June 16, 2025 • 50 mins
The conflict in the Middle East escalates as Israel and Iran trade blows, the PM locks in a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. Plus, NSW Nationals vote to drop their net zero policy.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Peter Krendland Live on Sky News Australia.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good evening, Broak tav your company. Here's what's coming up
on Kredlin the CD. The situation in the Middle East
continues to escalate, military responses from both Iran and Israel.
Across Live to Tel Aviv for the mood on the ground,
and I'll also speak to an Australia and stranded in
Jordan but lucky enough to get out of Tel Aviv
during the bombing outbreak last week. He didn't have a meeting,
(00:29):
but today it's official and you face to face confirmation
between the Prime Minister and Donald Trump.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
It'll happen in Canada this week.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Now Bloke might not I hope it's all about the
tariff issue, but he might not want to hear what's
coming from the President on defense. Plus a battle within
the coalition heating out. The New South Wales Nationals the
latest to vote down Net zero meeting. The Federal Coalition
won't be able to sit on the fence for much longer,
regardless of a Susan Lee review or not. And the
(00:58):
weekend's precision strive by is Israel. It hit at the
heart of Iran's nuclear weapon infrastructure, and we in the
West should thank Israel for doing what it did and
removing some of Iran's most formidable personnel. But that's not
the position of labor who have shown themselves yet again
to be on the wrong side of this whole issue.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
We urge the escalation, we urge restraint, we urge dialogue
and diplomacy.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
We'll start with that issue here because while the Iran
Israel conflict is generating all the weekend drama and to
get into today, what's most important for Australia almost certainly
or with this face to face meeting now confirmed for
this week between our Prime Minister and the United States President.
Now it's not over dramatizing things to say, it's not
(01:49):
just the Orchis nuclear deal, which will be potentially at stake,
but the entire US security partnership, our ANDUS foundation that's
at the heart of our defense and foreign policy and
has been for seven decades. Today, Anthony Albanezy insisted that
it would be a good discussion because he says Australia
was pulling its weight on defense to that.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
There's all of the support that we give to the
United States and with our defensial relationships, including fuel reserves
in the Northern territory, including the presence of US forces
in Darwin as well.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Look, it's true our defense spending will glasily move up
to two point three percent of GDP in a decade's time,
that we do host US BASS at Pine Gap and elsewhere,
and one thousand marines in Darwin.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
But that's spending.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
The two point three is way way, way too low.
And those facilities at Pine Gap and elsewhere, well, they're
not new to the relationship. Now, Okay, it's possible we
could become a bit supplier of strategic minerals and rare
earth to the US, as you heard the Prime Minister say,
but that is unlikely because it's not just about mining them,
(03:10):
it's also the need to process them here.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Now.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Currently most of that's done in China because their environmental standards.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Are much more lacks than ours.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Besides, it's not what we think of ourselves, but what
the Trump administration thinks of us that counts, and so
far it seems they don't think much. It was only
a couple of weeks back that the US Defan Secretary
Pete Hexas publicly told us that we must lift our
defense spending to some three point five percent of GDP.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
Needle members are pledging to spend five percent of their
GDP on defense, even Germany. So it doesn't make sense
for countries in Europe to do that while key allies
in Asia spend less on defense in the face of
an even more formidable threat.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Now, whatever soothing words might might might emerge from the
encounter between Trump and Albanez he expected on Wednesday morning
our time, it's hard to imagine the President not reiterating
the three five percent demand with his typical emphasis. And
let's face it, Donald Trump is nothing if not blunt,
(04:21):
and his one consistent message as a first term president
and again now in this term, has been that allies
must do more if they expect alliances to last.
Speaker 7 (04:32):
You're in no position to dictate that. Remember, you're in
no position to dictate what we're going to feel right.
Speaker 8 (04:40):
Now, you don't explain.
Speaker 9 (04:43):
You're gambling with millions of people.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Have you said thank you once?
Speaker 7 (04:48):
A lot of times you said.
Speaker 10 (04:51):
But we have thousands of people that want to come
into our country, and there are white farmers and they feel.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
That they're going to die.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's South Africa. Then there's the whole issue of Taiwan. Now,
no one really knows whether the US would defend Taiwan
against communist China, either blockading the nation or attempting to invade,
but if it did, it would expect, perhaps demand, even
Australian help. After all, the Answers treaty, and I mentioned
(05:21):
it before, it's the bedrock of our national security. It
states that in the event of an attack quote an
armed attack on any of the parties would then act
together to meet the common danger. Now it's pretty close
to NATO's Article five, and it's about a stronger wording
you'll find in any treaty of mutual assistance. When pressed
(05:42):
on this very point today, Anthony Albanezi was his usual
evasive self, always careful never to mention China.
Speaker 7 (05:51):
Donald Trump and America be confident that Australia would stand
shoulder to shoulder with them in the event of a
major conflict in the Indo Pacific and in the event
that China invades Taiwan or whatever means that happens.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Well, the role of Orcus and the role of nation
states in our region, including our partners, is full peace
and security in the region. That's what we want, and
Australia's a trusted partner to promote peace and security in
our region.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Someone's going to tell them to update his briefing notes,
because I'll tell you what ANSAs is not ORCUS, and
it's precisely this whole absence of assurance of military solidarity
against Beijing that's likely prompted the United States to order
a review of whether ORCUS is consistent with Trump's America
First agenda. Given that America can't build enough submarines for itself,
(06:51):
why would it give us three without the confidence that
they'd be used to help America if required under the
Answers treaty. His supporters will say the PM's matured and
mellowed from his undergraduate lefty days, but there's still plenty
of others in his caucus who would prefer to be
an economic colony of China than a military ally of
(07:13):
the United States. Does anyone think the Prime Minister would
agree to lift military spending to three percent of GDP
and beyond when this was the precise proposal that he
ridiculed during the election campaign when it came from the opposition.
Speaker 10 (07:30):
We're going to increase our defense spend to two point
five percent of GDP within five years and out to
ten years it'll be at three percent.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Find it extraordinary that you try to get a headline
with a big number and then there's nothing of what
the big number should be invested in.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Does anyone think the PM would give even private assurances
about Taiwan when the whole tenor of his Prime ministership
so far has been about avoiding up sett in Beijing,
almost to the point of appeasement. Here he was when
the Chinese Navy conducted unannounced live fire exercises off the
(08:11):
New South Wales coast.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
China issued, in accordance with practice, an alert that it
would be conducting these activities, including the potential use of
live fire. It's outside of Australia's Exclusive Economic zone.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Here was too, when the Chinese Navy deliberately injured Australian
naval divers.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
And this is a sort of incident that I've spoken
about when I addressed the Shangri La dialogue in June
of why we need communication guardrails and we need to
avoid a reckless event such as this.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Now, I know China is our biggest trade partner, but
what is more important in these challenging times, selling a
few more lobsters and few boxes of grange to Beijing
or maintaining Australia's freedom and independence. Sooner or later, we
actually might have to choose between our main trade partner
(09:16):
and our main security partner, most likely because Beijing will
force us to Now. Even when that time comes, we
won't be choosing America over China, but democracy over dictatorship.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
In the meantime, thes.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Way to avoid the dreadful prospect of war over Taiwan
is to persuade Beijing that it's a war they might
not win. That's peace through strength, not peace through appeasement.
That means standing shoulder to shoulder with the US president,
even under this president who doesn't think we're doing enough,
and even under this Prime minister who wants us to
(09:55):
do even less. Lots of stories around local and overseas
will go there now for the headline Sky News political
reporter Camridden.
Speaker 11 (10:07):
Good Evening, Australia is joining mounting global calls on Israel
and Iran to return to diplomacy and scale back their
military action.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Obviously, this is a very distressing time for so many people.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
We, along with other like minded countries, do want to
see that priority on dialogue and diplomacy.
Speaker 11 (10:27):
Having arrived at the G seven in Canada, the Prime
Minister is preparing for his first face to face meeting
with President Trump.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
We've got a few things to talk about. We see
tariffs sas acts of economic self harm on orcus. It
is very much in the interests of all three countries.
Speaker 11 (10:47):
The pair will meet on Wednesday morning, Australia time, and
as the global security outlook deteriorates, Anthony Alberanezi is signaling
he's open to stronger defense ties with the European Union
after it raised the prospers with Australia last month. The
former head of the Finance Department has formally commenced her
role as the new Secretary of Treasury.
Speaker 10 (11:07):
Welcome, Jenny, Congratulations on your appointment.
Speaker 11 (11:11):
Jenny Wilkinson takes over from doctor Stephen Kennedy, who's been
poached to head up the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
We're pretty well placed to support you and I'll do
my level best.
Speaker 11 (11:23):
Cameron Reddin's Sky News Canberra.
Speaker 8 (11:27):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Jonnyman now, as he does every Monday. Sky News political
contributor Chris human Well Chris We're going to have to
start with the Middle East. We'll get into the domestic
components of it in a moment.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
But look, give me.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Your reaction to those Israeli strikes on Friday. Sure, in
a perfect world, no one wants any escalation in this
part of the world. But it's not a perfect world.
Israel I regard as having a sovereign right to defend itself.
And I'll tell you what is someone in the West.
I am very glad to see it runs nuclear capability degraded.
(11:58):
Give us your sense of things.
Speaker 9 (12:01):
Well, Peter, Israel had no other choice than to do
what it did. The International Atomic Energy Agencies said in
April that Iran was weeks away enriching enough uranium to
have multiple bombs. Now, don't forget that Iran is dedicated
to the destruction of Israel. It's done that or tried
to do that for the last forty years through its proxies.
(12:24):
And there's every reason why Israel had a right to fear.
What would happen if Iran got those weapons. And don't
forget the distance in terms of ballistic missile is short.
Israel would have ten minutes warning that a ballistic missile
with a nuclear warhead was on the way. Now, I
ask you what the people of Canberra, for example, might
think if there was a different state in the Northern
(12:46):
Territory and the distance between here and Alice Springs is
what we're talking about, that was dedicated to the destruction
of this side of the country. What do you think
that the people of canberraa would want their government to do.
Israel was perfectly within its rights to do this. The
only thing I hope is that it can quickly degrade
this enough so that the fighting can stop, but it
(13:07):
should keep going until it is absolutely certain that the
threat has been eliminated.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Okay, So how can we get that sort of international
legal perspective and moral clarity from you that we don't
get from the Australian government Because all we have heard
from the government the Petty Wong in particular Foreign Minister,
is basically to call for restraint, which is, you know,
Israel fight with one arm behind your back. There's been
no real mention of how the West should thank God
(13:36):
for Israel and what they are able to do over
the last three or four days. That has been missing
from our government's rehtric.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Well.
