the average Liberal has any idea what Alexandik's endgame is.
Is he trying to destroy the party and rebuild it
(10:46):
in the image of the Republican Party.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
In the US.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Does he actually want to be Australia's Donald Trump? This
person doesn't actually know the answer to that question, but
thinks it's very strange. Nonetheless, another liberal spoke to described
alexanderk as the most cold hearted, vindictive person they had
ever encountered in politics. Another person I spoke to said
(11:10):
to me that you turn up to a Liberal Party
meeting in South Australia these days and you get yelled
at about late term abortions or gender dysphoria or puberty
blockers or things that normal Liberals are not really interested in.
They find that the party they love is now more
interested in hysterically pursuing these ideological crusades, things they don't
(11:34):
want to have anything to do with, and that mainstream
voters want nothing to do with. And these members are
leaving the party because they will not be dictated to
by Alexandik and his supporters, who this person added are
probably more suited to Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
So do you think that Senator Antik and the playbook
that he is using, one that is largely adopted from
Trumpian politics, is ultimately harm the Liberal Party?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
I do think so, Daniel, because you know, as Susan
Lee said, I think in her first press conference as leader,
the Liberal Party has to meet voters where they are,
and voters are not where Alexandik is. So if he
can continue to influence the debate in the way that
he's trying to, pulling the party further to the right,
(12:22):
then I don't think the Liberal Party has any hope
of winning back government. They've got to move back towards
the center. They've got to get back to those issues
that are its traditional strengths, particularly on the economy, that
the Liberal Party has always stood for. But they have
to start talking about those issues in a serious way,
not become obsessed by these cultural war issues.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So he has a degree of power within the party,
and he seems to be held bent on not taking
any sort of advice out of the lessons of the
last election in terms of meeting closer to the center.
Despite that, do you think he has a chance of
succeeding with some of his ideological crusades.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Well, he's not on his own when it comes.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
To net zero.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
We saw in a Four Corners episode straight after the
federal election, that disastrous May three election for the Liberal Party.
We saw Andrew Hasty, perhaps a future leader of the
Liberal Party, say that he was wanting to get out
of the net zero straight jacket.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Do you think that policy should be reviewed? Your commitment
to net zero by twenty fifty.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
The question of net zero again, that's a straight jacket
that I'm already getting out of. The real question is
should astray in families and businesses be paying more for
the electricity.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Which surprised me coming from such a clearly intelligent, sensible
person as Andrew Hasty. For him to say that was
a signal. I think that there are large sections of
the parliamentary and Liberal Party that are unhappy with net
zero as a policy position. So I think there's quite
a bit of debate left in this fight. But I
(14:05):
also think it's a pointless battle because the Liberal Party
cannot afford to give up net zero and hope to
be a party of the center, because most voters do
accept that climate change is real, they do accept that
the Australian government has to do something about it, and
that we've got to move towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Jason, it's been a pleasure talking with you and a
pleasure working with you.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Daniel, an absolute pleasure talking with you, and I hope
we continue to talk into the future.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Also in the news, the United States has bombed three
nuclear sites in Iran. US President Donald Trump confirmed the
attacks via truth Social calling them quote very successful. Trump
said all American warplanes were now outside Iranian airspace. The
bombings come after a week of uncertainty about whether the
United States would directly intervene in the escalating conflict between
(15:10):
Israel and Iran, and Green's leader Larissa Waters says Australia
cannot allow itself to be dragged into another war in
the Middle East. Calling America's strikes on Iran a blatant
breach of international law, Senator Waters said the Australian government
should take the opportunity to withdraw from the Orchest Agreement
and condemn America's actions. I'm Daniel James. This has been
(15:32):
seven am. Thanks for listening.
From Schwartz Media. I'm Daniel James. This is seven am.
Alexander doesn't want to lead the Liberal Party. He wants
to reshape it, and he's already making headway. Senator Andy
calls himself an irrelevant backbencher, but he's installed allies, toppled moderates,
(00:23):
and pushed the party's politics to the edge. His playbook
mirrors Donald Trump's dominate the narrative, fight the culture wars,
and never aim for the center. Now he's turning disruption
into power, and moderates feared the party is becoming unelectable. Today,
senior reporter for the Saturday Paper, Jason kotsukis on the
(00:45):
rise of Alexanderik and the fight for the soul of
the Liberal Party. It's Monday, June twenty three. Jason. A
single photo of Liberal backbencher alex Antik posing with Donald
(01:06):
Trump really set things off last week. Tell me about
that post.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So, Daniel. As we all know, Anthony Albanezi has been
trying to get a meeting with the US President Donald Trump.
He thought he had one at the G seven summit
in Canada until Donald Trump suddenly changed the script and
said he was going back to Washington early, effectively standing
(01:32):
the Prime Minister up. Alexantik, the Senator from South Australia,
the Liberal powerbroker in that state. He was quick to
post this picture that he had of himself standing next
to Donald Trump with a caption bad luck at Elbow MP.
