WEDNESDAY SHOW - 11th June 📻

*Greens accused of racism.

*10 killed in school shooting.

*Super rats taking over Sydney.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the ben Fordham Podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Hi there, Welcome to Wednesday, June eleven. Coming up on
the podcast today, the Greens accused of racism and the
accusations are coming from within. A leaked report from the
former Green senator Derinda Cox telling everyone what it's really
like inside the Greens. Also, ten killed in a school
shooting in Austria. You'll hear the moment the gunment open

(00:29):
fire and kids were hiding under their school desks. In
the United States, tensions rises. More troops are sent to
stop the protests in Los Angeles and they're not just riding,
they're looting. A major milestone for Western Sydney's new airport.
We'll talk to one of the workers, twenty year old
Emma Tran. Why does Google have a Fox problem? Adam

(00:51):
Gilchris will solve that from the UK and kids on
dirt bikes causing chaos on suburban streets will have a
look at that, and a whole a lot more. The
show starts now.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
Like what you're hearing, Subscribe to the ben Fordham Live
podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
We start this morning with a horrific incident in Austria.
At least ten people have been killed dozens are injured
after a school shooting. A former student is understood to
be responsible for the attack in Austria. It's happened at
a secondary school. Police believe the twenty one year old
shootor was operating alone when he entered the school with

(01:33):
two guns. Other students were recording on their mobile phones
while hiding under their desks. The sound of gunshots rang
through the corridors of the secondary school. Students were running
for their lives. Seven girls have been killed and three

(01:56):
boys are dead. The death toll may rise. More than
three hundred police have been called to the area. Ambulance
has arrived within minutes and following the rampage, the shooter
took his own life. His body was found in a bathroom.
Police have no information about a motive. The shooter wasn't
previously known to police. He attended the school in the past,

(02:20):
but he did not graduate. The Austrian Chancellor, Christian Stoker,
has labeled it a dark day in the history of
the country. He says there are no words for the
pain and grief that we are feeling right now. He
says this is a national tragedy that has deeply shaken
our entire country.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
Lingis has been Fordhamlife for Sydney's Best Breakfast on t
GB eight seventy three.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
There is a story breaking right now about Derinda Cox,
who until recently was a Green Senator and then she
sensationally defected to the Labor Party, holding that news conference
with Anthony Albanisi in Western Australia and it took everyone
by surprise. And this is the same Dorinda Cox who
had previously been accused of bullying the living daylights out

(03:07):
of people when she was in the Greens. Well now
as story Lands. This morning, Dorinda Cox accuses the Greens
of racism in a scathing resignation letter and this has
been leaked to the ABC. In a fiery resignation letter,
ex Green Senator Dirnda Cox has accused her former party
of racism and ignoring serious claims she raised, including disputed

(03:30):
allegations of an assault at Perth Airport by a party member.
The senator also denied in her letter ever bullying others.
Senator Cox spectacularly defected to Labor after sitting as a
Green Senator for the past four years. The Greens revoked
Senator Cox's membership last week after her announcement. In a

(03:51):
formal resignation letter, Dirinda Cox said she was no longer
bound by confidentialality obligations and could put on the record
how the Greens had fled. She says, in my experience,
the Greens tolerated culture that permits violence against First Nations women.
In this respect, the party is deeply racist. So that's

(04:13):
Direnda Cox talking about the Greens deeply racist. She says,
my reports to the party in parliamentary workplace services range
from being assaulted at Perth Airport by a party member,
which was ignored, and then she also says that she
was advised not to report that matter to police and
the Greens have disputed that account. The Senator is also

(04:34):
named incidents of rumors being shared within the Greens networks
as examples of toxic culture. She says the Greens failed
in their duty of care for my staff and me
and they disregarded the reported and obvious impact of what
was occurring. The focus was solely on winning seats. So
that's the statement that has found its way into the

(04:57):
media this morning from Dirinda Cox. It's her resignation letter
from the Greens, and that's her way of saying see
you later.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
This has been Fortum Live What Sydney's Best Breakfast on
to GV eight symmetry.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Have you come across as Sydney super Rats. There's a
new genetic mutation of black rats, which are the most
common type in Australia. New research shows they're harder to
get rid of because they've developed a resistance to rat poison. Great,
that's just what we need, super rats. The environmental toxicologist

(05:32):
Alisia Gorbald has tested hundreds of rats across Australia. What
a job. In Sydney, forty six percent of black rats
have been found to have the genetic mutation. Experts say
the findings are alarming because rat poison is already lethal
for native birds, frogs and reptiles, so if it's not
working to kill the rats, then it's killing something else instead.

(05:57):
The researcher says, if you're using one of the baits
that don't work, people will probably try to use more
and more and more, and it's feeding back into the
cycle of increasing the rates of resistance in the population.
She's told The Sydney Morning Herald we're ending up essentially
with a public health issue because we've got these rats
that can't be controlled, so be careful, Sydney. The super

(06:20):
rats are taking over. It is June eleven, and on
this day some very special people arrived down Under. Now
this is a bit of a confusing hint. Yes, we've

(06:42):
made this our toughest hint yet. I think the year
was nineteen sixty four. And the boys, well there were
four of them, but they're unrelated to this music. It
happened on this day and the answer is coming up
on this day.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
Well, this is Sydney's Best Breakfast with Ben Fordham on
to GB.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Daniel is listening from a very pleasant Belgium. Thank you
very much, Daniel for tuning in from the other side
of the world. Ben says, I'm turning fifty today. Got
up early to walk the dogs in negative two degrees
conditions while listening to you on the radio from Canberra.
Great start to my next fifty years. Happy birthday, Ben,
and this one from Timmy saying thanks for keeping us

(07:27):
informed and updated on so many different issues. My husband
Tony has always listened to GB. He wakes up to
your voice and says, there's no radio station like it.
He just came out of surgery and he isn't doing
too well, but today's his seventieth birthday. Hearing you wish
him well on his birthday would mean a great deal.

(07:49):
I'm grateful if you could spare a few seconds to
wish Tony all the best on his seventieth well. We
want to do that, Tony. But we also want to
say thank you for your loyalty towards radio to gb
because we love the fact that you love what we
do here and we love having listeners like you and
when you're feeling better, if you're up for it, if
you'd like to come in one morning and have a

(08:10):
look behind the scenes, we'd love to welcome you.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
You're listening to the ben Fordham Podcast and now ben
Fordham Comments.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
There's an update today on an issue we've spoken about
before and we hate to say we told you so,
but we did say in March that this was an
issue that wasn't going to go away, and we did
say back then that Prime Minister Anthony Albanesi should step
in and just deal with it. Three months later, we
read this today in The Australian from Dennis Shanahan and

(08:42):
Jeff Chambers. Anthony Albanesi has been asked to personally intervene
in a four hundred million dollar compensation claim for Australian
and American citizens as part of an upcoming deal with
Donald Trump on trade tariffs. As the Prime Minister prepares
to meet the President on the sidelines of the G seven,
trade representatives in Washington, DC are seeking a resolution to

(09:04):
the compensation claim arising from the New South Wales government's
confiscation of mining leases back in twenty fourteen. US trade
representatives have repeatedly raised the lack of compensation for US
investors as a breach of the US Australia Free Trade Agreement.
The US has listed the disagreement as an official investment

(09:25):
barrier in its annual Foreign Trade report released in March.
American and Australian representatives of Mum and Dad shareholders have
appealed to mister Albineasy to provide compensation. So that's in
the Australian today. And as we said back in March,
when America is slapping US with tariffs, Australia has the
chance to do a deal here with Donald Trump. Seven

(09:47):
hundred thousand Americans were left with a bad taste in
their mouth about Australia all because of this new coal disaster.
Donald Trump wants to get a win for them. The
PM should take a leaf out of the Trump playbook
and do a deal. That's what we said back in March.
So the American investors in New Coal, just like the
Aussie ones, had no way of knowing that a corrupt

(10:09):
New South Wales minister had granted a coal license, and
the Independent Commission against Corruption made it clear that the
company and its shareholders were innocent parties and were never
accused of wrongdoing. So mum and Dad investors lost everything.
Seventy percent of them are Australians and seven hundred thousand Americans.

(10:31):
Their only crime buying shares in an Aussie coal company.
Australian now has the chance to make good on this
injustice and just so we're clear on something, because whenever
we mention new coal, we do receive feedback along these lines.
This is not a case of an investment going south,

(10:52):
because that's all part of the risk of investing. Sometimes
they go up, sometimes they go down. That's not what
this is about. In this case, the vent yesters essentially
had their assets confiscated. The New South Wales government canceled
the license and they took away New Coal's ability to
seek compensation, and nobody anywhere says that it was fair.

(11:15):
The PM needs to bring something to the negotiating table
with Donald Trump and Washington. DC is saying loud and clear,
this issue needs to be fixed.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
Like what you're hearing, make sure you've subscribed to Benfordon.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
A paramedic is raising concerns about confusing signs at Gosford
Hospital on the New South Wales central coast. On the signs,
Indigenous language is used to describe the area of the
hospital or what the room is used for, and then
in smaller writing below there's an English translation. For example,

(11:54):
one of the signs says badge al barrong. Under it
it's translate to sick cave. What does sick cave mean?
Well below the main sign is another one saying emergency department.
Oh so badgel barong means sick cave and sick cave

(12:15):
means emergency department. Can you imagine if you're a busy
ambo looking for the ed. There's another sign which says
manna gallering boga. It's translated to bring back. What does
bring back mean? Well below the main sign is another
one saying resuscitation, bays so maner gallering. Boga means bring back,

(12:40):
and bring back means resuscitation, bays Rod Roberts. He is
the independent upper House MP. He's seen these signs as well,
and he wants to have his say, and he's on
the line, Rod, good morning to you.

Speaker 4 (12:52):
Good morning, Ben.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
How confusing do they want to make it?

Speaker 4 (12:55):
Well, it's very confusing, Ben, But not any is a confusing, Mate.
I like to think it's danger if you were to
rush in there as a parent with a sick child,
or you're coming into yourself with an injury, blood spurting
out of you. For example, Mate, you're not looking for
Budjong bar wrong. You want the biggest sign that shows
you where the emergency department is so you can get
treated as soon as possible.