Speaker 9 (13:45):
The Israeli ambassadors some this one up, and that is
words do not stop warheads. Do you genuinely believe that
the state of Iran under the eyetolers was any ever
going to have a kind of regime where it would
allow you to have enough inspections to have the confidence
that you could continue to live with that state and
(14:07):
that it would not develop those weapons. And by the way,
I've certainly been told, and I'm sure that you have too,
that given that Iran is helping out Russia when it
comes to drones, that Russia is now helping out Iran
when it comes to enriching nuclear enriching Uranian for weapons.
They only want those weapons for one thing, and that
is the destruction of the state of Israel. Now, they
(14:27):
might not use them, Peter, but would you take that chance?
So there are many reasons why I disagree on some
things with the government of benjaminet Yahu. I do wish
that they would find a way to bring to an
end the war in Gaza. I do not agree with
everything that that government does, but on this one I
find them hard to fault.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, we got I share some reservations too about the governments.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Some of the things they are doing.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
But I mean, you only need to have been across
this issue for the last ten or fifteen years and
know we absolutely are on a precipice with Iran. And
the nature of that strike I'll get into it at
a moment with Peter and Jennings, but the precision in
that strike I think is all inspiring.
Speaker 9 (15:10):
I look, one of the things that we've learned, and
I think one of the things that the enemies of
Israel have learned is that their intelligence capabilities, which failed
so miserably obviously when Hamas attacked Israel or years ago
now there was a huge intelligence failure. Since then, they
have shown what they can do with intelligence. And wouldn't
(15:30):
you right now be looking over your shoulder if you
were in Iran, if you were in Lebanon, if you
were in Gaza, at the capacity of the Israeli intelligence
agencies to know exactly where you are at a certain
point in time so that they can surgically take you out.
You know, that must lead the people in those governments
to be looking over their shoulders and wondering where the
rat in the ranks is.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I'll tell you.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I'll get into some other more domestic issues in a moment.
But you'd want to be a fly on the wall,
wouldn't you when Donald Trump sits down with Anthony Albanesi,
because it won't just be rare earths and US beef
coming into Australia. I mean, defense is going to be
absolutely front and center, isn't it?
Speaker 9 (16:14):
Oh, it absolutely is. Peter, and the US Defense Secretary
made it clear that he thought that we were underdone
in a meeting that he had with Richard Marles, our
Defense Minister. In fact, there was a defense conference on
here held by the Australian Today and the best advice
that I saw on what Anthony ALBERIZI should do in
this meeting is to disarm Donald Trump. And that is
to go in and say, look, mister President, everybody who
(16:34):
comes into your presence wants something. I'm here to tell
you that the Australian government is spending money on defense,
is wanting to get Virginia Cask Submarines can do maintenance
for you, tell me how I can help you.
Speaker 12 (16:47):
That might not be a bad.
Speaker 9 (16:48):
Way to start that meeting, and he said it would
certainly disarm someone like Donald Trump. Now I don't know
if that's the advice that is getting from the current
ambassador to the United States, which is Kevin Rudd. But
me is a pretty good opening gambit.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
You know, that's interesting you say that, because when Tony
Abott had his meeting with Obama in the Oval Office,
he did precisely that how can we be useful? And
President obamacaond at the time, geez, I don't get many
people coming in here who say, how can we be useful?
How can we assist you? Usually everyone comes with a
begging volve for the United States. And it disarmed him too.
And he, as you know, was a big fan of
(17:25):
Julia Gillard, not a great fan to start off with
of Tony Abbott's, but at won him over.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
So maybe that's where they should start. We'll see.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
RBA there was a review in twenty twenty three and
a recommendation of the review was that how the RBA
board votes on the issue of interest rates should be
made public. Now, the current governor, Michelle Bullet, doesn't like this.
I have to say, I think it's fraught with issues.
(17:54):
I think the ability of the RBA to have these
frank and robust conversations behind closed door doors and make
a decision on whether to stay the rates increase, drop,
whatever the cash rate. I don't think that should be
in the public domain. I think it'll play out badly
politically as well.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
What do you think.
Speaker 9 (18:14):
Yeah, we're probably on a different page on this when
I'm a maximum disclosure kind of guy, because I've spent
my entire working life for real, well since I was
twenty nine, in the media. So I like to see
as much transparency as possible. Other reserve banks around the
world do seem to be able to do it. I
will say though, in the political climate in Australia there
is a lot of heat that is applied politically to
the people on the Reserve Bank board. We've seen that recently.
(18:36):
We've seen that in fact, we saw in the past
with Peter Costello. So it's both sides of politics do
tend to do this, and I would be a bit
worried if I as a Reserve Bank board member that
the government might exact revenge if you weren't actually falling
into line. So I can see the concerns about that.
The look interest rates affect all of us, and so
I would like to see as much transparency as possible
in understanding why it is and how it is that
(18:57):
they are decided.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
You and I have been dubious about the claim of
these so called green jobs. I mean, you know, every
coal mine is suddenly going to come become a bloke
that can put up a wind turbine. If you listen
to the left of politics. Tim Ayres was out there today.
He's a new industry minister, saying that he thinks in
relation to artificial intelligence, we're going to have all of
these jobs that are going to come out of it,
(19:22):
including and manufacturing. He points to renewables as well. You know,
when I talk to people like Dick Smith who are
very dubious about AI jobs and automation jobs not necessarily
the same thing. The whole point of AI is to
take out the redundant human being from the supply chain.
So show me where these AI jobs are going to
(19:44):
come from, and I think that's.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Going to be a huge.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Overturning of human beings purpose. You know, you finish school,
you get an education, you get a trade, you went
to the workforce at a at an e true level position.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
If those jobs.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Are not there, how do future generations earn an income?
And now we're going to have you know, all that
nonsense of the universal wage, and are how are we
even going to pay for all of that. I don't
feel like we're grappling with these issues, Chris, and I
feel like we're just sort of saying it's all going
to be fabulous when we're not doing the homework.
Speaker 9 (20:23):
Oh, absolutely, Peter and I do think that AI is
one of those things that's a generation that comes along
once in a generation, a technology that is that powerful,
or you'd struggle to think of other things in human
history that are kind of equivalent to this. And the
potential that it has to take out white college jobs. Now,
we've seen industry in the past as it mechanizes take
out blue collar jobs, so the white college jobs are
(20:43):
the next one in line. And I've seen what artificial
intelligence can do by stringing together two interviews and churning
out a pretty serviceable news story. So I think that
it might cost a lot of journalist jobs. And in
any of the information technologies we've seen, that's where the
hammer falls first and hardest. It certainly is the media.
So I would be a bit dubious about the future
on that front. And look, every time they talk about this,
(21:05):
they always put the word green in front of it.
Can I tell you. I was in the United States
last year and the kinds of energy demands that we're
talking about in a single undiversified load. That means that
they are going to be wanting energy twenty four to
seven that will not be run by wind and solar
power in the United States. It will be a gas
first and then a nuclear policy. So they're going to
set up their data centers in and around those big
(21:27):
gas fields in the United States and get cheap, abundant
energy in order to deliver that data. I don't know
where we're going to get that from. And everyone talks
about productivity. To Peter, here's a recipe for productivity. Cheaper
and energy, certainty, less red tape, and a government that
doesn't think that it knows more than the market. Start
there and you might get somewhere.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Maybe even remove a layer of government in Australia, that'd
be nice too, that'd be good for productivity. Thanks very much, Chris,
See you next week. The conflict of the Middle East
has continued to escalate since Israel launched those preemptive stripe
on Friday against Iran as part of what they're called
Operation Rising Lion Tel Aviv has been shaken by Iran's
first daylight strike since Friday, as the two nations continue
(22:10):
to trade blows. Joining me now from Tel Aviv, Arson Ostrovsky,
an Australian Israeli human rights lawyer and the CEO of
the International Legal Forum Arsten Welcome. I hope you're safe.
I am very pleased to be able to speak to
you tonight. I think all Australians are watching very closely.
You're part of the world. You're a human rights lawyer.
Explain to us the difference between what are here strategic
(22:34):
attacks on military targets versus what Iran is doing to
you in retaliation.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
Sure, thank you for having on Peter, I should explain
if you can see in the background here, I'm actually
the side of our last notes misso attack in Tel Aviv.
I'm in the middle of a residential area. There are
no military targets anyone who are inside. These are homes here,
people live here, there are shops here. It is just
purely purely civilians. And they didn't realize a little bit difference.
So what is what an act of aggression? It was
(23:04):
an act of self defense and last resort against They
really wanted to try to subtle enemy that I bought
Israel's destruction and stood on the cusp of doing so
and flop me so that they were really on the
verge of fating the list that does not sow nuclear warheads.
They have time and time agemic saw this was annihilation
(23:24):
by proxy terror groups as balamass and I mean to
have the footies, of course, but here in lies the difference.
Whereas and you're not in the beginning where Israel has
been targeting solely military targets, infrastructure targets, the nuclear nuclear
weapons capabilities, Iran has been indiscriminately targeting the entire state
(23:45):
of Israel. Every single person has been in shelter, myself,
my family included as sore as Israel is acting in
its inalible right of certain sense, what Yvan is doing
is a grow small crime. So there is an otherqulification
in all countries, include in Australia, by the way, should
recognize this.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
We're just talking before I spoke to you with one
of our correspondents out of Camber. And of course the
Australian government here is focused on calling on.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Restraint from Israel.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Why does Israel have to restrain when an international or
proportionality and everything else applies to almost every other country
but Israel.
Speaker 8 (24:25):
Yeah, it shouldn't. It is a relentless and systematic double
standard approach to it all that is not applied to
any other countries. It's disappointing to have heard from Minister
one foul for such restraints. I think I would actually
add better Australia's response. And I say this also as
Australian that's been in and out of shelters has been
somewhat scold and indifferent. I can tell you that if
(24:48):
Australia was threatened with annihilation, if Australia I have had
to sustain hundreds upon hundreds of the listed missile attacks,
sending the entire country to population, I don't think Australia
would show such a risk. In alshod Is world, we
expected to.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
What's the mood in Tel Aviv? Now?
Speaker 8 (25:07):
Look right right now? People are cleaning up, people are
outside trying to get a sense of what happened. You know,
if I move aside here and you can't see, there's
you know a lot of the destructional debris, a lot
of the glass around me. Book the israelis in a
lot of ways, Like the audience are a resilient, resilient bunch,
and we've had to have been for a long time
(25:29):
and start since October seventh. Beworlds on the standards for something.