He doesn't meet with everyone. This is really very much
(01:53):
his style. Alexandik is of course number one on the
Liberal Senate ticket in South Australia. He comes from the
hard right of the Liberal Party and he's been able
to effectively take control of the Liberal Party machinery in
South Australia and he is the most powerful politician in
(02:16):
the Liberal Party in South Australia. He's someone that does
instill a bit of fear in that moderate wing of
the Liberal Party.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
So is that why the photo itself stirred such a
big reaction within the party.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
I think Donald Trump did so much damage to the
Liberal brand during the election campaign that we've all just
been through that to see a Liberal come out and
lean into that in such a public way did cause
quite a bit of groaning inside the parliamentary Liberal Party
because I guess what most people are thinking is, how
(02:51):
are we ever going to get back into government. If
we have people like Alex Antik posting photos of themselves
with Donald Trump and really trying to emulate Donald Trump
in the way they do politics here.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
The welcome in the country is nothing more than something
wealthy city people love to do to make themselves feel good.
What does it say about our society when we commemorate
Anzac Day for a single day, yet we get a
whole month of pride? Now what is point? Young men
are entitled to feel let down by the manner in
which they're treated in modern Australia, let down by the
(03:25):
housing market, let down by the job market, and let
down by a society that continues to call them toxic.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
So he is just a backbench So how much power
does he actually hold within the broader party.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Well within the broader party, many of his colleagues would
argue not much. And while he may not be on
the front bench, he does have regular guest appearances on
on Sky News.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Alex, you've heard what I have to say, tell me
what you think about the loss and our viewers outside
his viewers will not forgive me if I do not
say you should be the next leader of the Liberal Party.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So there I've said it.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So you often see him on Peter Kredlin's program, or
Rowan Dean's program, or Rita Panahi's program.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
The tragedy of this is that people never really I
don't think, saw the very kind, very quick witted and
mischievously humored Peter Dutton out of all of this. I
wish that there had been more of that, this push
on the doge, but also out of countries like Argentina
that we're doing this two years ago under Havier Malay
are now showing that there's an appetite for lean, mean government,
(04:31):
so they shouldn't be And I.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Think he does have through that quite a bit of
influence on the parliamentary Liberal Party, and if he wants
to kick up a big stink on an issue, he's
probably going to be able to bring a group of
people with him. Alexanderik rose to kind of national consciousness
in March last year when he succeeded in demoting the
(04:55):
liberals number one Senate ticket holder Anne Rustin. And Rustin
is a nationally recognized figure. She's a former cabinet minister
in the Morrison government and she's also a prominent moderate
in the Liberal Party. And I think that really upset
a lot of liberals because there wasn't really any point
(05:17):
to it. It was just a way to demonstrate his
power to flex his muscles. And ultimately that means he's
a problem that the liberal leadership will have to deal.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
With for this story, Jason, did you reach out to
Senator Antique for comment?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
I did email him. I actually emailed his media advisor,
whose name I was told was Matthew. They wouldn't give
me his family name. They gave me an email address,
and it was Alexandik that replied to that email, and
he was quite irreverent. Was probably the tone that characterized
(05:53):
Alexandtik's reply to me, He said, Dear Jason, happy to
go with the following In inverted commas, he said, I
am always amused by approaches from journalists looking to write
a profile piece. But I can see why your outlet
is so interested in writing about me. So, you know,
a heavy tone of sarcasm there, and he goes on
(06:16):
one wonders how you will take my advocacy for small government,
individual rights, and family values. Surely you wouldn't just roll
out many of the commonly used phrases as adopted by
the left wing media such as far right or hard right,
and then he finishes off with a brush off but
(06:37):
also a bit of a wink here. If you can
forward me a link, I will read it when I
find a moment.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
So he was just trying to betray himself as a
humble backbencher from South Australia.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
That's right. It's interesting that he seems to object to
these kinds of descriptions far right and hard right, but
I don't know that there's any other way to describe
Alexandik because the positions he takes are on the hard
right of Australian politics. There's certainly not where most voters are,
and as we know from Susan Lee, the new leader
(07:10):
of the Federal Liberal Party, that's what she sees as
being her mission is to meet voters where they are.
And I think she's going to have a huge fight
on her hands in trying to take alex on and
undermine the influence that he has on the Parliamentary Liberal
Party and ultimately on voters out there in the electric.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
After the break. Alexanderik wants the party to focus on abortions,
gender dysphoria and killing net zero. Jason Less drilled down
on Alexander's ideology a little bit more. Can you give
(07:53):
me a rundown of his politics and the direction he
wants to take the Liberal Party in.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I think the one issue that in capsule let this
question best is net zero. This is Australia's commitment for
net zero greenhouse emissions by twenty fifty. And Alexandik sees
net zero as a lion in the sand.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Putting Australia first has got to mean dumping net zero,
and I hope we do come to that position, and
I hope we come to it quickly as a party.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
He's not going to sit quietly on the sidelines and
allow the Liberal Party to recommit itself to net zero.
And earlier this month, at a State Council meeting of
the South Australian Liberal Party, a meeting that was dominated
by Conservatives who are aligned with Alexandik, the South Australian
(08:46):
Liberal Party formally voted to reject net zero.
