00:08
On 2GB Sydney and network stations across Australia, this is Mornings with Mark Levy.
00:17
A very good morning to you on this Thursday, the 30th of July. I'm Mark Levy. Welcome to Mornings as we broadcast in Sydney, Canberra and across Australia on the 2GB app. Coming up on the show today, mortgage holders to escape another interest rate hike in a few weeks' time. The big banks caught overcharging borrowers to the tune of $55 million. The ABC under fire over a vile segment depicting Gina Reinhart. While in sport, the gold rush continues in Glasgow as we kick off another round of footy. Quick look at Sydney's weather. Careabout, a free independent matching service connecting you with compatible aged care support.
00:52
Call 131300. We're in for a sunny day with a top of 17 in the city, the same out west. While in Canberra for our two double C listeners, morning frost developing into a partly cloudy day. with a high of just 12 degrees. As always, I'd love to hear from you this morning. Don't be shy. Jump on the line, have your say. The number to call, 131873. You can email me at 2GB.com, and there's the ever-popular text line as well, 0460 873 873. Well, sadly, we start this morning with this terrible tragedy overnight in Sydney's south-west where three people have died in a house fire.
01:28
It shocked the local community at Wylie Park and the emergency services as well. The Fire Rescue NSW Commissioner Jeremy Futrell spent the night with crews who responded to multiple triple zero calls at around 9.45 last night. When they arrived, the house was engulfed in flames. Five trucks responded, 20 firefighters. They forced their way through the burning exterior of the property. And as they entered a granny flat at the rear of the badly damaged home, they discovered the bodies of three people.
02:01
The Commissioner says it's a stark reminder of the dangers of home fires, particularly during the winter period. And it's the reason why we continue to talk to Fire Rescue NSW about the importance of fire safety and having a working smoke alarm at your place. Police, the fireys, they remain on scene and I'm sure we'll learn more throughout the day. I've just been reading some comments here from some neighbours.
02:26
The victims were known to the neighbours who say the house was home to elderly woman who lived in the main residence while her son, daughter and grandson resided in the Rea Granny flat on the property. So we'll wait to learn more about it throughout the day, but just a terrible, terrible tragedy overnight.
02:44
In the meantime, look, I hear from you every day and I've got email after email again this week about your struggles through the cost of living crisis and hardworking Australians keep questioning what the federal and state governments are doing to relieve some of the pressure. Now, if you listen to the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, they're making life easier for you, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
03:11
We continue to point to the $275 promise of a reduction in our power bills.
03:17
What's your electricity bill looking like these days? How much is it costing you to buy groceries for the family every week? I'm a single bloke, used to cost me about $140 to fill the fridge and the pantry with everything I needed to get me through the week. That's now become close to, if not over $200. Throw in the cost of fuel, that's about to increase with the government refusing to extend the discount on the fuel excise. Health and home insurance has gone up. It's never been more expensive to use toll roads as well. So can someone tell me what the federal and state Labor governments have done to ease the pressure on hard-working Australians?
03:52
I'm all ears, folks. You can jump on the line and let me know.
03:56
Now, in good news, there was a glimmer of hope for mortgage holders yesterday when it comes to interest rates, with the inflation data softer than expected. But mixed news from the economists. Most of them are saying the RBA will hold the cash rate at its next board meeting in a couple of weeks. There are others, though, who are pointing to the inflation numbers still being too high. Inflation in the year to June came in lower than expected at 3.8%. However, the RBA's preferred measure of underlying inflation remained steady at 3.6%, marking the 12th straight month that's been above the bank's target band of 2% to 3%.
04:32
So what does that mean? Well, respected economist Warren Hogan writes today in The Telegraph, and Warren will join me on the show in the second hour of the program.
04:41
He writes, the latest inflation numbers confirm what everyone already knows. The price of just about everything continued to march higher in the June quarter. Despite inflation coming in a little lower than expected, the reality is that Australia's inflation problem continues and there's nothing in the latest data that tells us it's heading back to the RBA's 2-3% target anytime soon.
05:04
The good news is the RBA is widely expected to keep the cash rate on hold when it meets in two weeks' time. Financial markets are assigning almost no chance of a rate hike on August 11 and have downgraded the chance of a final 25 basis point rate hike to less than 50%.
05:21
Some forecasters had already ruled out further rate hikes a few months ago as the government's tax changes in the budget turned a garden variety slowdown in the housing market into a genuine correction. Some are even toying with the idea of a rate cut in 2027 if the economy moved from bad in 2026 to worse in 2027.
05:42
The latest inflation numbers will give those forecasters even more confidence that not only have we seen the last of the rate hikes, but that inflation could be less of a constraint for the RBA board when it comes to cutting rates. Now, when it comes to this target band of 2.3% inflation that the RBA relies upon for making decisions on the cash rate, I want to float something for discussion this morning, and I'll preface it by saying I'm not an economist, however, I have spoken to some financial experts over the last few weeks and months and throughout this cost of living crisis.
06:21
The question I want to pose this morning is, and I'm sure it'll garner a mixed response, Is it time for the Reserve Bank to rethink its target band and increase it from 2% to 3% to 3% to 4%? Now, hear me out.
06:35
You see, for three decades, the RBA's target band has served as an unquestioned pillar of national economic strategy. It was adopted back in the early 90s, became a psychological and practical, I guess you'd call it anchor, that helped tame the double-digit inflation chaos of the 70s and 80s. Yet today's global economy looks nothing like the world today.
06:56
that birthed the 2.3% threshold.
06:59
We're now navigating an era that's defined by the rewiring of the global supply chain, massive capital investments in energy transition, and shifting demographics.
07:09
And you can throw in the alarmism around climate change. So is the two to 3% inflation target an outdated anchor holding us back?
07:17
Or is it our defence against economic instability?
07:20
Some of the financial experts I've spoken to, they've put forward a number of compelling cases to shift the target higher. The first is structural cost pressures are here to stay. Throw in the inflationary pressures emanating from geopolitical events like the war in the Middle East, the knock-on effect it's having on oil prices.
07:38
Admittedly, despite these arguments, central bankers and economists remain fiercely defensive of the 2% to 3% ban. I get it. If businesses and workers expect inflation to sit at 2% to 3%, they set prices and negotiate wages accordingly, and shifting the target to 3% to 4% sends a signal that the RBA is willing to accept higher price growth, which quickly causes inflation expectations to head north. So have we got it right in the world we live in at the moment, or is it time for a rethink?
08:07
I'd love to know what you think. 131873, the number. You can email me at 2GB.com and you can text me 0460 873 873. I'll see what Warren Hogan thinks.
08:18
Michelle Bullock, the RBA Governor, was actually asked the question by a former colleague of mine, Ross Greenwood, earlier this week. I'll share with you what Michelle Bullock had to say.
08:27
And there's a few economists that have also weighed in on this. So I just wanted to float it with you today and see what your thoughts are. Again, I'm not an economist. I'm not a financial expert. But some of those that I speak to say, well, look, in the world we live in and some of the other issues that we're facing at the moment, are we ever going to get back to an inflation rate of 2% to 3%? Doubtful.
08:49
Let me know your thoughts this morning on 131873.
08:52
Now look, while we're talking about economics and finance, This story popped up yesterday that I think further damages the credibility of the big banks and makes you question whether we can trust these major businesses to get the basics right anymore. Will Page and Cameron McKayla for reporting in The Telegraph that more than 1.8 million Australians are being warned to check every dollar coming off their home loan after a banking blunder left borrowers slugged with more than $55 million in extra interest.
09:23
In a scathing assessment of the nation's lenders, the corporate watchdog has accused banks of repeatedly getting the basics wrong, warning the full extent of the overcharging scandal may never be known because some banks cannot even identify which customers signed up for offset accounts.