It's quite serious. We're dealing with an enemy state that
is seek now less than now annihilation, that is firing ballistics,
missiles and drones that the entire Stavilian population areas in
Australia will stand for this. No should Israel or any
other countries.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Just quickly asking, I mean, would you say that this
has got broad community support?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
This action?
Speaker 8 (26:02):
Those are you know, those radis are in Noow. I'm
sure can you hear me?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yes, I have, I've got you. You've just said it's
got broad support.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
That's very very helpful to know. Stay safe, Thank you,
Thank you for joining me, Arson, Thank you. Let's go
down to an Australian who was there on the weekend
caught up in the conflict, joining me now though he's
in Jordan. Is Radford pr Principal James Radford, James, trouble.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Seems to find you.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I'll tell you what one minute I talked to you
when you're at the Trump mar Lago does when it's
all kicking off down there. And I talked to you
over the weekend. I find out you're in Tel Aviv
in a bomb shelter. You've got out of there, though
you're in Jordan. You're at the airport waiting to get home.
But tell us what it was like in Tel Aviv
over the weekend and how on earth you got out?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Good morning, Peter.
Speaker 12 (26:51):
Well, first, can I say, I'm thinking of everyone in
Tel Aviv at the moment, all of the Israelis, all
of the stranded Australian and especially in my group as well,
who was still there trying to evacuate tele Aviv. It
was such an incredible but not in a good sense,
in a bad sense. A few days we woke up
at three am on Friday morning to a sort of
half alarm that went off in our hotel rooms, and
we weren't quite sure what to do if it was
incoming missile far I, it was incoming rockets. So we
(27:14):
all went to the shelter in our hotel and we're
just madly scrambling on our phones to try and find
out what was going on. We then found out that
Israel had started its offensive against the Iranian nuclear capabilities,
and that just sort of sent a bit of a
shock down all of our spines because we know that
this is a very serious action and it would probably
take weeks for it to be resolved, so we're incredibly nervous.
That night, I didn't go back to sleep. I did
(27:36):
everything I could on my phone to try and evacuate
out of there, to try and get our group out
of there, but it was extremely difficult circumstances, and I'm
just so thankful that my incredible boss, Gina Reinhart, worked
night and day to try and get myself and also
the group out of there, but because of the capacity constraints,
I was only able to go myself. So it was
an incredible scary few days. We had to run to
(27:57):
the bomb shelter three times Saturday evening and while we're
in there. As an Australian, I've never experienced anything like
this nor head the rest of our delegation, but we
could actually hear the missile interceptions overhead. The first we
thought it was the door closing and opening, but we
realized the door wouldn't close and open that many times,
so it was an incredibly shaking experience and just just
waiting for the next notification on your phone, just waiting
(28:19):
for the next alarm to go off. Yeah, it was
just a very very very nervous time to be over there,
and I'm incredible, incredibly I've been able to depart.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
I'd have to say, be incredibly uncertainly. You get, you know,
an alarm golf in the middle of the nine I know,
having been in Israel myself, you sort of have your
worst case scenarios go.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Through your head, but for it actually.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
To be real and have to get down there quickly
and you know, try and work out what the heck's
going on. What about the Australian embassy. People said to
me that our embassy shut down over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Is that right?
Speaker 8 (28:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (28:55):
Look, my understanding was the Australian Embassy in Jerusalem was
closed on Friday. I'm not sure if that was a
plan cloth for Shabbat because most of his right clothes
on Fridays, but it was closed. You would expect that
they would open a sap given the rockets and missile launched,
time for them to open the embassy. So it was
(29:16):
a concerning period because there was also as we understand
that no immediate plans to evacuate Australians, and also there
was no precedent set up in coming days, but it
was not immediately available when the missiles and the rockets
started to get fired. So I think the Australian Embassy
was caught on the back foot a little bit as
well as Defaut, and I really think they should be
prepared for these scenarios. It's a sort of KPI number one.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah, you're not wrong because this was an official delegation,
so it wasn't like you were. We're there without their knowledge.
I'll leave it there, James, just starting to break up,
but travel home safely and.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Good on Gina Reinhardt. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
After the break So far the US is staying out
of this conflict, but the how long? Plus all eyes
will be on that meeting next week, you hope from
Chris yourman for the wonderful Peter jen is coming up.
What's going to happen on this and a few other
things at the G seven Welcome Max Still the Carmel
(30:10):
Cross live to a very important farming event happening right
now in Victoria as regional communities grapple with drought and
that massive new tax hits. But let's stay now with
the conflict in the Middle East is rare. The Prime
Minister Benjaminette Yahoo has told Fox News this operation isn't
just about protecting Israel.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
We can't have the world's most dangerous regime have the
world's most dangerous weapons.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
We're protecting ourselves, but by doing so, we're protecting many others.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Join me now to discuss this and more strategic analysis.
Australian director Peter Jennings. Well, Peter, give us your sense
of things. How long do you think this is going
to last? The trading of blows in the Middle East.
Speaker 13 (30:52):
I think we're going to see significant air campaigns, air
strikes against to run at least for a week or so, Peter.
And that's because the Israelis want to make sure that
they are thoroughly destroying the nuclear program and also chemical
and biological weapons programs. But I think more broadly than that,
going after a significant amount of infrastructure which is necessary
(31:15):
more broadly to support those programs, and also after the
senior leadership of the Iranian military, and depending on how
things go, perhaps also their political leadership. So this is
going to last let's say a week in terms of
intense combat operations and perhaps perhaps even longer.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Okay, we've talked a bit already on the show about
the assets, the infrastructure that's been hit, but you've touched
on there. The leadership that have been annihilated in these
precision bombing raids. Give us an understanding of how important
that will be to possible regime change in Iran. It
happened very quickly in the case of Syria recently, because
(32:00):
they've been there so much longer. It's more difficult in Iran.
But give me your take on things we're going to
see regime change, Peter. Do you think in the short
to medium term potentially.
Speaker 13 (32:12):
Well, we've seen the Israelis are saying perhaps twenty senior
military leaders have been killed, including the commander in chief
of their military that the most senior general, the chief
of staff of the Iranian Guard's Corps, which is also
a most significant internal security apparatus. We've seen the commander
of the missiles and drones killed, a senior advisor to
(32:38):
Iatola Kamani, political advisor. So this starts to go to
the leadership group that is around Aatola Kamani. It seems
that the reporting is Peter that the Americans have said
to Israel, don't go after Kamani himself. But I think
(32:58):
that the Israelis are doing what they can to make
sure that Iran cannot come back from these strikes quickly.
And a model for this is a little bit like
what they did with the Hesbala leadership in Lebanon just
a few months ago. They know where these people are
and they are very deliberately attacking them, and I think
(33:20):
that shows you that beyond taking out the nuclear program
and missiles and so forth, there is an attempt now
to do serious damage to the senior leadership structure of
Iran as well.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
And Donald Trump says, of course the US are not involved,
but they could become involved.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
What would cause that to happen?
Speaker 13 (33:44):
They're involved, They will clearly be providing a range of
intelligence support to the operation. US naval assets have been
responsible for shooting down a number of drones and missiles
which were part of the early stage Iranian response.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
It's back.
Speaker 13 (34:01):
Something that I will tell you with a degree of certainty, Peter,
is that Israel will be calling on ed where refueling assets.
That goes beyond what they can provide for themselves. They've
got a long way to go to send these aircraft
to get to Iran. America is involved already, and most importantly,
they're providing backup. They're saying directly to Tehran, you know,
(34:27):
don't extend this war, don't go broad, don't go attacking
American interests more widely through the Middle East. And therefore
America continues to be the indispensable power Peter, even though
they're happy to let Israel be the country which is
doing the striking, you know, as.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Has played out on Friday. I just kept going back
to that Obama Iran dal and all the billions and
billions of dollars paid out potentially they said at the
time for peace.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Was it worth a jot?
Speaker 9 (35:01):
No, it was not.
Speaker 13 (35:01):
It was a disaster. I mean, it got a small
amount of controlled behavior on the nuclear program, but nothing
that has stopped around from getting very close within weeks
of being able to develop a bomb. It pushed a
whole lot of money back to a run which they
then used to fund Hamas and Hezbela and to attack Israel.
So you know, when the history has come to be
(35:23):
written about this period, that Obama deal will be seen
to have been a disaster and something which has led
us step by step directly to where we're at today,
where really Israel has had no choice in order not
to face an enemy that calls for its destruction with
nuclear weapons, they've had to do what they've done, and
(35:44):
now they have to go on through and complete that
process to make sure that Iran can't come back to
the stage anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
All Right, I just said before to Chris your managers,
I'd like to be a fly on the wall this
meeting between President Trump and Prime minister to Albert Easy.
I mean, you know, he'll have nowhere to hide our
prime minister. It'll be the emperor has got no clothes
on defense spending in front of Donald Trump. I do
not think they'll do that sort of usual diplomatic dance
and he'll get away with not spending what the US
(36:14):
demands we spend.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
How do you think it'll go well?
Speaker 13 (36:20):
I suppose Albinezi will be hoping for the lightest of
sort of you know, Gripp and Grinn kind of corridor meetings,
but I don't think he'll get that. And I think
our own government spin that this is just what a
new administration does is correct. The administration's been in power
for half a year now, they've very clearly said what
(36:41):
their expectation is in terms of Australian defense spending. They
know we're failing them on that score, and they know
that our government has been full of backhanders towards Trump
and his personality. So this could get quite ugly, I
think in terms of America saying we're not walking from Ucas,
but Australia. If you want to keep in Orcas, the
(37:04):
price has just gone up, you're going to have to
do more. I think that is what the shape of
the meeting is going to be like.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
We will watch your analysis with interest. Thank you, Peter.
Right before we get to the break, kits my little
friend Ava's birthday, and I promised you Ava, I'm wearing
your favorite color. I hope you like it and I
hope you have an absolutely lovely day. Right after the break,
will cross live to Bellerraate in Victoria for a special
event aimed at offering support the farmers hit by drought
and those skyrocketing new costs on the so called emergency Levey,
(37:37):
plus the new South Wales nats the veto net zero.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
So that's the end government and the.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
South Australian Libs certainly put some pressure on the Federal Coalition.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Welcome back coming out one man fighting for his life
after another alleged attack from one of Labour's freed immigration detainees,
to an event giving Victorian farmers and farming communities a
well earned breather after months of unrelenting drought, skyrocketing costs
and the added pressure of Labour's massive height to the
Emergency Services Levy. It's called the Farmer's Night Off and
(38:14):
it's a grassroots of end organized by the Ballarat Agricultural
and Pastoral Society alongside Commerce Ballarat with the aim of
bringing farmers together for a night of connection, support and
much needed laughs. Jentlemen, our fifth generation farmer from Bamghany,
I hope I've said that right between Shelford and Meredith.
