Mornings with Graeme Goodings - 11 August 2025

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Welcome to Monday. I hope we find you
well on this eleventh day of August. Well in the
studio after nine tilly this morning, we'll have Health Minister
Chris Picton say health is in crisis record ramping with
no sign of a solution despite Labour promising to end ramping.
Yes we remember. If you have any questions of the
Health Minister, give us a call eight double two to

(00:20):
three double O doublow, or you can text on zero
double four eight zero eight thirteen ninety five. Also on
the show today, the algel bloom taking a massive toll
on Southaustralia. But for dedicated fishers there's some positive news.
We want to speak with fishing guru Shane Mensforth for
a little bit later on this morning. Tonight on Sky

(00:40):
News they're premiering an exclusive one hour program, The War Cabinet,
presented by award winning journalists and Sky News political contributor
Chris Orman. It's set in an immersive war cabinet environment,
and Allman convenes a distinguished panel of former ministers, military
leaders and defense specialists to investigate if Australia is ready
to offend itself and support We'll speak with Chris Orman

(01:04):
this morning. A ballet that draws on the Mighty River
for its inspiration sounds interesting, doesn't it, Murray whispers, A
ballet inspired by a living river. We'll find out more
about that. And high level talks are underway between transport
and public service leaders to consider a future road user
charge for electric vehicle drivers. That's amid growing calls for

(01:26):
reform on how road infrastructure is funded. Now, the Albanesi
government's new vehicle efficiency standard aims to boost EV uptake.
All well and good, but there are warnings that the
current tax system is becoming unsustainable as EV adoption rises.
Fuel excise revenue, which contributes around twelve and a half
billion dollars annually, Well, it's falling. Since EV's don't use petrol,

(01:49):
they don't use diesel, and that is creating a two
tier system where drivers of petrol vehicles continue to shoulder
road cost while EV drivers contribute little. At the point
of view, like to know your thoughts on that eight
double two to three double doublo is the number to
ring well over night. Another attack on a vape store,
this time at Findon. Australia was once a global leader

(02:12):
in tobacco control, pioneering, plane packaging, bold public health campaigns.
But today we risk falling behind. While almost seventy Australians
die every day from smoking related illness, adding up to
twenty four thousand preventable deaths each year, our policies remain
stuck in the past. Southa Strada now enforces the nation's
toughest vaping laws, heavily restricting access to nicotine vapes despite

(02:37):
marti evidence they are significantly less harmful than cigarettes, While
combustible tobacco remains legal and highly taxed, safer alternatives are
all but banned. This contradiction is fueling a thriving black market,
driving serious crime. Between July and November twenty twenty four,
southa Stradia recorded nineteen arson attacks in Adelaide linked to

(02:58):
the illicit tobacco trade, vehicles, restaurants and tobacco businesses. Overnight,
as we said, another suspected arson attack hit a shop
a block of shops in Finden, a vape shop was
at its center. Now this isn't a theoretical risk, it's
unfolding in real time. Our refusal to modernize tobacco laws
is endangering lives, empowering organized crime and undermining public health.

(03:22):
Is it time to rethink our approach before lives are
lost or businesses are destroyed. I'd like to know your
thoughts on that. Eight double two three double DOUBLEO is
the number to ring. Also today, the RBA decision comes
out tomorrow. It's expected that there will be a cut now.
That was thought last time, wasn't it Ninety percent of

(03:44):
the experts in the field said there will be a cut.
There wasn't one. The RBA held out. What will happen now?
Are you expecting a cut? It would be benefit to
those with the mortgages, but we will have to wait
to find out about that. And on the subject of
a cut, tragically, it seems thirty five percent of Assies

(04:05):
don't think they'll ever afford a home. What's happened to
the Great Australian dream? And that was the great Australian dream.
Wasn't it a home of your own on your own
quarter acre block somewhere in the suburbs. Well, that quarter
acre block is shrunk and shrunk and shrunk. And that
house might now be an apartment if you're lucky enough

(04:25):
to be able to find one or afford one. But
the dream is becoming a nightmare for all too many Australians.
What are your thoughts on that eight double through two
to three double O double. Oh and we have Royal
Show double passes to give away every day this week
to a random quarter or the best core of the morning.
So if you want to get involved in that eight
double two to three double O double ow all week

(04:47):
double passes to give away so you can head along
to the show. You can book your tickets at the
show dot com dot au and at Foodland. Con't wait
for the show. It's always exciting, isn't it. And I
believe five double A will be the show, the morning
program will be their Leafs program will be at the show.
So when you're visiting the show, make sure you come
along and say hi. I'd love to hear from you.

(05:10):
Ronza's problem with electric cars is resale battery life. If
you sell after four years, how much life left in
the car before you need twenty thousand dollars to replace
the battery? A bad investment. If this is the sticking point,
isn't it? For all the benefits of electric vehicles and
looking after the environment, that's questionable in itself, but the batteries,

(05:31):
and I know the dramatic improvements are being made with batteries,
There's no doubt about that. And I believe Mercedes is
soon to come out with what they say will be
a deal breaker where these batteries will give a thousand
kilometers in range. They don't mention the price, however, but
the question mark hangs over the fact that if you
are currently driving an EV and happily to do so,

(05:52):
happy to do so, when you come to sell it,
what will be the resale value? Because if all these
batteries are coming out that have double and triple the
life expectancy of the battery in your car, why would
your car hold its value? And I know as a
fact that a lot of used car yards don't want

(06:14):
to have a bar to do with evs because it
creates huge areas of problems regarding warranties, et cetera. So
the question mark the crossover between EV's where they are
now where they'll be in five ten years time, there'll
be a very very different vehicle. Indeed, and it's largely
about the battery life. Eight double two three double ow

(06:36):
doublow is the number to ring will take a break
back shortly or just a reminder that at nine point
thirty of this morning we'll have the Health Minister Chris
Picton in the studio to talk about the crisis in
the South Australian health industry. If you have any thoughts
on that matter, if you have any personal experiences with
ramping or issues with the medical side of things, I'd
like to hear from you. Eight double two three double o,

(06:57):
double oh back shortly five double.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
A Mornings with Graham Goodings.

Speaker 1 (07:03):
Sixteen past nine five double A very shortly nine thirty.
In fact, the Health Minister Chris Picton will join me
in the studio. So if you have any questions about
the current South Australian health crisis and what's going on
in health, give us a call. Eight double two three
double o double oh. Love to hear from you. The

(07:23):
algal bloom crisis that is hitting South Australia and having
a dramatic impact, well, there is a positive out of it,
and I'm not saying that this has created a situation,
but fishing and Guru Shane Men's Wort says, says, they're
putty a fish out there. If you know what to do,
he joins us. Now the guru from s A Angler magazine, Shane,

(07:44):
good morning to your look. I'm pretty good. Thanks. We
hear all the negative side about the algall bloom and
that is quite justified, but doesn't need to be that
depressing for fishes. Are the fish still out there?

Speaker 3 (07:59):
I'm not going to Sugar go to Grahame. It's pretty
tough out there for sure. Things It's probably worse than
I've seen in my life. But if you choose what
you're going to chase, and you pick the right areas,
you can still get a food of fish like it was.
But there are still It's not all doom and gloom
if you know where you're going, what you're.

Speaker 1 (08:17):
Doing, and when you catch the fish. Is there any
concern health wise?

Speaker 3 (08:22):
Well, I've eaten a few fish that I've caught, salmon, trout,
but I don't know all the health authorities are saying yes,
it's one hundred percent sure. I wouldn't one hundred percent sure.
I've eaten a few and I'm still still upright, so
I guess it's okay.

Speaker 1 (08:39):
So if anyone is interesting in wading a line, where
are the good places to go?

Speaker 3 (08:44):
Well, if you'd like to catch salmon, there are still
plenty of salmon on the southern suburbs from virtually Portland
longer south. They're getting heaps and salmon, trout and some
larger salmon off the beaches. And these fish seems to
be in good condition, and the flesh seems to be
quite quite firm and nice. Yeah, I'd be looking at
catching some salmon. There are plenty around and it's been
like that for most of the winter so far.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
What about around the Gulf and into the other.

Speaker 3 (09:08):
Gulfs, Well, I'm living on the eastern shores of your
peninsula now, I continue things are pretty grim over there.
From Port Clinton down to Werberger's virtually nothing. Waters, dirty, smelly,
and not particularly attractive.

Speaker 4 (09:23):
I haven't been.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
Picking the roads. But in the other Gulf, in Spencer
Golf all the way down from soy Pourt Hughes down
to Point Certain on that side, there are plenty of
whiting and plenty of other fish, so that that area
seems to be quite clean. And where we're with the
visit there yet, I'm not sure how long the OKI
is going to stay away from there, but at the
moment it's as good as it's ever been. So that's

(09:44):
where i'd be heading.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
Yes, So are there any detectable signs in the water,
whether the bloom is there or not?

Speaker 3 (09:51):
Oh well, I can see where I live there is.
There's a sludge that's washing up on the high tide
most afternoons, and the water is quite turbid. It looks
like the Murray a bit where I am, whereas normally
it's crystal clear. From my little Jenny you can see
the bottom most times, but at the moment you can't
see more than a meter into it, which is very concerning.
And I'm guessing that's the howg you're suspended in the water,

(10:12):
So yeah, that's that's the situation where I am. Anyway.

Speaker 1 (10:15):
Yeah, look, I was talking some talking to some people
who have been over at Black Point recently, and they
said the water was quite turgid and almost black looking
into it.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
Yeah, well, you know, I'm just a few minutes away
from back Poe, and you're right. I haven't seen the
water this color ever, and it's very reconcerning. Of course,
there's still plenty of dead fish being washed up in
along that stretch, so it's all it's all pretty gloomy
in that spat anyway.

Speaker 1 (10:41):
Yeah, how's the south coast and K I looking well.

Speaker 5 (10:44):
A little bit better.

Speaker 3 (10:45):
I'm hearing of some good surf salmon fishing at Way Finger,
which you know, Donney Victor Harbor, which I haven't heard
of since the bloom became apparent. So that's that's all positive.
Over on K there are salmon on the surf beaches
and they're getting some nice brim in the rivers, so
I think things maybe maybe improving a little bit down
that way. But yeah, white Fingers that stand out for

(11:06):
me if you want to catch a salmon at the
surf at the moment.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
Has Air Potinsula been relatively untouched.

Speaker 3 (11:12):
Yeah, it has Bigually the west coast of Air Peninsula
is still pristine. But there are a little pockets showing
up on the on the eastern side of Air Peninsula,
but generally it's nowhere near the same effect that has
on our golf. I guess because the Spencer Gulf so
much bigger, it's handling the volume of vargue a bit better.
So yeah, it's very Unfortunately from adelaide A Cross is

(11:34):
always worse area affected.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, I mean the predictions were and when the algal
bloom really was at its highest point, that as soon
as the colder weather hits, the water temperature drops and
the winds pick up, the algal bloom will disappear. But
if anything has spread, it.

Speaker 3 (11:51):
Hasn't it it has. I've got a good friend, Faith Coleman,
who's a marine scientist who's keeps keeping an eye on
all of this, and yeah, she was hopeful that only
things would improve as the weather the weather cooled off
and the water drop. But it looks like to be
going the other way. It's not looking good as good at.

Speaker 6 (12:10):
All at all.

Speaker 1 (12:12):
Yeah, that's it's grim news, isn't it, Because you know,
when people are looking for the recreation or a bit
of time off and a nice cheap way of relaxing
is wedding a line dropping off of Jenny or taking
the tinning out or something like that. But it's not
not all all plane sailing at the moment.

Speaker 4 (12:31):
No.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
It's distressing for businesses too. I can see around me
caravan parks are empty.

Speaker 5 (12:36):
Boat around car.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
Parks are empty, hotels sort of struggling for patronage now
that the business is not coming. It's distressing to see
the effect it's having on local communities. And that's one
of the major major things that I'm more upset about
than anything.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yeah, the government's pouring money into it. Do you think
that's enough?

Speaker 3 (12:53):
No, nowhere near enough. It's a band aid and we'll
see how big that band aid becomes over time. But
at the moment they've got to be seen to be
doing something. We say are, but we need a lot more.
So that's only a drop in the ocean, so to speak.

Speaker 1 (13:06):
Yeah, Shane, good to talk to you. But there is
an element of hope there that the fish is still
out there if you look on the right spots.

Speaker 5 (13:14):
Yeah, don't give up.

Speaker 3 (13:15):
I just keep try and keep your rid of the
ground and keep your fingers crossed.

Speaker 1 (13:19):
Good only, Shane, Always great to chat. Shane men'sforth say
Angler Magazine article in the Sunday Mail yesterday about that
if you're prepared to look around, go to the right spots,
you will find some fish. But several locations in along
the Metro area producing mullet varying numbers, and as Shane said,
heard a few from the middle and southern sections of

(13:40):
West Lakes and inside the on Coparinger River, most of
which have been a good size. So the fish are
out there. If you're a fisher, person, don't give up
hope eight double two to three double o double O.
From the text line, I don't like the word fishes.
If I keep using the word fishermen, am I breaking
the laws? No, Fred, You're not breaking the laws. But
there are lots of women that fish too, so that's

(14:02):
why we say fishes. Elizabeth, good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 7 (14:08):
I drunk to say that Flinder's Hospital seems to be
in a shambles these days. I have a family member
who was there last week, and she was there two
days and on the third day supposed to be discharged,
and waited all day to have the papers signed. The

(14:31):
papers were ready in the morning, and eventually at something
like five o'clock they rang a doctor to get the
doctor to come and sign the papers, and then not
that wasn't even the end of it. They were going
to put her in her bed waiting for somebody to
pick her up, and eventually found a wheelchair. I mean,

(14:53):
what is going on with a hospital that? I mean,
whenever anyone's in hospital, the papers signed, the doctor sees
you in the morning, you go to the pharmacy and
you go home. This young lady had to wait until
five o'clock.

Speaker 1 (15:09):
Signed that seems like an absolute nonsense, because she could
obviously be tying up her hospital bed that she didn't
need herself, exactly.

Speaker 7 (15:17):
And she was in it until five o'clock, after five
o'clock at night. And she is a tough woman and
she's been through a lot, but she was just about
in tears when I spoke to her to find out
whatever was going on.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
So she'd been brightening, she'd been in hospital for two days.
She was due to check out on the third day,
and she was right to check out first thing in
the morning. Everything was going she was cleared to check out,
but because the papers hadn't been signed, she had to
wait till five that same day, five thirty.