Speaker 2 (13:16):
I think we've become accustomed to indigenous names being put
up on various signs around the place, but this is
actually given center stage. So the main sign at the top.
And we know the way the human mind works, in
the way our eyes work. If you've got a sign
at the top and a sign at the bottom, we
go to the top first, and the first sign says

(13:36):
bagel bar rang. Then you see sick cave, then you
see emergency department. Shouldn't it say emergency department at the.

Speaker 5 (13:43):
Top, of course it should.

Speaker 4 (13:45):
I remember most a long time since I went to school, Ben,
But I remember you learned to read from the top
of the page and work your way down. So the
first thing you look at is for the very top,
have emergency at the top in big print, and if
you want to do something else, put it below. But Ben,
once I found out about this stuff, I need a
bit of research. So the last census the Central Coast
Local Government Area where Gosford Hospital is only four point

(14:08):
nine percent of the population identifies Indigenous four point nine percent.
If you want to put something up, put it up,
put it in small printment, make sure the word emergency
is the big highlighted word.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
The other issue you have, of course, is is there
are so many different Indigenous languages. So you might have
someone coming from Campsy in New South Wales who might
be Indigenous and they're not going to understand what manner
garling vulgar necessarily means.

Speaker 4 (14:32):
Well, exactly, we know there's different mobs all around the place,
and all these different mobs have different languages, so it's
not going to assist anybody there. Then these hospitals are
going to get back to their core role, and their
core basics is attending, comforting and treating injured people, not
making wow political ideology statements. And I've had another look
at this Central Coast hospital too, being so the last

(14:54):
lot of stats that came out from the Bureau of
Health Information in the Central Coast Gosford Hospital, only fifty
three percent, sorry, fifty five percent of the people start
their treatment on time. In the ed there's a benchmark
time and only fifty five percent of them start treatment
on its time. And why on hospital which is part

(15:15):
of the same local health district, only forty seven percent
of people start treatment on time. These hospitals got to
get back to doing the basics. And again in this
Mornings Telegraph you have seen it ben big story on
how the waiting times are blown out. Concentrate on their
core business, the business of attending to people, not making
political statements.

Speaker 6 (15:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
I'm also having a look here at one of these signs.
I think it's quite insulting to Indigenous people when you
call a room the bring back room instead of resuscitation base.
What are they suggesting that Indigenous people don't know what
a resuscitation bay is.

Speaker 4 (15:49):
Well, exactly, it's a bit of an insult. As I
say four point nine percent of the population is Indigenous
in the Central Coast area. They can obviously all speak
English men because they all completed the census. I think
it is an insult to them.

Speaker 6 (16:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:02):
I know you're usually going into bout on behalf of
coppers as a former police officer, but on this occasion
you'll be supporting the paramedics who are saying, can we
just have plain English to let us know where the
ED is.

Speaker 5 (16:12):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (16:13):
Look, the hard working paramedics and of course the nurses
who are on the frontline would be copping the brun
of it from people that are confused, upset, not knowing
their way around the building. Just have it in plain English.
We're not talking about some airy faery area here, Ben,
We're talking about an emergency department in a hospital.

Speaker 2 (16:31):
We're talking to Rod Roberts, the police officer turned independent
Upper House MP. While we've got you, Karen Webbers wrapped
up her time as the new So That Wales Police Commissioner.
She's now been appointed the state government's Special Advisor on
Domestic violence. But as we read in the Daily Telegraph today,
under Karen Webb's Watcher's Commissioner, incidents of domestic and family
violence increased and the number of checks on AVOs went down.

(16:55):
So the questions being asked today is she the right
person for this role?

Speaker 4 (17:00):
Well, I don't particularly think so, Ben. I mean, if
she's got all these great strategies to reduce domestic violence,
what has she done over the last three years while
she's been commissioned the police? Why is she saving it
until she's gone into some role with Jodie Harrison, the
Minister for Women. I just I don't think that there's
anything there, and I think this is some sort of
political payback for Karen being pushed out the door.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Have you got any word on who the next commission
is going to be?

Speaker 3 (17:23):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (17:23):
Ben, that's way above my pay gradet, way above my
But I'll tell you what, whoever it is, we'll have
a hard job in front of them, but they'll have
my full support because we've got to turn this police
force back around.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
We appreciate your time, ride good on your Ben, Thanks
very much. Rod Roberts, the Upper House MP in New
South Wales Parliament, and just going back to Gosford Hospital
and my thanks to the ambo who sent this through.
They don't want to be identified for obvious reasons. I mean,
how confusing do you want to make it if you're
a paramedic pushing her patient through a hospital and look,
a lot of the time maybe you know where the

(17:56):
ED is, but you never know. You might have someone else,
a trainee who's coming along and they're looking for the
emergency department and instead you've got bad jewel bar ung
sick cave and then down below emergency department. Well, shouldn't
it be emergency department at the top, shouldn't we say?
Look in this kind of setting a little bit like

(18:17):
when you've got signs on the road or at an
airport and people are just trying to get from A
to B. Let's not worry about going woke. Let's just
make it easy for people. Just have emergency department. And
how insulting to Indigenous people that you call resuscitation bays
bring back rooms as in bring them back to life

(18:40):
manner gal raung baga bring back and then below you
find out that means resuscitation bays. How difficult do you
want to make it?

Speaker 3 (18:51):
Like what you're hearing. Subscribe to the Ben Fordham Live
podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (18:58):
The Health Minister Ryan Parker, he says, Ben, leave that
with me. My priority is for staff, patients and visitors
to know where they are going and how they can
get access the most appropriate way when they're inside a hospital.
So that's from the Health Minister Ryan park He's already
responded to that conversation we just had with Rod Roberts

(19:18):
saying leave it with me. He's looking into it right now.
Tim says I've seen these indigenous signs at Maxville Hospital too.
Elizabeth says, give us a break. English is the universal language.
Jim says, I wonder how many people who identifies indigenous
in Gosford would understand what the signs mean. Anyway, Joe says,
Gosford Hospital what a total joke. Jack says, why are

(19:40):
we catering to four percent of the population. keV says
sick Cave sounds like a place that Batman has to
attend when he gets sick. And this is a good
point too. Jamie says, on the signs in the hospital
confusing enough for non Aboriginals, how confusing do you reckon
it is for people of ethnic origins. Well, that's true

(20:02):
as well. You have people from all different parts of
the world who call Australia home and it would have
been challenging enough for them to work out English for
some of them who don't come from English speaking parts
of the world, and then they're confronted with manor gallarung
Bulga bring back and bad jul barung sick cave. Just
call it the emergency department and call it the Resuscitation.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
Bays, Sydney's Best Breakfast.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
I'll get your feedback on Q and A being axed
in just a moment. David has got some happy news
to share. Good morning to you.

Speaker 7 (20:35):
David, Good morning, Ben, How are you good.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
It involves your parents, Peter and Pat.

Speaker 8 (20:41):
Yeah, Peter and Pat from Beverly Hill celebrating their seventieth
seven to oh wedding anniversary today.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Well what are they doing to celebrate?

Speaker 8 (20:50):
Well, we're all going to extended families heading down the
Berrima for the weekend.

Speaker 2 (20:54):
How did they stay married for so long? Is there
a secret that they can share?

Speaker 8 (20:58):
I'm not sure, but the family still together as a rule.
I've actually got three of their great grandkids.

Speaker 5 (21:03):
You wish to say happy anniversaries.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
They may, oh, yeah, that's fine. Who are the grandkids?
Who's going to yell out?

Speaker 6 (21:09):
Ella? Brody and Mason?

Speaker 4 (21:11):
Here they go happy.

Speaker 2 (21:17):
That is so sweet. Thank you very much, David, and
we hope you have a great day today, Peter and
Pat from the whole family, including the grandkids. One three
one eight seven three is the open line number you
can email benat two GB dot com and the text
line zero four six zero eight seven three eight seven three.
Now this is good news and it's probably only a

(21:39):
matter of time before we see this happen in New
South Wales. The Queensland government is making Jack's Law even tougher.
Police in Queensland will soon have unprecedented powers to search
people for knives in public places. Officers will no longer
need a warrant or reasonable suspicion to conduct the searchers.

(22:00):
They'll only need permission from a senior officer to wand
people in some public places. It's an expansion on the
existing wanding laws which on a seventeen year old Jack
Beasley he was fatally stabbed during a night out on
the Gold Coast in twenty nineteen. The legislation currently gives
police the ability to search people in specific locations, including

(22:21):
nightlife precincts and public transport. But the beefed up legislation
is due to pass Parliament today and it will give
police even more powers. It follows the initial success of
Jack's Law in Queensland. The Queensland Police Minister Dan Purdy
says in twenty twenty five, to date, one hundred and
seventy seven weapons have been located and seized. The items

(22:45):
located include knives, machetes, flick knives, a handsaw, knuckle dusters, screwdrivers, nunchucks,
a star knife, an acts and raisers. He's told The
Australian we can never know how many lives have already
been saved. So we followed Jack's Law in New South Wales.
And by the way, that was only because Jack's dad

(23:08):
came on this program and the New South Wales government
heard it and said, maybe we need Jack's Law in
New South Wales. And already they've seized lots of knives
in New South Wales. So will we follow the lead
of Queensland and beef up Jack's Law to make it
even tougher news you.

Speaker 1 (23:25):
Can trust opinions that matter now. Ben Fordham comments.