09:40
An ASIC investigation found banks have already paid more than $55 million in compensation to over 250,000 customers after offset account failures left borrowers paying far more interest than they should have.
09:53
ASIC says the compensation bill is expected to climb. The watchdog examined more than 204,000 home loans with eight major lenders, AMP, ANZ, Commonwealth, Great Southern, HSBC, ING, Macquarie and Westpac.
10:09
The ASIC chair, Sarah Court, said Australians should be able to rely on banks to get such a basic product right.
10:16
About 55% of Australian mortgages now have an offset account attached, with Australians collectively holding $349 billion in those accounts.
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Now, as Erin Turner writes, she's the CEO of the Consumer Policy Research Centre, she writes today, The banks are one of the worst culprits, with yesterday's news no surprise to millions of customers who have faced terrible service across a range of banking products.
10:52
We also see it in how banks treat customers in hardship and the list goes on. So I just want to know where's the accountability?
11:00
Do we just, you know, simply sit here and say, oh, well, the bank's got it wrong, we move on? I just think given the role, the important role they play and the fact that they are lending money to borrowers, how we can just sort of shrug our shoulders and say, oh, well, you know, they've slugged customers $55 million in extra interest. What, do we just turn a blind eye? I mean, thankfully, we've got ASIC that's, you know, highlighted this, but where's the accountability? Where's the accountability?
11:28
Now, we move on to other things. A few other stories to touch on this morning.
11:33
Look, I've made no secret of the fact, I cannot still wrap my head around the fact that we're spending $1.2 billion on the ABC.
11:42
especially when the public broadcaster continues to, in my opinion, ignore its charter. Now, I couldn't stop laughing last week when the ABC chairman, Kim Williams, seriously suggested that he doesn't know which way the presenters and broadcasters vote, even though they're all mad lefties and Labor supporters.
11:59
Well, they're back in the spotlight again, and they have been for the last few days, and I'm glad that something is finally being done about this.
12:07
As Angie Raphael writes today, a vile ABC segment that depicted the imaginary torture of mining magnate Gina Reinhart has been referred to the ombudsman as the national broadcaster comes under fire for refusing to apologise. Communications Minister Annika Wells finally conceded yesterday the short film was unacceptable. She said, like any Australian, there's stuff I see on TV that I don't agree with. As the Minister for Communications, I respect the editorial independence of the ABC, but I understand they have now referred it to the Ombudsman.
12:38
I think that was the right thing to do.
12:41
The four-minute film was broadcast as part of the ABC's Race Around the World program last week, and it ended with a graphic description of a scenario in which Mrs Reinhart, the executive chairwoman of Hancock Prospecting, would be subjected to a violent assault. Now, the ABC initially released a statement defending this segment as satirical in tone and editorially justifiable within the context of the program, And while it has since referred the man to the ABC Ombudsman following backlash, it has so far resisted Hancock prospecting's call for it to publicly apologise.
13:17
Well, I agree with the opposition foreign affairs spokesman, Ted O'Brien, who says this is just absolutely vile.
13:25
He's also said, while he was not one who beats up on the ABC, he felt compelled to criticise it in this case. He said, I'm appalled. I mean, you don't treat any Australian like that. You don't especially treat an Australian woman like that.
13:39
And I agree with him. Just how can the ABC, the public broadcaster, allow something like that to go to air? Unbelievable.
13:48
A few other stories to mention today. Pauline Hanson, we spoke yesterday about what the first 100 days of a One Nation government would look like. Well, the Senator's come up with a plan to stop these ISIS-linked women and men from returning to Australia, and she's seeking the support of her fellow crossbenchers.
14:05
Senator Hanson has devised a new plan to ban Islamic state-linked fighters and terror sympathisers, strengthening bail laws for terror offences and introducing tougher passport blocking powers in a counter-terror bill the populist politician says will be high court proof.
14:21
Now, I've heard members of the coalition saying, oh, well, this is not something Pauline Hanson should be doing. It's something that the government should be doing. Well, what I would say to the coalition is, well, you should be coming out with strong policies like this that you can start putting to the Australian people and giving them an alternative. But the fact that Angus Taylor hasn't responded to this letter that's been sent by Pauline Hanson, what would the coalition do with these ISIS-linked women and these ISIS fighters?
14:50
I mean, I just think finally someone who's prepared to stop terrorists and terror sympathisers from returning to Australia. As I keep saying, these people aren't with the same ideology as the two gunmen who allegedly opened fire on that Jewish event down at Bondi Beach. We don't want these people living in this country.
15:07
So we'll have a closer look at that for you a little later this morning. And just off the back of Bondi, some really strong comments as well from an American man, the Anti-Defamation League boss, which I'll share with you later in the show. He certainly hasn't missed the Prime Minister.
15:23
The ICAC inquiry continues. Today we'll hear from Robert Assaf, who was employed as a communications manager at Catholic Schools New South Wales. There was evidence put to the Commission yesterday by this Dylan Whitelaw, a former Liberal staffer and one-time member of the Conservative Liberal sub-faction, the Reformers.
15:41
There were suggestions at the commission yesterday that, you know, there were photos of David Elliott having an affair, the former New South Wales MP and minister.
15:51
He's since come out and rejected all accusations made by the young boy Dylan and his colleagues on the religious right of the Liberal Party. As most of Sydney knows, I'm a devoted husband of 30 years to a beautiful woman who doesn't deserve to be treated like this by the party she has sacrificed so much for. And I couldn't agree more with David.
16:09
And it's important to point out that under cross-examination, Mr Whitelaw said he accepted no photos of the alleged affair existed, adding he agreed the affair never happened. So it was clearly a smear campaign designed to destroy David Elliott and the same goes for the building commissioner, David Chandler. So we'll keep an eye on that evidence that's given this morning by Mr Asaf.
16:32
I'll have a bit to say as well about Chris Bowen. You know, he's put together this UN climate change meeting in Fiji. Well, he's written to some of the world leaders and they've all come back to him saying, sorry, no thanks.
16:45
And all the while we're spending $150 million on it. Incredible. Unbelievable. So we'll talk more about that.
16:52
Michael Lee, the federal court judge, has blown up at Morris Blackburn lawyers over this delay in paying the sacked Qantas employees their compensation, the $120 million in compensation.
17:05
He made it clear in no uncertain terms, his honour, that they need to be paid by tomorrow.
17:10
So we'll have a closer look at that. And some huge news in the medical world. This is so good. Sydney will become the frontline of earlier Alzheimer's detection with an Australian first blood test that can deliver results in as little as 18 minutes. We'll catch up with the professor involved in this and we'll let him run through how this is gonna work. but just yet another advancement in modern medicine that's happening right here in Australia. Simply extraordinary. Congratulations to all those involved.
17:38
Now we turn to sport. Gee, the Aussie athletes, they are just unstoppable at these Commonwealth Games. Another 12 gold medals overnight. In the pool, both our 4x100 medley relay teams edged out their rivals. Sam Short won the 1500. Meg Harris, the 50 freestyle. Kai Taylor won the 200 freestyle. Dead Heat in the 50 fly between Kyle Chalmers and Ben Armbruster. And Brittany Castelluzzo won gold in the 50 fly. We've had success in the women's three-on-three basketball. They've won gold, so did the men's three-on-three wheelchair basketball team.
18:12
And we can't forget our weightlifters. Eileen Chikamotana claimed victory in the women's 86-kilo division. So it takes our tally to 47 gold, 21 silver, 35 bronze for a total of 103 medals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They're flying. St. George and Lawarra, gee, the Dragons, aren't they putting together a top eight side for next season? They've signed Cody Nicarima from the Dolphins, so he'll partner Luke Metcalf in the halves for the Dragons next year. Throw in the likes of Scott Drinkwater, Connor Watson, Phil Sarmie, Keon Columetonghi.