Speaker 7 (15:49):
Ah, Yes, which meant that the person who was picking
her up had something else to do it for some
time in the afternoon, and so this young la got
home at about seven point thirty at night.

Speaker 1 (16:03):
Well, on so many levels, Elizabeth, that is crazy. I mean,
the fact that she was kept at the hospital way
longer than she needed to be kept, the fact that
she was tying up a hospital bed that obviously was
needed for someone more needing. Yeah, that just seems like
a bureaucratic bungle.

Speaker 7 (16:22):
Which it is. Yep, thank you for listening.

Speaker 1 (16:25):
Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm no doubt that the health minist
Chris Pickton will be listening to and we will try
and put that to him too. So we just don't
have enough hospital beds. We need to free them up,
and they often free them up sooner than they possibly
should because we just have this huge backlog. But is
this just the first case of this happening. This is
at Flinder's Hospital that somebody who was due to be

(16:48):
discharged in the morning, just due to bureaucracy and no
one available to sign the appropriate papers, she had to
wait there for hours and hours and hours, not getting
up until five point thirty. That would make no sense
at all. Somebody suggested that they would charge an extra day.
I'm not so sure about that, mister Picton. There's a

(17:09):
huge issue getting into see specialists. My GP over the
last four years has sent three referrals for me to
see a cardiologist, as he said I'm at risk of
heart attack. I rang the cardiologists clinic a few weeks
ago to ask where I sit in the queue and
couldn't believe the response. I was told that, unfortunately, they
are so busy that I will remain on the non
urgent waiting list and definitely unless my condition changes, so

(17:33):
I guess I'll be just having to wait for my
inevitable heart attack. The system is broken, and it's broken
almost beyond repair. Hopefully that is not the case. Hopefully
there are some answers and we will have Health Minister
Chris Picton in the studio after news headlines line up
with the questions now ate double two three, double double

(17:53):
oh back shortly.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
Five double A Mornings with Graham Goodings.

Speaker 1 (18:00):
Twenty nine to ten five A on the Monday morning
Hope we find you well Well southa Stayda's health system
is in crisis, ambulance rapping hitting a record five eight
hundred and sixty six hours in July, the worst month
on record. Paramedics reporting burnout, patients are waiting hours for care,
and the government appears powerless to stop things getting worse.

(18:20):
Health Minister Chris Pickton joins me in the studio. Minister,
good morning to you, Good morning Graham. You're presiding over
a crisis.

Speaker 8 (18:26):
Well, our hospitals are incredibly busy at the moment and
they're facing the biggest flu uptake that we've had this decade.
So while we're adding significant numbers of beds and have
opened hundreds already and one hundred and eighty more set
to open that we've built that will be opening over
the next six to nine months, we are dealing with
a big influx of patients, and that's at the same

(18:48):
time that we're having trouble getting people out of hospital
who don't need to be there anymore, particularly into age care,
where people can't get into age care facilities for love
or money at the moment. So we're in a bit
of a race of the moment to try to open
up as much capacity in our hospital system as we
can at the same time that that's basically being taken
out of the system by people who are stuck there

(19:09):
because they can't get into age care.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Will you finally admit that labor has failed to fix ramping?

Speaker 8 (19:15):
Well, there's no doubt that we need to improve, and
there's no doubt that we want it to be in
a better situation than we are now. Well, we have
thrown significant resources at this. We've far exceeded the commitments
that we made in terms of opening additional beds, hiring
additional doctors and nurses. There's a lot more of that
investment to come, but it's happening at the same time
that we're facing this other issue where the number of

(19:38):
people who've been stuck getting out of hospital has gone
from about sixty to two hundred and eighty. So we've
basically got bigger than Maudrey Hospital taken out of the
system at the moment because people can't get into age care,
and that means that we've got one hand tied behind
our back in terms of dealing with this issue.

Speaker 1 (19:56):
Isn't this a lack of foresight by previous government.

Speaker 8 (19:59):
Well, there's a lack of force in terms of age care,
and there's also lack of full side in terms of
additional hospital beds that should have been built a long
time ago, and I certainly have been on the record
saying both previous governments of both stripes should have been
seeing that we would have faced an aging population and
we needed more hospital beds. So we're now in a
race to do that. We've basically got every hospital expanding

(20:22):
at the moment. A lot of those expansions are coming
online in the next six to nine months and they
are desperately needed to make sure that we've got more
capacity for our hospitals.

Speaker 1 (20:31):
You were damning in your criticism of the Marshall government's
handling of ramping. Your job has been much worse.

Speaker 8 (20:37):
Well, they weren't doing ething. We are doing everything where.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
The achievements aren't there. Yeah, but we are falling behind.

Speaker 8 (20:43):
We are expanding all of our hospitals. We are hiring
thousands more doctors and nurses. We are taking every possible
measure that we can to expand and make sure the
people have got the care that they need. Where we
are finding those challenges in terms of age care. We're
not just of pointing the finger and blaming, but we're
also taking other measures as well. We've now got to

(21:05):
going to the extent of opening up across Haima Square.
We can see it from where we're sitting right now, Graham.
In the Pullman Hotel, we're doubling our capacity of people
to get out of hospital to go into the Pullman
Hotel so that we can free up those hospital beds.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
What sort of care can you give people in a
hotel though? Is it full medical care?

Speaker 8 (21:25):
We do have doctors and nurses and allied staff who
are providing care for people there, but this is really
aimed at people who don't need to be in hospital anymore,
but are stuck there because they can't get out. So
it's largely people who are waiting for those age care
beds that we can't get in the federal system because
there's just not enough federal age care beds, But it's
also people that can't get home waiting for rehabilitation. So

(21:48):
just the other day I met a gentleman who's been
there for six weeks. He would have been stuck in
a Royal Adelaide hospital bed for six weeks because he
can't go home with his particular leg follow up and
rehabilitation that he's had after a surgery.

Speaker 1 (22:04):
This is a damning indictment on your government and previous
governments that we've reached the situation.

Speaker 8 (22:09):
Well, there's no doubt that we want to be in
a different situation. There's no doubt that we want to
free up those ambulances to respond to cases in the community.
But it's also true that we have significantly improved the
number of ambulances that are responding to people on time.
That has gone from about thirty percent to about sixty percent,
But we need to get that back up to eighty

(22:30):
percent of those lights and sirens cases on time, so
that people who are calling triple zero an emergency can
get the care that they need to do that, we
need to reduce ramping. To reduce ramping, we need to
free up our emergency departments, and to do that, we
need to free up our impatient beds, having more impatient beds,
which we're building, but also meaning that people can get

(22:52):
out of hospital when they don't need to be there anymore.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
Minister, we have a caller on the line.

Speaker 9 (22:56):
Ian, go ahead, Good morning, gentlemen, Thank you very much
attacking my call. I've got a really easy six on
three poltics right, stop playing politic. We the public who
vote you in. You need to stop blaming one another
and stop doing the cloth bros and handbuiling everything. Simple
fact one, by the old Newmarket hotel across the road,

(23:22):
build a three four hundred dead hospital that can be
a mixture for the elderly, hates care, mental health and
people like that generally just talking about who needed a
little bit of care. Buy that. Secondly, spend ten million
dollars on getting a transit police on public transport so

(23:47):
the people on the front page, the advertisers don't have
to go through that hell right. And thirdly by Public
Creek National Park on pleachload that into housing you can
probably put two or three thousand homes sets. There's three teams. Souls.

(24:09):
You always, every politicist always looks at the short term.
You look what you're doing in your team, have a
vision for ten fifteen years. Okay, enough of blaming, less blaming, right,
blaming somewhat.

Speaker 1 (24:25):
Do your job, Ban, Thanks for your call, minister, Well
thanks Ian.

Speaker 8 (24:30):
I know less about the National Parks and the transit Police,
but in terms of the hospital system, we are aiming
for the end, planning for the long term. And one
example of that is right now at Mount Barker, where
we have a massively growing population up there. We are
building a new hospital and we're not increasing the number
of beds there by ten percent, twenty percent. We are

(24:51):
increasing the number of beds thereby tripling the number of
beds at Mount Barker, building a very substantial new hospital
up there. And we are expanding hospitals right across the board.
So you know, we are not just sitting around pointing
the finger here. We are absolutely taking this ball by
the horns, expanding our hospital system right across the board.

(25:11):
You know, we are building a brand new women's and
children's hospital which will set us up for the next
fifty years. We are also doing the planning on how
we can build other facilities into the future to meet
our growing aging population down the track too.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
Now, Minister, you just said then they're building the Women's
and Children's Hospital to set us up for the next
fifty years. Probably the same sentiments were echoed when you
build the new RA, that it would be set us
up for fifty years, and yet it is already under resource,
not enough beds. I mean, the foresight and planning just
wasn't there.

Speaker 8 (25:45):
Well, I think it is an amazing facility, and certainly
anyone that goes to the RA and has treatment there
will tell you what an amazing facility it is. It
doesn't have enough beds, but there's no doubt that I
would like to have more beds in the healthcare system
right now, Graham than what I do. And why we're
expanding beds right across the system. We're fast tracking them
where we can. We're taking a facility like Hampstead which

(26:08):
was set to be closed and sold off. We've reversed that.
We've reopened that and restaffed it with doctors and nurses
and have opened eighty beds there. At Hampstead. We've got
more beds coming this year at lil mckew and Flinder's
Medical Center no longer hospital, Moudrey Hospital, so right across
the board, we're expanding our hospital facilities.

Speaker 1 (26:29):
The population of Adelaide's gone by about fifty thousand since
you came to power.

Speaker 8 (26:33):
Is that having an impact, Well, there's no doubt it's
population growth, but it's mainly population aging. So the number
of people who go to our hospital system is largely
influenced by age, and so particularly people over the age
of seventy, over the age of eighty have a much
greater utilization. And that's their right too, and they've absolutely
right to have public hospital care. But it's also that

(26:56):
aging issue where we can't get people out of hospital
who need to be in age care. They can't go home,
they can't get into age care. They effectively become homeless
stuck in our hospital system. That's not fair on them,
it's not fair on the next patient who needs that care.
So that's why we've put forward to the federal government
a suite of ten different measures that we think will
address this issue. It's not only a problem here, it's

(27:18):
a problem that other states around the country are facing.
It's been front page news across the country in the
past week, this issue of age care, and we need
to grapple it because that's just going to add more
and more pressure on public hospitals and years ahead.

Speaker 1 (27:32):
But there's nothing new here, is there. I mean, it's
been an aging population we've been talking about for twenty years,
so there's no surprises all of a sudden, Hello, there's
lots of old people. I mean, once again, successive governments
have been derek in their duty. They just haven't prepared
for the future.

Speaker 8 (27:46):
Well, the new thing is it's always been an issue,
but it used to be somewhere between sixty and one
hundred patients who were stuck in our hospital system waiting
for age care. That's skyrocketed over the past two years
to now two hundred and eighty. That's taking an entire
Holme Hospital out of our system, and that's putting a
lot of pressure on our emergency departments. There's now two
ways about it, and so putting people in places like

(28:09):
the Pullman is one, you know, immediate thing that we
can do to address that. But the main thing that
we need to do is help people get into age
care because that is where they ultimately need to be.

Speaker 1 (28:20):
So let's take a call Eric, go Aheaday.

Speaker 10 (28:23):
Good morning. You closed Hillcrest, you close Glen's Side, you
close the repat, which put a straight stress on Flinders.
In the sixty years I've worked in the mental health
and health systems to Australia, it just got worse and
worse and worse. You quite specifically said we will fix ramping.

Speaker 2 (28:40):
You have not.

Speaker 10 (28:41):
You have made it worse. More ambulances do not fix
the problem closing hospitals. You've left mental health business. Long
term chronic mental health patients. We have nothing to do
know that they go, which is clogging the ayes of
the Adelaide and Creedle. Is that all the major hospital?
Why did you not leave specific a and e mental

(29:04):
health services at glen Staine or even Hill christ which
for many years was in fact the best mental health
hospital in the country. You've done a dreadful job in
the time I've been in this country, and you keep
on blaming other people. Four years of Marcial I don't
vote liberal. Four years of Marshall's government and you took
they brought read that back to life and you have

(29:24):
claiming credit for it. Is that it's quite simple, a minister,
I've done disgrace and I don't know what your qualifications
are to be a Minister of Health. I don't know
what health experience you've ever had.

Speaker 2 (29:36):
Eric.

Speaker 8 (29:36):
Thanks, so you call minister well, Eric, I've never closed
one bed. I've in fact opened hundreds of extra beds,
and I've taken on this issue of mental health and
I completely agree with you. We don't just need more ambulances.
We need more hospital beds. And mental health has been
an area over decades where we have seen the number
of beds reduce and we've seen the demand inchrise and

(29:58):
that has led to a big problem where we get
people stuck in our emergency departments of mental health care
who are waiting for those impatient beds that just aren't there.
So that's why a huge part of our plan has
been to invest in mental health and over the course
of the next few months, you are going to see
the biggest increase in mental health beds that we have
seen in a generation in this state. Rather than reducing

(30:21):
and closing beds. We are going to see more beds opening,
new investments, new mental health facilities open at modbury At
no longer at the Curate, at Mount Gambia At. We're
about to see more beds coming on at Flinder's Medical Center.
There's going to be more beds at Mount Barker as

(30:42):
well to come, and more bids at the Women's and
Children's Hospital when that opens too. So there's a big
increase in mental health beds and that's a key part
of our strategy.

Speaker 1 (30:50):
John Paynam, go ahead.

Speaker 11 (30:52):
Yes. The point I just want to make is that
this christ has come about because of the building of
the New RAH, which has taken resources from other hospitals,
like downgrading by re selling brick patterns on. It was

(31:14):
a thing that the Range government wants to put in place,
you know, their legacy, and it completely ruined the health system.
Now the New RAH is basically a hotel, not an
hospital as such. The medicinal solving about you know, being
a beautiful facility. Yes, but my mother was in there

(31:34):
and she fell out of bed. She couldn't reach the
caught outs versus, and the room was closed and nobody
could go in there. Of what she wasn't seen to
for a long time. She could have died in that hospital,
and I think that there would be other situations in
the same way that the hospital isn't a hospital where

(31:55):
before the use to have with the older nursing base,
where one nurse could oversee twelve patients, and with the
new hospital, one nurse has to do a marathon to
look after twelve patients. No wonder, the resources are so
stretched that new hospital. And I'm hoping that the women's
and Children's hospital is designed in such a way, in

(32:18):
a much better way than what the current than you
are is, because that's a death trap. And no wonder
the company is struggling to deal with this problem because
of the crisis with the Transforming Health says that right
from when the r was built and they just haven't

(32:41):
been able to fix it.