Speaker 2 (23:32):
The energy giant AGL is being accused of stealing power
and allegation the company denies her. Customer alleges he's caught
the company red handed draining his home battery at peak time,
and that's the moment when people with batteries are supposed
to be using their own stored power. It's when electricity
is most expensive, but instead AGL is accused of taking

(23:54):
that power for itself. And once the household battery is
flat well, people are forced to buy electricity back from
the grid at the highest price of the day. So
the bloke involved here is the Sydney side of Peter Anderson.
He got solar panels in twenty nineteen. He added a
battery in twenty twenty two and AGL offered him a
one thousand dollars discount if they could tap into his

(24:15):
battery as part of their virtual power plant. So he
signed up and at first he didn't notice anything, Peter says,
for the first year, I don't think they even touched
the battery. But then things changed. Peter says, AGL started
draining power from his battery, and they did it at
the same time electricity prices were highest Peter says, they

(24:37):
drained the battery and left me having to buy expensive
power from the grid. That drove up my bill even higher.
So Peter did everything right. He spent the money, he
made the investment in renewables, but his battery has been
raided by AGL. He's told the ABC they just sucked
the thing down. You could see it every time market

(24:58):
prices jumped. They were pulling energy from my battery. Peter
has now left the program and he's warning others about it.
He says it's not what they promised. Now. AGL denies
doing anything wrong. They say they always leave at least
twenty percent of charge in people's batteries. But Peter says
if that was the case, he wouldn't have been caught

(25:20):
short and forced to buy electricity at the higher price.
Why did his bill shoed up right after AGL drained
his battery. That's the question. And Peter's warning has come
at the perfect time because today the new Soft Wales
government is launching a new push to get more households
to join virtual power plants. The Sydney Morning Herald reports

(25:42):
the government is doubling the payments to encourage solar households
to sign up to virtual power plants. The virtual power
plant is a group of solar powered batteries owned by
people who have consented for excess stored power to be
sold to the grid. Well that's fine in theory, but
Peter's experience shows it wasn't just excess power that was

(26:04):
being taken from his battery. AGL left him short on
power and having to buy more. So, by all means,
sign up to the virtual power plant, but you might
want to get some guarantees in place that they're not
going to be pinching your power when you still need
some and then you're forced to buy other power at

(26:24):
a higher price.

Speaker 3 (26:26):
Like what you're hearing. Subscribe to the Ben Fordham Live
podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (26:33):
The ABC is pulling the plug on one of its
longest running shows. The Public Broadcaster is set to acts
Q and A. The Current Affairs show has been running
for seventeen seasons. More than five hundred episodes have gone
to wear since two thousand and eight, and apparently it's

(26:55):
about to get the chop, just like Channel ten's the
Project that was pulled after almost sixteen years to make
way for a new news program On Channel ten. We're
standing by for an announcement pretty soon from the ABC
about the future of Q and A, and our entertainment
editor Peter Ford is on the line right now. Good
morning to you, Pete Gooda.

Speaker 5 (27:15):
Ben yis. According to the Guardian, that announcement has happened
this morning, actually as part of the announcement of various
cost cutting measures and changes at the ABC. But various
outlets are reporting that Q and A is gone, and
it's right. It's odd, and as you pointed out there,
with the project going just forty eight hours ago, it's
odd to have two significant TV actings midyear. But in

(27:39):
a way, I think they actually have the same problem.
Both of those shows I think had a perception problem,
and that perception was that it had a very leftope
agenda and anybody with conservative point of view really wasn't
welcome or they could be part of the discussion but
would be mocked and killed. So it's odd that I

(28:00):
think both those shows suffered because of that. Now that
might be very wrong, those perceptions might be wrong, but
I think during the time of Stan Grant, particularly when
he was hosting Q and A, people just really began
to get very disenchanted with what they saw as being
very unfair editorial.

Speaker 2 (28:18):
Yeah, I look back to when Tony Jones was the host,
the original host, and look, we hadn't really seen a
program like that on our screens before. I know they've
got one in the UK that they call Question Time,
But I think when it first came along it was
quite revolutionary and after a few years people just got
sick of it.

Speaker 5 (28:36):
Yeah, and look at it always would vary on what
hot topics for around, It would always vary as to
what guests they had. But it was also being seen
increasingly that they didn't want conservative voices to be a
part of it, and a lot of people just simply
never got asked to be on it. Were you ever
asked to be on a bent?

Speaker 2 (28:54):
I was asked to go on Q and A a
couple of times, and I was busy on those particular nights. Peace,
I just decided, I think, like your observation, I thought, look,
why would I go on there. I would be on
a hiding to nothing and I'd be a lone conservative
voice on a left leaning program. And I also thought
to myself, what if people want to listen to my thoughts,
they can tune in on two GB, I don't need

(29:15):
to go on the ABC.

Speaker 5 (29:17):
Yeah, well that's fair enough too. But look, we'll wait
and see whether this announcement coming through today. I mean,
there's no thrill in any TV show getting the shot,
and you would think of all places there would be
something a place for a discussion debate program like that
on the ABC. I mean you referenced the show's early beginnings.
I'm old enough to remember, for you need to be
so way back in the day called Monday Conference and

(29:40):
they would tackle really sorts of controversial issues and people
would get very angry and storm out, and they had
a lot of theater attached to it. But I think
increasingly Q and A also became a lot more orchestrated
even as to who they allowed to be in the
audience and what questions were going to be asked, So
it really lost I think a lot of impact through it.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
I think also too many politicians. When you have politicians
all the way across from the left hand side of
the screen to the right hand side of the screen,
I think we have enough of politicians in our everyday life.
We don't need to hear them when we're trying to
get a little bit of information and entertainment at nighttime.

Speaker 5 (30:16):
Yeah, it has to be that blend. And they did
choose some very unusual and very often incredibly dull people
to be a part of a debate program.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Good on your Pete, We appreciate your expertise. Thanks man
Peter Ford joining us our entertainment editor and in the
Sydney Morning Herald because to be fair to them, they
broke this story through their reporters Cindy Yin and Chris Hook.
They run through a number of the controversies that happened
on the show over the years, including in twenty fifteen
where the then Prime Minister Tony Abbott banned his ministers

(30:47):
from appearing on the program, and that followed an appearance
of a former terror suspect, Zachi Muller, who appeared live
in the studio audience to ask a question and famously
Malcolm Turnbull then said no, I'll go on Q and A.
And he ditched the suit and wore a leather jacket
because it was the cool and funky Malcolm Turble trying
to appeal to the younger audience on the ABC SO

(31:10):
ABC TV, refusing to confirm the story as yet I've
sent a question through to one of their executives this
morning saying is QNA being acts. They haven't answered the question,
but according to the Guardian, the announcement is coming today.

Speaker 3 (31:27):
Like what you're hearing, make sure you've subscribed to BENFDA.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
All eyes remain on Aaron Patterson, the accused triple murderer,
has endured her sixth day now in the witness box,
and the Crown prosecutor has suggested that Aaron deliberately faked
being sick after the fatal lunch to downplay any suspicion.
Aaron told health workers and her family she was suffering

(31:54):
from nausea after the meal. She's told the court she
stands by those comments. She's also been accused of making
up the story she told the jury about a secret
weight loss surgery. Aaron previously claims she wanted her family
to believe she was unwell and had to undergo surgery
related to cancer. She says this was a cover story

(32:17):
so she could have weight loss surgery. The prosecution has
attempted to blow a hole in that story. Nannette Rogers
at Sea has told the court the clinic erin claims
to have booked surgery at does not offer gastric banding surgery.
The accused triple murderer has told the court, I'm a

(32:37):
bit puzzled. I had an appointment with them, and that's
what's in my memory that the appointment was for. It
would have been related to weight loss surgery, she told
the court. Aaron Patterson is accused of killing her in
laws Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail's sister, Heather Wilkinson.

(32:58):
She's also accused of attempting to kill Heather's husband, Ian,
who was the only guest to survive the lunch. Aaron
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to the chargers and the
trial continues.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
Sydney's Best Breakfast g.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Q and A getting the acts today apparently. Sandy says,
I say good riddance to Q and A. It's as
irrelevant as the project. I gave up on both of
them years ago when they became so one sided. Bob
says Q and A should not be asked. It's a
great show. I'm certainly not a lefty, but I've been
on Q and A asking a question from the audience
four times. One of my questions set the panel talking

(33:38):
for twenty minutes. He would be a tragedy if it ended.
It's a great forum for encouraging debate on current issues.
Ian says, thank god those left wing shows Q and
A and The Project are going. They're a waste of
time and money. Look, I think they all have a
time and place. I think when the Project came along,
I think it had a place. What do they say,
news done differently and t'm going to explain news stories

(34:02):
to younger viewers. And I think when it came along
it was quite revolutionary. But then after a while, Ok,
we've seen that now, and we know that people have
changing tastes, and they after a while. I think it's
when the one sided element comes in that then they think,
all right, well, I'm a bit over this now because
you're only catering to a certain section of the audience.

(34:23):
And same with Q and A. When it first arrived,
it was all shiny and brand new, and people thought,
I haven't seen a show like this illustrator anymore or before,
and then it just became a constant argument. I think
when it was politicians arguing with each other, we see
enough of that during the real question time. We don't
need to see it on a Monday night on the ABC,
so there's some feedback to Q and A getting the

(34:45):
chop which we believe is happening today. It's nineteen minutes
to nine o'clock Sydney's weather sunny with light winds, sixty
nine percent humidity right now ten degrees on the coast,
seven degrees in Sydney's West, a top of eighteen.

Speaker 1 (35:01):
Sydney's Best Breakfast too.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Well. Locals on the mid North Coast to getting back
on their feet following recent flooding. It's reminded us about
the devastation a few years ago across the Northern Rivers
when liz Moore was inundated by floodwaters in twenty twenty two,
water levels reached more than fourteen meters high and during
the disaster we caught up with some Lizmore locals, including

(35:26):
Grant Smith from Two Mates Brewing and he was giving
us updates on what was happening on the ground. And
in another blow, Two Mates Brewing has copped it again.
The recent flooding has smashed their property. It reached just
one meter shy of the record levels recorded in twenty
twenty two, so Grand and the team were forced to

(35:46):
quickly move everything and they couldn't return to the brewery
for nearly a week. But in true Ozzy spirit, they
are back in business and they've got a beer that's
up the grabs at the moment for all of us
who like a cold beer. Grant Smith's on the line,
one of the founders of Two Mates Brewing, Get a.

Speaker 6 (36:03):
Grant, Get a ben.

Speaker 2 (36:05):
How are you mate, good mate, you just won't rest,
no mate.

Speaker 9 (36:09):
No sun's out up here. So it's a good day,
all right.

Speaker 2 (36:11):
So the brewery is back up and running again.

Speaker 9 (36:14):
It is, mate. Yeah, we've been up probably since since
six weeks after twenty two, but been a hell of
a journey. Had many challenges along the way, but you
know it's all going pretty well.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
Okay. So you've got a beer that's available at the moment,
and if we buy the beer, it's going to help
you boys, Is that right?

Speaker 9 (36:30):
Absolutely?

Speaker 6 (36:31):
Absolutely.

Speaker 9 (36:31):
We created a beer for mid strength market. It's basically
Northern Rivers three and a half. It's called the Lager.
We've done that basically for the region. Represents the region,
probably the legacy for the region. Get the communities caught
behind it.