18:45
It's looking like an impressive team on paper, so hopefully some genuine excitement amongst the Red V fans there. Meantime, Adam Dewey and Benji Marshall, they were all smiles yesterday, but...
18:56
Look, this might be an unpopular opinion, but I'll share it with you anyway because it's how I feel.
19:01
I maintain the coach has done the wrong thing by putting Adam Dewey back into the halves this week.
19:06
I get it. They need to win football games. But what it does, it says to every other player in the team that if you spit the dummy and walk away from training because you don't like a decision of the coach, when you return, you just end up getting your own way.
19:20
Now, for the record, I hope Adam Dewey has the game of his life this weekend, but do you really think that Craig Bellamy or Wayne Bennett would cop it? I don't.
19:29
So, anyway, we'll wait and see what happens at the West Tigers. We're into the footy tonight. North Queensland up against the Roosters in Townsville. The Cowboys needing to win to cement a spot in the top eight ahead of the finals. Speaking of finals, just four rounds left in the AFL. We've got Collingwood and Geelong. doing battle tonight at the MCG. The Swans are on the road this weekend against St Kilda. The Giants are away to Port Adelaide. Tottenham needed penalties to get the better of Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium last night. Cruz Hewitt, he's down to face Alex Dimonor in the round of 16 at the tennis event in the United States.
20:01
And the Aussie cricket coach, Andrew McDonald, has flagged that his incoming England counterpart... may attempt to prize Ben Stokes out of retirement and says the idea of the all-rounder playing in next year's Ashes series is a fairy tale. Wouldn't that add some spice to the Ashes series? So there's plenty for us to talk about this morning. If you've got an opinion to share, story to tell, something to report, the number to call 131873. You can email me at 2GB.com or you can shoot through a text on 0460 873 873. You're with Mark Levy as we broadcast on 2GB in Sydney through the 2GB app and via network stations right across Australia.
20:41
Straighten your feedback as we inevitably do on the morning program. Mark, can you comment about that thing Wells said? The ABC filth wasn't worth my time. Too busy planning a next taxpayer-funded holiday with a hubby. Shame on them and Albo, who remains steadfastly quiet. It doesn't matter who the woman is, or man for that matter.
21:01
Um...
21:02
Filled in memory blank along with Maureen Faruqi in her words regarding the Queen, never forget. Well, it's just distasteful. And how the public broadcaster allowed it to go to air in the first place, and I don't think I need to describe to you what the piece of vision was doing. I think most of you by now have seen it. It's just uncalled for. Uncalled for. Uncalled for.
21:24
Mark, power prices, the further west you head out of Sydney, the higher power prices get. I'm in Griffith and the cheapest rate per kilowatt peak here is 42 cents. Many suppliers are over 50 cents. Daily supply charge starts at $1.90. Plus, it's a lot colder out here in winter. We're really copping it in the neck from Gary.
21:43
I've had a lot of people write to me from the bush as well. Levy, absolutely with you, 100% about that inflation target. Well, I'm just floating it for a discussion. I don't really have an opinion either way. I'm just simply floating it as something to mention, and I'm hoping we might have some people with financial backgrounds listening who might have an opinion on it. Again, I'm not an economist. I'm not an expert on this, but I've spoken to a number of experts on this And they've just floated it. And I know that Michelle Bullock was asked about it this week by Ross Greenwood.
22:16
And I think I'm right in saying since the band of 2% to 3% inflation was brought in in the early 90s, I think only nine times or nine times has the inflation figure fallen. inside that 2% to 3% band. Anyway, I'll stand corrected on that. I'll play you some audio in just a second. In fact, I'll do that after the break. Let's get a couple of calls, though. Louise is at Silverdale. Morning, Louise.
22:42
Oh, good morning, Mark. How are you?
22:43
Good, thank you.
22:45
Thank you. I'm just calling about cost of living. My husband and I...
22:51
smashed by bills and I've never seen anything like it before. Yesterday we received a $1,500 electricity bill. We're not doing anything excessive. We have two very young children. It's cold so we put the aircon on at about 5pm and we run it through till about 8pm at night and we run it a little bit in the morning. Really not excessive at all. We've received a daycare increase and we're now paying $900 a fortnight in daycare and that's after the subsidy.
23:22
We're on modest incomes, but nothing where you can say, comfortably say that on a Saturday night, hey, let's go out to dinner, you know, like we always used to do back in the day.
23:33
And, you know, it's not a big ask to say to a young family, let's go to dinner. But you feel guilty if you do, because you think, oh, that money could have gone elsewhere. You know, every time I go to the groceries, I'll go to Woolworths and I'm not leaving. Even if I had to pick up five things, It's costing me at least $100. And, you know, you look at that and you think, oh my God, what am I doing wrong? I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm just trying to live and put a roof over my children's head.
24:04
We then got council rates yesterday and they're $700. I have a bin, a little red bin that's overflowing because, you know, if I want a bigger bin, I have to pay more. But I refuse to do that because I think this is ridiculous. What am I getting? I live in Silverdale and anyone who lives in the Wollondilly Council knows our roads are terrible. Potholes everywhere.
24:30
People have cracked rims driving around these roads.
24:35
And yeah, it's just, I suppose I'm calling because I'm a 32-year-old and I'm thinking, is anyone else in my boat? Because some people seem to do it and other people I talk to seem to be struggling too.
24:48
And I'm just waiting for the next increase of something else.
24:52
Louise, the fact that you've made this phone call is so powerful in itself. And I want to make it clear to you, you are not alone.
25:01
Every morning I get into work at about 4.30 and I spend the first 15 minutes of my day reading through listener emails, replying to a number of them. And I reckon three out of every four...
25:13
are indicating exactly what you've just indicated. Electricity bills, childcare, insurance, council rates. There's just no relief. Yet the Prime Minister and the Treasurer stand there in front of the TV cameras and say, what a wonderful job they're doing. We're making it easier for people. Well, what have they done to make life easier for someone like you, Louise? A family of four that's paying $1,500 for your electricity bill.
25:36
Each time him or Chalmers comes on the TV, I just want to be sick. I can't stand it. I can't stand watching him each day say, with that smirk on his face, we're giving relief to families.
25:51
I just, oh, it makes me sick. All the while, he's having dinners with people that he shouldn't be having dinners with.
25:58
And it's just, you think, right, I'm working hard. I'm working extremely hard. And he hasn't worked a real job since 1980 or whatever it was.
26:07
You know, I'm 32 now.
26:09
I listen to this program every day because I think at least I can listen to other people who are in the same boat. I just don't want to listen to crap anymore. That gets fed either from the ABC or, you know, from mainstream media. I just can't stand it anymore. I can't stand seeing him and I can't stand the crap he feeds everyone every day.
26:32
Louise, can I give you a gold-plated guarantee? Well, however I'm afforded the chance to sit behind this microphone, we'll cut through that crap. We'll tell it how it is. We'll tell you the truth and we'll continue to hold our politicians to account because we're sick and tired of the BS. We're sick and tired of the spin. We're sick and tired of the lies. We want people who want to put Australia first, and that's what it all boils down to. Forget about their mates over in other countries. Forget about climate conferences in Fiji. Start looking after people like you, Louise, that are out there doing their best to live a life and support your family, and you just feel like you can't win the battle that you're facing at the moment.
27:08
Louise, stay strong, and you know I'm here anytime you want to give me a ring, all right?