Speaker 8 (32:42):
John, thanks for you call, Minister Well, I'm certainly happy
to follow up with John if we can get the
details in terms of what happened to his mother. I'm
concerned that she had a four and wasn't able to
be attended to by the staff there. I mean, our
staff who work in s A health work incredibly hard
to care for patients so I'm surprised that she wasn't
able to be attended to following a fall in the hospital.

(33:04):
But you know, we do have facilities like the New
Era that are being built around the country now that
are modern, that meet all of those new standards that
we have for care for patients, as opposed to what
we had in the old ra, which was eight patients
in the one room with one toilet between all of them,

(33:24):
which you know, not many people I think would want
to go back to. But there's no doubt that despite
having those new facilities, we've got more demand. We need
more beds and that's why we're building more beds.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
Minister. You're happy to stick around till we take a
break because we've got a few calls lined up. Back
Shortley five double.

Speaker 2 (33:42):
A Mornings with Graham Goodings.

Speaker 1 (33:44):
And we have Health Minister Chris Pichton in the studio.
You have a question for the Minister, give us a
call now eight double two to three double o double oh.
Just before we take any more calls, Minister, you've pointed
out that the flu season has been a major contributor.
Flu happens year. Why weren't you better prepared?

Speaker 2 (34:02):
Well?

Speaker 8 (34:03):
We always prepare in terms of making sure that we
get as many people vaccinated as possible and open as
many hospital beds as possible. But as we're saying, you know,
we need more hospital beds and that's why we're building more.
And if we had more hospital beds right now, we
would have opened them. So we are building them as
fast as we possibly can to meet the future. In

(34:23):
terms of the vaccination roll out, we have the second
best rollout in the country, the best mainland state rollout
of the country, which is really positive. But there's no
doubt that there's still some level of degree of people
who haven't come forward to get vaccinated for the flu.
I think that might be partly sort of COVID vaccine

(34:43):
fatigue that people have. People have sort of had so
many vaccines in the past few years that they're a
bit fatigued about getting another one. Make sure. The message
I would want to get out to your listeners though,
is that the flu can be incredibly nasty. You can
end up in hospital, you can die from the flu.
So getting protected from the flu this year is really

(35:03):
important and so please go forward and get that vaccine,
especially if you're at risk group.

Speaker 1 (35:09):
So given that all that's true, why not have free
flu vaccines for everyone?

Speaker 8 (35:16):
Well, we do have them for at risk groups. We
have them for the groups that we've got advice from
Professor Spurry and the national health experts saying these are
the people who are at risk from ending up in
hospital from the flu. What we've seen when we've trialed
this before is that when we offered free flu vaccines
for non at risk groups, it didn't lift the uptake
one iota. And the only two states that have that

(35:39):
policy in place to have free flu vaccines for non
at risk groups have got a worse role out of
the flu vaccine than us. So if we had the
same flu vaccine roll out as Queensland and Western Australia,
there'd be one hundred thousand less our the strands vaccinated
for the flu right now than what's the case of
the moment.

Speaker 1 (35:56):
Let's take another call, Kayleen, go.

Speaker 7 (35:58):
Ahead, morning minister. Look, you said there's a lot of
age patients waiting for age care. Why don't you quite
easily reopen parts of the repat that are just sitting
there and put them there. The other thing is, I
think I've been in the health system since I was

(36:19):
fourteen because I've got scoliosis, curvature the spine. A lot
of your problems are the department in Perry Street or
wherever they are, the health department, the heads of the departments,
because they don't listen to patients. They don't care about patients.
They just look at numbers. And yeah, the one that's

(36:44):
in charge around at Flinder's Hospital, the head physio around there,
is just incredibly nonpatient. He just doesn't listen to patients.
I've been around there in rehab and I had next
me a woman who's just turned fifty. She had an accident,
she had a busted kneecap. He gave her five weeks

(37:07):
in the rehab pool and he said, at the end,
you've had your time, get out.

Speaker 12 (37:13):
That's it.

Speaker 7 (37:14):
And she said, but I can't even walk, I can't
go back to work, I can't do anything. He said, well,
that's your problem, it's not my problem. And she said, well,
you know the way I'm going, I'm going to end
up in d And he said, I don't care. And
he said the same attitude with me. Now, you're not
allowed to take a phone or any recording equipment in there. Now,

(37:34):
what really irks me is that pool is used in
the morning for impatience. The afternoon that's empty. It's not used,
and there are so many car accident people that need
the rehab pool in the afternoon and it's not available.
Before COVID, we were paying five dollars a session. I

(37:56):
don't mind paying five dollars a session. I don't mind
paying for a COVID test before I go in the
area to prove that I haven't got COVID. I'm very
happy to do that. But to get into a proper
hydro pool that has got the equipment and the heat
and everything is impossible. I've tried going private and the

(38:20):
system's just overloaded. You can't get in anywhere.

Speaker 1 (38:24):
Kayleen will let the minister answer, Yeah.

Speaker 8 (38:26):
Kayleen, Look, I'm very happy to follow up if we
can get your details in terms of your concerns around
the Repat rehabilitation pool there, in terms of the Repat
facility as a whole and opening more up for age care,
I can assure you everything at the Repat is open.
We have everything staffed that we possibly can there to
provide care for patients. There's not empty beds sitting there

(38:47):
at the Repat. It is all open or providing care,
and that's basically what we've just done at Hampstead as well,
where there was some capacity at Hampstead and that site
was planned to be sold off. At Hampstead, we've reopened
all of that, providing care for these people who otherwise
shouldn't be in hospital, they should be in the community
in age care. They're now getting care in the Hampstead

(39:09):
and there's about eighty of them there of the two
hundred and eighty who are stuck in our system.

Speaker 1 (39:13):
Paul, you have some positive input for the minister, go ahead, Yes.

Speaker 4 (39:18):
To do Morning Graham, go the crows and high Minister. Well, look,
I had a bit of a breathing issue, some classification
from a broken nose. I had played football, so I
sought some advice from a specialist. That nine months ago
got put on a non urgent elective waiting list in

(39:40):
the public system. But I also had my name down
to if there was a vacancy came up. I've prepared
to travel go to any hospital to have it done,
so they rang me after only nine months. I actually
went into the Memorial Hospital, had the operation done, stayed overnight.
The staff were unbelievably that they were just so good

(40:03):
the way they look after you. And you know, the
trouble is is you listen to this show and you
listen to all the negativity that how many people actually
ring up and say, what a damn good job The
people that are looking after us are actually doing not
many And I'm one of those people. I've had unbelievable

(40:25):
service from the public system and i just want to
share that story.

Speaker 1 (40:30):
Thank you, Paul. I'm sure the Minister's happy to hear
that well.

Speaker 8 (40:33):
Thank you very much, Paul, And you're absolutely right. I mean,
hundreds of thousands of people get care from SA Health
every year, and obviously, you know there's some people who
don't have a great outcome, but the vast majority of
people get incredibly great care. And you really probably wouldn't
want to be anywhere else in the world other than
getting care here if you had a serious issue facing you.

(40:53):
So thank you for those plaudits for our great doctors,
nurses and staff.

Speaker 2 (40:56):
In the system.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
Brian, you have a question for the minister.

Speaker 5 (41:00):
Yes, sir, good morning. My question is reasonably simple. What's
going to happen with the Old Women and Children's Hospital
when that's vacated wouldn't it be a good idea to
turn that into some sort of a mental facility or
something that to take the load off the RAH so
that maybe because this could get a little bit better
down the track.

Speaker 8 (41:22):
Look, that's a really good question, Brian, and it's something
that we're examining at the moment. It's not going to
be until twenty thirty one that site. Obviously the new
hospital will be finished and then we'll obviously start the
process in terms of the old hospital site. So it's
not an immediate fix that we have available for us,

(41:42):
but it is important for the long term and getting
back to what we're talking about earlier and thinking about
the long term that we need to be thinking about
this now. So we are doing an examination of looking
at all of those buildings on the current site there
what would be potentially be able to be used into
the future. And we'll have more to say on that
in future months as we continue to.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
Do that work. Thanks you call Marone. Yeah, well, minister,
we'll leave it there. We have state election less than
a year away. When we get to that point, it's
fair to say that ramping will not be fixed. Are
you prepared to apologize to the people who sell the
Stadia for not fixing ramping.

Speaker 8 (42:19):
Look, Graham, I'm going to continue to do everything I
possibly can to reduce ramping, but no approach upon the
times and to make sure the patients can get the
care that they need. And I think that's what people
would expect, that we use every possible lever that we
can to do this.

Speaker 1 (42:32):
And that's what we're going to continue to do. It's
reasonable to assume that the people of saw the Stadia
will take what you have to say with the grain
and salt because you haven't delivered on your key promise.

Speaker 8 (42:41):
Well, that's up for people to judge for themselves. They
can see a government which is throwing the kitchen sink
of this issue, thousands of extra doctors and nurses, hundreds
of extra hospital beds, and we haven't been closing or
privatizing or sacking staff. We've been doing exactly the opposite.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
Chris, Thanks for your time today.

Speaker 8 (42:57):
Thanks Graham.

Speaker 1 (42:57):
Help mister Chris Pickton back after the News five Double
A Mornings with Graham Goodings seven past ten, five double
A on a Monday morning. Lots of reaction and follow
up to Health Minister Chris Picton's visit to the studio.
If you would like to follow up on that, we'd
like to hear from you a double two to three
double double. We'll get to the text and your calls
a little bit later on in the morning. But on

(43:20):
Sky News this evening they're premiering an exclusive one hour program,
The War Cabinet, presented by award winning journalist and Sky
News political contributor Chris Yulman. He joins me in our Chris,
good morning to you, Grey Graham. What's prompted this particular special.

Speaker 13 (43:37):
Well, I think all of us have seen that Australia
lives in difficult times and we're now caught between our
major training partner in China and our major ally the
United States, and what is a strategic struggle in our region.
There's a lot of debate about whether or not Australia
is stepping up and doing enough on defense spending. And
if we were spending money, we're obviously spending a lot
of it on Southern Marines. Are we spending enough on

(44:00):
it now when the problem would appear to be or
the threat may well come in the next couple of
years rather than the next ten or fifteen years, So
we gathered together a group of people who've got real
experience in this area form of labor. Defense Minister Josh
has given Alexander down, obviously well known to Adelaide audience
longest serving foreign minister and a group of others, the
nine people all up who've worked in defense, intelligence, security

(44:24):
for their entire lives to talk about what is perhaps
the most consequential conversation of our era.

Speaker 1 (44:29):
Yeah, there's no question that it's probably a time of
most or more instability in the world than there's been
four decades.

Speaker 13 (44:38):
Yeah, that's right, and it's not just obviously our region,
but we feel the repercussions of what's happening around the world,
and we have seen the growth of an alliance and
access if you like, between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea,
and they are endeavoring to make the world a safer
place for autocracies in the twenty first century and to
bend the world to their will and to over turn

(45:00):
the settlement we've essentially seen it's run since the Second
World War. And of course, at the same time, we've
got a more mercurial United States under Donald Trump. So
we're living in genuinely interesting times. As the Chinese curse goes.

Speaker 1 (45:14):
Yeah, well, I mean we always looked at America. Is
that ally that would always be there? But we can't
feel that secure at the moment, can we.

Speaker 9 (45:21):
No.

Speaker 13 (45:22):
I think that the change in the administration in the
White House does raise a lot of questions. There's clearly
real tension with the alban Easy government, and part of
that obviously is the fault of the White House, but
also partly, I think because the alb and Easy government
has seen some domestic political advantage in trying to distance
itself from Donald Trump at the same time as courses

(45:44):
it tries to settle things with China, and I think
it believes it's staying largely silent about what China is
doing is good diplomacy because it kind of buys a
superficial peace. But Beijing is preparing for war. It's rapidly
expanding its navy, it's air force, it's missile arsenal already
planted virtual bombs on our critical infrastructure, and it stopped
piling food, fuel, and critical minerals to ensure it can

(46:06):
stand alone in a prolonged conflict. So there is real
reason to be concerned in our region. And I guess
also reason to be concerned about what the United States
might do if there was a conflict, particularly over Timewan.

Speaker 1 (46:19):
Donald Trump's effectively said to the Western world, you know,
increase your defense spending, and he's targeted Australia as one
of those. Is that an issue of real concern?

Speaker 13 (46:28):
It is an issue of real concern in Australia should
be spending more on defense, not because the United States
is demanding that we do it, but because the times
are demanding that we do it. And I guess if
there's one thing that comes out of it that there's
two themes, sure that they come out of our walk cabinet.
That's a failure to rapidly respond to the science of
the times and complacency. And part of that complaintsency is
because the government really doesn't want to talk about the

(46:50):
threat that China poses. And while it's boldly asserting it's
independence from Donald Trump, you know, we're quietly still sheltering
beneath America's security umbrella.

Speaker 3 (47:00):
Peculiar posture.

Speaker 13 (47:00):
Really that Australia has at the moment defied in word
dependent indeed and not doing enough in terms of its
own defense.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
And this is a concern, isn't it. I mean, as
I said, we had this cozy relationship where America would
always be there for us, But all of a sudden,
it's not so secure. It's not such a certain world
as it was before.

Speaker 13 (47:20):
And a good government obviously hopes for the best. Nobody
wants a war. Everyone hopes for peace, and de poncy
is always the best option. But sometimes nations don't get
a choice. Sometimes you have to fight, and a wise
government plans for those kinds of times. There are the
times in.

Speaker 10 (47:38):
Which we live.

Speaker 13 (47:38):
And if you were to look at what Chi Jinping
has told his own military, it's on the public record.
He wants it to be prepared, if not to do it,
but to be prepared to take Taiwan by force in
twenty twenty seven. If that's the timeline, then we have
very very little time to prepare, and we've squandered an
enormous amount of time because these warnings have been around

(48:01):
for a very long time.