Speaker 2 (36:46):
Okay, So you just go to two mates Brewing dot
com do au.

Speaker 9 (36:50):
That's it, Mate, straight to there. There's a link in
there to the online store. We're also stocking it through
a lot of local bottle shops regionally through Southeast Queensland,
northern New South Wales and nationally, so.

Speaker 2 (37:01):
It's northern rivers, low carb lager. What does the case
set you back?

Speaker 9 (37:05):
Have fifty bucks mate for a box of thirty, which
is pretty competitive in this market nowadays.

Speaker 2 (37:10):
Very competitive in this market. Fifty bucks for a case
of thirty? And what does it taste like? Mate? I
know that you're going to tell us the truth.

Speaker 9 (37:18):
Absolutely, Mate, tastes like heaven.

Speaker 2 (37:23):
Oh Mate, I'm glad to know that you guys survive,
because I must admit, when we spoke to you in
the height of the twenty twenty two floods, I know
you said you were going to come back, but when
we said goodbye to you after that first interview, we
kind of looked at each other here in the studio
and thought, I don't think those boys are going to
be back. So Mate, we shouldn't have doubted you.

Speaker 9 (37:41):
It's definitely been a journey, obviously, as I said, a
lot of trials and tribulations, along the way. But yeah,
we're still here, mate, We're still producing really quick, good
quality beer and people are enjoying it, which is the
main thing.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
I'll be ordering a case today, mate, So thank you
so much.

Speaker 9 (37:56):
Good on your ben Thanks for your time, mate.

Speaker 2 (37:57):
Grant Smith, and I'll be getting on their website after
the show. Two mates Brewing, that's the word. Two two
two matesbrewing dot com dot au and a pretty good
deal fifty bucks for thirty beers.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
Like what you're hearing, Subscribe to the Ben Fordham Live
podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
Now. We've told you recently about a growing issue which
is playing out on the streets of Sydney. Kids on
dirt bikes and mopeeds causing chaos for locals, and we've
received some footage from Susie who lives in Grandville. It's
a beautiful sound, isn't it. Every afternoon outside Susie's place,

(38:45):
she says, guys on dirt bikes and mopeds are terrorizing
our street. Someone's going to get killed. I've repeatedly contacted
Granville Police about it, and I've been advised to call
Triple zero. The boys perform wheelies and burnouts. They have
young kids on the back of their bikes. They have
no helmets, no number plates, and they swerve in and
out of traffic. I nearly had an accident coming home recently.

(39:08):
Triple zero told me over five hours earlier that they'd
acknowledge the job. And nothing's been done since it's terrifying
and it's dangerous and somebody is going to be killed.
Susie's on the line for us right now. Good morning
to you, Susie.

Speaker 10 (39:23):
Good morning, Ben.

Speaker 2 (39:24):
I'm guessing you're sick of hearing that noise.

Speaker 11 (39:27):
I am here.

Speaker 10 (39:27):
It's unbearable, it is.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
Yes, How long have you been trying to get something
done about it?

Speaker 10 (39:33):
Well, this has been going on for like several months,
close to a year, close to a year now, so
I've made several attempts to contact police and then nothing
at all.

Speaker 2 (39:43):
And what happens when you call the police, they advise
you to call who, So.

Speaker 10 (39:48):
Generally they'll say they're putting a job on it. Most
recently it was pretty bad and in the final call
they had with them, they said to call Triple zero.

Speaker 2 (39:59):
Right, but you haven't had a local car come around
and investigate or talk to the kids involved, Not a
single one, right, This is just across the road from
a school. Is there a school nearby?

Speaker 10 (40:11):
That's correct? Yeah, high school directly across the road and
a pedestrian crossing.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
So yeah, and you say that. Sometimes you can see
the students on the motorbikes no helmets, driving around, kids
hanging on the front, kids hang on the back, and
you can see teachers from the school leaving school and
viewing all of this, and they don't do anything about
it either.

Speaker 10 (40:32):
That's exactly right. There's sometimes a teacher that stands at
the back fence for school pickup and again they see
their students hop on the back for a joy ride
and not a word. They don't say a word.

Speaker 2 (40:45):
What would you like to say to the local police
this morning, Susie, have a little.

Speaker 10 (40:50):
Bit of presence, put something, you know, it's an issue
in the area, so yeah, get out here like it's
very dangerous and they're putting a people in danger.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
We'll pass your details along to the local police and
see whether they would like to pay a visit next time,
and maybe you can have them on speed dial next
time so that they can turn up when you need them.
Thank you very much, Susie.

Speaker 10 (41:13):
Yeah, you're wel comdend thank you.

Speaker 2 (41:14):
Now we've had a police source get in contact since
we mentioned we were going to be talking to Susie
and they say, I see that you're doing a story
on the out of controlled trail bike situation in and
around Sydney and New South Wales and the allegation that
police don't care. I can assure you then we do
care and we're affected by it personally. So this comes

(41:35):
from a senior police source in New South Wales. They
say the problem is that enforcement is very difficult and
puts the individual police personally responsible if someone is injured
when we try to apprehend them. I have two colleagues
before the courts charged after motorcycles they were trying to
stop ran into the police vehicles, resulting in the rider
being injured. Furthermore, the hierarchy, in their wisdom, decided to

(41:59):
get of the very effective trail bike section of the
highway patrol some years ago. They said there were too
many injuries to officers. This dramatically reduced our ability to
stop and catch these offenders. Just last weekend we had
these trail bikes, mostly ridden by juveniles with their faces covered,
driving up to marked highway patrol vehicles, giving us the

(42:20):
middle finger and then speeding off through traffic with us
unable to do anything about it. The bikes are unregistered
and with no plates. This is the reason why police
can do nothing. Police don't get paid enough to have
to go through this. The job is getting too hard,
with excuses always being found for the offender and not
the officer who's just trying to do the job the

(42:42):
public expects of them. The High Court recently held the
judges cannot be held personally accountable for bad decisions they make,
even if in bad faith. Maybe the same should apply
it to police. You may find that they will have
a go and they would only do this if they
knew the state would back them. So that's according to

(43:03):
a senior police source in New South Wales. They're saying
the reason they're not doing anything about it is because
they fear that they will be put through the ringer
if an accident happens, they will be held responsible for
the injuries suffered by the kid on the dirt bike.
So the message from police don't blame the officers on
the beat, blame the hierarchy.

Speaker 1 (43:25):
Sydney's Best Breakfast too.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
And next time we talk to police. I'll ask them
about the trail bike section of the highway patrol that
was closed down some years ago, because when you think
about it, that's an effective way of being able to
monitor people, catch up with people and arrest people if
you're on a bike.

Speaker 6 (43:46):
Two.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
But as it currently stands, we don't have a trail
bike section of highway patrol, so these kids are able
to ride up in the middle of traffic to a
marked highway patrol vehicle, flip them the bird and then
drive away. Now we've been contacted by a councilor at
Cumberland Council, and that's Joseph Rami who has told us
about some of his encounters with the local police to

(44:09):
tackle this issue, and the council is on the line
right now. Joseph, good morning to you.

Speaker 6 (44:14):
Good morning Ben, how are you good.

Speaker 2 (44:16):
So you held a community meeting to discuss this and
the motorbike riders turned up.

Speaker 12 (44:21):
Yes, so late last year. As a lifelong resident and
as a four term counselor, I thought I'd do the
right thing and organize a community meeting that was represented
by a council staff council as the mayor the head
of the local area command and community leaders, and at

(44:42):
the start of the meeting, we were surprised and blown
away that the perpetrators, the young perpetrators, actually turned up
to cause a complete mockery of the meeting, to patronize
all the attendees, and to basically laugh in the face
of the local area commander and show a complete lack
of disrespect to every single attendee.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
So, hang on, did they turn up and walk into
the meeting or were they doing burnouts outside?

Speaker 4 (45:07):
No?

Speaker 12 (45:07):
No, they sat in the meeting. The perpetrators, like you know,
ranging from thirteen to twenty years old, turned up to
the meeting and sat in the meeting, and at certain
times of the meeting we're just trying to you know,
intimidate and patronize the attendees and you know, cause a
complete mockery of the meeting.

Speaker 2 (45:26):
Well, they're obviously not too concerned about the law if
they're turning up and laughing during the meeting.

Speaker 12 (45:30):
It totally blew me away, like I never expected it
in my wildest dreams that they turn up.

Speaker 2 (45:38):
I appreciate you letting us know about it, Joseph. So
that's Council of Joseph Ramy from Cumberland Council and we'll
get on to New South Wales Police and see if
they want to join us tomorrow and if they've got
any solutions for these residents from all over Sydney saying
enough is enough.

Speaker 3 (45:54):
Like what you're hearing, make sure you've subscribed to ben Ford.

Speaker 2 (46:00):
Greta Thunberg has been sent packing. Israel has officially deported
the Swedish climate activist. Greta and eleven other protesters had
been intercepted by the Israeli Defense Force. They were trying
to sail to the Gaza Strip to end the blockade.
That's what they were saying. They've been taken into custody
by Israeli authorities and now Greta is on her way

(46:21):
back home. She's touchdown in Paris while en route to Sweden.
The climate activist has described the ordealers chaotic. She says
the conditions she faced are absolutely nothing compared to what
people are going through in Gaza and Greta has confirmed
some of her crewmates remain in Israel. It's understood eight
other passengers have refused deportation. They remain in detention while

(46:46):
waiting for their case to be heard by Israeli authorities.
Greta says the aim was to get to Gaza to
be able to distribute aid, and she says she hasn't
given up on that mission, but it's interesting she's decided
to jump on a plane and head to Europe instead
of sticking around. Others said we're not leaving. Greta said,

(47:07):
I'm a celebrity. Get me out of here.

Speaker 1 (47:10):
Sydney's Best breakfast.

Speaker 2 (47:14):
Messages about dirt bikes. They're coming from all over Sydney.
Michael says motorbikes are terrorizing us in Mattreville too. I
told them to get off the road last week and
they chased me and then threw sticks at my car
with my young daughter inside. Nick's on the line from
cranebrook A Nick good Ay ben mate.