27:12
Thanks, Mark. Have a great day.
27:13
You take care and look after yourself.
27:16
Are you in the same position as Louise, folks?
27:19
I don't think the open line here at 2GB has ever been more powerful.
27:24
You can hear the anger and frustration in her voice.
27:29
Are they listening in Canberra? Do they care?
27:34
Well, I'll tell you what, if they cared, they wouldn't keep lying to us, 26 to 10.
27:39
Yeah, a lot of people reacting to Louise's call. Mark, I feel exactly the same as Louise. Please send that call to Canberra. Everybody needs to hear it. They've heard it. They've heard it. Don't you worry. All of their staffers, they listen to every single word we say.
27:56
They've heard it.
27:57
But what they're going to do about it is another question. 131873 is the number. Just on this inflation target, again, I've just floated it. I'm not an economist. I'm not a financial expert. I've just floated it for a discussion off the back of a comment that was made by the RBA Governor this week, Michelle Bullock, which I'll share with you in a sec. Pete wants to weigh in at Oyster Bay. Peter, good morning to you.
28:17
Yeah, good morning, Mark. Mark, I'm not so sure about adjusting the inflation target. My frustration is that the whole burden of fixing this inflationary problem is being put on to just a segment of our population, and that's mortgage holders. People that have mortgages cannot take any more mortgage rate rises. I'm in a privileged position where I've paid off my mortgage and I'm benefiting from it. And I almost feel embarrassed that I'm benefiting from these interest rate rises.
28:51
What it means, Mark, is that on the one hand, they're trying to withdraw money out of the economy by putting up interest rates. And then on the other hand, people like myself, have more money we can invest and we can get money back so they're trying to bring it down and yet on the other hand they're putting more money back by paying me more interest so the way i see it mark they're going about it the wrong way rather than just trying to get a problem fixed from one relatively small part of our population, why not make it a broader fix by treating this as an emergency scenario?
29:33
Stop slugging these poor kids with mortgages, you know, a quarter percent every month, every three months.
29:42
The federal government has what's called fiscal policy available to it. They're not using fiscal policy. Fiscal policy should be in tandem with monetary policy, which is what is in the domain of the Reserve Bank. But they're not pulling the levers available to them. This is a terrible government, it's a terrible treasury, and it's a terrible treasurer. They have tools available to them, which are left field. I admit to you they're left field.
30:13
What a solution could be, and I'm just putting it out there for consideration, stop hitting the kids with all these interest rate rises and putting so much pressure on families like Louise, and perhaps do a temporary, and I stress temporary, rate rise on something like tax rates and put a small surcharge on the tax rate to try and pull more money out of the economy by taking more money out of the economy in a way like this spreads the burden right across the population It doesn't take money out of it and then put it back in.
30:58
It's all working together in the same direction.
31:01
Yeah. Well, Peter, let me put it to Warren Hogan, who's going to join us in the next hour of the program. I know you've got a background in finance. You've told the team. So thank you for weighing in, first and foremost. I think the other thing that the government needs to do is stop spending. I was looking it up this morning. Government spending is now estimated to be around 28% of GDP, which is significantly above the pre-pandemic norm of approximately 22% to 22.5%. They've got to curb spending. Mark in Kellyville.
31:32
Good morning, Mark.
31:34
Hey, mate. Yes. What are your thoughts, Mark?
31:35
Hey, Mark. How are you going? Good, good. Listen, I agree with you totally on the interest rate, the inflation thing.
31:43
It's way outdated. We've been how many decades. The cost of living has gone up all over the world. Isn't it time, and I've been thinking this for a very long time, we need to revise the interest rate. I would have said more between 4% and 5%. And at least then we can give some relief on the mortgage rates because they can bring the mortgage rates down. And I think there needs to be a global revision of inflation rates.
32:07
Yeah, well, that ban was brought in the early 90s. Again, I'm just floating it for discussion today. I'm not steadfast in a view on it either way. I'm just floating it, given some of the conversations I've had off air over the last few months. Mark, thank you for weighing in. We'll take a break at 18 to 10. When we come back... I'll play you what Michelle Bullock said about the inflation target ban when she spoke at a lunch earlier this week. We'll do that all and plenty more coming up after the break here on 2GB Mornings.
32:34
Now, just some news from Sydney Airport. The airline's lobby group says 33 flights have already been delayed and passengers are being advised to check before heading to the airport as more staffing shortages hit Air Services Australia. Airlines for Australia and New Zealand Chief Executive Stephen Beckett said flights had been delayed as long as an hour after issues staffing the air traffic control tower this morning. Airlines are particularly aggrieved by the issues given Air Services has asked the ACCC to push through price increases for its fees, which would double the amount airlines have to pay.
33:06
So we'll keep an eye on that for you throughout the morning. We've also had Angus Taylor and Matt Canavan fronting a press conference at Logan in Queensland. The opposition leader has been asked again if he's ever taken donations from Catholic Schools New South Wales. given what has been put to the ICAC over the last few days. He has again said, as I say, I've answered these questions yesterday. I'm not giving a running commentary. You can ask the questions 100 times. I'll give you the same answer. So that's what's happening there.
33:37
Now, just on to this suggestion from some people I've spoken to that maybe we need to rethink that inflation rate band that is utilised by the RBA on monetary policy in this country. Michelle Bullock was asked about this during the week by Ross Greenwood. Here's her response.
33:58
And I think the target band is fit for purpose.
34:02
And I think if you recall back prior to COVID, we had the opposite problem. We were consistently below target.
34:12
What does it imply? I think it just demonstrates that forecasting, we have to do it, but it's inherently uncertain. We do the best we can because we can't just look in the rear vision mirror and look at the data and...
34:27
That tells us where we're starting from, but we still need to be forward-looking. Do we get forecasts wrong? Yes, we do. Everyone does. But we still have to do them, and we still have to make the best decisions we can make based on those forecasts. So, you know, I'd like to be able to say that, you know, our forecast, we're really, really confident in our forecast. Further out we go, the harder it gets. The best I think we can do is be responsive and adaptive. as things change, and I think we demonstrated that earlier this year when things moved differently than we thought they were going to do, and we responded.
35:05
Yeah, and I mentioned Ross Greenwood put that question to Michelle Bullock. He also asked a question of ANZ Chief Economist Richard Yetzinger on News 24 yesterday. Here's the response.
35:17
What's the use of having a 2% to 3% target band if in the last 120 months, the last 10 years, they've really only been in that target band for about 9 or 10 months?
35:28
Look, it's a fair criticism in some ways, but monetary... You know, we're not trying to land on an aircraft carrier. If you miss the aircraft carrier either side all the time and so on average you're in the middle, it doesn't do you much help. This is not like that. I think if sometimes during eras where inflation's a bit difficult to... get up, if you're one and a half to two, not ideal but not terrible, when you're in a period like now where it's harder to bring inflation down, if you're three to three and a half but you're still working hard to preserve the gains on employment but bring inflation down and you look at the averages, I reckon you say that's not a bad outcome, could you do better?
36:07
Sure, but you've definitely got a pass mark.
36:10
Yeah, so just floating it for a discussion today, giving a couple of comments and questions around this to the RBA Governor and a few of the economists and a few of the people I've spoken to. So fairly mixed response on it, no surprises. One here from Don says, Mark, the Reserve Bank doesn't need to shift its target. Governments need to rein in spending. The waste and mismanagement is of epic proportions. Look at increases in power prices of 22%.
36:33
It's clear government policies are the problem. Well, Don, I'd agree with you on that. Thank you for weighing in. We'll take a break. Nine and a half to ten.
36:41
Lynn says on the email, Mark, what a powerful call earlier from Louise.