Jimmy Knight, Jimmy, welcome great Tavy on the program.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
I can hear there might.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Be a sound of rain on that tin roof, which
would be music to everyone's ears with you tonight. Put
that rain to one side, give us a sense of
how tough the last twelve months have been for you
and farmers like you.
Speaker 10 (38:55):
Today, Peter. Yeah, the last twelve months, as the people
now well where it's been bloody terrible.
Speaker 8 (39:03):
It's been a real tough.
Speaker 10 (39:04):
Gig for farmers throughout southwest Victoria in South Australia. Even
though we've had a nice drop of rain the last
couple of weeks, it's not going to solve much. Now
it's getting cold. If we'd had the rain a little
while ago, the soil was soil a little bit warm.
But it's just been a really tough gig. A lot
of the older farmers are now referring to this is
(39:24):
as dry as a sixty seven sixty eight draft.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
So I don't know that everyone in the bush, sorry
outside of the bush, understands that you can get a
bit of rain, but you need the soil to be
warm out to germinate any crops that you've put in.
So help us understand what you need in the short term.
But also you've got to have feed anyway to look
after livestock until you get some sort of outcome from
the crops and grass and other things, don't you.
Speaker 10 (39:54):
Well, that's right. It's been a day to day battle
for most farmers, especially with livestock eating rotating paddocks, just
doing the best we can. I mean, the hay stocks
are dwindling, as everyone knows. We've been having to travel
as far north as the between Shepherd and the Murray
River to source some of our looseners for our stud sheet.
(40:16):
It's it's a very hard gig at the moment, and
obviously with that, prices have increased substantially. And yeah, we're
just all farmers, all rasies and croppers were all in
the same boat. This rain has been welcomed, but it's
going to take Unless we get good every rainfalls between
now and leading up to spring, it's going to be
(40:36):
a real tough gear.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
I want to touch on mental health because my brother
in law's a dairy farmer down terrain Way. I know
they're doing it tough down there, but what I'm pleased
to see is a lot of the men in particular
reaching out to each other. I think that's part of
the reason you're all there tonight. But we also know
there's been some pretty horrific suicides in recent months as well,
(41:01):
don't we.
Speaker 10 (41:03):
Absolutely mental health is a really big thing. I'm glad
you touched on that.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
Tonight.
Speaker 10 (41:12):
It's all about getting together getting off the farm. We've
all got our separate battles. Every farmer is in the
same boat, whether you're a cropper or a grazier. It's
just a matter of taking that next step, getting off
farm and communicating the community. Communication is probably one of
the key things we're all about our little private battles
(41:33):
at home, obviously with the drought, but the drought doesn't
pick and choose.
Speaker 8 (41:37):
We're all in the same boat.
Speaker 10 (41:38):
So for an event like this too, the organized is exceptional.
An event much the same as this was organized not
far from where I am down in Shelford the other week.
We were unfortunately unable to attend, but it was a
magnificent turnout for all local farmers just to get off
the farm, have a bit of a yarn, a couple
of beers, and just to break.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Up and not and they're not me.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
I went down to the reds and protests when a
lot of farmers and CFA volunteers turn up at the
footsteps of the Parliament in Victoria. And you know, when
I spoke to some men off camera, they are in
tears because they don't think the government's listening. They think
that the levee on top of everything else is just
another sort of sign that they're not cared for, that
(42:25):
the work they do is not valued and they wonder
why the heck they do it, get out of bed
at the hours they do and take on this risk.
How's that levee gone down in your neck of the woods?
Speaker 10 (42:37):
Yeah, pretty ordinary, like all other regions, rural regions. It's
the end of the day. They can't text us out
of this bloody det that got us into. It's just
it's an absolute nightmare and it's just another hurdle the
primal producers have got to put up with. It's just
so uncalled for and hopefully things will change, but the
(43:00):
arrogance of these people in charge, it's just I don't
think it's going to obviously, honestly do not think it's
going to change. But it's just in regards to mental
health of the farmers. This has been the last draw
for quite a few as you know.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Well, I'm pleased to say, Jimmy that no one's taking
the government at face value. That you know they're going
to have a break from the levee, but it'll still
be there. I think people are fighting it all the
way through to the next election. So enjoy tonight. Please
give my love and best wishes to everyone there, and
thank you so much for joining me tonight on the program.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
Thank you, Jimmy. There you go.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
They are still doing it tough, but after the rack,
the break, the battle over net zero that's heating up
in the coalition and the stounding number of Australian.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Nationals in Iran.
Speaker 2 (43:43):
Now I saw this figure today and I was surprised.
Welcome back news today that JU South Wales Nationals have
voted to abandon their commitment to net zero by twenty fifty.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
It's a move that all now put pressure on the
Liberals for.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
The party in South Australia also voted recently to walk away.
The latest motion was put on the agenda at the
weekend state conference in Coffs Harbor. We're overwhelmingly nationals voted
in favor of dumping the net zero commitment. To discuss
this and more, Let's bring in Queensland L ANDP Senator
James McGrath and One Nation Chief of Staff James Ashby.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Well, Jens, welcome. I'll tell you what, James McGrath.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
You've got the NT government, the COLP government, South Australian
leaves now the new South Wales nats are all.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Abandoning net and zero. Ah.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
You know, I know you've got your review, but you're
not going to be able to sit on the barbed
wire offence for much longer.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
No, we won't. But I'm happy that this is happening
because it's very important for the Liberal Party and the
National Party to listen to our grassroots and be reminded
of our core beliefs and core values. And if we
take forward this review of our policies and don't listen
to our grassroots, well we were going to be in
a world of paint. So I welcome the contribution. I'm
(45:04):
a senator, I spend a lot of my time going
around to party units and I'm aware of what party
members and supporters think about various issues. We've got to
get energy policy right. We've got to make sure that
we don't crash the economy. We do want to reduce emissions.
We've also got to remember that Chris Bowen is the
one who's in charge of at the moment, and he's
(45:26):
the one with his reckless renewables who's actually forcing out
people's power prices and as the one is damaging Australian industry. Now,
I think we'll get to the right place, but it
will take a few weeks and hopefully the barbed wire
doesn't give us tetanus.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
I will say then for Code, I'll decode your answer
there For people at home, if you.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
Are a member of the NATS or you are a
member of the.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Limbs, what James is actually saying, if you want Net
zero to go, you've basically got to force our hand.
Speaker 3 (45:55):
Get out there and vote for it.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Tell us in no uncertain terms you want it to go,
and when we forced to do the right thing in Canberra.
So that's the message you tell me from being a
bit strong there, James ashbyd But I think that's what
he wants to hear from the grassroots. Talk to me
about this stabbing sixty two year old man in Footscray
on the weekend. He's been taking the hospital's critical injuries.
We're told very sadly he is unlikely to survive. This
(46:21):
is yet another real world consequence for Labour's bungle because
this man was a freed immigration detainee.
Speaker 14 (46:33):
Yeah, and he's one of one hundred and seventy eight
that were let out by this labor government under a
High Court decision called en z YQ, of which of
those one hundred and seventy eight, we had thirty seven
sex offenders and seventy two violent offenders, of which there's
been now twenty eight of them arrested and put on
around about one hundred federal criminal charges. And this is
(46:56):
all in the Meanwhile, Peter two hundred and fifty five
million dollars, that's just over a quarter of a billion
dollars worth of money was dedicated by this labor government
to somewhat keep the Australian public protected from these individuals
that are freely roaming our streets. It hasn't worked, and
as a result, we've got another person that it seems
(47:19):
is going to die a horrific death. I might just say.
The allegation is that his head was stomped on several
times before Border Force could actually get to this person
who was being monitored. So it's pretty clear that despite
the monitoring, despite the quarter of a billion dollars put
towards trying to keep the Australian public safe from these individuals,
(47:39):
it is failing. These people should be round back up,
put in detention and those who are not eligible to stay,
get them out of the country.
Speaker 2 (47:51):
And when now about two and a half years on
since the Coalition and One Nation supported those urg of
protection measures of which the government has never ever view
used to deal with this.
Speaker 3 (48:01):
Cohort, just something that came up.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
I saw this today, James McGrath. I'll put it on
the screen, this number of Australians in Israel in Iran now,
the three hundred and fifty odd is the number three
hundred sorry there in Israel. That didn't really surprise me,
thought perhaps that would be higher. But I'm seeing what
I was shocked to find. We've got three hundred and
fifty Australians or dual nationals in Iran.
Speaker 3 (48:28):
Does that surprise you, James McGrath.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
It does because I think you've had a choice between
living in Iran or Australia. I think it's pretty obvious
you want to live in Australia. So I don't know
why anyone would want to live under the dictatorship in
the theocracy that is ruling Iran at the moment. And
I would hope that those Australians who are in Iran
come to their senses and believe that coming to Australia
(48:56):
and living in a liberal democracy with all our freedoms
is a better way rather than staying in a country
which is ruled by a bunch of men with beards.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
I'm a bit gbious about their background, but we'll leave
it at that. Hey, two billion dollars, we're told it'll
be passed through to poor of car buyers with these
emission standards.
Speaker 3 (49:17):
James Ashby, Yeah, isn't it ridiculous?
Speaker 14 (49:21):
And they're saying right now that the used car market
is going up. Why is that because car manufacturers are
putting in reduced cylinders in vehicles to try and meet
these emission standards that the government have said. I look
at it this way. I think car users in this
country are going to end up like Japan after ten years.
Japanese throw their cars away because it becomes too costly
(49:43):
to keep a car of that age, because there are
more and more costs attached to registration and you've got
to go and get them reviewed every two years. I
feel sorry for anyone who can't afford a new car
right now, but I don't think any subsidies should be
offered to these renewable vis hucles.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Not wrong out of time, Jens great, every company. See
you next week.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
Here's Andrew
Peter Krendland Live on Sky News Australia.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good evening, Broak tav your company. Here's what's coming up
on Kredlin the CD. The situation in the Middle East
continues to escalate, military responses from both Iran and Israel.