Speaker 13 (47:33):
I almost hit three of them about five six pm
at night. They had their lives off both number place,
know nothing, driving down the street in the long direction.
I contacted the lack. I contacted our local member. I
had a bloke that knew where they lived, and they
actually gave them the address and the coppers went there
and said there's nothing we can do about Nick. We

(47:54):
go outside and the bus have gone by the time
we get there, so you know it's a non and
it's a no win situation being you just can't beat them.

Speaker 2 (48:04):
They're riding around with no headlights.

Speaker 13 (48:06):
On, no headlights, no helmets, no nothing.

Speaker 5 (48:09):
They're riding on the footpath in pain.

Speaker 13 (48:11):
But where we're in Waterside there's past at the end
around lake areas. Now they ride those pasts at fifty
sixty k's an hour like there's no tomorrow, and they
don't care where they hit anyone. And it's old people.
There's people with their kids, people with walking their dogs.
They don't kid a bet and their rat bags as
far as I'm concerned, and I hope the police will

(48:32):
get the powers one day to do something about it.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
Good on your Nick mix Ses. The dirt bike issue
is also happening in my area in Horningsea Park. They
just don't care for public safety. Brian's on the line
in Ingleburn. Hi, Brian, good morning here going good. You've
got the same thing.

Speaker 8 (48:48):
There, worse we got it around. We got it nightly
most most week nights, I'm not going to exaggerate, between
anywhere between two to four am two two to four am,
so they're waking up the whole neighborhood and they're just
doing laps of the whole suburb, driving around on the

(49:08):
concrete pathways, on the creeks and things like that. Here
is same thing you're in the coppers and there's no
resolves And this has been going on for years.

Speaker 2 (49:19):
We now have some understanding from police as to why
they feel like their hands are tied, Brian, because they're
saying that they have been told that they need to
be careful when dealing with these situations, and of course
some of their colleagues are before the authorities over the
way they've handled these situations. Because if a kid comes
off the bike, who do you reckon? Gets blamed? Do
you reckon? Anyone's saying it's the kid's fault. Who was

(49:42):
riding around with a mate on the back and a
mate on the front, no one in helmets, weaving in
and out of cars. Do they blame the kid or
do they blame the cops? I think we know the
answer to that.

Speaker 3 (49:55):
Like what you're hearing? Subscribe to the ben Fordham Life
podcast through Apple Spotify.

Speaker 2 (50:02):
A man is on the run this morning after allegedly
robbing a jewelry store. This took place just before five
o'clock yesterday afternoon in Sydney, CBD, police were called to
Silver and Goldie on Pitt Street. They say a man
threatened staff and force them to open a safe before
pinching jewelry. Police have established a crime scene, they've commenced

(50:25):
an investigation and they're asking anyone with information to contact
crime Stoppers on one eight hundred, triple three, triple zero.
I'll tell you what. There are a lot of people
from different parts of Sydney complaining about dirt bikes. Edward says,
I had a similar problem here in chester Hill. I
took a video to the police station. They told me

(50:47):
to complain to the council. Mark says we must give
police more power to do their jobs against these trail
bike riders. Surely the answer is confiscation like they do
with streetcars. Roger says, change the law. Make it that
if a motorbike writer crashes, the writing offender is at fault,
not the police. Why are we even talking about this,

(51:09):
Make the laws tougher. Now we've been contacted by a
councilor at Cumberland Council, and that's Joseph Rami who has
told us about some of his encounters with the local
police to tackle this issue, and the council is on
the line right now, Joseph, Good morning to you.

Speaker 12 (51:26):
Good morning Ben.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
How are you good? So you held a community meeting
to discuss this and the motorbike riders turned up.

Speaker 12 (51:33):
Yes, so late last year. As a lifelong resident and
as a four term counselor, I thought I'd do the
right thing and organize a community meeting that was represented
by a council staff, councilors, the mayor, the head of
the local area command, and community leaders. And at the

(51:54):
start of the meeting we were surprised and blown away
that the perpetrators, the young perpetrators, actually turned up to
cause a complete mockery of the meeting, to patronize all
the attendees, and to basically laugh in the face of
the local area commander and show a complete lack of
disrespect to every single attendee.

Speaker 2 (52:14):
So hang on, did they turn up and walk into
the meeting or were they doing burnouts outside?

Speaker 12 (52:18):
No? No, they sat in the meeting. The perpetrators, like
you know, ranging from thirteen to twenty years old, turned
up to the meeting and sat in the meeting, and
at certain times of the meeting. We're just trying to
you know, intimidate and patronize the attendees and you know,
cause a complete mockery of the meeting.

Speaker 2 (52:37):
Well, they're obviously not too concerned about the law. If
they're turning up and laughing during the meeting.

Speaker 12 (52:42):
It totally blew me away, like I never expected it
in my wildest dreams that they turn up.

Speaker 2 (52:49):
I appreciate you letting us know about it, Joseph. So
that's Council of Joseph Ramy from Cumberland Council and we'll
get on to New South Wales Police and see if
they want to join us tomorrow and if they've got
any solutions for these residents from all over Sydney saying
enough is enough.

Speaker 1 (53:04):
Sydney's Best Breakfast GGV.

Speaker 2 (53:08):
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation after
an ASSIETV reporter was shot with a rubber bullet. Channel
nine reporter Lauren to Marsi was covering the anti deportation
protests in LA when she was struck.

Speaker 14 (53:22):
The hours of sounding off this situation has now rapidly deteriorated.
The LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber.

Speaker 15 (53:30):
Bullets at protesters moving them on through the heart of la.

Speaker 2 (53:37):
That was the moment Lauren was hit with a rubber bullet.
The Prime Minister Anthony Albanizi has commented on the attack,
saying we've already raised these issues with the US administration.
We don't find it acceptable that it occurred, and we
think the role of the media is particularly important. Mister
Albanezi has been asked if he would raise the issue
with President Donald Trump. He says, discussions I have with

(54:00):
the President, discussions between myself and the president. The PM says,
Lauren to Marci was clearly identified as a representative of
the media.

Speaker 16 (54:10):
It is not unreasonable to think that she could go
about her coverage clearly as people can see the footage
clearly identified as media. She was clearly identified, was clearly identified.
You know, there was no ambiguity. She wasn't wearing a trackie.

(54:31):
She's wearing a helmet and something I identified her as media.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
I'm not sure what footage the PM was watching, because
Lauren didn't have any media signage that I could see,
and she certainly wasn't wearing a helmet. What helmet was
he talking about? The PM says she was clearly identified
as media. She was wearing a helmet and something that

(54:56):
identified her as media. Well, he's got himself very confused
on that front because the footage does not support the
PM's comments. Mind you, the real giveaway was the microphone
in her hand and the TV cameraman filming her. I
mean that would have been enough of a hint that
this is not a protester, this is a reporter. And

(55:17):
it wasn't just a stray bullet. The officer pointed his
weapon at her and fired.

Speaker 3 (55:23):
Like what you're hearing, Make sure you've subscribed to benfordone.

Speaker 2 (55:30):
Now. Just on price increases, I mentioned that power companies
are sending out their increased prices right now, including Red Energy,
who advertise with US. And it's not just power companies.
We've got this one as well that's just been sent
to us. KAO, the sports streaming service. Their prices are
going up from the first of July. The pricing of

(55:52):
Ko's standard will increase by five dollars a month. You'll
see this change on your next bill. If you're currently
on an offer, the change will take effect after your
offer ends. So Ko's going up. And now I've got
a note about NBN as well or Votaphone. Reese is
on the line.

Speaker 17 (56:09):
Hello Reese, Yeah, Hi Ben, Yeah, yesterday I've got an
email from Voteraphone saying that my Home Essential MBM plan
is going to be increasing by ten dollars a month,
coming into effect on the twentieth of July.

Speaker 2 (56:25):
Right, so you've got to find an extra one hundred
and twenty bucks a year.

Speaker 17 (56:29):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, as if it was expensive enough to
liver as it is.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
And I'm guessing you've already checked around and chopped around.
Have you worked out whether there's a better deal out there?

Speaker 6 (56:39):
I haven't yet.

Speaker 17 (56:40):
That's on the bucket list this week.

Speaker 2 (56:42):
Good on you, mate, Thank you very much for getting
in touch. I'll tell you what we'll do for you, Reese,
because you've helped us out with a bit of information.
We'll send you a voucher for Chemist Warehouse, because it's
always good to save some money. We'll send you one
hundred bucks to spend at Chemist Warehouse, where you get
the lowest prices every single day. And look, it doesn't
matter whether you do business with KO or Vodaphone or
Red Energy. If you can find a better deal, go

(57:05):
for it. That's the bottom line. If you can find
a better deal, go for it, use it, save some money.
Three one eight seven three the open line number. New
data from the Bureau of Health Information shows the number
of people waiting for surgery has skyrocketed. The Health Minister
Ryan Park isn't going to like the sound of this.
So the Bureau of Health Information is the group that

(57:27):
publishes independent reports about the performance of the healthcare system.
In the first three months of this year, more than
eighty five hundred patients were left waiting for surgery longer
than recommended. That's up more than one hundred and fifty
percent compared to the same period last year. Kelly Sloan
is the Shadow Health Ministry in New South Wales. He's

(57:48):
on the line. Good morning to you, Kelly, good morning.
Then that's a big jump.

Speaker 14 (57:53):
It's a huge jump, and it's telling us what the
clinicians have been talking about for a while now. In
the system is overstretched, it's under resource and patients are
paying the price. So we have one hundred thousand, six
hundred and seventy eight patients on the waiting list. Now
that's pick COVID levels. We've had people waiting for longer

(58:15):
than clinically recommended. So the people that need semi urgent
surgery is nineteen and a half thousand people. There are
eight and a half thousand people waiting on the list
longer than clinically recommended. That's up about five thousand on
the same time last year. So, Ben, this isn't just
a blowout in wait times. It is a breakdown in
patient care. And behind every one of those patients is

(58:38):
all one of those numbers is a patient that is sick,
that is in pain or waiting for diagnosis.

Speaker 2 (58:44):
Ryan Park has just released a statement saying the Men's
government will invest twenty three million dollars to reduce the
number of planned surgeries waiting longer than clinically recommended. This
additional funding is expected to enable an additional three thousand,
five hundred surgeries it can be completed over the next year.

Speaker 14 (59:03):
Yeah, well, look that's a start, but it's a bit
like putting a band aid on a broken arm. It's
not going to fix the problem.