36:45
Thank you for giving her the airtime. I could have kept listening to her. Louise, my son and daughter-in-law are in the same boat as yourself. Two small children, huge daycare costs, et cetera, et cetera. You're not alone. And I wanted to make that clear to Louise too, Lynn. There are so many people in the same position, but sadly it seems the government doesn't care. They keep suggesting they do, but clearly they don't.
37:08
Just back to this terrible tragedy overnight at Wiley Park, this house fire where three people have died. We have heard from police who have confirmed that the occupants of the granny flat included a 52-year-old male, a 43-year-old female and a 16-year-old male. 52-year-old male, a 43-year-old female and a 16-year-old male. Just terrible, terrible news.
37:34
And look, on the way to the next break, I wanted to give this a plug. New South Wales Police have formed their first ever Indigenous NRL team who will be playing against the Navy next Saturday at Allianz Stadium before the Rabbitohs-Eels game during the NRL's Indigenous round.
37:49
We're very excited that this is happening, says the email that I've got. And in the week leading up to the game, the The team will be involved in a number of activities, including community engagement, war cry and a smoking ceremony. So well done to police. They've formed their very first Indigenous NRL team that will be playing against the Navy next Saturday at Allianz Stadium. That'll be the curtain raiser to the Rabbitohs-Eels game during the NRL's Indigenous round. Well done to all involved. Four and a half to ten.
38:16
Coming up after the news at 10 o'clock, I want to have a chat about Chris Bowen, the gift that keeps on giving the climate change and energy minister. As you know, he's been putting together this UN climate change meeting in Fiji. Well, it appears that some of the world leaders, in fact, all of the world leaders outside of the Pacific have said, no thanks, too busy, can't get there.
38:38
And what are we spending? $150 million on his...
38:41
department inside the Climate Change and Energy Department for his COP presidency. Unbelievable. Anyway, we'll have a chat about that after the news and we'll catch up with Warren Hogan as well. News is next.
39:00
Across Australia, this is Mornings with Mark Levy.
39:06
Second hour of the program on this Wednesday. Of course, final hour, Sarah McDonald will be here. Look forward to taking some of your calls and catching up with Sarah. As we get back into it, breaking news out of the Northern Territory, the federal member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, has been arrested in relation to an alleged assault on the Northern Territory Administrator, David Connolly. Now, this alleged incident occurred at a Thai festival in Darwin back on July 18. Police began investigating the matter last week and arrested the Labor MP this morning.
39:37
He remains in custody.
39:39
According to the NT Criminal Code, anyone found guilty of an assault on the Northern Territory administrator while he's engaged in the discharge of his official functions could be imprisoned for up to 14 years.
39:52
Now, obviously, he's entitled to his day in court, so that's where we'll leave it. But we can report, and it's been widely reported, that the federal member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, has been arrested in relation to an alleged assault. Meantime, the East Safety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, is taking the messaging service telegram to court over its alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material from its platform, including videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings. The East Safety Commissioner conducted a year-long investigation into the platform and alleges Telegram has failed to comply with Australian codes and standards regarding pro-terror material.
40:32
The content allegedly identified includes the live-streamed Christchurch mosque shooting from 2019 and the Buffalo mass shooting in New York in May 2022.
40:45
The East Safety Commissioner alleges the material was uploaded to Telegram nearly three months prior to its removal. The company could face fines of up to $54.6 million. Telegram has been approached for a comment.
41:01
And away from that, Pauline Hanson, as you know, and as we touched on off the top of the show, the One Nation leader has written to every crossbench MP saying, seeking support for a new bill to strengthen counter-terrorism laws and stop ISIS terrorists from returning to Australia. Now, we'll get to the Prime Minister in just a sec. I know the Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, has pushed back on this, saying that the new laws...
41:28
that the One Nation leader is floating would last about 30 seconds in the High Court. According to Tony Burke, he says, "...the laws we've already got go to basically the limit of what you can do under the Australian Constitution. Every country in the world has to accept back its own citizens. Sometimes you can delay them for a bit, but ultimately you have to accept your own citizens." Well, the Prime Minister has weighed in this morning on ABC Breakfast and he's been asked if he'll consider Pauline Hanson's bill. This is what the Prime Minister had to say earlier this morning when he was asked on the ABC.
42:03
Oh, look, no one has any sympathy for people who've gone and fought for ISIS overseas.
42:11
These are people who've made a choice to back a terrorist organisation rather than back Australia's national interests.
42:19
But will you look at the idea that Pauline Hanson's put forward?
42:23
Well, one of the things that defines us as a country is we support the rule of law. 45 men who fought with ISIS returned before we came to government to Australia, and that's because citizenship does bring certain rights under the Constitution. And we will do everything we can. We're, of course, within the law, though, and we'll also, of course, provide no support for any of these people to return to Australia.
42:56
What a weak response. What a weak response. And I'm sorry, I don't buy this argument, oh, we will play no part. They return home with an Australian passport. Who issues a passport? The Australian government.
43:09
Just weak.
43:12
Now, look, I've thought long and hard about a song this morning for Chris Bowen. Now, the climate change and energy minister has put together this UN climate change meeting in Fiji, but Guess what?
43:26
The rest of the world has brushed him. Yep, Bobo's forked out $150 million of our money to help put together a conference, and the RSVPs have come back saying no thanks. Well, Chris Bowen, this one's for you.
43:53
I mean, how embarrassing for the COP president of negotiations, Chris Bowen. Bobo, what's doing?
44:00
You can just imagine him sitting in his office, can't you? Blowing up about the world leaders refusing to fly to Fiji.
44:07
Hasn't his arrogance and ego taken a beating? I was only thinking earlier, right? So Chris Bowens, he's been flying around the world, indulging in his insatiable appetite for global green summits and styling himself as a major player in the global climate arena. We're the ones who have been footing the bill for it, mind you. So $150 million on this newly created office of the presidency, which in my opinion is a bureaucratic waste of space staffed by 100 full-time public servants who burn through millions on luxury five-star resort bookings, travel, hundreds of thousands of dollars more on behavioural or behaviour change digital campaigns.
44:43
And for what? To be rejected by the rest of the world?
44:46
Chris Bowen and his new office have been given the cold shoulder.
44:50
He hasn't locked in a single head of government or state from outside the immediate Pacific for this conference.
44:57
The rest of the world is bypassing the event entirely. It's not only embarrassing for Chris Bowen, I think it's embarrassing for us as a country, given this bloke is supposed to be representing us.
45:08
It exposes a minister who is both thoroughly out of his depth and completely ignored by the global community he so desperately seeks to impress.
45:17
While the rest of the world wakes up to the hard economic realities of the transition to renewables, Bobo remains hopelessly spellbound by an ideological green crusade.
45:27
Even more demanding and damning is Mr Bowen's own astonishing admission that this summit is unlikely to deliver massive breakthroughs. Well, if that's the case, what's the point of doing it in the first place?
45:39
to demand $150 million from the Australian taxpayers for an event he openly concedes will be merely iterative.
45:47
It's not just arrogance, it's an insult to every household currently buckling under the weight of his failed domestic policies.
45:55
While Chris Bowen plays diplomat in the South Pacific, back home the reality of his energy policy is hitting hard. You heard it from Louise earlier. Households facing record power bills, up by a staggering 40%. Families being placed on energy hardship plans in record numbers, forcing parents to choose between eating their homes and putting food on the table. Targets are continually missed. Grid reliability is fraying. Energy costs choking local manufacturing.
46:22
The question Australians must now ask is simple. When will Chris Bowen stop obsessing over international applause and start prioritising Australia's energy future?