Across Live to Tel Aviv for the mood on the ground,
and I'll also speak to an Australia and stranded in
Jordan but lucky enough to get out of Tel Aviv
during the bombing outbreak last week. He didn't have a meeting,
(00:29):
but today it's official and you face to face confirmation
between the Prime Minister and Donald Trump.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
It'll happen in Canada this week.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Now Bloke might not I hope it's all about the
tariff issue, but he might not want to hear what's
coming from the President on defense. Plus a battle within
the coalition heating out. The New South Wales Nationals the
latest to vote down Net zero meeting. The Federal Coalition
won't be able to sit on the fence for much longer,
regardless of a Susan Lee review or not. And the
(00:58):
weekend's precision strive by is Israel. It hit at the
heart of Iran's nuclear weapon infrastructure, and we in the
West should thank Israel for doing what it did and
removing some of Iran's most formidable personnel. But that's not
the position of labor who have shown themselves yet again
to be on the wrong side of this whole issue.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
We urge the escalation, we urge restraint, we urge dialogue
and diplomacy.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
We'll start with that issue here because while the Iran
Israel conflict is generating all the weekend drama and to
get into today, what's most important for Australia almost certainly
or with this face to face meeting now confirmed for
this week between our Prime Minister and the United States President.
Now it's not over dramatizing things to say, it's not
(01:49):
just the Orchis nuclear deal, which will be potentially at stake,
but the entire US security partnership, our ANDUS foundation that's
at the heart of our defense and foreign policy and
has been for seven decades. Today, Anthony Albanezy insisted that
it would be a good discussion because he says Australia
was pulling its weight on defense to that.
Speaker 5 (02:12):
There's all of the support that we give to the
United States and with our defensial relationships, including fuel reserves
in the Northern territory, including the presence of US forces
in Darwin as well.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Look, it's true our defense spending will glasily move up
to two point three percent of GDP in a decade's time,
that we do host US BASS at Pine Gap and elsewhere,
and one thousand marines in Darwin.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
But that's spending.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
The two point three is way way, way too low.
And those facilities at Pine Gap and elsewhere, well, they're
not new to the relationship. Now, Okay, it's possible we
could become a bit supplier of strategic minerals and rare
earth to the US, as you heard the Prime Minister say,
but that is unlikely because it's not just about mining them,
(03:10):
it's also the need to process them here.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Now.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Currently most of that's done in China because their environmental standards.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Are much more lacks than ours.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Besides, it's not what we think of ourselves, but what
the Trump administration thinks of us that counts, and so
far it seems they don't think much. It was only
a couple of weeks back that the US Defan Secretary
Pete Hexas publicly told us that we must lift our
defense spending to some three point five percent of GDP.
Speaker 6 (03:40):
Needle members are pledging to spend five percent of their
GDP on defense, even Germany. So it doesn't make sense
for countries in Europe to do that while key allies
in Asia spend less on defense in the face of
an even more formidable threat.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Now, whatever soothing words might might might emerge from the
encounter between Trump and Albanez he expected on Wednesday morning
our time, it's hard to imagine the President not reiterating
the three five percent demand with his typical emphasis. And
let's face it, Donald Trump is nothing if not blunt,
(04:21):
and his one consistent message as a first term president
and again now in this term, has been that allies
must do more if they expect alliances to last.
Speaker 7 (04:32):
You're in no position to dictate that. Remember, you're in
no position to dictate what we're going to feel right.
Speaker 8 (04:40):
Now, you don't explain.
Speaker 9 (04:43):
You're gambling with millions of people.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Have you said thank you once?
Speaker 7 (04:48):
A lot of times you said.
Speaker 10 (04:51):
But we have thousands of people that want to come
into our country, and there are white farmers and they feel.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
That they're going to die.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
It's South Africa. Then there's the whole issue of Taiwan. Now,
no one really knows whether the US would defend Taiwan
against communist China, either blockading the nation or attempting to invade,
but if it did, it would expect, perhaps demand, even
Australian help. After all, the Answers treaty, and I mentioned
(05:21):
it before, it's the bedrock of our national security. It
states that in the event of an attack quote an
armed attack on any of the parties would then act
together to meet the common danger. Now it's pretty close
to NATO's Article five, and it's about a stronger wording
you'll find in any treaty of mutual assistance. When pressed
(05:42):
on this very point today, Anthony Albanezi was his usual
evasive self, always careful never to mention China.
Speaker 7 (05:51):
Donald Trump and America be confident that Australia would stand
shoulder to shoulder with them in the event of a
major conflict in the Indo Pacific and in the event
that China invades Taiwan or whatever means that happens.
Speaker 5 (06:06):
Well, the role of Orcus and the role of nation
states in our region, including our partners, is full peace
and security in the region. That's what we want, and
Australia's a trusted partner to promote peace and security in
our region.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Someone's going to tell them to update his briefing notes,
because I'll tell you what ANSAs is not ORCUS, and
it's precisely this whole absence of assurance of military solidarity
against Beijing that's likely prompted the United States to order
a review of whether ORCUS is consistent with Trump's America
First agenda. Given that America can't build enough submarines for itself,
(06:51):
why would it give us three without the confidence that
they'd be used to help America if required under the
Answers treaty. His supporters will say the PM's matured and
mellowed from his undergraduate lefty days, but there's still plenty
of others in his caucus who would prefer to be
an economic colony of China than a military ally of
(07:13):
the United States. Does anyone think the Prime Minister would
agree to lift military spending to three percent of GDP
and beyond when this was the precise proposal that he
ridiculed during the election campaign when it came from the opposition.
Speaker 10 (07:30):
We're going to increase our defense spend to two point
five percent of GDP within five years and out to
ten years it'll be at three percent.
Speaker 5 (07:37):
Find it extraordinary that you try to get a headline
with a big number and then there's nothing of what
the big number should be invested in.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Does anyone think the PM would give even private assurances
about Taiwan when the whole tenor of his Prime ministership
so far has been about avoiding up sett in Beijing,
almost to the point of appeasement. Here he was when
the Chinese Navy conducted unannounced live fire exercises off the
(08:11):
New South Wales coast.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
China issued, in accordance with practice, an alert that it
would be conducting these activities, including the potential use of
live fire. It's outside of Australia's Exclusive Economic zone.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Here was too, when the Chinese Navy deliberately injured Australian
naval divers.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
And this is a sort of incident that I've spoken
about when I addressed the Shangri La dialogue in June
of why we need communication guardrails and we need to
avoid a reckless event such as this.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Now, I know China is our biggest trade partner, but
what is more important in these challenging times, selling a
few more lobsters and few boxes of grange to Beijing
or maintaining Australia's freedom and independence. Sooner or later, we
actually might have to choose between our main trade partner
(09:16):
and our main security partner, most likely because Beijing will
force us to Now. Even when that time comes, we
won't be choosing America over China, but democracy over dictatorship.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
In the meantime, thes.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Way to avoid the dreadful prospect of war over Taiwan
is to persuade Beijing that it's a war they might
not win. That's peace through strength, not peace through appeasement.
That means standing shoulder to shoulder with the US president,
even under this president who doesn't think we're doing enough,
and even under this Prime minister who wants us to
(09:55):
do even less. Lots of stories around local and overseas
will go there now for the headline Sky News political
reporter Camridden.
Speaker 11 (10:07):
Good Evening, Australia is joining mounting global calls on Israel
and Iran to return to diplomacy and scale back their
military action.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
Obviously, this is a very distressing time for so many people.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
We, along with other like minded countries, do want to
see that priority on dialogue and diplomacy.
Speaker 11 (10:27):
Having arrived at the G seven in Canada, the Prime
Minister is preparing for his first face to face meeting
with President Trump.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
We've got a few things to talk about. We see
tariffs sas acts of economic self harm on orcus. It
is very much in the interests of all three countries.
Speaker 11 (10:47):
The pair will meet on Wednesday morning, Australia time, and
as the global security outlook deteriorates, Anthony Alberanezi is signaling
he's open to stronger defense ties with the European Union
after it raised the prospers with Australia last month. The
former head of the Finance Department has formally commenced her
role as the new Secretary of Treasury.
Speaker 10 (11:07):
Welcome, Jenny, Congratulations on your appointment.
Speaker 11 (11:11):
Jenny Wilkinson takes over from doctor Stephen Kennedy, who's been
poached to head up the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
We're pretty well placed to support you and I'll do
my level best.
Speaker 11 (11:23):
Cameron Reddin's Sky News Canberra.
Speaker 8 (11:27):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Jonnyman now, as he does every Monday. Sky News political
contributor Chris human Well Chris We're going to have to
start with the Middle East. We'll get into the domestic
components of it in a moment.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
But look, give me.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Your reaction to those Israeli strikes on Friday. Sure, in
a perfect world, no one wants any escalation in this
part of the world. But it's not a perfect world.
Israel I regard as having a sovereign right to defend itself.
And I'll tell you what is someone in the West.
I am very glad to see it runs nuclear capability degraded.
(11:58):
Give us your sense of things.
Speaker 9 (12:01):
Well, Peter, Israel had no other choice than to do
what it did. The International Atomic Energy Agencies said in
April that Iran was weeks away enriching enough uranium to
have multiple bombs. Now, don't forget that Iran is dedicated
to the destruction of Israel. It's done that or tried
to do that for the last forty years through its proxies.
(12:24):
And there's every reason why Israel had a right to fear.
What would happen if Iran got those weapons. And don't
forget the distance in terms of ballistic missile is short.
Israel would have ten minutes warning that a ballistic missile
with a nuclear warhead was on the way. Now, I
ask you what the people of Canberra, for example, might
think if there was a different state in the Northern
(12:46):
Territory and the distance between here and Alice Springs is
what we're talking about, that was dedicated to the destruction
of this side of the country. What do you think
that the people of canberraa would want their government to do.
Israel was perfectly within its rights to do this. The
only thing I hope is that it can quickly degrade
this enough so that the fighting can stop, but it
(13:07):
should keep going until it is absolutely certain that the
threat has been eliminated.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Okay, So how can we get that sort of international
legal perspective and moral clarity from you that we don't
get from the Australian government Because all we have heard
from the government the Petty Wong in particular Foreign Minister,
is basically to call for restraint, which is, you know,
Israel fight with one arm behind your back. There's been
no real mention of how the West should thank God
(13:36):
for Israel and what they are able to do over
the last three or four days. That has been missing
from our government's rehtric.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Well.
