Interview with Samantha Armytage on the Today Show

Subjects: Fuel Excise, Labor Party Conference, Future Coalitions, Dating

E&OE........

Samantha Armytage

Welcome back to Today. Now, drivers are facing fresh pain at the pump when the government's fuel excise returns to normal rates at the end of this week. Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Shadow Minister for Housing, Senator Bragg, and Chief Political Correspondent for Nine Newspapers, Paul Sakkal. Morning to you both, gents. Andrew, we're looking at $2 per litre for unleaded. If the Coalition were in power, would you go ahead and extend the excise cut?

Senator Bragg

Well, it's very embarrassing to be an Australian when Anthony Albanese is Prime Minister, and one of the most embarrassing things he's done is go around to other countries seeking to get petrol in his hat when he could have got the petrol out of the ground here in Australia. We've got 42 years of oil under our ground, which he can't get out because of his crazy environmental laws. So all his measures have been band-aids when he could have actually fixed this problem by giving us more supply.

Samantha Armytage

Okay. Paul, are Labor underestimating the volatility we're seeing in the Strait of Hormuz? This is far from over, this crisis.

Paul Sakkal

It is far from over, Sam, and if this government's track record is anything to go by, I wouldn't fully trust its message right now that it's not considering increasing this excise cut. I imagine if this goes on for months and months and the oil price does go up again, there's still a solid chance that they do continue on with that cut. The only saving grace I'd imagine is that Donald Trump has midterm elections in November, and the Israeli Prime Minister has an election in October. So I suspect by around that time, you're likely to see some simmering down in that conflict.

Samantha Armytage

Let's hope so, for the sake of us all. And mental note, fill up the car today. Moving along. Labor's National Secretary, Paul Erickson, has wrapped up its three-day conference with a stern warning for One Nation and the Coalition. Erickson says he was preparing for a joint attack because they have no choice but to work together. What do you think about that, Andrew? Do you think that the Coalition and One Nation will join forces before the next election?

Senator Bragg

Well, I mean, Albo's conference looked like it was run by Kim Jong Un from North Korea. I mean, it looked like a communist manifesto and everyone's patting each other on the back and having a great time. They're giving Wayne Swan awards and the like. I just thought it was a parody. We'll work out preferences before the next election, but one thing we won't be is in a coalition with the unions and the big super funds, which is all this government is. Because their coalition with these other bodies, like unions and super funds, is wrecking the country's economy because all the policies that they've got are about shovelling money and cash out the door to their mates, and they're structurally buggering up this economy.

Samantha Armytage

But surely on the right of politics in this country with the popularity we're seeing in One Nation, your coalition is going to have to join forces if you want to win the next election. You two are going to have to sit down and work out your differences.

Senator Bragg

Well, the great thing about Australia is that elections are every three years. You don't need to decide who you preference now. That's a decision for later.

Samantha Armytage

Oh, no, I'm not talking about preferences. I'm talking about a coalition.

Senator Bragg

Well, we'll work out, if there needs to be a coalition, we'd work it out then. But we won't be in a coalition with the unions and the big super funds and all the other crooks that Labor are in coalition with now.

Samantha Armytage

Okay. Paul, the Prime Minister is really trying to play down this Point Piper dinner date that he had with the son of a Chinese businessman who was previously being investigated by the ATO. He's insisting he wasn't aware of this probe. Do you buy this? This is not a very good look for him.

Paul Sakkal

Well, if there's any institution that you'd think has the ability to be aware about the history of an individual and potentially the source of their funds being their family and father who has been under investigation for quite a while, you'd think it is the government itself. So the line he put yesterday, the Prime Minister, in an interview was that he doesn't know the background of every individual he meets. He meets hundreds of people each night. But surely that test changes if you're taking significant amounts of money from that person.

Samantha Armytage

Sure.

Paul Sakkal

Now, there is a chance that the case was smothered in legal confidentiality, and so potentially the government has some argument there. But the Prime Minister didn't sound super convincing yesterday. But, Andrew. Sorry to jump back one sec, Andrew, but did you just say that the Coalition could be sorted out after the next election depending on the numbers? That seemed like you're opening a door to a coalition with One Nation.

Senator Bragg

Well, we would definitely work out whoever would be interested in being in a coalition with us, if that's what the numbers were. Of course. We're not crazy. But I make the point that we won't be in coalition with all the crooks that Labor are in coalition with now, which is structurally buggering up this economy.

Samantha Armytage

Yeah, but forget—we're not talking about crooks, we're talking about One Nation. Do you think there is a possibility—because I know I'm talking to a lot of people out there in the bush, and a lot of them who vote conservative, or have in the past, are saying, "why doesn't One Nation just join up with the Liberal Party and the Nats?"

Senator Bragg

Well, as you know, all the other parties are no good. They have no real solutions. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is that we've got to get rid of this terrible Communist Government. So if the numbers were the numbers, and we had to be in coalition with others, then of course we would be pragmatic. I mean, we have to get rid of these guys. They're terrible.

Samantha Armytage

True. That should be your slogan: "All the other parties are no good."

Senator Bragg

It’s true.

Samantha Armytage

Finally with you two this morning. Low effort, not very stylish, and poor manners. Now, that is according to Reddit, and this is how single women are describing Aussie men on dating apps. Paul, do you think that is a fair assessment?

Paul Sakkal

Well, look, I hear Andrew's a bit of a charmer, so I'm not sure it fits his MO. But I think there's probably something in that. I think Australians tend to be pretty irreverent. And when I saw this topic on the rundown list, I remembered a mate of mine who went on lots of dates which were walks through Bunnings Warehouses during the pandemic. So I reckon there's something in it. But also, the upside to being irreverent is that what you see is what you get with most Australian guys, I think.

Samantha Armytage

I've been on some crazy dates, but I've never been to a Bunnings Warehouse. That's—I don't know if that'd be a turn-on. Andrew, apparently singles are trading bars for bathhouses when they go on a first date. The Herald Sun is saying this this morning. Rather than going and having a cocktail at a bar, they're going on these therapy dates to a bathhouse. What do you think?

Senator Bragg

Well, maybe it can be justified if a person's older and they've already had 1.75 million beers in their 20s. But certainly for the younger cohort, I would suggest that they get back to the pub.

Samantha Armytage

Okay, Andrew, you're a straight shooter, aren't you?

Paul Sakkal

They don't have enough money. There's a cost of living crisis. You can't—a pint's $20 in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, Andrew, where you're from.

Samantha Armytage

Yeah, take them to Bunnings.

Senator Bragg

Well, you've got to go somewhere else then. You've got to go somewhere else then.

Samantha Armytage

I love it. I think Barnaby better watch out for his job, Andrew. You're quite a straight shooter. Okay, gentlemen. Thank you. Great chat.

Paul Sakkal

See ya.

[Ends]

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