46:32
Our country does not need a part-time energy minister whose primary focus is playing global climate chairman while the domestic grid burns through public cash. We need cheap power, grid stability and reliable energy. And we need a minister focused on the factory floors and the living rooms of Western Sydney, not the luxury sites of Denaro Island. Anthony Albanese needs to face the reality of what his minister has created, spending tens of millions of dollars of our money to secure empty chairs at a foreign resort.
47:03
That's not middle-powered diplomacy. It's a humiliating farce. And it's time to stop grandstanding, drop these vanity projects and return to the energy policy that puts Australians first.
47:20
I mean, if Chris Bowen won't bring his head out of the clouds, Anthony Albanese needs to bring him back down to earth immediately. Bobo wanted a seat at the top table of global diplomacy. Instead, he spent $150 million just to prove nobody, and I mean nobody, is listening to him. It's Oh, Chris Bowen, the gift that keeps on giving, but we're the ones footing the bill.
47:55
It's infuriating, isn't it? 131873, the number, 2GB.com. Click onto the feedback icon. We'll check in with Warren Hogan after this, respected economist. Get the state of play on our economy and what the future's looking like for mortgage holders. And we'll ask a question about self-funded retirees as well. All that and plenty more at 16 past 10.
48:16
19.30. Mark Levy here on 2GB Mornings.
48:18
Well, those inflation figures came out yesterday confirming what Australians feel every day, and that is that prices in the June quarter kept marching higher.
48:27
The numbers came in slightly lower than expected. Our inflation problem, though, isn't going anywhere. with little sign of returning to the RBA's 2% to 3% target any time soon. So will the RBA keep interest rates on hold? Well, at the next board meeting coming up in two weeks' time, it looks like, yes, the cash rate will be kept on hold. But don't start celebrating cuts just yet because a number of economists, including Warren Hogan, they point out that the fine print shows reductions will only happen if the economy slumps into a true recession zone.
49:00
I thought we'd catch up with one of the country's most respected economists, Warren Hogan, Managing Director of EQ Economics. He's on the line right now. Warren, good morning to you.
49:09
Good morning. Thanks for having me on the show.
49:10
Nice to catch up, mate, and a big fan of your work. Thank you for everything you're saying at the moment. You're certainly telling it how it is and cutting through all the spin. Really tough out there at the moment, mate. The data that came out yesterday, though, is there a glimmer of hope for mortgage holders?
49:26
Look, I mean, I think you summed it up well that we've still got inflation that's well above the RBA's target. It's rising at sort of at least 3.5% on an annual basis and not showing any signs of abating. And so this is, you know, for anyone who's not getting wage increases of 4% or 5% or more, this is continuing to... eat away at their living standards. So I'm just not convinced that this economy is on a great trajectory. And although the RBA was likely to hold off in the short term, I don't think we can rule out the need for higher interest rates because the RBA needs to get inflation down to 2% to 3%.
50:04
And our governments are doing nothing to assist them because they continue to spend at a pace that's exceeding the speed limit of the economy. That is, they're growing spending by about 3%. And the economy can only grow at 2%.
50:17
before it starts creating inflation. So it's all up to the RBA, and I'm not convinced that rates are high enough to get inflation down, and of course it's the inflation that's hurting everyday Australians.
50:26
Let me ask you a pointed question here, Warren. Given what you've just said in terms of government spending, what's your read on the role that the Treasurer is playing in all of this at the moment? Because it seems like he's prepared to stand in front of the television cameras off the back of the data that comes out from the Bureau of Statistics and he's looking at the economy with rose-coloured glasses. Is that a fair comment or not?
50:49
Yeah, I suppose that's what a politician does.
50:53
But I think what we're failing to see from our government and all our state governments is leadership. And we know that the economy can only grow at 2%. If there was any ambiguity about that in the last couple of years, it's been removed with this pickup in inflation that predates the Iranian war and the global oil shock. The RBA has been telling us this and they will continue to. So they, if they wanted to play their part in their budgets this year, needed to keep their spending growth to 2%. If not, play a role and lead the nation by showing even more restraint and bringing spending back further, maybe even not growing it at all or cutting it, as Paul Keating did in the mid-80s.
51:35
But they haven't. So I just think that the politicians are either living in some sort of fantasy land around what's happening in our economy...
51:43
Or they've got other objectives other than getting inflation under control and relieving the pressure on everyday Australians. I mean, take your pick. I don't know. They don't tell us.
51:53
So what's your prediction? What's your forecast for the next couple of RBA board decisions? I said the market is indicating that the chances of a rate rise at the next meeting in two weeks' time is virtually none. It'll remain the same. Is that what you're seeing? And what does the immediate future look like here in Australia? Yeah.
52:13
Look, there's a lot of uncertainty.
52:16
It's actually – we're weathering this global oil shock storm pretty well, but the economy has slowed. And that's the big issue is that the underlying cost pressures in the economy, the underlying sort of inflation, if you will, hasn't gone away. Businesses are dealing with that every month. It's just that because the consumers pull back a little bit and because businesses are a little bit more cautious in the last three or four months – businesses can't pass those price pressures on or those cost pressures on. So that's why inflation is sort of not getting away from us.
52:49
But if the economy does start to revive, like we saw at the end of last year, then businesses will pass those costs on. It's just basic math. But if this housing market goes from a sort of garden variety downturn into something much worse because the government scared investors off, then maybe the consumer really goes into hibernation. We enter, you know, look like going into recession. And of course, then, you know, the RBA certainly won't be hiking. So there's a lot of ways this can go. None of them are all that appealing because we haven't got a sustainable economy. That's the point.
53:20
This can't keep going on the way it's going. We're either going to slump. or we're going to go into an inflationary spoil and the RBI have to put rates up. And if they do, it could be two, three, four rate hikes. And of course, with the housing market the way it is, that's just going to really be the last nail in the coffin. So look, there's a very uncertain – a little more uncertain than I've seen it in my 30 years. In fact, it's very hard to have a view because there's a number of different ways this could go. But one thing is for sure, the governments of Australia, by growing their spending at a faster pace than the potential or speed limit of the economy – are not helping.
53:53
They're making matters worse.
53:54
What's so frustrating, Warren, is that when, you know, leading economists like yourself, and I don't know whether you're invited to that roundtable that the government put together late last year, it seems like all of those economists that we hear from and those attached to the major banks are all saying the same thing. The government needs to drop spending. They need to lower spending. But the government just does not listen.
54:19
How frustrating is it for someone like you who has studied economics and deals with the numbers and the data every day to see the Treasurer and the Prime Minister stand there saying, we're making the economy better. We're looking after Australian households. We're lowering the cost of living. They're doing nothing, are they?
54:35
Yeah, well, I mean, there's lots of good things, I'm sure, that are being done, but it's what we can afford and what's sustainable. And I think that's where the misalignment is. And what worries me is where we end up. Now, I actually think we've got a very bright future on the whole planet. This technology that's coming in can just fundamentally improve the whole human condition beyond belief if we allow it to roll through and we regulate it properly. That's what the governments of the world should be focused on.
54:59
But they're not.
55:00
And, of course, in the meantime, these economies can...
55:06
They are leaving these economies vulnerable to a major crisis point at some stage in the next few years if they keep spending at a faster rate than the economy's capacity. And we've got this inflation. Inflation all throughout history is what wrecks economies, what wrecks democracies. And we're seeing that. This is not a joke anymore. It's not just about declining living standards. It's fraying our politics.
55:29
So, look, something's got to give, whether it gives in the next 12 months or the next three years, I don't know. In terms of the people of Australia, they're going to get a chance to have their say in a couple of years at a federal election. There's a couple of big state elections coming up. Let's see what happens then. I've got a feeling there's going to be a big shift in the way Australians vote because, really, this thing...
