Oliver Peterson: Australian correspondent on Extinction Rebellion climate activists blocking traffic in Melbourne

There's outrage among Melbourne commuters as Extinction Rebellion climate activists blocked traffic during peak hour.

The activists were protesting this year's climate summit, COP29, which is set to take place in the city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Australian correspondent Oliver Peterson says the group occupied a busy freeway in Melbourne's East, delaying drivers for as long as 30 minutes.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
International Correspondence with ENZ and Eye Insurance, Peace of Mind
for New Zealand.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Business, Olly Peterson six PR Perth Life Presenters with us OLLI, Hello.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
Get a header.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Why is Peter Dutton not keen on the tax cuts?

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Well, I think he realizes basically the budget can't afford it.
So you'll remember that all Australians got a tax cut
courtesy of the Prime Minister Anthony Albanizi. But he decided
to change the goalposts at the last minute when it
comes to the Stage three tax cuts. Now, this was
for people who were earning up to about two hundred
thousand dollars.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
You got about four and a half grand back under albow.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
It was meant to be nine and that's why he
cut it at the last stage and he said, you know,
Australians can't afford it, and it's only going to affect
about four percent of the population, so you can wear
it now. Peter Dutton, the Coalition had basically made a
pledge if they were to win the next federal election
then he'd review it, he would install the Stage three
tax cuts in their entirety. But now he's left a

(00:55):
bit of wriggle room around that header because he's indicated
it depends what the budget lo like inflation is obviously
the number one priority, And all of.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
A sudden he's backing down on that one.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Because I reckon he's probably seen and sniffed in the
breeze that there could be a bit of an attack
campaign that was meant to be coming from Labor that
they were going to run in the lead up to
the election, that they were going to say he's all
about the rich and helping the rich and trying to
get the rich and the wealthy people more money back
in their pockets. So I think he's just he's just
got a bit of a word that there could be
a preemptive strike against the Liberal Party in the tactic

(01:29):
of a scare campaign.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Interesting stuff. Hey did you see that guy who got
really angry at the hand gluers in Melbourne?

Speaker 1 (01:36):
Oh yeah, And you know what, I don't blame him
because it seems to have become sort of the capital
of protesting in the Southern hemisphere in Melbourne.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
So you know, it was extinction rebellion mob this.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Time deciding that they're going to shut down roads in Melbourne,
Punt Road in Richmond at about half past seven. As
you said, people they're protesting about climate change the COP
twenty nine summit, and obviously the Prime wants to try
and bring that here. So as you correctly identified, there
traffic at a stand steel. People glue their hands to
the roads. How stupid are they?

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Head? But what's that glue made out of?

Speaker 1 (02:10):
And when you rip somebody's hand off the road, good
luck going to the hospital and.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
Going to what They don't They pretend to glue their hands.
Their hands are not always actually glued.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
But they'd like to pretend they.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
I love we had one here in Perth recently where
they glued their hands to a piece of art in
the gallery and that person was a goose as well.

Speaker 3 (02:31):
They actually.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Or they did in Perth, or they tried to with
those perspects over the top of the thing.

Speaker 3 (02:38):
This doesn't help their cause, Heather. It just makes people.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
Angry and outraged and they don't listen to the message
that they're trying to convey. If you just had a
civil debate, then sure you might take some of their
points on board. But I don't know something about Melbourne
protesters at the moment.

Speaker 3 (02:53):
I don't know what's in the water down there.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Melbourne deserves it though, yeah they do. I don't like
Victorias they breath, but all like this. They breed these
people so they can have these people. Question for you though, Olie,
because we had the hand glue is. They were in
infestation for a while here and in our capital city
sort of late late last year early this year, and
it got to the point where the judges actually had
a guts full and started chucking them in jail. What's

(03:16):
happened to your guys? Have they been? Are they before
the courts?

Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Well and they do, and they chuck him in They
chuck him in jail. You remember the one in Sydney
over the Harbor Bridge. They chucked him in jail. But
then you know, psychiatric assessment said, I no, no, no, you
know this person has a has mental health issues because
of climate change, so you can't keep them behind bus.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
Oh okay, well that's a good one to have. I
always I like to collect these little things. Should I
ever find myself in court, I'm just going to rip
out all of these dumb excuses as well. Hey, thank
you for that. I really appreciated. Olie has always talked
to you soon mate, that's Oliver Peterson six PR pers
Live presenter. For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, Listen
live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays,

(03:56):
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