Speaker 1 (48:02):
Indeed, there are lots of cost pressures on the Statia.
National debts at record levels and heading towards the trillion
dollar mark. Can we afford to increase defense spending?

Speaker 13 (48:13):
Well? The question is whether we have to increase defense spending.
There are a couple of questions in fact and whether
or not if we did increase defense spending, our Defense
Department would be able to deliver the kind of kit
that we need in order to be as secure as
quickly as possible, because it has a pretty rocky record
when it comes to delivering on the money that the
government gives us. Now, but I think that we can

(48:34):
see reading what's going on in the rest of the world,
looking at the build up in China, that we need
to be doing more than we're doing at the moment,
and we need to prepare quickly for a conflict that
might come and not forgetting And we always forget this,
and it's pointed out by one of our panelists, Jennifer Parker,
from a naval officer and a maritime expert. You know
you don't have to and no one expects that Australia
would be attacked for it to be under threat. We

(48:56):
can be cut off by sea, and if there is
a conflict in our we should expect that all of
those supplies that we get at the moment vi sea
will dry up and you know, we would run out
of fuel in Australia within a fortnight. We refine almost
none of the stuff ourselves, and we don't hold any reserves.
Those are the sorts of things we should be looking at.

Speaker 1 (49:16):
It would be fair to say that ORCUS would take
up some time of the war discussion.

Speaker 13 (49:21):
It does, and there's a lot of conversation about the submarine,
the submarine build and whether or not we are spending
too much time and effort on something that will arrive
over the horizon, and whether or not that is derailing
some of the spending that's going on at the moment
that should be going on to get us ready in
the near term. And there are obviously different opinions about that,

(49:41):
and you know, you see that in conversation all the
time in defense circles, about whether or not that's the
right core. I think that most of our panel agrees
it's good to have that capacity, and it's good to
have nuclear submarines, but that that shouldn't distract us from
getting ready now. As again, Jennifer Parker says we should
be able to walk and chew gum at the same time.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
Yeah, just slightly aside from your war cab that I'm
reminded of an article you wrote some time agoin this
is related to defense spending, where a huge amount of
our defense spending is tied up in administration comparing and
you compared what the US Defense secretary controlling a one
point four trillion dollar budget compared to Australia's counterpart controlling

(50:25):
a budget of less than sixty billion.

Speaker 4 (50:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (50:28):
Look, and I think, Luke, you could run a rule
over the entire Australian bureaucracy at the moment and come
up with the same answer. We have the highest paid
bureaucracy on Earth. You know, some of their heads of
our departments are clearing around about a million dollars a year.
Their counterparts around the world make nothing like that kind
of money. And you do have to wonder whether we

(50:49):
are getting value for money. And dare I say that
because of where the settings of the Australian public service
wages are, particularly for the people who run departments. You
can see that replicated around Australia. I don't know that
we get good value for money out of our public service,
and we certainly don't get good value for money out
of our Department of Defense. And interestingly, I think that
the Defense Minister Richard Miles is having a long hard

(51:09):
look at the department now and is going to put
it under a lot more pressure to deliver on the
money that it already gets from the Australian government.

Speaker 1 (51:19):
Well, Chris, this is going to be a fascinating special
tonight the War Cabinet, and as you've said, getting together
military leaders, former ministers, defense specialists, it should give us
a pretty good insight into where a strator is and
where we should be into the future.

Speaker 13 (51:32):
Yeah, Graham, the thing we have to do is have
a conversation and so this is part of that.

Speaker 1 (51:36):
Excellent good on you, a great chat. That's Chris Yulman,
Sky News political contributor tonight seven point thirty on Sky
News The War Cabinet, five double.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
A Mornings with Graham.

Speaker 1 (51:47):
Goodings night in past ten five double A on a
Monday morning. Let's take some calls, Rick, good morning.

Speaker 14 (51:53):
Oh Graham, you got me jumping this morning, mate?

Speaker 15 (51:57):
Is wow?

Speaker 14 (51:58):
This now the best friend Australia can have his China.
We've got a million Chinese living here. They're fantastic citizens
and this war talk has got to stop because it's
not going to happen. I just want to say three
things China never invaded anybody ever and never will. We
are owned by overseas superannuation funds. Let them defend their assets.

(52:20):
And I look at those Chinese navy ships. Even the
President Trump said they're shyy they new they're beautiful. I
really wants to make his ship shiny. Remember every one
of them and every nutting bolt is made by the
steel Australia provides to China.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
Good on you, Rick, Thanks very much for that. Mind
you for whilea shuts down, is that where they're getting
the steel from? I'm not so sure. Dave, good morning, Good.

Speaker 16 (52:46):
Morning, grant me. That's it's been an excellent listening to
you this morning. And I think is a really good
point my idea whether there's too much warm younger ski
mungering a bit chawn, But anyway, that's a different topic.
And thank you for challenging the Minister Bottle. I know
we all get older and we retire and all that.
The good old fashioned common sense to be able to

(53:07):
smell through the BS meter is wonderful and I congratulated
on that. But with the al good bloom, the discussion
before this is where I don't know in my own mind,
and I love the water on an ocean first, and
all that sort of thing. It is something not wrong
and the best how to me is something that concerns me,

(53:29):
just the fact that it's in a golf it's not
on an open body of water and whatnot. And to
see mister Malnaskus and he pulls out some really good cards.
He pulls Julia onto the TV and COVID that that
works and we'll bring her on and all that. The
thing it just doesn't pass the pub test with me.
And I think that if he was mature enough, and

(53:51):
I think he's all right, but if he was mature
enough to be able to if there was in fact
an issue with the d s out to research whether
there is legislation that could be put in place to
protect the government from any future claims, because if nothing
is done and we just throw money at something, the
future of the fishery in South Australia and all that
sort of thing, which is our oyster, it's our diamond.

(54:13):
Right if we allow businesses to go broken all that
through a lie and a cover up. But I think
that is that is treacherous from the government. And if
in fact, because let's face it, they all listen to
yes me and I hate to use the state and men,
but yes people people that are prepared to tell them

(54:34):
what they want to hear to look like the care
kids at the back in the class, and just keep
on spending money and spending money them being upfront and
very very clear. We're all over, We're all over the
lies they've spinned the governments portray something as serious as
this for our stake, I just hope they're ticking the

(54:55):
right boxes. That's my wish and design.

Speaker 1 (54:58):
Good on your day. Thanks Sam to the input. Yeah,
I think people are a lot wiser to spend. You
you read between the lines because you try and get
a minister, a premier or prime minister to answer a
yes or a no, they will not do it. They
will equivocate, they will hedge, and that's their game, it's
the right to do. But we now can see through it.

(55:18):
We're aware of their games. When how things in Townsville?

Speaker 12 (55:22):
Kay Graham, how are you buddy?

Speaker 1 (55:24):
Good?

Speaker 12 (55:24):
Thanks mate, It's so good to talk to you Graham
about some phenomenal achievements that have stemmed from the life
of Aldinger Beach girl.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
Graham.

Speaker 12 (55:35):
So thanks, thanks for a Laomi made in twenty fourteen,
a young girl called Erin Griffin, who was well known
to many South Australians, passed away from a brain cancer
called dopg Graham and she graciously donated her tumor to
science to the scientists of the Children's Cancer Institute Buddy

(55:57):
and made. Ten years after that interest donation, our scientists
are now discovering cures for the disease that took young
Aaron's life. So but I just wanted to thank South
Australians and and and the Griffin family who mum Amanda
is a very close friend of mine, and I just
wanted to enlighten you on some stunning achievements that have

(56:21):
emanated from the life of of a of a beautiful
Eldinger beach girl.

Speaker 1 (56:25):
Graham, that's a wonderful story there. Thank you for sharing us.

Speaker 12 (56:30):
When when Aaron passed away, there was no research happening
in Australia, Graham and myself and Amanda, Aaron's mother, Amanda
and a group of parents we banded together and we
managed to create a tumor bank for these tumors and
from the work of parents across Australia and South Australia, directly.

(56:51):
We are now finding cures in the lab for these
children and for the first time in Hope, parents that
have options to try and save the laws of their children.
So I just wanted to do a little good news
story for your listeners. Made and a lot of South
Australians have got their fingerprints over something pretty special.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
So thanks so much for sharing that with us.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Wren.

Speaker 1 (57:14):
Aaron Griffin tragically died, but her legacy will live on
and that's wonderful to Aaron's family. You must be so
so proud. John, Good morning, John, go.

Speaker 17 (57:27):
Ahead, good thank you. Just going back to your discussion
with Chris Pickton about rehousing elderly patients who can't be
discharged from hospitals, there's.

Speaker 6 (57:39):
Nowhere to go.

Speaker 17 (57:41):
I find it just absolutely staggering that the government sold
off the Julia far Center. There were more than one
hundred bids available there which they could have kept and
house these people in a situation that is pretty close
to being exactly what is needed far facilities in rooms.

(58:01):
But once again, the almighty dollar and the land Bank
SA crowd, they just look at everything and see dollar
signs and don't see the future.

Speaker 1 (58:11):
Thank you, Yeah, thanks so much for you call John.
You look, successive governments in this state need to hag
their heads in shame the way that they let essay
health deteriorate to the point it is now. And there's
finger pointing of whichever government is in power at the time,
at the predecessor. They all all are responsible, probably labor
more than Liberals because Labour's been in power for a

(58:33):
lot longer. And let's not forget transforming health. Feel good morning.

Speaker 18 (58:39):
Yeah, now, I hope I haven't missed someone else mentioning this.

Speaker 15 (58:44):
But I've fish recreationally in my whole life and I'm
on the.

Speaker 6 (58:48):
Wrong side of sixty.

Speaker 18 (58:50):
So I the one thing about this algill bloom that
I don't hear a lot being spoken about. People talk
about the detail plant. But in South Australia, we've had
all these houses in recent times knockdown and turned into
three Now we have way more roof catchment area for
storm water, which doesn't run off onto our gardens anymore.

(59:12):
It has to go out to the street to storm water,
and we have so much more treated affluent because every
house turns into three lots of toilets. So you know,
the golf is the same size. I've watched since I
was a kid, we used to race each other out
to the blue line. And I've watched the sea grasses

(59:33):
die and that's undoubtedly from a runoff, etc.

Speaker 16 (59:39):
And all of this is increasing.

Speaker 18 (59:41):
And if the temperature and everything is right, just like
when you plant a seed, I think maybe the fact
that this all is nutrient that hits the golf could
be a contributing factor. But I don't hear anyone talk
about sa.

Speaker 10 (59:55):
Water from that perspective as far as treated.

Speaker 9 (59:58):
Effoot, No, you.

Speaker 1 (59:59):
Make a point, Phil, there is no question what flows
out into the golf is untreated and just stormwater. It
picks up all nutrients and chemicals of all kinds from
the roads, from gullies, from wash your ways, everything from gardens,
and that is pouring nutrients into the sea into the golf.

(01:00:20):
And what happens then it's a cocktail that is turning
into a disaster. Let's go down to Inland Valley, Carlos,
Good morning.

Speaker 19 (01:00:28):
Mining Graham. This might sound hard for some of your listeners,
but I'm going to somewhat defend politicians because at the
end of the day, they're only as good as the
electorate that holds them to account. We pay very little
attention to what goes.

Speaker 20 (01:00:40):
On in politics when it comes to the polling booth,
and elections have consequences. So if I could do anything,
I'd encourage people to really pay attention to that one
time they get every four years to actually have their say,
because being on radio and complaining about things really means nothing.
If you keep voting for the same people, you'll get
the same outcomes.

Speaker 1 (01:01:00):
Yep, airfare point Carlos, and I think the probably problem
largely is that what were you're voting for. Once upon
a time, the difference between labor and liberal, the difference
between labor and the opposition was vast. But it's not
so great a golf Now. They're all clambering for votes
to the me too and the middle ground. So you

(01:01:20):
vote for one and you vote for the others. Not
a clear delineation. The philosophical differences aren't there, The ideologies
aren't there the way they once were. So yeah, you
can think well and hard about who to vote for,
but it's just all much of us much, this isn't it?

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
Five Double A Mornings with Graham Goodings.

Speaker 1 (01:01:41):
Twenty eight to eleven, five Double A on a Monday
morning Chris at Surrey Down's, you've got a fuel watch
for us.

Speaker 21 (01:01:46):
Yeah, Northeast Road dollars sixty nine to dollars fifty one.

Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Whoa dollar sixty nine to a dollar fifty one?

Speaker 21 (01:01:55):
Yeah, the dollars sixty nine is when you come out
past the ABC building heading up to the Teacher Gully
and further on is about a door of sixty one
sixty two.

Speaker 1 (01:02:06):
Beautiful. Come on you, Chris. Thanks for letting us know
that we appreciate it. If you have anything that you're
seeing cheap fuel, expensive fuel, best water, main lights out,
anything that's happening in your neck of the woods. Let's
know you are the eyes and ears of the five
double a audience. A double two three double O double
is the number to ring well. The Reserve Bank is
expected to announce its third cut in interest rates. It

(01:02:28):
held the rate steady in July despite an ongoing easing
and inflation. Let's find out from Saulsleck, economist what the
situation is likely to be.

Speaker 6 (01:02:36):
So all, good morning, good morning, Grin, thank you, thank
you having me on your program.

Speaker 1 (01:02:40):
So this time will the economists get it right? Because
I think the majority said last time there will be
a rate cut and there.

Speaker 16 (01:02:46):
Wasn't that's right.

Speaker 6 (01:02:48):
I think this time they will be right. I think
the Reserve Bank now has sufficient information about inflation and
about the state of the economy to make a interest
rate cut, which we'll find out about tomorrow. I think
the problem last month was that the Reserve Bank doesn't

(01:03:08):
really trust the monthly CPI data that has only been
coming out for the last three or four years and
isn't as comprehensive as the quarterly data that has been
published since the end of the Second World War, and
they were waiting for confirmation from the June quarter data
that came out at the end of July, that is

(01:03:29):
about two weeks after the most recent meeting before moving
as I think that they will do tomorrow. And of
course since then, we've had news that employment growth has
softened and the unemployment rate ticked up to four point
three percent from four point one percent, where it had
been for most of the previous eighteen months. So that's
also a sign that interest rates are continuing to weigh

(01:03:52):
on economic activity and employments, and I think that's sufficient
reason for them to cut the cash rate by another
twenty five basis. They will say that that still leaves
monetary policy in what they call restrictive territory, that is,
interest rates still exerting some restraining influence on economic growth
rather than seeking to stimulate economic growth. Against that background,

(01:04:17):
I wouldn't be surprised if they cut rates again in November,
as long as the September quarter inflation data is good enough.
But I think we will get a reduction in the
official cash rate tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:04:27):
How much do you think the slow down and consumer
spending is having on their thinking?