Speaker 9 (13:45):
The Israeli ambassadors some this one up, and that is
words do not stop warheads. Do you genuinely believe that
the state of Iran under the eyetolers was any ever
going to have a kind of regime where it would
allow you to have enough inspections to have the confidence
that you could continue to live with that state and
(14:07):
that it would not develop those weapons. And by the way,
I've certainly been told, and I'm sure that you have too,
that given that Iran is helping out Russia when it
comes to drones, that Russia is now helping out Iran
when it comes to enriching nuclear enriching Uranian for weapons.
They only want those weapons for one thing, and that
is the destruction of the state of Israel. Now, they
(14:27):
might not use them, Peter, but would you take that chance?
So there are many reasons why I disagree on some
things with the government of benjaminet Yahu. I do wish
that they would find a way to bring to an
end the war in Gaza. I do not agree with
everything that that government does, but on this one I
find them hard to fault.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah, we got I share some reservations too about the governments.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
Some of the things they are doing.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
But I mean, you only need to have been across
this issue for the last ten or fifteen years and
know we absolutely are on a precipice with Iran. And
the nature of that strike I'll get into it at
a moment with Peter and Jennings, but the precision in
that strike I think is all inspiring.
Speaker 9 (15:10):
I look, one of the things that we've learned, and
I think one of the things that the enemies of
Israel have learned is that their intelligence capabilities, which failed
so miserably obviously when Hamas attacked Israel or years ago
now there was a huge intelligence failure. Since then, they
have shown what they can do with intelligence. And wouldn't
(15:30):
you right now be looking over your shoulder if you
were in Iran, if you were in Lebanon, if you
were in Gaza, at the capacity of the Israeli intelligence
agencies to know exactly where you are at a certain
point in time so that they can surgically take you out.
You know, that must lead the people in those governments
to be looking over their shoulders and wondering where the
rat in the ranks is.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I'll tell you.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I'll get into some other more domestic issues in a moment.
But you'd want to be a fly on the wall,
wouldn't you when Donald Trump sits down with Anthony Albanesi,
because it won't just be rare earths and US beef
coming into Australia. I mean, defense is going to be
absolutely front and center, isn't it?
Speaker 9 (16:14):
Oh, it absolutely is. Peter, and the US Defense Secretary
made it clear that he thought that we were underdone
in a meeting that he had with Richard Marles, our
Defense Minister. In fact, there was a defense conference on
here held by the Australian Today and the best advice
that I saw on what Anthony ALBERIZI should do in
this meeting is to disarm Donald Trump. And that is
to go in and say, look, mister President, everybody who
(16:34):
comes into your presence wants something. I'm here to tell
you that the Australian government is spending money on defense,
is wanting to get Virginia Cask Submarines can do maintenance
for you, tell me how I can help you.
Speaker 12 (16:47):
That might not be a bad.
Speaker 9 (16:48):
Way to start that meeting, and he said it would
certainly disarm someone like Donald Trump. Now I don't know
if that's the advice that is getting from the current
ambassador to the United States, which is Kevin Rudd. But
me is a pretty good opening gambit.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
You know, that's interesting you say that, because when Tony
Abott had his meeting with Obama in the Oval Office,
he did precisely that how can we be useful? And
President obamacaond at the time, geez, I don't get many
people coming in here who say, how can we be useful?
How can we assist you? Usually everyone comes with a
begging volve for the United States. And it disarmed him too.
And he, as you know, was a big fan of
(17:25):
Julia Gillard, not a great fan to start off with
of Tony Abbott's, but at won him over.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
So maybe that's where they should start. We'll see.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
RBA there was a review in twenty twenty three and
a recommendation of the review was that how the RBA
board votes on the issue of interest rates should be
made public. Now, the current governor, Michelle Bullet, doesn't like this.
I have to say, I think it's fraught with issues.
(17:54):
I think the ability of the RBA to have these
frank and robust conversations behind closed door doors and make
a decision on whether to stay the rates increase, drop,
whatever the cash rate. I don't think that should be
in the public domain. I think it'll play out badly
politically as well.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
What do you think.
Speaker 9 (18:14):
Yeah, we're probably on a different page on this when
I'm a maximum disclosure kind of guy, because I've spent
my entire working life for real, well since I was
twenty nine, in the media. So I like to see
as much transparency as possible. Other reserve banks around the
world do seem to be able to do it. I
will say though, in the political climate in Australia there
is a lot of heat that is applied politically to
the people on the Reserve Bank board. We've seen that recently.
(18:36):
We've seen that in fact, we saw in the past
with Peter Costello. So it's both sides of politics do
tend to do this, and I would be a bit
worried if I as a Reserve Bank board member that
the government might exact revenge if you weren't actually falling
into line. So I can see the concerns about that.
The look interest rates affect all of us, and so
I would like to see as much transparency as possible
in understanding why it is and how it is that
(18:57):
they are decided.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
You and I have been dubious about the claim of
these so called green jobs. I mean, you know, every
coal mine is suddenly going to come become a bloke
that can put up a wind turbine. If you listen
to the left of politics. Tim Ayres was out there today.
He's a new industry minister, saying that he thinks in
relation to artificial intelligence, we're going to have all of
these jobs that are going to come out of it,
(19:22):
including and manufacturing. He points to renewables as well. You know,
when I talk to people like Dick Smith who are
very dubious about AI jobs and automation jobs not necessarily
the same thing. The whole point of AI is to
take out the redundant human being from the supply chain.
So show me where these AI jobs are going to
(19:44):
come from, and I think that's.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Going to be a huge.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Overturning of human beings purpose. You know, you finish school,
you get an education, you get a trade, you went
to the workforce at a at an e true level position.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
If those jobs.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Are not there, how do future generations earn an income?
And now we're going to have you know, all that
nonsense of the universal wage, and are how are we
even going to pay for all of that. I don't
feel like we're grappling with these issues, Chris, and I
feel like we're just sort of saying it's all going
to be fabulous when we're not doing the homework.
Speaker 9 (20:23):
Oh, absolutely, Peter and I do think that AI is
one of those things that's a generation that comes along
once in a generation, a technology that is that powerful,
or you'd struggle to think of other things in human
history that are kind of equivalent to this. And the
potential that it has to take out white college jobs. Now,
we've seen industry in the past as it mechanizes take
out blue collar jobs, so the white college jobs are
(20:43):
the next one in line. And I've seen what artificial
intelligence can do by stringing together two interviews and churning
out a pretty serviceable news story. So I think that
it might cost a lot of journalist jobs. And in
any of the information technologies we've seen, that's where the
hammer falls first and hardest. It certainly is the media.
So I would be a bit dubious about the future
on that front. And look, every time they talk about this,
(21:05):
they always put the word green in front of it.
Can I tell you. I was in the United States
last year and the kinds of energy demands that we're
talking about in a single undiversified load. That means that
they are going to be wanting energy twenty four to
seven that will not be run by wind and solar
power in the United States. It will be a gas
first and then a nuclear policy. So they're going to
set up their data centers in and around those big
(21:27):
gas fields in the United States and get cheap, abundant
energy in order to deliver that data. I don't know
where we're going to get that from. And everyone talks
about productivity. To Peter, here's a recipe for productivity. Cheaper
and energy, certainty, less red tape, and a government that
doesn't think that it knows more than the market. Start
there and you might get somewhere.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Maybe even remove a layer of government in Australia, that'd
be nice too, that'd be good for productivity. Thanks very much, Chris,
See you next week. The conflict of the Middle East
has continued to escalate since Israel launched those preemptive stripe
on Friday against Iran as part of what they're called
Operation Rising Lion Tel Aviv has been shaken by Iran's
first daylight strike since Friday, as the two nations continue
(22:10):
to trade blows. Joining me now from Tel Aviv, Arson Ostrovsky,
an Australian Israeli human rights lawyer and the CEO of
the International Legal Forum Arsten Welcome. I hope you're safe.
I am very pleased to be able to speak to
you tonight. I think all Australians are watching very closely.
You're part of the world. You're a human rights lawyer.
Explain to us the difference between what are here strategic
(22:34):
attacks on military targets versus what Iran is doing to
you in retaliation.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
Sure, thank you for having on Peter, I should explain
if you can see in the background here, I'm actually
the side of our last notes misso attack in Tel Aviv.
I'm in the middle of a residential area. There are
no military targets anyone who are inside. These are homes here,
people live here, there are shops here. It is just
purely purely civilians. And they didn't realize a little bit difference.
So what is what an act of aggression? It was
(23:04):
an act of self defense and last resort against They
really wanted to try to subtle enemy that I bought
Israel's destruction and stood on the cusp of doing so
and flop me so that they were really on the
verge of fating the list that does not sow nuclear warheads.
They have time and time agemic saw this was annihilation
(23:24):
by proxy terror groups as balamass and I mean to
have the footies, of course, but here in lies the difference.
Whereas and you're not in the beginning where Israel has
been targeting solely military targets, infrastructure targets, the nuclear nuclear
weapons capabilities, Iran has been indiscriminately targeting the entire state
(23:45):
of Israel. Every single person has been in shelter, myself,
my family included as sore as Israel is acting in
its inalible right of certain sense, what Yvan is doing
is a grow small crime. So there is an otherqulification
in all countries, include in Australia, by the way, should
recognize this.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
We're just talking before I spoke to you with one
of our correspondents out of Camber. And of course the
Australian government here is focused on calling on.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Restraint from Israel.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Why does Israel have to restrain when an international or
proportionality and everything else applies to almost every other country
but Israel.
Speaker 8 (24:25):
Yeah, it shouldn't. It is a relentless and systematic double
standard approach to it all that is not applied to
any other countries. It's disappointing to have heard from Minister
one foul for such restraints. I think I would actually
add better Australia's response. And I say this also as
Australian that's been in and out of shelters has been
somewhat scold and indifferent. I can tell you that if
(24:48):
Australia was threatened with annihilation, if Australia I have had
to sustain hundreds upon hundreds of the listed missile attacks,
sending the entire country to population, I don't think Australia
would show such a risk. In alshod Is world, we
expected to.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
What's the mood in Tel Aviv? Now?
Speaker 8 (25:07):
Look right right now? People are cleaning up, people are
outside trying to get a sense of what happened. You know,
if I move aside here and you can't see, there's
you know a lot of the destructional debris, a lot
of the glass around me. Book the israelis in a
lot of ways, Like the audience are a resilient, resilient bunch,
and we've had to have been for a long time
(25:29):
and start since October seventh. Beworlds on the standards for something.