Speaker 5 (08:50):
Alex you were the driving force behind the South Australian
Liberal Party's recent decision to abandon net zero by twenty fifty,
and he called the federal Libs also walk away from
net zero, but just hours later, the South Australian Liberal
leader poured cold water on the move, telling reporters that
(09:10):
none of these policy discussions bind any of the parliamentary
wings of the party. Tell my audience what's going on.
Are the South Australian Libs walking away from net zero
or are you sort of still half pregnant?
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Well, look, Rita, what we're talking about.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Actually the result of that is that you've got the
party now trying to australe three contradictory positions. Susan Lee's
federal wing has net zero under review, You've got the
South Australian parliamentary Liberals who support net zero, but you've
now got the state division that formerly opposes net zero.
(09:46):
And I think this is an outcome that's not just confusing,
it's incendiary. And you've now got senior Liberals in South
Australia fearing when they have to fight the next state
election in South Australia next March, that they might go
even lower than the thirteen seats they have in the
Legislative Assembly, that they might even go backwards.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Here in South Australia, we have been restocking the shelves
at membership level with people that share our values, true Liberals.
They have been pre selecting people who have been making
their way to Parliament to the extent that they can.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
I mean, obviously you've been speaking to Monaris within the party.
What have they been telling you about him and their
concerns about Antick?
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Well, one Liberal I spoke to described him as a
very dangerous man. This person added that Alexandik would make
a fascinating case study in psychological analysis, because they don't
think the average Liberal has any idea what Alexandik's endgame is.
Is he trying to destroy the party and rebuild it
(10:46):
in the image of the Republican Party.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
In the US.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Does he actually want to be Australia's Donald Trump? This
person doesn't actually know the answer to that question, but
thinks it's very strange. Nonetheless, another liberal spoke to described
alexanderk as the most cold hearted, vindictive person they had
ever encountered in politics. Another person I spoke to said
(11:10):
to me that you turn up to a Liberal Party
meeting in South Australia these days and you get yelled
at about late term abortions or gender dysphoria or puberty
blockers or things that normal Liberals are not really interested in.
They find that the party they love is now more
interested in hysterically pursuing these ideological crusades, things they don't
(11:34):
want to have anything to do with, and that mainstream
voters want nothing to do with. And these members are
leaving the party because they will not be dictated to
by Alexandik and his supporters, who this person added are
probably more suited to Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
So do you think that Senator Antik and the playbook
that he is using, one that is largely adopted from
Trumpian politics, is ultimately harm the Liberal Party?
Speaker 2 (12:01):
I do think so, Daniel, because you know, as Susan
Lee said, I think in her first press conference as leader,
the Liberal Party has to meet voters where they are,
and voters are not where Alexandik is. So if he
can continue to influence the debate in the way that
he's trying to, pulling the party further to the right,
(12:22):
then I don't think the Liberal Party has any hope
of winning back government. They've got to move back towards
the center. They've got to get back to those issues
that are its traditional strengths, particularly on the economy, that
the Liberal Party has always stood for. But they have
to start talking about those issues in a serious way,
not become obsessed by these cultural war issues.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
So he has a degree of power within the party,
and he seems to be held bent on not taking
any sort of advice out of the lessons of the
last election in terms of meeting closer to the center.
Despite that, do you think he has a chance of
succeeding with some of his ideological crusades.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Well, he's not on his own when it comes.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
To net zero.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
We saw in a Four Corners episode straight after the
federal election, that disastrous May three election for the Liberal Party.
We saw Andrew Hasty, perhaps a future leader of the
Liberal Party, say that he was wanting to get out
of the net zero straight jacket.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Do you think that policy should be reviewed? Your commitment
to net zero by twenty fifty.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
The question of net zero again, that's a straight jacket
that I'm already getting out of. The real question is
should astray in families and businesses be paying more for
the electricity.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Which surprised me coming from such a clearly intelligent, sensible
person as Andrew Hasty. For him to say that was
a signal. I think that there are large sections of
the parliamentary and Liberal Party that are unhappy with net
zero as a policy position. So I think there's quite
a bit of debate left in this fight. But I
(14:05):
also think it's a pointless battle because the Liberal Party
cannot afford to give up net zero and hope to
be a party of the center, because most voters do
accept that climate change is real, they do accept that
the Australian government has to do something about it, and
that we've got to move towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Jason, it's been a pleasure talking with you and a
pleasure working with you.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Daniel, an absolute pleasure talking with you, and I hope
we continue to talk into the future.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Also in the news, the United States has bombed three
nuclear sites in Iran. US President Donald Trump confirmed the
attacks via truth Social calling them quote very successful. Trump
said all American warplanes were now outside Iranian airspace. The
bombings come after a week of uncertainty about whether the
United States would directly intervene in the escalating conflict between
(15:10):
Israel and Iran, and Green's leader Larissa Waters says Australia
cannot allow itself to be dragged into another war in
the Middle East. Calling America's strikes on Iran a blatant
breach of international law, Senator Waters said the Australian government
should take the opportunity to withdraw from the Orchest Agreement
and condemn America's actions. I'm Daniel James. This has been
(15:32):
seven am. Thanks for listening.
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