Speaker 6 (01:04:33):
Oh, it's having some impact. They have wanted growth in
consumer spending to slow from the very rapid growth that
we saw as we were coming out of COVID, because
that rapid growth in consumer demand was conflicting with constraints
on the supply of a wide range of things that

(01:04:54):
consumers buy, including in particular housing in ways that we're
pushing up prices. There's not a lot that the Reserve
Bank can do by way of changing interest rates to
boost the supply of goods and services. All it can
do is restrain the rate of growth in the demand
for goods and services, and that's what high interest rates do. Yes,
the burden of high interest rates obviously falls on the

(01:05:16):
roughly quarter of the population who have big mortgages, and
those who have paid their homes off or those who
are renting don't feel any direct impact of higher interest rates,
but certainly those who do have big mortgages have been
squeezed by that as well as by until recently, falls
in their disposable incomes. Because prices have been rising faster

(01:05:39):
than wages until the middle of last year when the
tax cuts came in. Taxes were taking out and they
increasing bite out of people's pretax incomes. Some of those
pressures for these and I don't think the Reserve Bank
would be worried now if consumer spending showed some signs
of picking up, as it did in June, having been
fairly weak over the first five months of this year.

(01:06:01):
Lower interest rates will help to some extent, but it
is interesting that the two rate reductions we've had so
far this year in February and May appear largely to
have been saved rather than spent. In other words, people
who do have mortgages have been keeping their repayments up
rather than reducing them in line with the reduction in

(01:06:21):
interest rates, because they want to pay off their mortgages
more quickly. And if you can afford to do that,
that's the most tax effective formward saving you.

Speaker 1 (01:06:28):
Can make sure. So what obligation is there on the
banks to pass on the full rate till there's.

Speaker 6 (01:06:34):
No legal there's no legal obligation on them to do it.
But there's why there's a bipartisan political expectation. There is
a very widespread social expectation. They would cop enormous reputational
damage if they didn't pass on the reduction infrast rates quickly.
And the evidence from the last two reductions in the

(01:06:55):
official rate is that they will pass them on within
in some is ours, but certainly days of the Reserve
Bank's announcement tomorrow afternoon.

Speaker 1 (01:07:04):
Would a right cut likely have any impact on the
value of the estadium?

Speaker 6 (01:07:08):
Donet no, because the financial markets are already expecting it.
So what happened last time when markets were expecting a
reduction in interest rates then it didn't happen. Then the
O dollar actually went up a bit, particularly against the
US dollar, which has been declining against most currencies since
a couple of weeks after President Trump came to office

(01:07:30):
earlier this year, and this time around, because the markets
have fully priced a reduction in interest rates. That won't
have any impact unless, of course, we don't get a
cut in interest rates again, or and I think this
is an unlikely prospect, unless the Reserve Bank cut rates
by fifty basis points half a percentage point rather than
the quarter of a percentage point that is universally expected.

(01:07:53):
So markets react to things that they don't expect rather
than two things that they have anticipated for a while.

Speaker 1 (01:08:00):
How's our Starti's economic performance comparing to other advanced economies
at the moment.

Speaker 6 (01:08:05):
Well, we're not doing as well as the United States.
In particular, the US, almost uniquely among major economies, has
been able to return to quite strong growth in productivity,
that's our put per our work, which over longer periods
of time is the most important determinant of improvements in
living standards. But the US has been able to generate

(01:08:27):
strong economic growth in part because it has been running
budget deficits of more than six percent of their national income.
And that's one reason why their central bank has not
cut interest rates this year. Despite very considerable pressure on
the US Fiddle Reserve from President Trump and others to
cut interesst rates, they've so far chosen not to do that.

(01:08:49):
But by comparison with other countries in our peer group,
Australia has actually done much better. We didn't raise interest
rates by as much as the US, the UK, Canada,
and New Zealand did. They all took their cash rates
up to five percent or more, whereas the Reserve Bank
stopped at four point three five percent. In the UK,

(01:09:11):
the unemployment rate rose at its greatest extent by about
one and a quarter percent, compared with about zero point
eight of a percentage point here. In Canada and New Zealand,
the unemployment rate has risen from its lowest point just
before they started raising interest rates to where it is
today by almost two percentage points.

Speaker 2 (01:09:31):
So.

Speaker 6 (01:09:32):
In Canada the unemployment rate they had their July figures
out on Friday night. The unemployment rate there is six
point nine percent. In New Zealand, they put their unemployment
figures out for the June quarter last week. Their unemployment
rates five point one percent, up two percentage points from
where it was. In New Zealand's unemployment rate would be
higher than ours, higher than that except for the fact
that New Zealanders who are having trouble finding work in

(01:09:54):
their own country have the right to come here and
look for work, with quite a significant number of them
have done. That's probably contributed a little bit to the
increase in our unemployment rate. Is New Zealand is coming
here looking for jobs as they're entitled to do. And
that's in part why Canada and New Zealand have cut
their rates more and more often than the Reserve Bank
of Australia has. A because they put them up more

(01:10:17):
to begin with, and b because that has had a
bigger impact on unemployment than has occurred here. So the
Reserve Bank, although it's copped criticism for putting rates up
in the first place and taking longer to start bringing
them down than some other countries, has actually pulled off
something that other countries haven't been able to do and
which Australia has never been able to do in the past,

(01:10:40):
which is to bring inflation down from a level that's
intolerably high to a level that is acceptable without causing
a recession and without causing a big rise in unemployment.
I mean, just to expand on that a little bit.
The last two bursts of inflation that Australia had in
the early nineteen eighties and in the late eighties early nineties,

(01:11:03):
getting inflation down from double digits to a level that
was considered acceptable by the standards of the day entailed
increases in unemployment of more than ten percent, and we
haven't had anything like that on this occasion. So for
all the criticism they've cocked, I actually think the Reserve
Bank has done pretty well by comparison with its peers

(01:11:23):
and by comparison with previous episodes here in Australia.

Speaker 1 (01:11:27):
Saul, Assuming the RBA does cut the rate tomorrow, is
that going to set a trend for the next twelve
months or so?

Speaker 9 (01:11:34):
Well?

Speaker 6 (01:11:35):
That depends on the data. The governor of the Reserve Bank,
like her counterparts in other countries, says that they don't
know the future any better than you or I do,
but they are guided by what the data is telling
them and what experience tells them is likely to happen
under certain scenarios. So I think it's likely that we'll

(01:11:57):
see some more good news on inflation the second half
of the year. That will clear the way for the
Reserve Bank to cut the cash rate by another twenty
five basis points at its meeting in November, after which
they'll have had the September quarter CPI and then what
happens will depend importantly on what's happening in the world

(01:12:18):
economic and that's not clear at the moment. In particular,
as a result of the Trump regimes economic policies, and
the most important of those is tariffs, and tariffs result
in higher prices. Those tariffs are going to be paid
by American consumers for the most part, not by Chinese
or Mexicans, or Canadians or the penguins and seals on

(01:12:40):
herds of Donald Islands. They're going to be paid by
American consumers. That will push inflation up. All else being equal,
the US Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, would respond to
that by putting US interest rates up. But the uncertainty
associated with all the things that Trump is doing is
potentially putting downward pressure on the US economy. And we

(01:13:02):
saw that in the employment figures that came out a
couple of fridays ago, which Trump didn't like and so
prompted him to sack the head of the Stats Bureau
that publishes those figures and other figures on economic growth.
When you untangle the distortions caused by companies trying to
bring imports in before the Tara s hit and then

(01:13:23):
unwinding that afterwards. When you look through those distortions, it
seems fairly clear that the US economy is slowing. That
would prompt the Federal Reserve to cut infrast rates. And
if the US economy slows, and given the China's economy,
which is more important to us than the American economy,
China takes thirty six percent of our exports as opposed
to the US taking less than five. If China's economy

(01:13:46):
remains weak by their standards, that probably means the Reserve
Bank will be inclined to cut infrastrates and more in
the first half of next year. So the cash rat
as I say, peaked at four point three five percent,
it's currently three point at eight five percent. It will
be three point six percent tomorrow afternoon. I think it's
quite possible that by say eastern next year, it will

(01:14:09):
be down to three point one percent. After that, I'm
not sure that it will go lower unless Donald Trump
succeeds in throwing the world economy into a recession, which
we can't be dismissed, although he would probably try and
cover up any statistics that we're pointing in that direction.
But the rest of us fortunately have more honest governments
and statistics bureaus than the US is.

Speaker 22 (01:14:31):
Going to have.

Speaker 1 (01:14:32):
Excellent Good on your soul, saw Leslick with the insight
on the RBA what they're likely to do. It looks
like there will be a rate cut tomorrow. Then we'll
see what the future holds. Eight double two three double
o double the number ring if you want to comment
on that or anything else we've been talking about. Back
shortly five double A Mornings with Graham Goodings. It's eleven
to eleven five double A Monday morning, the eleventh day

(01:14:55):
of August. What is the greater Australian dream? Well, in
the simplest the answer to that question home ownership. The
idea of having your own free standing house on a
quarter acre block of land. Well, that was the dream
for many, many years, a sign of success and security.
But in recent years many believe that the dream is
si out of touch, it must be dead. And I

(01:15:18):
find a RBA cash rate survey out recently would add
fuel to that fire. Joining me on how is the
head of consumer research and find a Graham Cook Graham,
good morning.

Speaker 6 (01:15:27):
To you, Good morning, Griam, how you doing look very well?

Speaker 1 (01:15:30):
Thanks this survey doesn't really give a lot of hope
for young people wanting to own a home.

Speaker 23 (01:15:36):
No, it doesn't. Indeed, so a third of people in
our survey, just over a third actually saying that they
never think they're going to be able to afford a home.
There is there is a positive angle on this intentionally though,
which is in the setting survey we surveyed a whole
pannel of economist across Australia. There's high indentations that we're
going to see another cash rate cut this week, which
will be the third in a row this year, and

(01:15:57):
potentially another one again in November. To improve slightly in
terms of the cost of repaying a.

Speaker 1 (01:16:03):
Home on what is the right cut would obviously make
it a little bit more accessible for people have a
little bit better way of dealing with their money. But
what are the major impediments to young people getting a home?

Speaker 23 (01:16:18):
The main thing is saving for a deposit, mostly so
you to try to positive to buy in Australia and
avoid paying and mortgage insurance which increased your cost exponentially.
Is that's what people are trying to do, saving that
deposit when house prices continue to increase in double JG
difigured many years. Is what's making it kind of very
difficult to be able to get your foot on the

(01:16:39):
bottom rung of the housing ladder. So it's just the
price of homes is higher than the increase in wages
in income.

Speaker 1 (01:16:48):
You're basically you surveyed and spoke to a lot of experts.
What is the feeling. What can we do to get
on top of this housing issue?

Speaker 23 (01:16:56):
Generally it's a one note response, so all of the
economists tended to focus on supply. We got comments like build, build,
build from different economists on the panel, so a lot
of them are focused on supply. Some other economists that
are saying it's unrealistic to think that the supply will
increase quickly enough to fulfill the demand, and are talking
about things like regulating immigration and having more tools to

(01:17:20):
help get the foot bottom among them.

Speaker 1 (01:17:25):
You still lay with this crime. You just cut out then,
I'm sorry I missed the last bit you said.

Speaker 4 (01:17:29):
Sorry.

Speaker 23 (01:17:30):
The last one was that econoists are also talking about
more government incentives to help people get on the.

Speaker 1 (01:17:34):
Heading letter I say. Noel Whittaker said, the only options
out to reduce demand or increase supply. How can you
reduce demand.

Speaker 23 (01:17:43):
Yeah, that's where the potential of looking at reducing immigration
potentially comes. And that's one of the things that's been
mentioned by some of the economists. The other economists as
said that would kind of have really a minimal effect
on demand. So that's why mostly economists are saying demand
is difficult to regulate to the folks needs to be
on increasing supply.

Speaker 1 (01:18:02):
It's you mentioned that the likelihood of a rate cut,
which of all economis are suggesting it will go ahead tomorrow.
That's a double edged sword because reducing the interest rate
makes repayments easier and leaves more money in people's pockets.
But doesn't it also tend to push up the price
of housing.

Speaker 23 (01:18:21):
It does, Yes, he's had to see a bit of
a delay. So initially it makes housing more affordable because
marketbole can access loans and it costs to pay back
every month. But in the longer term that increases interest
in the market, which intends to push fors and more
group attend market.

Speaker 1 (01:18:38):
Look, Graham, I'm sorry we're going to have to leave
it there. Thank you so much. There's obviously an issue
with the line that happens from time to time. That
was Graham Cook, head of consumer research at Finder, with
the suggestion that the greater straight and dream is just
falling by the wayside tragically. The Finder RBA survey suggests
thirty five percent of Assies don't think they'll ever afford
a home. Now. It wasn't that many years ago that

(01:19:00):
that seemed to be the right of passage. You left school,
got a good job, established a relationship, and married, moved
into a rental accommodation and then saved up your money,
saved up your pennies and had enough money for a
deposit and you moved in. It was just one of
those things that happened if you were moderately frugal. But today,

(01:19:22):
in this day and age, it doesn't seem to be
the case, which is a pretty sad state of affairs,
isn't it. Eight double two to three double O double
oh is the number to ring if you want to
comment Tony, good morning.

Speaker 9 (01:19:32):
Yeah, Hi, Gwern.

Speaker 1 (01:19:34):
How are you today?

Speaker 10 (01:19:35):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (01:19:35):
Good good?

Speaker 8 (01:19:36):
How are you going?

Speaker 1 (01:19:37):
Yeah very well? Thanks? What have you got for us?

Speaker 22 (01:19:39):
Yeah?