It's quite serious. We're dealing with an enemy state that
is seek now less than now annihilation, that is firing ballistics,
missiles and drones that the entire Stavilian population areas in
Australia will stand for this. No should Israel or any
other countries.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Just quickly asking, I mean, would you say that this
has got broad community support?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
This action?
Speaker 8 (26:02):
Those are you know, those radis are in Noow. I'm
sure can you hear me?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Yes, I have, I've got you. You've just said it's
got broad support.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
That's very very helpful to know. Stay safe, Thank you,
Thank you for joining me, Arson, Thank you. Let's go
down to an Australian who was there on the weekend
caught up in the conflict, joining me now though he's
in Jordan. Is Radford pr Principal James Radford, James, trouble.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Seems to find you.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I'll tell you what one minute I talked to you
when you're at the Trump mar Lago does when it's
all kicking off down there. And I talked to you
over the weekend. I find out you're in Tel Aviv
in a bomb shelter. You've got out of there, though
you're in Jordan. You're at the airport waiting to get home.
But tell us what it was like in Tel Aviv
over the weekend and how on earth you got out?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Good morning, Peter.
Speaker 12 (26:51):
Well, first, can I say, I'm thinking of everyone in
Tel Aviv at the moment, all of the Israelis, all
of the stranded Australian and especially in my group as well,
who was still there trying to evacuate tele Aviv. It
was such an incredible but not in a good sense,
in a bad sense. A few days we woke up
at three am on Friday morning to a sort of
half alarm that went off in our hotel rooms, and
we weren't quite sure what to do if it was
incoming missile far I, it was incoming rockets. So we
(27:14):
all went to the shelter in our hotel and we're
just madly scrambling on our phones to try and find
out what was going on. We then found out that
Israel had started its offensive against the Iranian nuclear capabilities,
and that just sort of sent a bit of a
shock down all of our spines because we know that
this is a very serious action and it would probably
take weeks for it to be resolved, so we're incredibly nervous.
That night, I didn't go back to sleep. I did
(27:36):
everything I could on my phone to try and evacuate
out of there, to try and get our group out
of there, but it was extremely difficult circumstances, and I'm
just so thankful that my incredible boss, Gina Reinhart, worked
night and day to try and get myself and also
the group out of there, but because of the capacity constraints,
I was only able to go myself. So it was
an incredible scary few days. We had to run to
(27:57):
the bomb shelter three times Saturday evening and while we're
in there. As an Australian, I've never experienced anything like
this nor head the rest of our delegation, but we
could actually hear the missile interceptions overhead. The first we
thought it was the door closing and opening, but we
realized the door wouldn't close and open that many times,
so it was an incredibly shaking experience and just just
waiting for the next notification on your phone, just waiting
(28:19):
for the next alarm to go off. Yeah, it was
just a very very very nervous time to be over there,
and I'm incredible, incredibly I've been able to depart.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
I'd have to say, be incredibly uncertainly. You get, you know,
an alarm golf in the middle of the nine I know,
having been in Israel myself, you sort of have your
worst case scenarios go.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
Through your head, but for it actually.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
To be real and have to get down there quickly
and you know, try and work out what the heck's
going on. What about the Australian embassy. People said to
me that our embassy shut down over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Is that right?
Speaker 8 (28:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (28:55):
Look, my understanding was the Australian Embassy in Jerusalem was
closed on Friday. I'm not sure if that was a
plan cloth for Shabbat because most of his right clothes
on Fridays, but it was closed. You would expect that
they would open a sap given the rockets and missile launched,
time for them to open the embassy. So it was
(29:16):
a concerning period because there was also as we understand
that no immediate plans to evacuate Australians, and also there
was no precedent set up in coming days, but it
was not immediately available when the missiles and the rockets
started to get fired. So I think the Australian Embassy
was caught on the back foot a little bit as
well as Defaut, and I really think they should be
prepared for these scenarios. It's a sort of KPI number one.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah, you're not wrong because this was an official delegation,
so it wasn't like you were. We're there without their knowledge.
I'll leave it there, James, just starting to break up,
but travel home safely and.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Good on Gina Reinhardt. I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
After the break So far the US is staying out
of this conflict, but the how long? Plus all eyes
will be on that meeting next week, you hope from
Chris yourman for the wonderful Peter jen is coming up.
What's going to happen on this and a few other
things at the G seven Welcome Max Still the Carmel
(30:10):
Cross live to a very important farming event happening right
now in Victoria as regional communities grapple with drought and
that massive new tax hits. But let's stay now with
the conflict in the Middle East is rare. The Prime
Minister Benjaminette Yahoo has told Fox News this operation isn't
just about protecting Israel.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
We can't have the world's most dangerous regime have the
world's most dangerous weapons.
Speaker 8 (30:34):
We're protecting ourselves, but by doing so, we're protecting many others.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Join me now to discuss this and more strategic analysis.
Australian director Peter Jennings. Well, Peter, give us your sense
of things. How long do you think this is going
to last? The trading of blows in the Middle East.
Speaker 13 (30:52):
I think we're going to see significant air campaigns, air
strikes against to run at least for a week or so, Peter.
And that's because the Israelis want to make sure that
they are thoroughly destroying the nuclear program and also chemical
and biological weapons programs. But I think more broadly than that,
going after a significant amount of infrastructure which is necessary
(31:15):
more broadly to support those programs, and also after the
senior leadership of the Iranian military, and depending on how
things go, perhaps also their political leadership. So this is
going to last let's say a week in terms of
intense combat operations and perhaps perhaps even longer.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Okay, we've talked a bit already on the show about
the assets, the infrastructure that's been hit, but you've touched
on there. The leadership that have been annihilated in these
precision bombing raids. Give us an understanding of how important
that will be to possible regime change in Iran. It
happened very quickly in the case of Syria recently, because
(32:00):
they've been there so much longer. It's more difficult in Iran.
But give me your take on things we're going to
see regime change, Peter. Do you think in the short
to medium term potentially.
Speaker 13 (32:12):
Well, we've seen the Israelis are saying perhaps twenty senior
military leaders have been killed, including the commander in chief
of their military that the most senior general, the chief
of staff of the Iranian Guard's Corps, which is also
a most significant internal security apparatus. We've seen the commander
of the missiles and drones killed, a senior advisor to
(32:38):
Iatola Kamani, political advisor. So this starts to go to
the leadership group that is around Aatola Kamani. It seems
that the reporting is Peter that the Americans have said
to Israel, don't go after Kamani himself. But I think
(32:58):
that the Israelis are doing what they can to make
sure that Iran cannot come back from these strikes quickly.
And a model for this is a little bit like
what they did with the Hesbala leadership in Lebanon just
a few months ago. They know where these people are
and they are very deliberately attacking them, and I think
(33:20):
that shows you that beyond taking out the nuclear program
and missiles and so forth, there is an attempt now
to do serious damage to the senior leadership structure of
Iran as well.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
And Donald Trump says, of course the US are not involved,
but they could become involved.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
What would cause that to happen?
Speaker 13 (33:44):
They're involved, They will clearly be providing a range of
intelligence support to the operation. US naval assets have been
responsible for shooting down a number of drones and missiles
which were part of the early stage Iranian response.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
It's back.
Speaker 13 (34:01):
Something that I will tell you with a degree of certainty, Peter,
is that Israel will be calling on ed where refueling assets.
That goes beyond what they can provide for themselves. They've
got a long way to go to send these aircraft
to get to Iran. America is involved already, and most importantly,
they're providing backup. They're saying directly to Tehran, you know,
(34:27):
don't extend this war, don't go broad, don't go attacking
American interests more widely through the Middle East. And therefore
America continues to be the indispensable power Peter, even though
they're happy to let Israel be the country which is
doing the striking, you know, as.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Has played out on Friday. I just kept going back
to that Obama Iran dal and all the billions and
billions of dollars paid out potentially they said at the
time for peace.
Speaker 3 (34:57):
Was it worth a jot?
Speaker 9 (35:01):
No, it was not.
Speaker 13 (35:01):
It was a disaster. I mean, it got a small
amount of controlled behavior on the nuclear program, but nothing
that has stopped around from getting very close within weeks
of being able to develop a bomb. It pushed a
whole lot of money back to a run which they
then used to fund Hamas and Hezbela and to attack Israel.
So you know, when the history has come to be
(35:23):
written about this period, that Obama deal will be seen
to have been a disaster and something which has led
us step by step directly to where we're at today,
where really Israel has had no choice in order not
to face an enemy that calls for its destruction with
nuclear weapons, they've had to do what they've done, and
(35:44):
now they have to go on through and complete that
process to make sure that Iran can't come back to
the stage anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
All Right, I just said before to Chris your managers,
I'd like to be a fly on the wall this
meeting between President Trump and Prime minister to Albert Easy.
I mean, you know, he'll have nowhere to hide our
prime minister. It'll be the emperor has got no clothes
on defense spending in front of Donald Trump. I do
not think they'll do that sort of usual diplomatic dance
and he'll get away with not spending what the US
(36:14):
demands we spend.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
How do you think it'll go well?
Speaker 13 (36:20):
I suppose Albinezi will be hoping for the lightest of
sort of you know, Gripp and Grinn kind of corridor meetings,
but I don't think he'll get that. And I think
our own government spin that this is just what a
new administration does is correct. The administration's been in power
for half a year now, they've very clearly said what
(36:41):
their expectation is in terms of Australian defense spending. They
know we're failing them on that score, and they know
that our government has been full of backhanders towards Trump
and his personality. So this could get quite ugly, I
think in terms of America saying we're not walking from Ucas,
but Australia. If you want to keep in Orcas, the
(37:04):
price has just gone up, you're going to have to
do more. I think that is what the shape of
the meeting is going to be like.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
We will watch your analysis with interest. Thank you, Peter.
Right before we get to the break, kits my little
friend Ava's birthday, and I promised you Ava, I'm wearing
your favorite color. I hope you like it and I
hope you have an absolutely lovely day. Right after the break,
will cross live to Bellerraate in Victoria for a special
event aimed at offering support the farmers hit by drought
and those skyrocketing new costs on the so called emergency Levey,
(37:37):
plus the new South Wales nats the veto net zero.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
So that's the end government and the.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
South Australian Libs certainly put some pressure on the Federal Coalition.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Doesn't it?