Speaker 5 (59:09):
You know.

Speaker 14 (59:09):
We are seeing these weightless spiral out of control now
in a system that's overstretched, and we've had whistleblower surgeons
telling us about the pressure on them to hide these
numbers to distort them by downgrading cancer surgeries. This is
a wake up call for the minister and he needs
to take action. And in his press release Bend today,

(59:30):
he's continuing to blame the former government and I raise
this because they are completely disingenuous in their attacks. They're
saying that there were fourteen thousand cases under the coalition.
They were COVID cases which we paid to fix. We
invested money four hundred and eight million in the last
budget to reduce those numbers and they are reduced to

(59:51):
around a level of two thousand, but they have skyrocketed
since because this government is not planning properly. They're not investing.

Speaker 11 (01:00:00):
We've seen.

Speaker 14 (01:00:02):
Two budgets in a row where the health budget has
been cut. We've had industrial action under this government that's
spiraling out of control as well. So they need to
plan properly, they need to invest properly, and they need
to let the public know what they're doing to address it.

Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
Yeah, the numbers aren't good and they're even worse when
you have a look at what's happening in the bush
at the moment. We appreciate you jumping on the line
for us.

Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
Kelly thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:00:25):
Ben Kelly Sloan, the shadow health minister in New South Wales.
Her message to Ryan Park You're in charge now mate,
not us. It's your problem and you've got to fix it.

Speaker 3 (01:00:35):
This is ben Fordham Live, What Sidney's Best Breakfast onto
GV eight Symmetry.

Speaker 2 (01:00:42):
The music legend sly Stone has died at the age
of eighty two after a long health battle. He was
the frontman of sly and the Family Stone. The band
had some big hits, including Everyday People. This song has

(01:01:08):
been streamed two one hundred and forty five million times
on Spotify and sly Stone changed music forever. His band
was the first major act to feature both black and
white men and women on stage at the same time.
His music has influenced many other artists, including The Beastie Boys,
The Jackson Five, Doctor Dre and Maroon Five. The frontman

(01:01:32):
of sly and the Family Stone sly Stone passing away
at the age of eighty two. You're listening to Ben

(01:01:54):
Fordham on two GB Robin says, I was wondering if
you could send my husband a happy fifty ninth wedding
and a message. I've been up all night with him.
He's sick. His name is Alfie. Hey, Alfie, I know
you're doing it tough this morning, mate, but it's a
very special day today fifty nine years married today to Robin.
She loves your guts.

Speaker 1 (01:02:16):
Like what you're hearing.

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Subscribe to the ben Fordham Live podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
A number of pedestrians have been hit in Sydney Southwest.
This one happened just after eight o'clock. Emergency services were
called to the scene in Belmore. Police a ute struck
several people. Paramedics treated a twenty four year old woman
and a twenty eight year old man. They've been transported
to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and their conditions are listed
as stable and we're told that a two year old

(01:02:46):
girl was also hit. However, she managed to escape any injuries.
Police say the driver is assisting with their inquiries. An
investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

Speaker 3 (01:03:00):
Listening to Sydney's Best Breakfast, then Fortum Live and now.

Speaker 1 (01:03:05):
The US report.

Speaker 2 (01:03:06):
Wild scenes in Los Angeles. The riot mob has gone
from fighting to looting. Harley Kahns is on the line.
Good morning to you, Holley.

Speaker 6 (01:03:16):
Good morning. Yeah. This has been predicted because the longer
it goes on, the worse it gets. Nobody is expecting
it to get better right away unless they turned the
National Guard hoose and tell them to clear the streets,
which they have not done yet. It's you know, they
raided some of these people raided an Apple store, they

(01:03:38):
raided an Adidas store. They've gone into restaurants and sent people,
you know, rushing out, stealing the money, food, whatever. It's
just not a good situation to me. There were windows
that were being broken, people were trying to get out
of buildings. People were getting into buildings wearing their hoodies
and their masks and stuff. It's just it's not real good,

(01:04:00):
you know. And the idea that it's going to stop
because you know, the people just don't want I to
be there, that's not going to work.

Speaker 2 (01:04:10):
Well, clearly, it's not just about sticking up the people
who are being deported. If you're writing Nike shops and
Sushi shops and Apple stores and pinching as many things
as you possibly can and Holly. President Trump has now
deployed extra troops.

Speaker 6 (01:04:26):
Yeah, another two thousand National Guard troops. That's about forty
one hundred National Guard plus he's sending seven hundred Marines
in there. Now. The Marines are pre stressed for action,
dramatic action. Their rules of engagement here have to be
very unusual, and I would think very uncomfortable for them,

(01:04:50):
because they're usually given and effective. They're the sharp end
of the sphere, the point of the spear, so to speak.
And they go in and they they take property. Now,
if the Marines are cuts on this crowd, the riot
will be over in no time. But there it'll be expensive,
it'll be hurtful, there will be people in the streets,

(01:05:10):
there will be blood. So we don't know if what
the Marines rules and engagement are. We have to assume
that it'll be. They're asking Marines like they are National Guard,
to stand there and just take it. Let them call
you names, let them spit at you, let them push,
let them do everything but put their hands on you,
and we'll see where it all goes. But the promise

(01:05:33):
I think here is that it's gonna get worse.

Speaker 2 (01:05:36):
Yeah, it's gonna get worse before it gets better. Holly,
we'll talk to.

Speaker 6 (01:05:38):
You tomorrow, all right, Thanks a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:05:40):
Harley on the lawn from the United States at twenty
two minutes past six it's full time in so the
Sokka Rus are off to the World Cup. Australia has
defeated Saudi Arabia two one. All we needed to do
was avoid a five gold defeat to secure a spot
at the twenty twenty six feet a World Cup, and
we manage to do better than that and get the win.
And this is the moment the full time whistle blew and.

Speaker 13 (01:06:03):
The full time whistle goes and they've done.

Speaker 2 (01:06:06):
It's the soccer Us are off to the World Cup. Yeah,
that was Simon hill On paramount plus. So congratulations to
the Sokkaros and their coach Tony Popovic. They booked their
spot in the World Cup next year in the United States,
Mexico and Canada.

Speaker 3 (01:06:21):
This is been FORTAM Live What Sydney's Best Breakfast on
to GV Cemetery.

Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
It's going to be a big day for Sydney's newest airport.
Major construction works across Western Sydney International Airport and how
complete and today after more than five years, the state
of the art terminal will be officially unveiled. The Prime
Minister will be there along with the Transport Minister and
twenty year old Emma Tran will be there too. Emma

(01:06:49):
is a third year carpentry apprentice with Multiplex. She's been
part of the construction team and has helped bring the
new Western Sydney Airport to life. Emma's on the line
for us right now. Emma, good morning, good morning.

Speaker 11 (01:07:02):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (01:07:03):
Congratulations, You've done it, Thank you, thank you. So you
started working on this project when it was just dirt.

Speaker 18 (01:07:10):
Yes, so when I joined it was still dirt.

Speaker 7 (01:07:12):
And no roof.

Speaker 2 (01:07:13):
And what's it like now having a look at it complete?

Speaker 11 (01:07:16):
Oh, it looks like an airport. It has all the wars.
It's beautiful.

Speaker 18 (01:07:21):
It's really something that's going to create.

Speaker 2 (01:07:23):
His true And what are you going to be doing today?
Are you going to be there with the Prime Minister?

Speaker 18 (01:07:27):
Yes, I will be this morning year.

Speaker 2 (01:07:30):
And what will you be showing Anthony Albanezy Just.

Speaker 18 (01:07:33):
The terminal itself, show him the baggage chaining system and everything,
and just like kind of I think it's more of
what he's going to be talking about. And I'm just there.

Speaker 2 (01:07:45):
In the background, right Are you able when you walk
around the new airport, around the terminal, are you able
to see things? Do you think you know? I did that?

Speaker 6 (01:07:53):
Part.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
I did this part.

Speaker 18 (01:07:54):
Yes, yes, there are a few things where I did
take a part of it, and I will be able
to show my family once it open. So I know
I always shut up about it.

Speaker 2 (01:08:04):
I love that. And you're only twenty years of age,
and I'm being told by some of your colleagues you
were the Multiplex Apprentice of the Year in twenty twenty four,
and you were awarded Bunning's Apprentice of the Year in
twenty twenty five.

Speaker 18 (01:08:16):
Yes, that's right.

Speaker 1 (01:08:17):
Yes, at twenty Yes.

Speaker 11 (01:08:20):
Massive achievement.

Speaker 18 (01:08:21):
I didn't think i'd get this far.

Speaker 2 (01:08:22):
But yes, well, congratulations to you, Emma. And we'll probably
see you on the news tonight with the PM.

Speaker 18 (01:08:29):
Yes, yes, you probably will.

Speaker 19 (01:08:30):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (01:08:31):
Can you just tell me? Apparently i've met your dad before?
Where did I meet your dad?

Speaker 18 (01:08:35):
My dad a cancelled Foxelf for you around two years ago.

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
You have he installed the Fox Tell at my place.

Speaker 18 (01:08:41):
Yes, that's right.

Speaker 2 (01:08:44):
Oh well, isn't it funny two years later where chatting
and you're going to be front and center today You're
an award winner And congratulations Emmitran, thank.

Speaker 18 (01:08:52):
You so much. And I just want to say my
dad he has listened to your station for years and years.

Speaker 2 (01:08:57):
What's that He's okay? Well, we want to say good
morning to him as well and thank you for listening.
And I know that he'll be very proud of his
daughter Emma.

Speaker 3 (01:09:08):
The Business Report upgrade and say with Winston with a
win get twenty five percent off motorized blinds, curtains and dawnings.
Book now at Winston dot com dot are you.

Speaker 2 (01:09:18):
Australia's top business leaders are gearing up to meet with
the PM. They're going to have a round table, a
round table. I got to admit Peter Switzer from Switzer
dot com dot AU. Whenever I hear about a business
round table, I roll my eyes. Good morning to you.

Speaker 20 (01:09:33):
Yeah, you think talk fast, don't you, Ben Well, business leaders,
they'll be asking for holistic TASH reform and cuts to
red tape and importantly faster approvals for major projects. The
government will promise cuts to red tape or governments do,
but they never do. The Prime Minis yesterday said I'm
going to want to I want to help private sector activity,

(01:09:53):
in private sector investment. That's a really good goal. Economists
don't want tax reform.