Speaker 24 (01:19:41):
I couldn't get back to you. But on Friday I
was listening to that about the two through Adelaide through
the River Torrance.

Speaker 1 (01:19:49):
Oh yeah, yes, yes, way back and when I was.

Speaker 24 (01:19:52):
Going to high school is morteen seventy eight.

Speaker 22 (01:19:56):
There's a board that went to schooled me.

Speaker 25 (01:19:58):
He actually won.

Speaker 21 (01:19:59):
That race, is that right?

Speaker 1 (01:20:01):
Yeah?

Speaker 24 (01:20:01):
Yeah, you know, and that was in seventy eight, so it.

Speaker 1 (01:20:05):
Was still going then.

Speaker 24 (01:20:06):
It was going through there because I actually spoke to
that his name was his name was Brenton Playford, Yeah,
and it was a pretty like he was training all
the time, all the time, and he told me it
was definitely in the river Torrens.

Speaker 1 (01:20:22):
Is that right? Well, yeah, you wouldn't do it today,
would you.

Speaker 25 (01:20:25):
I wouldn't do it today, no, because or sometimes throw
a pass there and it looks really murky and it's
not very good. But back back when he was there,
we used to go we used to go fishing there
for carpet and stuff like that, and it was pretty
clean water back then, still in the seventies.

Speaker 1 (01:20:45):
Nice for the reminder. Thanks for that turning. It came
up last week when I think it was a former
Adelege City Council of Sam Taylor suggested that we should
clean up the Torrens to make it safe to swim again,
especially the CBD section, and then people reminded us that
there was a competition a swim through the Torrents, swim

(01:21:07):
through the city, and swim through Adelaide. It was and
when did it run from through? Obviously stopped because of
the pollution in the water and so forth, but it
was a big thing once upon a time, as they say,
back in the good old days. US Vice President jd
Vance has suggested that Donald Trump should meet with the
Vladimir Putin before two of them meet with the Ukraine

(01:21:30):
President Zelensky. This is what jd Vance had to say
a short time ago.

Speaker 26 (01:21:35):
One of the most important logjams is that Vladimir Putin
said that he would never sit down with Zelenski, the
head of Ukraine, and the President has now got that
to change.

Speaker 27 (01:21:45):
We're a point now.

Speaker 26 (01:21:47):
We're now trying to figure out, frankly, scheduling and things
like that around when these three leaders could sit down
and discuss an enter this conflict.

Speaker 1 (01:21:55):
US Vice President JD. Vance from the text line, so
the government is tripling the size of the Mount Barker hospital.
This will not cater for the future city which is
being built. Why not build a hospital that has three
or four hundred beds. I guess it gets down to money,
doesn't it, hi gg, I want to see Peter the Premier,
eat fish from the affected bloom areas. Pete can fix it,

(01:22:19):
Yes he can, Your guest, Chris Ulman said, a wise
man plans. But at the same time you inferred the
American change in administration to Trump is what has caused
the uneasy distance between America and Australia. The cause of
the distance is one hundred percent on Albaneze's shoulders. He
has not been wise. He is not also planned. Thank
you very much for that, Sally. On a similar subject,

(01:22:42):
my worries Australia will only have two weeks of petrol
in any crisis. Maybe the government should start stockpiling petrol
now and not wait until it's too late. Yeah, Fred,
that is a scary prospect, isn't it. That we don't
stockpile any great reserves of fuel here in Australia, and
we're a long long way from the SOD and we
don't refine fuel the way we did. We don't have

(01:23:04):
refineries in every capital city the way we once did.
So there are only two weeks of petrol stockpile in here.
They're here. I believe there's a larger stockpile of fuel
in the US that would head to here. But I
mean that is still a long way away. So we
are totally dependent on peace in the world, peace in
our time, Morning Graham. When Chris Picton said he has

(01:23:26):
put on thousands of doctors and nurses, I think his
nose grew about a foot. Maybe if we tax big
business such as Apple et cetera, and actually charge other
countries for our gas, then we will have money to
spend on our defense departments, et cetera, et cetera. Yeah,
thank you a for your comments. And this is the
great area that the fact that Australia is in so
much debt, yet we have vast resources. We want to

(01:23:50):
potentially the wealthiest nations on Earth, and yet we ship
off all our reserves and resources and iron ore and
gas and coal overseas and get a mere pittance in
return for them. When countries like Denmark tax gas companies
seventy eight percent of their return and that has set
up them to have a trillion dollar safety net and

(01:24:12):
they do it so well. And yet here in the
statia where we have all the resources, we all but
give them away.

Speaker 2 (01:24:19):
Five Double A Mornings with Graham goodings.

Speaker 1 (01:24:22):
Six minutes past eleven five double A. Thank you for
your company. Hope you can stick with us. Anything happening
in your neck of the woods, give me a call.
Eight double two to three double O double oh is
the number to ring. Well. We all love the mighty
Murray River. It's been a mortalized and poetry in song
and movies, but now in ballet. I'm very pleased to
say co choreographer he here Shani Garcia Heshani, thank you

(01:24:47):
for joining us. Good morning, good morning, than Sorry I
stumbled over the pronunciation of your name. It's a very
pretty name, but the way it's spelt and the way
it looks two very different things.

Speaker 28 (01:24:56):
That's okay, it sounds he Johnny Heshanni.

Speaker 1 (01:25:00):
Yeah, yeah, that sounds much better when you said, now,
tell us that your choreographer with this who we're working
in concert with.

Speaker 28 (01:25:09):
I'm working with Sarah Huminik. She's the artist, director and
co founder and it's a great partnership. We've been working
together for the past three years and I'm very pleased
to be where we are today.

Speaker 1 (01:25:23):
It's called Murray Whispers. How did you decide upon the
Murray being the subject of a ballet?

Speaker 28 (01:25:30):
Well, Murray River is the iconic landscape of South Australia.
So once when I arrived here a few years ago,
I went to the Murray to idea friends holiday home
and I was fascinated by they It's powerful and built
and majestic river. When I met and I am very

(01:25:50):
driven by nature. Nature inspires me ever since. And when
I met my co founder and business partners Sarah Huminich
and we're talking about the conception of our next work,
then it was very clear to us that we have
to honor the Murray River. It's a love letter to

(01:26:12):
this beautiful landscape that's iconic in South Australia.

Speaker 1 (01:26:17):
There's no doubt about that. And anyone that's lived in
the Southern state for any time has a passion for
the river. So to say that it is sort of
adapted or the ballet is consuming the Murray, or is
it the Murray consuming the ballet, I'm not sure which
way it guys.

Speaker 29 (01:26:31):
A little bit of both.

Speaker 28 (01:26:33):
We will bring artistic and a technical excellence to the audience,
ree bringing the essence, tapping the senses of the Murray River,
and you will feel right here in the CBD in
the middle of Adlaie City. All the power and the

(01:26:54):
beauty the Murray River brings to the South Australian people.

Speaker 1 (01:27:00):
So Hejani, how did you get to be here in
South the studia? What is your background in ballet?

Speaker 28 (01:27:05):
Well, I don't. I start ballet when I was nine
years old back in Brazil. I'm from Rio de Janeiro
and once I graduate, I pursued my career. And to
pursue my career, I left home at seventeen years old.
I went to Cuba. I worked with the legendary Laura Alonso.
From there I moved to London. I study and one

(01:27:27):
thing like to another and I stayed in the UK
for twenty years in London, Scotland, Ireland. I travel Europe
working with classical ballet and contemporary dance. Then I met
my husband. We've got two beautiful children and we decide
to make a move for a better outdoors college of life.
And that's how we landed in Australia and South Australia

(01:27:50):
six years ago.

Speaker 29 (01:27:52):
And it's the perfect place.

Speaker 28 (01:27:53):
We well settled, happy and it's I stayed the office
everything and I feel very low key to be here.

Speaker 1 (01:28:01):
So how did the collaboration with Sarah begin.

Speaker 29 (01:28:04):
Back in twenty twenty two.

Speaker 28 (01:28:06):
We met over a coffee and it was just a
work college meeting and networking.

Speaker 29 (01:28:12):
Then we both.

Speaker 28 (01:28:14):
Have the same vision for a classical ballet in the state.
When I arrived here, something struck on me. There were
no professional ballet company here and there was a huge shock,
especially coming from London. So I thought to myself, I
must do something about it. I want to fill the
gap in the culture landscape of the state and bring

(01:28:36):
excellence in classical ballet. I want to create a company
that this state can be proud of.

Speaker 1 (01:28:43):
Do you get much support? I mean starting up something
like a ballet in a city like Australia and we
consider ourselves a pretty cultural city. But where does the
money come from?

Speaker 9 (01:28:55):
You know?

Speaker 1 (01:28:55):
Do you get any government support?

Speaker 28 (01:28:58):
Yes, we are very pleased to say the city of
adelaide behind us, supporting us. We also start to engage
with the creators, say the government and the Minister of
Arts Andrea and Michaels. It's a great support of the company.
We also start to develop relationships with some philanthropists and

(01:29:21):
engage with corporate companies, so bring all together. Then we
can support financially the company and with the wider community,
we can make this happen.

Speaker 1 (01:29:35):
There's no question that the Adelaide Ballet Company is still
only very young, but you're already getting a fine reputation
around the nation.

Speaker 29 (01:29:44):
Yes, yes, it's great.

Speaker 28 (01:29:46):
We only launched in September last year and it's not
even I and start receiving emails from dancers from in
the US, in Philippines, in Canada wanting to work with us.

Speaker 29 (01:29:58):
This is amazing.

Speaker 28 (01:30:00):
We have only touched the ground and the seed is
already starting to grow.

Speaker 1 (01:30:06):
So I tell us a little bit more about Murray Whispers.
What can we expect to say?

Speaker 28 (01:30:10):
Well, the venue, it's a beautiful venue, immersive, light and art.
At Light Square, you will feel immersive visually, that's for sure.
They've got a beautiful curve, is led screens and as
soon as you arrive on the venue, we will feel
immersive and engage already visually in with the Murray River.

(01:30:33):
Then you will see the beautiful dancers moving and then
you see the artistic the technical excellence and at the
same time the beautiful sounds of the River with the
original score composition from Ashley River is a South Australia
composed and pianist who creates a beautiful piece. So then

(01:30:55):
then you'll feel immersive in all senses in this beautiful
for history and movement.

Speaker 29 (01:31:02):
That's more Wrispers.

Speaker 1 (01:31:04):
So it sounds very very South Australian with more than
a hint of Brazilian.

Speaker 29 (01:31:10):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (01:31:11):
So when our first performance is it later this month?
Isn't it well?

Speaker 29 (01:31:16):
Next week?

Speaker 1 (01:31:16):
Next week?

Speaker 21 (01:31:17):
Yes?

Speaker 24 (01:31:18):
Yes?

Speaker 28 (01:31:18):
With our open night is on Friday six pm and
we will do five shows Friday, Saturday, Sunday. We also
are offering Martinee on Saturday and Sunday for family for
young children. We want to engage and reach the wider audience.

Speaker 1 (01:31:38):
The venue is the Light Room at Ila Level one.
Tickets and booking information Immersive Light Art dot com dot
au event. Murray whispers. I suppose if people just type
in immersive light and Art, they will get all the
information and they aid online.

Speaker 29 (01:31:54):
Yes, that's right.

Speaker 28 (01:31:55):
You can go straight to the venue website or visit
our website at the lay you there are more information
about us, about the work and how to get your tickets.

Speaker 1 (01:32:07):
RAHANEI, it's been a delight to meet you. Thanks for
coming in today, my pleasure.

Speaker 29 (01:32:10):
Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (01:32:12):
Rahaney Garcia Murray whispers at performance at Ballet about our
iconic Murray river back. Shortly five double.

Speaker 2 (01:32:20):
A Mornings with Graham Goodings.

Speaker 1 (01:32:23):
Seventeen past I even five double A. Let's take some
calls a double two to three double double the number
the ring before I do. How long ago did Google
come into being? That's in the terminology. Now I'll google something.
Can you believe that Google could be on the way out?
Artificial intelligence is taking over so many things. It could
be taking over Google. We'll talk about that later. Hughey,

(01:32:45):
good morning to you.

Speaker 30 (01:32:46):
Good morning grime. Sort to talk about defense and the
money is going to it about four different areas, but
I'll quickly cap on them. Jeremy's announced two days ago
it will not be supplying any more money into the
money of weapons and weberary supply to Israel for its
situation in Palestine. We know the reasons why beyond that,

(01:33:08):
because it's gone beyond belief. Number two, we spoke about
the situation in America with Trump and power at the moment,
he's trying to save money, put in tariss all the
rest of it because he's such a trillion dollars in
about thirty four trillion in debt. There's lots to be
comfortable to the number one leader in the world, but
China's probably catched up very quick, including India. But as

(01:33:30):
the world domination leader been saying that America needs the
money back. So what's happening is that while the supply
is in America, the manufactured bombs and missiles and god
knows what's weaponry to Israel that needs to cease because
all there is making money out. So if Germany can
do it, American can do it. So but anyway, that's

(01:33:54):
what it is. This free gas, This free gas has
been going to Japan. We spoke about the last couple
of weeks and on for some time. Is that the
area around the defense building at the moment, apparently Japan
is building some defense frigates or the destroyers at the
moment that's well under the way. So to take the

(01:34:16):
budget off the defense spending onto these these destroyers in Japan,
start charging Japan for the gas to take that off
the costs of the ships. And last of all we're
all speaing about the merge costs a lot of money,
I believe. Is this early defense chief we've got and

(01:34:37):
he does look early, probably retire an time. But he's
on about one point four million dollars a year. You
justify that.

Speaker 1 (01:34:45):
You can't justify that as did you have? Did you
hear Chris earlier? Chris Ullman we spoke to earlier, said
the Australian public servants are the highest paid in the world,
the highest paid in the world.

Speaker 30 (01:35:00):
I'm terrible. It is an indictment on everyone else, include
those of welfare. Don't worry about endoes.

Speaker 1 (01:35:09):
Yeah, you know, good on you? Heo are you thanks
for your call?