Speaker 2 (37:51):
Welcome back coming out one man fighting for his life
after another alleged attack from one of Labour's freed immigration detainees,
to an event giving Victorian farmers and farming communities a
well earned breather after months of unrelenting drought, skyrocketing costs
and the added pressure of Labour's massive height to the
Emergency Services Levy. It's called the Farmer's Night Off and
(38:14):
it's a grassroots of end organized by the Ballarat Agricultural
and Pastoral Society alongside Commerce Ballarat with the aim of
bringing farmers together for a night of connection, support and
much needed laughs. Jentlemen, our fifth generation farmer from Bamghany,
I hope I've said that right between Shelford and Meredith.
Jimmy Knight, Jimmy, welcome great Tavy on the program.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
I can hear there might.
Speaker 2 (38:38):
Be a sound of rain on that tin roof, which
would be music to everyone's ears with you tonight. Put
that rain to one side, give us a sense of
how tough the last twelve months have been for you
and farmers like you.
Speaker 10 (38:55):
Today, Peter. Yeah, the last twelve months, as the people
now well where it's been bloody terrible.
Speaker 8 (39:03):
It's been a real tough.
Speaker 10 (39:04):
Gig for farmers throughout southwest Victoria in South Australia. Even
though we've had a nice drop of rain the last
couple of weeks, it's not going to solve much. Now
it's getting cold. If we'd had the rain a little
while ago, the soil was soil a little bit warm.
But it's just been a really tough gig. A lot
of the older farmers are now referring to this is
(39:24):
as dry as a sixty seven sixty eight draft.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
So I don't know that everyone in the bush, sorry
outside of the bush, understands that you can get a
bit of rain, but you need the soil to be
warm out to germinate any crops that you've put in.
So help us understand what you need in the short term.
But also you've got to have feed anyway to look
after livestock until you get some sort of outcome from
the crops and grass and other things, don't you.
Speaker 10 (39:54):
Well, that's right. It's been a day to day battle
for most farmers, especially with livestock eating rotating paddocks, just
doing the best we can. I mean, the hay stocks
are dwindling, as everyone knows. We've been having to travel
as far north as the between Shepherd and the Murray
River to source some of our looseners for our stud sheet.
(40:16):
It's it's a very hard gig at the moment, and
obviously with that, prices have increased substantially. And yeah, we're
just all farmers, all rasies and croppers were all in
the same boat. This rain has been welcomed, but it's
going to take Unless we get good every rainfalls between
now and leading up to spring, it's going to be
(40:36):
a real tough gear.
Speaker 2 (40:39):
I want to touch on mental health because my brother
in law's a dairy farmer down terrain Way. I know
they're doing it tough down there, but what I'm pleased
to see is a lot of the men in particular
reaching out to each other. I think that's part of
the reason you're all there tonight. But we also know
there's been some pretty horrific suicides in recent months as well,
(41:01):
don't we.
Speaker 10 (41:03):
Absolutely mental health is a really big thing. I'm glad
you touched on that.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
Tonight.
Speaker 10 (41:12):
It's all about getting together getting off the farm. We've
all got our separate battles. Every farmer is in the
same boat, whether you're a cropper or a grazier. It's
just a matter of taking that next step, getting off
farm and communicating the community. Communication is probably one of
the key things we're all about our little private battles
(41:33):
at home, obviously with the drought, but the drought doesn't
pick and choose.
Speaker 8 (41:37):
We're all in the same boat.
Speaker 10 (41:38):
So for an event like this too, the organized is exceptional.
An event much the same as this was organized not
far from where I am down in Shelford the other week.
We were unfortunately unable to attend, but it was a
magnificent turnout for all local farmers just to get off
the farm, have a bit of a yarn, a couple
of beers, and just to break.
Speaker 3 (41:59):
Up and not and they're not me.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
I went down to the reds and protests when a
lot of farmers and CFA volunteers turn up at the
footsteps of the Parliament in Victoria. And you know, when
I spoke to some men off camera, they are in
tears because they don't think the government's listening. They think
that the levee on top of everything else is just
another sort of sign that they're not cared for, that
(42:25):
the work they do is not valued and they wonder
why the heck they do it, get out of bed
at the hours they do and take on this risk.
How's that levee gone down in your neck of the woods?
Speaker 10 (42:37):
Yeah, pretty ordinary, like all other regions, rural regions. It's
the end of the day. They can't text us out
of this bloody det that got us into. It's just
it's an absolute nightmare and it's just another hurdle the
primal producers have got to put up with. It's just
so uncalled for and hopefully things will change, but the
(43:00):
arrogance of these people in charge, it's just I don't
think it's going to obviously, honestly do not think it's
going to change. But it's just in regards to mental
health of the farmers. This has been the last draw
for quite a few as you know.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Well, I'm pleased to say, Jimmy that no one's taking
the government at face value. That you know they're going
to have a break from the levee, but it'll still
be there. I think people are fighting it all the
way through to the next election. So enjoy tonight. Please
give my love and best wishes to everyone there, and
thank you so much for joining me tonight on the program.
Speaker 3 (43:30):
Thank you, Jimmy. There you go.
Speaker 2 (43:32):
They are still doing it tough, but after the rack,
the break, the battle over net zero that's heating up
in the coalition and the stounding number of Australian.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Nationals in Iran.
Speaker 2 (43:43):
Now I saw this figure today and I was surprised.
Welcome back news today that JU South Wales Nationals have
voted to abandon their commitment to net zero by twenty fifty.
Speaker 3 (43:59):
It's a move that all now put pressure on the
Liberals for.
Speaker 2 (44:01):
The party in South Australia also voted recently to walk away.
The latest motion was put on the agenda at the
weekend state conference in Coffs Harbor. We're overwhelmingly nationals voted
in favor of dumping the net zero commitment. To discuss
this and more, Let's bring in Queensland L ANDP Senator
James McGrath and One Nation Chief of Staff James Ashby.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
Well, Jens, welcome. I'll tell you what, James McGrath.
Speaker 2 (44:25):
You've got the NT government, the COLP government, South Australian
leaves now the new South Wales nats are all.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Abandoning net and zero. Ah.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
You know, I know you've got your review, but you're
not going to be able to sit on the barbed
wire offence for much longer.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
No, we won't. But I'm happy that this is happening
because it's very important for the Liberal Party and the
National Party to listen to our grassroots and be reminded
of our core beliefs and core values. And if we
take forward this review of our policies and don't listen
to our grassroots, well we were going to be in
a world of paint. So I welcome the contribution. I'm
(45:04):
a senator, I spend a lot of my time going
around to party units and I'm aware of what party
members and supporters think about various issues. We've got to
get energy policy right. We've got to make sure that
we don't crash the economy. We do want to reduce emissions.
We've also got to remember that Chris Bowen is the
one who's in charge of at the moment, and he's
(45:26):
the one with his reckless renewables who's actually forcing out
people's power prices and as the one is damaging Australian industry. Now,
I think we'll get to the right place, but it
will take a few weeks and hopefully the barbed wire
doesn't give us tetanus.
Speaker 2 (45:42):
I will say then for Code, I'll decode your answer
there For people at home, if you.
Speaker 3 (45:47):
Are a member of the NATS or you are a
member of the.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Limbs, what James is actually saying, if you want Net
zero to go, you've basically got to force our hand.
Speaker 3 (45:55):
Get out there and vote for it.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Tell us in no uncertain terms you want it to go,
and when we forced to do the right thing in Canberra.
So that's the message you tell me from being a
bit strong there, James ashbyd But I think that's what
he wants to hear from the grassroots. Talk to me
about this stabbing sixty two year old man in Footscray
on the weekend. He's been taking the hospital's critical injuries.
We're told very sadly he is unlikely to survive. This
(46:21):
is yet another real world consequence for Labour's bungle because
this man was a freed immigration detainee.
Speaker 14 (46:33):
Yeah, and he's one of one hundred and seventy eight
that were let out by this labor government under a
High Court decision called en z YQ, of which of
those one hundred and seventy eight, we had thirty seven
sex offenders and seventy two violent offenders, of which there's
been now twenty eight of them arrested and put on
around about one hundred federal criminal charges. And this is
(46:56):
all in the Meanwhile, Peter two hundred and fifty five
million dollars, that's just over a quarter of a billion
dollars worth of money was dedicated by this labor government
to somewhat keep the Australian public protected from these individuals
that are freely roaming our streets. It hasn't worked, and
as a result, we've got another person that it seems
(47:19):
is going to die a horrific death. I might just say.
The allegation is that his head was stomped on several
times before Border Force could actually get to this person
who was being monitored. So it's pretty clear that despite
the monitoring, despite the quarter of a billion dollars put
towards trying to keep the Australian public safe from these individuals,
(47:39):
it is failing. These people should be round back up,
put in detention and those who are not eligible to stay,
get them out of the country.
Speaker 2 (47:51):
And when now about two and a half years on
since the Coalition and One Nation supported those urg of
protection measures of which the government has never ever view
used to deal with this.
Speaker 3 (48:01):
Cohort, just something that came up.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
I saw this today, James McGrath. I'll put it on
the screen, this number of Australians in Israel in Iran now,
the three hundred and fifty odd is the number three
hundred sorry there in Israel. That didn't really surprise me,
thought perhaps that would be higher. But I'm seeing what
I was shocked to find. We've got three hundred and
fifty Australians or dual nationals in Iran.
Speaker 3 (48:28):
Does that surprise you, James McGrath.
Speaker 1 (48:32):
It does because I think you've had a choice between
living in Iran or Australia. I think it's pretty obvious
you want to live in Australia. So I don't know
why anyone would want to live under the dictatorship in
the theocracy that is ruling Iran at the moment. And
I would hope that those Australians who are in Iran
come to their senses and believe that coming to Australia
(48:56):
and living in a liberal democracy with all our freedoms
is a better way rather than staying in a country
which is ruled by a bunch of men with beards.
Speaker 2 (49:08):
I'm a bit gbious about their background, but we'll leave
it at that. Hey, two billion dollars, we're told it'll
be passed through to poor of car buyers with these
emission standards.
Speaker 3 (49:17):
James Ashby, Yeah, isn't it ridiculous?
Speaker 14 (49:21):
And they're saying right now that the used car market
is going up. Why is that because car manufacturers are
putting in reduced cylinders in vehicles to try and meet
these emission standards that the government have said. I look
at it this way. I think car users in this
country are going to end up like Japan after ten years.
Japanese throw their cars away because it becomes too costly
(49:43):
to keep a car of that age, because there are
more and more costs attached to registration and you've got
to go and get them reviewed every two years. I
feel sorry for anyone who can't afford a new car
right now, but I don't think any subsidies should be
offered to these renewable vis hucles.
Speaker 2 (50:02):
Not wrong out of time, Jens great, every company. See
you next week.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
Here's Andrew
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