55:49
It was all easy to say that we got it under control until mid last year. But as soon as the economy picked up in 2025 and inflation started to pick up again, well before the war in Iran, that's when Australians knew that something was amiss.
56:03
And, of course, that's when One Nation's primary votes started to rise. So I think we've got only one shot at this, and this is the various elections we're going to have over the next two years. And I think if governments aren't listening to experts and they're not listening to the people of Australia and they're not hearing the concerns of the broader community, that will result in something happening that's different at the polling booth.
56:24
Well, Warren, just one last one. On the RBA's longstanding inflation target of 2% to 3%, I've heard Ross Greenwood this week on News 24, he put a question to the RBA Governor about that 2% to 3% ban. Does it need to be raised to potentially 3% to 4%? And he's spoken to other economists as well. What are your thoughts on that? Is the 2% to 3% inflation target achievable any time soon?
56:48
Look, it's... Well, you can't just change an inflation target.
56:53
because then it loses its credibility. I mean, we're losing its credibility in this country because we're not hitting it, but if you go changing it, then, of course, you just completely de-anchor it. The point is that we went through a major inflation episode in the 1970s and the 1980s that cost the human race a huge amount of misery, and a lot of really smart people worked out that 2% inflation is the right number. If anything, we've already got a high inflation target. The inflation target doesn't need to move. What we need to do is get inflation into it, even if it costs us in the short term some economic activity or some government spending.
57:29
And that's the thing that's changed here. Nothing else has changed except our society and our political leaders' tolerance for short-term pain for long-term gain. That's the only thing that's changed. And, of course, if we don't do that, then we know in all walks of life that we're going to have a worse adjustment, a worse problem to deal with down the track. And that's the big question now for this country. And our leaders is not changing the goalposts, but are we willing to take some tough medicine in the short term to get us back onto a long-term track? And a long-term track that's exceedingly optimistic given this technology.
58:03
Good stuff. Warren, so good to catch up with you, mate. Keep telling it as it is, and we'll talk to you again soon. Thanks so much.
58:09
All the best. Thank you.
58:10
Good on you, mate. Economist Warren Hogan, Managing Director of EQ Economics. 131873 to have your say off the back of what Warren's had to say, but obviously today the fallout from those inflationary figures that were released by the Bureau of Statistics. A few interesting points of view, and obviously people like Warren Hogan, they must feel so frustrated that the government keeps on spending, spending... We were just talking about Chris Bowen. $150 million on his COP presidency office within the Climate Department, in Climate Change Department.
58:44
$150 million.
58:47
A hundred staff sitting there. What are they doing? Twiddling their thumbs?
58:50
Booking rooms and reservations on Denaro Island in Fiji for this conference that no-one's going to turn to, and no-one turn up to?
58:58
It's just spend, spend, spend. What we need to do is start listening, listening, listening to experts who understand it. And it's a real worry when we have a Treasury and we have a Treasurer who don't listen to these people who are saying, look, you've got to cut spending. They just ignore it and move on. And we're the ones footing the bill. It is just infuriating. 131873, the number. It's 29 minutes away from 11.
59:23
Just off the back of Chris Bowen. G'day, Mark. Good to see Albo's boy wonder. Chris Bowen keeping his record up as the Minister for Failure. Thank you, Jason. Mark, song for Bobo could be All By Myself. Melinda, thank you. I shouldn't sing. It's not good.
59:40
Great work blasting Bobo. And on a very sombre note or sober note, think of what the Salbo's could do with that money that was spent on this Fiji folly, it's just a complete waste. From Michael at South Granada. Mark, if I squandered thousands of dollars of my employer's money, I would be fired. When will this clueless Labor Party be held to account for the gross bordering on criminal negligence of waste of its employer's money? From Steve at Penrith. Well, that's the thing, isn't it? You're talking about government spending, government waste.
60:13
It's there for everyone to see. Mark Bobo purely indulging at our expense and setting himself up for his next post-government gig. $150 million. I guarantee he'll take some cushy corporate or government-appointed global environment-related gig before the next election. He's positioning his career and lifestyle at our expense. That one from Phil. 131873 is the number, 2GB.com. Click onto the feedback icon if you'd like to join us. Paul's at Kellyville. Good morning, Paul.
60:41
Good morning, Mark.
60:41
Thanks for your program. Thank you, mate. So I'd like to make a couple of comments about interest rates and the impact on ordinary Australians and those who are not so ordinary. Please.
60:52
The first point I'd make is that... the Reserve Bank Governor only has one arrow in her quiver, one lever to pull, that is to go up or to go down.
61:04
And what she's saying is, I'm speaking from an ordinary Australian perspective, and the idea is to cool the economy because that's her concern. And she wants to keep interest rates at 2% to 3% based on what she calls a basket of goods.
61:22
Now, the first point I'd make is,
61:24
I don't know anything that's just going up by 2% to 3%, but that's on the side.
61:30
I understand that's the target. I was listening to Warren Hogan. But it wouldn't matter. Let me talk about the impact of interest rates on three tiers of Australians. In the top tier, that is the top third, it wouldn't matter, Mark, if interest rates were 1% or 15%.
61:48
That tier of Australians will spend with impunity.
61:52
They wouldn't matter. They have got the cash, the assets, and so on. It wouldn't matter. So there's no impact on interest rates, except if interest rates go up, obviously, their return on investment is going to go up. So that's another benefit.
62:09
In the middle tier of Australians, that's the next third, that is people like me and thousands, millions of others, wife, couple of kids, mortgage and so on. Now, what I would argue is that we have been crucified already so much with all the other cost of living issues and another interest rate rise worldwide. will crucify families in so many different ways. And I'm just thinking about tensions in families. I'm thinking about the birth rate of Australia.
62:40
It is a disaster, and particularly, mate, if you've got young Australians in a situation of negative equity. So I would say that's going to be a disaster. And speaking of disasters, the bottom third, that is people with no chance. They are the homeless. Those are rentals.
62:58
My own kids are renting. They're partnering up and so on. They're paying off their HECS debt. They've got no chance because rents will go up because of all the factors of interest rates, the cash rate. So what I would say in summary, mate, is that the board, the governor, needs to really look at different ways of bringing our inflation rate down. Everyone understands that's important. Yeah. but there needs to be a lot more pressure on the government to reduce their spending because my sense is, mate, as an ordinary bloke, that if interest rates go up 1% or 2%, 3%, that Warren Hogan was suggesting a couple more times, I'm really concerned, mate, about the whole fabric of our country.
63:45
Yeah. Well, Paul, mate, I totally appreciate what you're saying. And just to back up the tension within families at the moment, as soon as you said that, I automatically thought back to a study that came out this week and some numbers that there have been more divorces in the last 12 months than there were the previous year.
64:04
Which goes to show that there's tension in relationships, tension in households. And if there's one thing that causes tension, it's financial pressures.
64:13
And we can't underscore that. We need to appreciate that there are a lot of people who are struggling right now. And when interest rates go up, it just adds more pressure because you need to find more money from the budget bottom line in your household to meet those mortgage payments. Because if you default on your mortgage, you then run the risk of losing that roof over your head.
64:34
you then fall back on the rental market. Good luck finding a rental. So the knock-on effect, as you rightly point out, Paul, is a real worry and a real concern, which is why I continue to just shake my head when I think about the decisions that are being made and decisions that are taken by the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers.
64:52
You know, he calls himself Dr Chalmers. Well, he did a thesis and got a doctorate doing a paper on Paul Keating.
65:00
Well, I'll tell you what, he's nowhere near the Treasurer that Paul Keating was. And there's a few people pointing that out to me this morning. Paul, I've got to run, mate. Thank you so much for your call.