Speaker 2 (01:35:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:35:12):
That is the scary part that we talk about. The
chief of the Australian Defense Force compared to the head
of US Defense, which is the US Defense Secretary, the
Australian chief earns one million, one hundred and thirty five
thousand dollars a year. The US Defense Secretary earns three
hundred and eighty two thousand dollars a year. He earns

(01:35:34):
a third of what his Australian counterpart earns. Yet he
controls a one point four trillion dollar budget. The Australian
defense budget is fifty eight billion dollars. How can that
be justified? We live in the craziest of worlds. Now
and good morning, oh.

Speaker 22 (01:35:50):
Good morning Graham yesterday. Good thanks, good look there reason Honory.
Many years ago, I used to work for the Commonwealth
Employment Service, and percentages reflecting unemployment we're never heard of.
They're actually heard of in terms of people unemployed, and
the current percentage in Australia is around about four odd percent.

(01:36:12):
Having said that, it equates to about three and a
half million people unemployed in Australia at the moment. That's
absolutely diabolical.

Speaker 1 (01:36:22):
Isn't there a point at which they say that the
unemployment you can't dip below a certain level.

Speaker 22 (01:36:28):
They used to say that, Yeah, that was in the
field of economics and what have you, and the gentleman
beforehand that was quite elaborate about unemployment in the various
countries of the world. Basically pointed out that everyone stated percentages,
but when a percentage is stated, it's very easy to
gloss over and very minimal in US casts and what

(01:36:52):
have you. That four percent unemployment rate doesn't sound much
when you say three million, five hundred sounds more dramatic,
doesn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:37:02):
I'm just trying to work that out, and I'm not
very good with numbers, but.

Speaker 22 (01:37:06):
Twenty six million there's the population.

Speaker 1 (01:37:08):
Yeah, close to twenty seven million. It's four percent. Does
that equate to how many million? Did you to say
you're unemployed?

Speaker 22 (01:37:15):
It's three million, five hundred persand at the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:37:18):
Roughly about three and a half million unemployed.

Speaker 22 (01:37:22):
Never ever got to that point when I used to
work for the Common Wars.

Speaker 1 (01:37:25):
Hang on, if we had a population of twenty six million,
if unemployment was ten percent, that would be two point
seven million.

Speaker 22 (01:37:33):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (01:37:35):
How do you equate four percent being three and a
half million?

Speaker 22 (01:37:38):
Well you need to ask the Australian Bureau of Stats,
because they actually publish the figures, and you know, they
come up with these figures. So there we go.

Speaker 1 (01:37:47):
Yeah, no, I'd like to see it's more significant the
raw numbers of actually how many people are out of work?
Good on you, Allen?

Speaker 22 (01:37:53):
Thanks, Yeah, certainly, Graham, because the raw numbers mean more
than a percentage of I said, a percentage a figure
that you can boss over. I mean, four percent doesn't
sound much on I, but when you talk about millions
of people and millions of livelihoods, that's a hell of
a lot different than just the bland expression of a percentage.

Speaker 1 (01:38:13):
Yep, No, good on Yellen. We'll look further into that.
But it doesn't equate, does it. If four percent are
out of work, that doesn't translate to what you said
four million people. But do you're saying four million people
are out of work? We'll certainly look into that further GG.
What do you think of Australia's financial or Australia's financial

(01:38:34):
outlook within three years? State debt Victoria one hundred and
ninety four billion, Queensland two hundred and five billion, New
South Wales two hundred and thirty six billion, Southastraia forty
eight billion, Tasmania thirteen billion. Federal debt over one trillion dollars.
What a disgrace. This is a country that should have
no debt. Should have no debt. EV is a great

(01:38:55):
for Australian fuel security, Australian sun and wind or coal
and gas. If you're that way climbed GG. The way
to make houses more affordable in Australia is to place
a short term block on the sale of all property
to people and companies who are not Australian citizens or
permanent residents residing in Australia. At more than eighty percent
of the time, this worked in New Zealand with housing

(01:39:16):
prices returning to normal in a matter of weeks, and
also freed up housing or houses as people were not
competing with international investors. Just on the subject of public
servants and pay rates and the like, we're talking to
Chris Juelman a short time ago. This is what he
had to say.

Speaker 13 (01:39:33):
Yeah, look, and I think that Luky could run a
rule over the entire Australian bureaucracy at the moment and
come up with the same answer. We have the highest
paid bureaucracy on Earth. You know, some of their heads
of our departments are clearing around about a million dollars
a year. Their counterparts around the world make nothing like
that kind of money. And you do have to wonder

(01:39:53):
whether we are getting value for money. And dare I
say that because of where the settings of the Australian
public service wages our particularly for the people who run
department so you can see that replicated around Australia. I
don't know that we get good value for money out
of our public service, and we certainly don't get good
value for money out of our Department of Defense. And interestingly,
I think that the Defense Minister Richard Miles is having

(01:40:14):
a long hard look at the department now and is
going to put it under a lot more pressure to
deliver on the money that it already gets from the
Australian government.

Speaker 1 (01:40:24):
Australia's top bureaucrats the highest paid in the world. That's
Chris Yulman. We were talking to him a little bit earlier.
But why why do we pay our public servants more
than any other country on the planet. Now I've heard
in the past the justification is, well, look, if you
want to get people from the private sector, you've got
to pay good money and that's the only way we

(01:40:44):
can do it. Well, other countries manage. Why does Australia
have to be the odd one out? Why are we
paying the head of our Defense department one point one
million dollars and the head of the US Defense Department,
which is fifty times bigger, it's paid three hundred and
eighty thousand dollars. And we could run through the list
of bureaucrats that are owning over a million dollars. It's

(01:41:07):
just an absolute nonsense. What are your thought's eight double
two to three double o double. Oh well, are you
ready to go? It's time for the Royal Adelaide Show.
All week we have double passes to give away for
you to head along. Just give us a call and
if we singled you out, the best call of the
morning will win a double pass to the Royal Adelaide Show.
You can book your tickets at TheShow dot com dot

(01:41:28):
au or at Drake's Supermarkets. Eight double two three double
O doublo is the number ring though, if you want
to have a chat, I'd love to hear from you, gig.
The United States is on a steady decline since the
Trump administration took office. Those tariffs do not affect the
global market, but it's the latter. Those tariffs go straight
onto goods and services the American and tourist hip pocket.

(01:41:49):
But tourists will be remembered by year's end, or tourists
will be memory a memory by year's end. I think
that's what you're trying to say. Yeah, well, the cases
with tariff's and Trump imposing tariffs. It might impact the
countries that the tariffs are put on, but who pays
for them? If you want to buy a goods or

(01:42:09):
a service coming from another country where there's a fifty
percent tariff, you will be paying that. So in America,
it's it's the consumer that is paying for this and
that is causing a lot of unrest. You don't need
to be a rocket scientist to see that we are
in a per capita recession. It's immigration that is keeping
money flowing. The RBA is out of touch. Gooday, Why

(01:42:32):
are we spending time and money on car races, golf, football,
et cetera. Priorities Fix the health system first, then you
can spend money on entertainment. Good on your Dave. Thank
you very much for that. I haven't got time just
in the moment, but I'm mentioning the Google. Is Google
on the way out? And why is it? So we'll
talk about that after news headlines five Double.

Speaker 2 (01:42:53):
A Mornings with Graham Goodings.

Speaker 1 (01:42:56):
Two twelve five Double A on Monday Morning. Yes, a
brand new week. We are already how the year is
ripping by?

Speaker 13 (01:43:02):
Well?

Speaker 1 (01:43:03):
It's Rail Safety Week, the annual community awareness week designed
to engage the community in safe rail practices. The RAA
is reminding road users and public transport patrons to be
vigilant around railways and level crossings. Joining us now as
RAA Senior Manager of Road Safety Charles Mountain, Charles, good
morning to you.

Speaker 6 (01:43:21):
Good morning Graham.

Speaker 1 (01:43:22):
The RAA is normally talking about the roads and cars
and drivers and so forth, but rail plays a pretty
vital role, doesn't it, because every train crosses a road somewhere.

Speaker 31 (01:43:34):
Well, that's exactly right, and of course pedestrians cyclists also
cross train tracks as well. So being National Road Safety Week,
it's really important and a timely reminded that we all
need to be extravigilent around level crossings and where our
corridors are present. And this is particularly so because there's
been sixty casually crashes over the last five years involving

(01:43:57):
level crossing. So it's a very important that we do
have to be mindful and we have to ensure that
we take the right behaviors. So, for example, level crossings
which are near traffic signals, it's very very important to
ensure that you do not queue over the level crossing

(01:44:18):
are there any circumstances, And you'll notice a lot of
level crossings, for example, have yellow mobit or hatchet areas,
which is essentially the no go zone. So if if
the traffic ahead is queue, then don't cross that area
until you're quite certain there's another space where you can
safety get across. But also from a pedestrian perspective, to
us particularly important that if you need to cross the

(01:44:41):
rail corridor, you do so at a properly designated pedestrict
crossing point. You stay behind the mark line and check
in both directions for the presence of oncoming trains. Bearing
in mind these days trains are a lot quieter to
the electrified one, so sometimes they can catch you unawares,
and the same applies also to the trams, even though

(01:45:04):
the trans running on a shortened corridor at the moment.
So you know, essentially it's very important that we need
to be mindful of what's going on, look up from
our phone, focus on where we're going and how to
safety get across the tracks, and don't take any chances,
because at the end of the day, trains take a
long time to stop and they can't swerve out the way,

(01:45:27):
so we have to accept that and if we do
the correct thing, then everyone can be safe around them.

Speaker 1 (01:45:33):
You're talking about crossings, and I've seen this firsthand where
somebody has been towing a caravan or a trailer and
they've forgotten that it's on behind and they've squeezed over
the rail line thinking that they could squeeze in past
the yellow what do you call it, the yellow.

Speaker 31 (01:45:50):
The hatchet road marking.

Speaker 1 (01:45:52):
Yeah, that's right, and they think that in the clear,
but the caravan or trailer is still in that dangerous area.

Speaker 6 (01:46:00):
Well, that's exactly right.

Speaker 31 (01:46:01):
And there's a lot of locations around the Metropols rail
network where that is a problem. The one I can
think of immediately is on crossroad near Victoria Avenue there
where the lights change and then traffic banks are quite
quickly and you think, oh, I'll just be the last car,
and if part of me hangs over into the yellow
area and then there's a train coming, the boomgates will

(01:46:21):
come down and then potentially you could be in the
firing line. So it is very very important to be
mindful of that at all times and err on the
side of caution.

Speaker 1 (01:46:31):
Are there any things to be looking out for that
are different in regional areas?

Speaker 31 (01:46:35):
Yes, because a lot of level crossings in the regional
areas are not controlled by lights.

Speaker 5 (01:46:40):
Or boom gates.

Speaker 31 (01:46:40):
There what they call passive controls, which either require you
to stop or give way depending on the location. So
again it's extremely important to obey these signs. Interestingly enough,
corridors such as the Steam Ranger Heritage rail line, for example,
has a number of these stock controls on the level

(01:47:03):
crossing down through the part of the state, and it's
very important to always stop and check because although the
train may not run all the time, other rail activities
may take place, such as service vehicles going up and
down the corridor. Also even sometimes random testing of vehicles

(01:47:23):
on the corridor too, so you can't always rely on
the fact that the timetable is the true indication of
whether you're lady to encounter a train or not, so
very important to obey the signs, pull up and have
a good look in both directions to ensure that the
track is clear before moving off. And again that's particularly
important too if you said if you're towing something too,

(01:47:44):
because sometimes it takes longer to keep moving, So don't
take any chances anywhere around trains. And if we look nationally,
the statistics are horrifying, quite frankly, and then in the
last eight years between twenty sixteen and twenty for there's
been seven hundred and forty four fatalities nationally in eight

(01:48:05):
hundred and twelve injuries and twenty eight fatalities have been
due to collisions.

Speaker 12 (01:48:09):
With road vehicles.

Speaker 31 (01:48:10):
So you know, this is a really important reminder that
we do need to be safe and not take There'll
be complacent anywhere near the train corridors.

Speaker 1 (01:48:19):
Good timely advice. Charles always great to chat.

Speaker 6 (01:48:23):
Thanks very much, great.

Speaker 1 (01:48:24):
Charles Martin, a senior manager of road Safety. And if
you're a pedestrian heading towards a level crossing and you're
just walking along there checking out your phone, put it down.
Put it down. The number of near misses and actual
accidents that happen on the road and obviously would happen
on trains too, where people blissfully go along, well there's
no train coming and they're looking on their phone looking

(01:48:45):
something up, and all too late, so be warned. This
is a Rail Safety Week. Mentioned Google before and how
Google has sort of revolutionized the way we use the Internet.
But is Google on the way out? Well perhaps not
on the way out, but it appears that artificial intelligence
is rapidly changing how we access and use information. Traditional

(01:49:08):
search engines rely on indexing billions of web pages, serving
up links to response to queries. It's been terrific it's
been really good.

Speaker 2 (01:49:15):
Well.

Speaker 1 (01:49:15):
AI has taken that a step further, particularly on conversational
models like chat, GPT or Google's Gemmi. They bypass that
by providing direct information. So you just ask a question
what is the capital and climate of Saudi Arabia and
it will be there. You don't have to click to
a page to find out that information. It will provide

(01:49:37):
it for you. It saves time, creates a more natural
user experience. But Google is trying to step in to
enter a seed here. And I don't know if you've
noticed it, but when you look up something in Google,
it's integrating AI powered summary, so you get a brief,
fun nail sketch of what you're asking. But will it
mean that Google will survive? It's amazing how some of

(01:50:01):
the great institutions of our time. Remember Kodak, Kodak film.
Kode Ak just dominated film and then all of a
sudden digital photography came along. Kodak refused to acknowledge it.
Where is Kodak now? Weber carburettors anyone that knows anything
about cars, Weber carbures were state of the art. If

(01:50:21):
you wanted to have a high performance vehicle, you had
to have a Weber carburettor and no one was threatening
them until fuel injection came along. Where are Weber carburettors
now passing parade? A double two to three double?

Speaker 2 (01:50:36):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (01:50:37):
I don't know if you noticed it over the weekend
a fascinating, disturbing and enlightening article in the Advertiser by
Luke Williams, who experienced firsthand sleeping rough. If you haven't
seen the article, it's certainly worth a read, he joins us. Now, Luke,
good morning to you, and thanks for your time today.

Speaker 32 (01:50:55):
Oh, good morning, thanks very much for having me on
into the very kind word.