Speaker 15 (01:09:58):
Startup businesses will want the end of this unrealized gain
super tax because that will stop money going into new businesses.
And the unions will say that they're committed to helping,
but they don't want pay cuts and they want no
change to business conditions. Ben I recently talked to a
very successful small business owner, and in all these roundtables,

(01:10:18):
small business people are never considered. She said to me,
I've been jaded since COVID lockdown's thirteen interest rate rise.
Is persistent inflation, higher energy and transport costs, people wanting
to work from home, and she said, and even if
I try to say to an employee, this is the
way I want you to do it, she said, I
fear of being accused of harassment. I get workers on

(01:10:43):
stress leave, and she said, all want to work from home.
It's really really challenging being in business like never before.
And this I hope gets a run at the round table,
someone representing small business and seeing the government do something
to help small business.

Speaker 6 (01:10:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:10:58):
I just get the impression whenever they say we're going
to have a business roundtable, that the business leaders repeat
all of the gripes that they've had for years, and
they're all of the arguments that have been ignored for years.
What are the markets doing.

Speaker 15 (01:11:09):
Yeah, Dow up one hundred and five. Our market's expected
to be up thirty one points at the start. Ausie
dollar up sixty five point two four. You been Apparently
Donald Trump and China are having some pretty good trade
talks and that's why the market is pretty positive.

Speaker 3 (01:11:24):
Like what you're hearing, Subscribe to the ben Fordham Live
podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (01:11:31):
We just spoke to the twenty year old third year apprentice,
Emma Tran, who's been working on the brand new Western
Sydney International Airport since day one and today they have
the unveiling of the new terminal. This from Claudine Emma
Tran is so impressive. You can hear her sense of
pride in both her work and in her dad, so refreshing.
Well done, mister Tran, your daughter is outstanding. You've done

(01:11:54):
a good job.

Speaker 3 (01:11:55):
The UK report for Kelly Country up to sixty percent
off winter designer suits from one hundred and seventy nine,
wolvesuits from two hundred and ninety nine, cotton shirts and
trousers Saale must ensue Kelly Country dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:12:09):
Are you Fifteen police officers have been injured following riots
in northern Ireland and Adam Gilchrist has got the details
for us. Good morning to you, Adam, yeah, Good morning Ben.

Speaker 6 (01:12:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 19 (01:12:20):
This began as a peaceful protest than they all and
then violence broke out. As the police have described it,
racist thuggery, pure and simple. So what happened was that
people reacted badly to two teenage boys appearing in court
charged and indeed accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
This is in Ballymena in Countyantrum in northern Ireland. The

(01:12:43):
two teenage boys happened to be a Romanian heritage and
when they appeared in court they only spoke Romanian. Therefore
there was an interpreter there and this has triggered, frankly,
an awful anti Romanian, anti Eastern European, anti ethnic immigration
kind of reaction. And so the police absolutely talk about

(01:13:03):
how violence broke out, targeting ethnic minorities in particular people
from Eastern Europe, but also the police force as well,
hence the fifteen officers being injured. It does not speak
well of us that somehow, because two Romanian kids are
in court that suddenly the whole community is tarred with
the same brush. But there we are that's the kind
of place we're in at the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:13:23):
Yeah, collective punishments never good, but they certainly a mood
out there at the moment where people feel unsettled with
that kind of crime happening in a community. And why
does Google have a fox problem?

Speaker 19 (01:13:35):
Yes, well, Google's new headquarters in close to the Barbicane
in sort of centralist London, extremely expensive offices they don't
think still have opened yet, or a least they haven't
completely opened. An eleven story, one billion pound headquarters for
Google in London, and they have a problem with foxes.

(01:13:57):
Now I'm kind of thinking, well, I'm going to do
see quite a lot of foxes around in London, and
they're off an urban foxes and they look a bit
mangy and gray and far from sort of cute cuddly
things from a Disney cartoon. But for some reason they've
taken to this new building's eleventh story garden. So this
is a rooftop garden for the Google headquarters. How the

(01:14:18):
foxes got up there, But they've been spotted all over
the building apparently fox pooh all over the building, And
now they're sort of hiding up there in the vegetation.
You think, are they using the lifts that they're using
the stairwells. I mean, this is really urbanization of Foxes
and then some so I can imagine quite a lot
of people when they finally move into the Google HQ,
will be thinking, oh, for fox sake.

Speaker 2 (01:14:40):
Oh, I was worried where that was hited? Thank you
very much, one of your best Adam Gilchrist, talk to
you lighter. Then we were getting ready to hit the
dump button, but it was yes for Fox psike. Now
to the Beatles, you say the line and hello they
arrived down Under on the stay in nine eineteen sixty four,

(01:15:01):
or kay, you were there.

Speaker 21 (01:15:03):
I was at the airport, ben Yeah, I went. I
actually went with TV presented Jimmy Hennon. He was he
was annountainer from the Channel nine truck. And I've got
a bird's eye view of the Beatles heads in the
pouring rain and the wind. And yeah, I saw their
heads from the Channel nine outside broadcast truck.

Speaker 2 (01:15:24):
And were you screaming?

Speaker 21 (01:15:26):
I was screaming. I was in I was in shock.
It was freezing cold, I was soaking wet. And then
and then I went to the stadium and sat up
in the bleachers and probably saw them sing ten songs
and heard nothing.

Speaker 2 (01:15:40):
Well, the screaming was so loud. Good on you, Thank you, Cheryl.
You saw the Beatles when they.

Speaker 9 (01:15:45):
Were here the morning Burn.

Speaker 11 (01:15:46):
Yes, I did, my girlfriend and if it was sixteen,
we were in love. I was in love with Ringo
and was fantastic. We went to the up in the
bleachers at the stadium, just singing along, screaming.

Speaker 4 (01:15:59):
I think I was screaming Ringo the whole time.

Speaker 11 (01:16:02):
It was fun and poor Johnny Devlin was on with them,
and I don't think I don't think anyone listened to him.

Speaker 4 (01:16:07):
Must think anybody was building him off the stage.

Speaker 5 (01:16:09):
I can't remember.

Speaker 2 (01:16:10):
I'm still trying to work out how you fell in
love with Ringo. I've never heard of anyone falling Ringo before.

Speaker 11 (01:16:16):
He was cute. He was cute, and he was a
drummer and I love drummers.

Speaker 2 (01:16:23):
Fantastic Cheryl, thank you, Dawn, good morning.

Speaker 11 (01:16:27):
Hi, Hi there Ben.

Speaker 2 (01:16:29):
You saw them live.

Speaker 11 (01:16:30):
Phisney Stadium, Sydney Stadium. Yeh, and it was I remember
it was so exciting and everyone was Someone said, what
would they like us? I can't remember. We just screamed
and and but the night I was there, Ringo wasn't there.
They said he was sick, so he must have had
They must have had more than one concert. Yeah, there

(01:16:53):
was someone else playing the drum.

Speaker 2 (01:16:54):
He might have been out with our mate Bob Rogers
somewhere because he was called the fifth Beatle during their tour.
Good on you, Thank you very much for the memories.
And what about that Ringo being the crush for one
of our listeners. I thought it was always about Paul
or John.

Speaker 3 (01:17:10):
Like what you're hearing.

Speaker 1 (01:17:11):
Make sure you've subscribed to benfordone.

Speaker 2 (01:17:16):
Russia and Ukraine have commenced the biggest prisoner of war
exchange yet. It follows an agreement that was reached to
the second round of direct talks between the two countries.
They've agreed the exchange will include soldiers under the age
of twenty five and those who are severely ill. Thousands
of bodies of fallen soldiers will also be repatriated as

(01:17:38):
part of this agreement. It comes nearly three and a
half years after Russia began the full scale invasion into Ukraine.
A new report estimates that Russia has suffered nine hundred
thousand casualties, including two hundred and fifty thousand deceased. Ukraine's
losses are also staggering, nearly four hundred thousand casualties with

(01:17:58):
up to one hundred thousand killed. We can only hope
that the bloody, brutal conflict comes to an end soon,
but it's been going on for three and a half
long years. Back home, a teenager has been arrested over
an alleged arson attack on a barber shop. We've told
you about this incident in western Sydney before it took

(01:18:19):
place last month in Marylands. The barbershop has been targeted
many times, but at four am on Thursday May eighth,
as sixteen year old boy tried burning the shop and
in the process he accidentally lit himself on fire. And
we've described the CCTV footage before. You can see the
teen smashing the front window of the barbershop before pouring

(01:18:41):
petrol inside the store. But as he sets the fuel alight,
he goes up in flames. Two you can see him
rolling around in bushes trying to put the fire out.
Before emergency services arrived, he fled the scene. However, following
an extensive investigation, police have now caught the culprit. They
believe they've charged him with several serious offenses. He's been

(01:19:04):
refused bail to appear before the children's court, and police
will allege the teenager is responsible for lighting the fires.
They also allege the barbershop has links to a high
profile organized crime network.

Speaker 3 (01:19:19):
A sponsor update for the Serrato successor, the turbo charged
Kiak four kias on new small sedan GT Line variant
available now. Find out more about Kia's latest small car.

Speaker 2 (01:19:31):
What's happening Spiro morning?

Speaker 22 (01:19:33):
Then we're gearing up for basically the Grand Final of
Test cricket, where the two best teams in the world
go head to head in a standalone Test match to
determine a champion. We have Australia, the reigning champs, taking
on South Africa at Lords which is the home of cricket.
The first ball to be bowled at seven point thirty
tonight local time and the site has been named The
big call. Which has cricket fans talking this morning is

(01:19:54):
the decision to name Manus Laboujin at the top of
the order to open the batting, edging out the up
and coming tear age of Sam Constas. I guess Constas
probably lacks the experience thereafter, especially when it comes to
the conditions in England. Labushaine, on the other hand, normally
plays pretty well in the Northern Hemisphere. The other changes
Cameron Green, the all rounder, makes his longer way to
return from injury, while the fast bowler Josh Hazelwood also

(01:20:16):
gets the nod over Scott Bolin. So we'll be keeping
an eye on this match over the next couple of days.
I did mention earlier in the program and this match,
the World Test Championship Final is not on free to AIRTV.
You can only watch it on Amazon Prime, which is
a subscription based streaming service. We spoke as well about
the soccer rus they had that win over Saudi Arabia
to want to book their spot in the FIFA World

(01:20:37):
Cup for next year, and that match wasn't on free
to AIRTV either, that was on Paramount Plus. So when
it comes to big sporting events of national interest, I
think that it has to be on free to air.
When it comes to World Test Championship Cricket finals and
World Cup qualifiers, you have to give Ozzie's a chance
to watch these matches on free to AIRTV because you
can't subscribe to every service Netflix and Paramount Plus and

(01:20:59):
what you.