Speaker 1 (01:50:59):
Yeah, look, tell us about your experience. Why did you
decide to do it in the first place? Was it
the Chief of South said Luke, guess what you're doing
for the next few nights.

Speaker 32 (01:51:08):
No, it was me sort of staying the opposite and
spending weeks having to get approval from HR that we
were going to do it a certain way. I have
wanted to do this for about two months, this story
because of the homeless crisis, because of the number of
rough sleepers that we are seeing, and I was also
looking at it at a way of telling the story

(01:51:29):
about how many homeless people are dying. One of the
rules from HR was that I couldn't sleep in the
city because it was deemed too dangerous. And I already
knew a woman named Rose Darling who does a lot
of amazing workout in Paul Adelaide, and so I kind
of negotiated with her liais with her to go and
stay in an alley way between the library and the

(01:51:51):
council And I was there for about two hours when
I had some folk come over and tell me if
I didn't move, i'd get bashed. And when I protested,
they said, no, we're.

Speaker 5 (01:52:02):
Not mucking around.

Speaker 32 (01:52:02):
Don't look at us, don't talk to us, don't answer back.
Gets pack your bags and leaves.

Speaker 1 (01:52:06):
So what did you do? Packed your bags?

Speaker 32 (01:52:10):
Well, I made the sensible decision and up and left.
And when I was walking around with all my stuff,
I got a little bit of a glimpse of what
it's like in terms of the way people kind of
look at you. I don't necessarily judgmental, although some probably are,
but just uncomfortable, and the difficulty of having to carry
around all your stuff, not knowing where to go, the

(01:52:32):
gating sense of nowhareness, and the kind of fright of
having that happened to me, coupled with the bodily stress
of being out in the elements that I was like,
now I'm getting some idea, but it was still only
some idea because I would prepare for it. I bought
a tent. I bought a sleeping bag. You know, I

(01:52:54):
went into Catman doing some tents were well. The cheaps
I could find was five hundred dollars. So even having
a tent, a pillow and a and a sleeping bag,
I was doing better than some. So I was kind
of glad I had that experience, although I was really
angry at the time because I thought, I'm just trying
to help you guys and raise awareness, and now you're

(01:53:14):
doing this, so I'm very annoyed about it. But I
was later told that it was bad etiquette for me
just to go in their alley way and without chatting
to them because that is their home, which I didn't
take into account. And it also once I once I
calm down, I just thought, well, that's what happens when
you're outdoors for that long. This is you start to

(01:53:36):
act in that way.

Speaker 1 (01:53:38):
Yeah, and becoming territorial. I guess this is this is
my patch. You know, I mightn't have much, but this
is this is where I live.

Speaker 32 (01:53:45):
And just that kind of wildness, that kind of jungle law.
You're in our territory. If you're out exposed to the elements,
if you're not part of everyday regular society, it's inevitably
going to have an impact on your mental health and
you'll behavior. And then I think after a while the
attitude becomes We'll see you can't be housed because of
the way that you behave.

Speaker 1 (01:54:07):
So what we your major takeaways from spending three nights
as a homeless person.

Speaker 32 (01:54:14):
Look, I keep in mind with the fact that I
am just doing this as an experiment, so as well
as having some of the advantages of having equipment and
knowing where to go in the end with the lovely
Sonia Blackwell up in Modbury. But for me it was

(01:54:37):
And the other thing is that I don't have the
shame or the sense of ostracism or the sense of
failure that might have with it. To me, the main
takeaway is that if you don't get people help early.
And I'm not talking about just a pat on the
head and you know, a sausage in bread, but if
you don't actually help them in terms of providing housing

(01:54:57):
early on. Then there is poor mental health, there is
the risk of using drugs and alcohol to cope, and
there is a very quick deterioration that then leads service
providers and the housing trust to go well. Actually, at
the moment, we don't feel as though you can be

(01:55:18):
housed because your mental health is so bad and your
drug use is so bad that it will inevitably be
a failed tendency and we will have to evict you anyway.
So early intervention to make getting people health early before
they deteriorate.

Speaker 1 (01:55:34):
Something that is becoming increasingly apparent. And when we speak
to welfare groups, is that the typical when you think
of a homeless person, you conjure up a picture in
your mind. But it is far different, and it's very
day and age. There are a lot younger people, a
lot of people who are placed in a situation just
by the economies of the day, you know, not by

(01:55:55):
people who have just reached an age, you know, where
they've got not much left in their life and the
way to live. The whole balance has changed.

Speaker 32 (01:56:03):
Yes, I think that that is right, and I think
though that those who I made homeless are still disproportionately
people with severe mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, and a lot
of people simply cannot cohere a sentence when you're asking
them about their experience. And my feeling would be when

(01:56:23):
I stayed out on my last night and I had
something at work that was just annoying me and playing
on my mind, I wasn't able to go back and
wind down and you know, listen to podcast and comfort
myself in a way that and so that stress got
very quickly out of hand. It was one degree is
with the wind chill factor, and by the morning, you know,

(01:56:44):
I was near on a rating lunatic. And it wasn't
until I came back into work after about an hour
of being in a room with normal temperature where I
felt safe that I was actually able to calm down
and collect my thoughts and have some perspective on it. So, yes,
there are people who are you know, middle class, working
class people who are being made homeless more than ever before.

(01:57:07):
But to me, this reinforced, I think, which is what
a lot of auth already knew, which is that there
is a lack of housing for people with severe mental illness,
and the deed'stitutionalization has led them to be out on
the street, uncared for and getting worse and dying young.
The average agent of a rough sleeper in the state
and in Australia is his forty six years old.

Speaker 1 (01:57:27):
Good god, horrifying look, Luke. Congratulations. As you've said, you know,
it was only for three days, but I think what
you did sleeping rough, shines a light on a real problem.
Thank you very much for your time today.

Speaker 17 (01:57:41):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 3 (01:57:41):
Good to talk to you.

Speaker 1 (01:57:43):
Luke Williams, police reporter for the Advertiser. He slept rough
for three days. If you haven't read the article, it's
certainly well worth reading. The number of people who are
sleeping homeless in the city like Adelaide in a country
like us Stadia the lucky country makes you under some time,
are we so lucky?

Speaker 2 (01:58:01):
Eight?

Speaker 1 (01:58:02):
Double two three double do double oh back shortly five
double A.

Speaker 2 (01:58:05):
Mornings with Graham Goodings well in.

Speaker 1 (01:58:08):
The midday five double A, David says Australia has fourteen
point six million workers, so four percent is well under
one million, So that chap was way out. Yeah, that's
regarding Allen. I think it was who said unemployment was
actually about three and a half million. Well, I did
some checking Allen way off, I'm afraid, thankfully the number
of unemployed people is approximately six hundred and fifty nine thousand,

(01:58:31):
six hundred. That was as of May this year. That's
considering an unemployment rate of about four percent. Craig, good morning.

Speaker 15 (01:58:41):
Oh yeah, Graham, I'm good. Thanks, the first time I've
called here on double A excellent.

Speaker 1 (01:58:48):
Well, it's lovely to hear from you.

Speaker 12 (01:58:50):
Gram.

Speaker 15 (01:58:51):
I'm just wondering what is the core problem with the
health system. They say that throw a lot of money in,
but nothing really happens. The ramping in that.

Speaker 1 (01:59:01):
I think it's hard crazy. I think it's because they're
coming from so far behind decisions made by previous governments,
both labor and liberal, and then Labor had transforming health
where they shut down more than they opened up. And
I think they're just trying to catch up and they're
so far behind. They are throwing money at it, but
there's a long way to go.

Speaker 15 (01:59:21):
And do you think that the start of where the
hill system really copped it was when COVID was around.

Speaker 1 (01:59:28):
Grime, No, it was one long before that. It was
it was long before that. Dear COVID highlighted the problem
I believe, with ramping and the like. But it's been
a long It's been twenty years in the making, unfortunately,
and there's a lot of finger pointing by all governments,
but they are all responsible for the situation we're in there, sadly.

Speaker 15 (01:59:48):
Yeah, well, I think the politicians and all the hierarchy
that get these big ways you should take a pay
cap and put.

Speaker 3 (01:59:55):
It towards the health system.

Speaker 1 (01:59:57):
Well it's a great idea, Craig, but you and it's
going to happen, I don't think so. Thanks for your call.
Lee Forrest is on this afternoon after one, he joins
me in the studio.

Speaker 27 (02:00:06):
Morning, how was your weekend?

Speaker 1 (02:00:08):
Pretty good?

Speaker 2 (02:00:09):
Foot?

Speaker 1 (02:00:09):
He was a little bit rapey, but there you go.

Speaker 27 (02:00:11):
Oh yeah, just a little four points, just a little
thrill for you before finals time.

Speaker 1 (02:00:15):
I got the four points and a lesson.

Speaker 27 (02:00:17):
Well done? Well, hey better? What is it better to
have an ugly loss than a pretty win?

Speaker 1 (02:00:21):
Exactly?

Speaker 27 (02:00:22):
Well, people, Zach, which is great. Coming up after one o'clock,
we are going to talk a little bit more about
the weather. Some of the climematologists are telling us that
we might be in for a wetter spring than usual.
So if you've enjoyed the rain so far and you're thinking, well,
now we get some sunshine and some not so apparently
the warmer ocean temperatures may lead to a wetter than usual,

(02:00:46):
almost historical summer. Saying we're wet spring, We're not going
to complain here in South of the Stone at all.
I mean really, if we're having regular floods, maybe, but
let's take all the rain we can get. So we
discuss that doctor Derek, this being a Monday, to take
people's calls, and Mark Tozer, who is a legendary diving
figure in South Australia, is going to come in. He
was diving on the weekend. He's got some amazing photos

(02:01:09):
which will show people on the live stream after three o'clock,
befores and after. He's dived in this one particular area
thousands of times and the difference now post algill bloom
is stark and the worst thing for him, he's now
not feeling very well. He's now having a few health
issues because of it, and he's saying is it coincidence?

(02:01:30):
Is there something in that? So that'll be up after
three o'clock today, but it'll be interesting. Murray, what's coming
back to Adelaide this week is he we're led to
believe when you're going down the beach for another nine minutes.
He apologized this morning on ABC Television, saying that he
was a bit slow in the uptake, but it was
one of those apologies of I've heard from the people
of South Australia that we were a bit slow. If

(02:01:51):
that was the case. I do apologize if that was
the case. If that was the case, but I'll be
there later in the week to have.

Speaker 1 (02:01:57):
A look police teacher. Don't you love it?

Speaker 27 (02:01:59):
Yeah, So we'll touch on that and more and hopefully
lots of calls after one.

Speaker 1 (02:02:02):
Brilliant good on you, Thanks for at leath coming up
this afternoon a lots more. Have you feel about having
a lot more rain? I must say I'm never having
lived in the state for most of my life, I
will never complain when we have excess rain because you
know at some stage we'll get drought. That's what this
country is all about. Put aside climate change. Climate is

(02:02:23):
always changing. But when rain falls in greater preponderance than normal,
we will take it. Well. We have a winner. Are
you ready to go to the show. The Royal Adelaide
Show is on all this week. We have double passes
to give away. Feed a head along and congratulations to
Paul at Mowana who rang up to say Chris Pickton
there's some good news about the health system. So Paul,

(02:02:45):
you are one off to the show. It's the time
for the Royal Adelaide Show, presented by Drake's Get tickets
at the show dot com dot Au and Drake's Supermarkets.
Well done, Paul, and we will have passes all this
week to go to the Royal Adelaide Show. We must
compare Royal show stories too. What's the highlight of the
show for you? I always had this thing as a kid,

(02:03:09):
went to the Melbourne Show, which I thought was the
biggest and best in the world, and brutally honest, I
came to Adelaide and I thought this is better. Not
only is it better, it's bigger than the Melbourne Show,
which you'd sort of think Melbourne being a much bigger city.
And I think back to the Melbourne Shire was pretty
pretty corny by comparison, But shows all have those ingredients

(02:03:29):
that were a little questionable. But the kids love it
and the adults do too. If we're honest, agree Graham,
we haven't had nearly enough rain and need more. No,
we don't want floods, but more soaking rain would be good.
Good on you, Jane, Thank you very much for that. Hey,
are your people out there. Ramping won't go away until
all us baby boomers are gone. We are all getting

(02:03:50):
older and living longer, so need hospitals more. Thank you
for that timely reminder. John. It still concerns me that
Chris Pickton actually mentioned the fact that aging population puts
a greater burden on the hospital system. Well, we knew
that this has been said for twenty five years or more.
South Australia in particular, has an aging community. So any

(02:04:11):
progressive government, any forward thinking government, would surely say this
is what we're going to need. We're going to need
more hospital beds, We're going to need more age care.
So they can wring their hands now and throw money
at it. But it is too late. It should have
been done way before this one government blaming another and
the ramping situation. Some of the comments that were made

(02:04:32):
by the Malanaskis opposition that the dereliction of duty above
the Marshall government. I mean, let's not forget, and I'm
not an apologist for Stephen Marshall by any means, but
in hindsight, the Liberals handled COVID pretty well through an amazing, huge, preposterous,
unbelievable burden on our hospital system and ramping got out

(02:04:55):
of control. And yes it was bad, it was not
really good at all, but by comparison to now, ramping
back then was almost manageable. So what has happened in
the interim And Chris Picton and I believe he's a
good health minist He's doing what he can, but he's
doing what previous health ministers and previous government should have

(02:05:16):
done in the past just haven't been good enough. Good morning,
Just listening to the gentleman talking about Port Adelaide and
camping out. Once there was an alcohol rehab in Dale
Street which had thirty nine beds gone now also Hillcrest
Bethesda plus gone now thanks to a government decision bring

(02:05:36):
back cheap and easy rehabs built for those on unemployment.
Might also save lives in the clients now going to
clog up hospitals. Work there back in the seventies and eighties,
several people are still sober today. Thank you for that. Hi, Graham,
how is it that we can manage to house all
the refugees that come to this country but we can't
house our own homeless? That len is a question for

(02:05:58):
the day. You may well ask it. I personally don't
use Google searches anymore. I only use Chat GPT. It
is so much better for getting the information that you want,
much faster. Good on you, David is Google on the
way out. That's it for today, Thank you so much
for your company. We'll be back tomorrow and have another
go