Speaker 2 (01:21:00):
Also, can't grow a sport if people can't watch.

Speaker 22 (01:21:03):
It exactly right, and when it's high quality sport being played,
it's important for people to be able.

Speaker 2 (01:21:07):
To watch that. Game two of State of Origin.

Speaker 22 (01:21:09):
We're just seven days away from the second game of
the series, Billy Slater. The Morons coaches decided to appoint
Cameron Munster he's five eighth as the captain of the
Queensland side, replacing Dally Cherry Evans as skipper. New South
Wales have basically skipped Sydney. They went straight up the
M four to the Blue Mountains and later this morning
they'll hit the training paddock in Wentworth Falls the side.
We'll spend the next couple of days at the Fairmont

(01:21:31):
Resort in Lura before they travel to Perth on Sunday.
So very exciting State of Origin game two not too
far away, and I think the Continuous Call team are
jumping on the plane and heading to Perth as well,
Mark Levy and Mark Geyer, Daryl Browman and Mark Piggy Riddell.
So an exciting time for them heading across to wa
and the.

Speaker 2 (01:21:48):
Blues are at Fairmont Resorting Lura, where there is a
beautiful golf course as well, so I'm sure they would
have packed the golf clubs. We'll talk to you soon, thanks, Ben.

Speaker 3 (01:21:55):
Like what you're hearing, Subscribe to the Ben Fordham Live
podcast through Apple and Spotify.

Speaker 2 (01:22:02):
Well, this is interesting. At New South Wales Parliament, a
crop of magic mushrooms has been found growing outside the
entry to the historic building. The psychedelic drugs have sprung
up after a recent period of heavy rainfall and they're
growing under the noses of the state's politicians. Jeremy Buckingham,
from the Legalized Cannabis Party, was the first person to

(01:22:23):
notice the mushrooms. How did you notice them, Jeremy? Anyway,
he alerted the Daily Telegraph, who then ran tests on
some of the samples they collected, and the samples from
Parliament House have tested positive for silacon, which is the
psycho addictive substance. The Department of Parliamentary Services has jumped

(01:22:44):
into action following the bizarre discovery. They're now coming up
with a management plan. Mark Levy's with us. He'll be
here on the air after nine. Levy, Good morning to you.

Speaker 7 (01:22:53):
Good morning, Ben. I wonder what the management plan entails.
I would have thought you'd just tell someone go and
rip them out and put them in the bin. You
used to get all the goss in the bar at
Parliament House. Maybe you just need to stand outside the
front door.

Speaker 2 (01:23:05):
It's just look like any normal mushrooms to me.

Speaker 7 (01:23:08):
I don't even know what a magic mushroom looks like.

Speaker 2 (01:23:10):
Do you know what they do?

Speaker 7 (01:23:12):
Apparently you have a good time. We could do a
little test with you now. I don't think three hours
of me on a magic mushroom.

Speaker 2 (01:23:19):
What we could do is we could do it halfway
through the program, so you do the first hour and
a half straight and then you do the last ninety
minutes on the magic mushrooms.

Speaker 7 (01:23:27):
I'm sure we'd be breaching some rules, but I'll tell
you what'd be good radio. The ratings could go up.
What are you doing after night? I've got Mickwilling coming
into the studio today. It's thank a first respond to
day and his name's being mentioned as a potential candidate
to take over the Rollers police commissioners. So looking forward
to catching up with Mick, and we'll get the latest
from the Mayor of Wallandilly Shire. I got word yesterday, Ben,

(01:23:48):
you remember the five teenagers that lost their lives in
that Buxton crash. Heard it and they had the bench
seats set up for the victims, and some low life's
gone along and pinched the plarks off those bench seats.
So we'll get the latest that and the investigation from police.

Speaker 2 (01:24:02):
And Mick Willing.

Speaker 7 (01:24:02):
What time is Mick Willing on now, he'll be on
ten fifteen.

Speaker 2 (01:24:06):
Okay, I'll be listening a very experienced New South Wales
police officer who we lost sadly, and if the rumors
are to be believed, he's putting his hat back in
the ring potentially to be commissioner. So I'll be listening
out for that one. And yeah, on the Buckston crash memorial.
I just couldn't believe that when I heard that. Yes,
dark I can understand why you were fuming. So we'll
be listening after nine.

Speaker 7 (01:24:23):
Good on your body.

Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
There's Mark Levy. Now, would you like to win a
five hundred dollars voucher this morning?

Speaker 1 (01:24:29):
The late red us like a doution or in the.

Speaker 2 (01:24:35):
Name, now's the time to call the prize line one
three hundred and seven double two eight seven three, upgrade
and save with Winston with a Y get twenty five
percent of motorized blinds, curtains and awnings. But if you're
the lucky caller on the prize line, you win a
five hundred dollars voucher to get you started. Winston dot
com dot au that's Winston with a Y. We've had

(01:24:58):
messages coming in from all over Sydney about dirt bikes.
After we spoke to one of our listeners saying she's
been calling the police saying we've got dirt bikes here
every afternoon and the police don't do anything about it.
We've also heard from a police source saying there's a
reason why, and that's because we don't feel like we've
got the backing of the hierarchy if something goes wrong,
if a police officer he's chasing one of these dirt

(01:25:20):
bikes and the dirt bike has a crash. Adrian says
I've seen trail bikes on the M seven cycle path.
Sally says we're having the same issue in the Bankstown area.
Police have told us they're not allowed to chase them.
Another one here. We have the same problem where we live.
The current dirt bike issue is a clear example of

(01:25:40):
what the New South Wales government's present management of e
bikes will become in the future. Susie says. Same in Newcastle.
Always between two am and four am they read loudly
outside certain houses. Paul says last week I had three
stolen motorbikes with two juveniles wearing balaclavas on each. They
nearly and my dog's over. Michael says in Dubbo the

(01:26:03):
illegal dirt bike issue has been going on for years.
We've noticed a spike in recent times. Well, I'm being
told that newstud Wales police want to respond to these
concerns and they may be joining us on the program
as early as tomorrow, so we look forward to that.
Another one here from John. We've had the same issue
with motorbikes and motorized bikes around Kingsgrove and Earlwood. They're

(01:26:25):
wearing balaclavas and ruining local parks, terrorizing motorists and pedestrians.

Speaker 23 (01:26:32):
Just a little bit of hestery riffity.

Speaker 3 (01:26:35):
And now on ben Fordham Live on their day, gott
a gurgle one hundred percent no digging guarantee from the
drain man, call us we'll fix it fast.

Speaker 1 (01:26:45):
One eight hundred bad drain Man.

Speaker 2 (01:26:47):
Today is the eleventh of June. It was on this
day in twenty twenty three a horror bus accident took
place in the Hunter Valley. Ten passengers were killed when
the bus flipped while driving from a web.

Speaker 1 (01:27:00):
For joyous daylight.

Speaker 16 (01:27:02):
That in a beautiful place to end with such terrible
loss of life and injury is so cruel and so
sad and so unfair.

Speaker 2 (01:27:10):
The bus driver, Brett Button, was sentenced to thirty two
years behind bars. In nineteen twenty seven, the first Darryl
Lee chocolate shop opened in Australia. In nineteen sixty four,
the Beatles arrived down under the.

Speaker 24 (01:27:24):
Welcome of the year in Powering Blinding Rain, A group
of young Liverpublians who bring with them unprecedented attacks of beetlemania.
Teenagers and quite a few of their elders screen their adulation.

Speaker 2 (01:27:35):
Over two weeks, the Beatles performed twenty concerts across the country.
We'd love to talk to you if you were at
one of them. In nineteen eighty eight, Freedom Fest was
held at Wembley Stadium. Artists from around the world came
together to call for Nelson Mandela's freedom, but.

Speaker 23 (01:27:49):
The message behind all of it is quite simple, wesolute you,
Nelson Mandela.

Speaker 2 (01:27:55):
The artists included Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston. In nineteen
eighty two, Eat premiered in cinemas et Phone Home Some
Happy Birthdays Now The Aussie Olympian Jess Fox is thirty
one today. Happy birthday, Jess. And you know who else

(01:28:16):
is having a birthday?

Speaker 23 (01:28:17):
And to Regather, Yes, he's done it. He's hod They Hey, hodayday.
What about Andrew King? Put it in the sucker, put
it out. He's too good for this game. Yeah, you're
too good.

Speaker 2 (01:28:32):
Rabs Ray Rabs Warren is eighty two today, Happy birthday, Rabs.
And on this day in nineteen sixty nine, David Bowie
released this This.

Speaker 22 (01:28:41):
Is ground Control to me, shuits on.

Speaker 24 (01:28:45):
You freely made the gray and the papers want to
know who shots you wear.

Speaker 13 (01:28:57):
Now It's time to lead Capsule if your day.

Speaker 1 (01:29:05):
This is spage and sums and graph console.

Speaker 7 (01:29:10):
I'm stapping the time.

Speaker 16 (01:29:15):
And unfolding in the most peculy.

Speaker 24 (01:29:19):
Away and the stars of very diffluence to.

Speaker 2 (01:29:28):
Space. Odity was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame
almost fifty years later. It was released on this day.
In nineteen sixty nine. It all happened on this day,
the eleventh of June, and that's the podcast for today,
the highlights of today's show, and we will be back
again to do it all again before you know it. Now,

(01:29:49):
could you be so kind as to leave a rating
on our podcast, maybe a comment? If you want to
give us five stars, you can give us five stars.
I'm not trying to encourage you how to rate the program,
but we'd love to see that. And do we check.
I'd love to say that we don't, but occasionally we
have a little bit of a look. So if you
want to give us a rating, if you want to

(01:30:09):
give us a comment, please do so, and also share
this podcast with your friends. Bye bye,