65:09
I'm really glad we're having these conversations this morning, you know, from that target ban the RBA uses for inflation to some of the pressures that you're facing at the moment. And I think there's a lot of great feedback coming through. We just need those in Canberra to start listening. 131873, the number 2GB.com. Click onto the feedback icon and you can text me 0460 873 873. Look, after the break, I mentioned this with Ben this morning. There's this incredible news, a development in modern medicine in relation to Alzheimer's disease.
65:44
A blood test has been developed, which we're going to tell you more about. There's a big announcement happening today involving the Federal Health Minister, Mark Butler. I'll catch up with the professor who's involved in this because, as you know, Alzheimer's is a form of dementia, and I think I'm right in saying that dementia is now the number one killer in Australians. So we'll talk more about this incredible development in modern medicine here in Australia and around the world. We'll do that after the break at 19 to 11.
66:11
Well, what about this? Australia is introducing a groundbreaking blood test that promises to transform how Alzheimer's disease is detected and treated. Recently approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, this simple test checks for specific protein markers in the blood associated with Alzheimer's disease with roughly 90% accuracy. Instead of undergoing costly brain scans or uncomfortable spinal taps, patients will soon be able to receive results from a quick 18-minute blood draw. The test was launched at the new Asia Pacific Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Diagnosis, a partnership between Neuroscience Research Australia and Roche.
66:48
Doctors are expected to start referring patients within six to nine months because Alzheimer's alters the brain decades before symptoms appear. Early detection gives patients and families precious time to plan to access care earlier and prepare for emerging treatments. I thought we'd catch up with the newer CEO, Professor Matthew Ken, and he's on the line right now. Professor, good morning to you. Good morning, Mark. What a huge day. Congratulations to you.
67:15
Yeah, well, it's a massive day. It's massive for, I think, all Australians, but also all of our colleagues across the Asia-Pacific region to be able to have a blood test that can help us diagnose neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, hopefully years before symptoms begin, but also it's a way to start therapy, neuroprotective therapy to protect the cells in the brain from degeneration.
67:38
So just explain how this works, Professor, and why it's such a huge breakthrough when it comes to Alzheimer's.
67:45
So typically, we have to diagnose Alzheimer's disease by post-mortem examination. So once someone has died, we look for proteins in the brain called tau and amyloid, and that confirms the diagnosis. But we haven't really got a test that diagnoses during life, except for using extremely expensive technology. So we can use a PET scanner, which costs about $5,000, where we inject a radio ligand that goes up into the brain and it identifies tau or amyloid in the brain. So this test now is a blood test, like just going down to, you know, your local pathology centre and having a blood draw, and that will identify whether tau is in the blood at a level that is diagnostic or predictive of Alzheimer's disease.
68:29
Wow. How long have you been working on this?
68:31
Well, I think this has been an area of research for clinicians and researchers around the world for probably the last 20 years. So we're grateful for all of the great work that's been done by everyone. And it's been, you know, obviously a community, but also an international effort.
68:46
Unbelievable. And how quickly do you think this will be rolled out so that doctors can refer patients for one of these blood tests?
68:54
Well, at the moment, it's a research study and what we're doing, and that's why it's important to have the partnership with Roche and also the launch today with the federal health minister, Mark Butler, because we need reference information. So NURA will be the national reference laboratory, and that will give the ranges that then can be used to identify and confirm diagnosis. With that data, it will be taken forward for Medicare item number. So it will be absolutely supported through Medicare.
69:21
And I think I'm right in saying, Professor, the reason this is huge is because Alzheimer's is a form of dementia, which is now the leading cause of death in this country. Is that right?
69:31
Absolutely right. So it's the number one cause of death. And I think that we can roll the same technology out across all of the neurodegenerative conditions. So Parkinson's disease is due to alpha-synuclein, frontotemporal dementia and motor neurone disease is due to TDP43. So we're developing the exact same test. to have a more precise earlier diagnosis for those conditions. And hopefully then, for instance, monoclonal antibody therapy, similar to the therapy that's used for melanoma, to take the abnormal protein out of the brain. So it's a whole new era of therapeutics.
70:04
Are your colleagues around the world blown away that a little country like Australia continues to achieve these remarkable advancements in modern medicine?
70:13
Well, it's an international effort, and they're doing great work, obviously, in the United States and Western Europe. But we're going to be the leads in the Asia-Pacific, and it's great to be working with our colleagues in Korea, Japan, and Indonesia, Malaysia. So it's really a fantastic day for Australia.
70:30
It's something we should be enormously proud of, Professor. We lost Professor Richard Scalia recently and, you know, our listeners are very familiar with the work and research that he did. And, you know, this is just another test here, a blood test, that is going to help so many Australians firstly learn whether they are and are susceptible to Alzheimer's disease, but as you point out, how they can be treated and to access care into the future. It's huge for this country.
70:58
Yeah, well, we're really taking the great work that Richard Scalia did in melanoma and sort of replicated it now in neurodegeneration and dementia. And we hope to be successful with the treatments, the monoclonal antibody therapies in dementia and neurodegeneration. So it's a massive leap forward and it augurs well for our local community here in Australia.
71:18
Well, Professor, I don't want to take up too much of your time. I know you've got announcements to make. You've probably got a whole heap of interviews to do, but it's a day that we should be enormously proud of and obviously the advancements in modern medicine in this country and around the world is just breathtaking. Congratulations to you and all of the teams involved and we'll obviously hear more and more about it in the weeks and months to come. Thanks for joining us.
71:41
Well, thanks, Mark, and I really appreciate your support and all of the listeners. It's really fantastic to have a community involved.
71:46
Well done, mate. Professor Matthew Kiernan from Neura. Incredible work. So a blood test that promises to transform how Alzheimer's disease is detected and treated. Unbelievable, and it's happening right here in Australia.
72:07
Now, while we were chatting to the professor, this news has just come out via a release from ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
72:17
ACMA has today commenced proceedings in the Federal Court against Optus in relation to the 18 September 2025 outage, which affected some people's ability to connect to the emergency call service. The ACMA alleges that during the outage, Optus breached two separate legal obligations on 1,005 occasions.
72:37
in that it failed to give end users who made emergency calls using an emergency telephone service supplied by Optus access to the emergency call service and ensure that those emergency calls were carried to the relevant termination point. Now, ACMA Chair narrator O'Loughlin said the provision of access to the emergency call service is essential to protecting the Australian public. Now, the maximum penalty available to the court is $250,000 per contravention, As this matter is now before the court, the ACMA will not be making any further comments at this time.
73:10
So just repeating that ACMA will take Optus Mobile to court over the triple zero outage back in September of last year. So that breaking news coming through there. Also some news in rugby league. Corey Jensen has announced his retirement from the game, his medical retirement at the age of 32.
73:29
It was after their round seven game against the Tigers that he began to feel unwell with scans revealing several blood clots in his lungs. He was placed on blood thinning medication for at least six months and doctors told him he couldn't play contact sports for that period of time, effectively ending his NRL season. While there was hope he could return to the field next year and see out his contract with the Brisbane club, doctors have now ruled that out telling Jensen he'll need blood thinners for the rest of his life. So Corey Jensen has been forced into a premature retirement from rugby league.
74:00
And just on the ICAC inquiry, Robert Assaf is giving evidence today. He's told the commission he had an icky feeling about factional politics and was only interested in the Liberal Party at first because of his passion about conservative values. He first became interested in right-wing politics through his opposition to same-sex marriage. He's told the Commissioner, "...it took a bit of convincing to me to join the Libs, partly because I cared more about the faith and values and certain policies and I always had a bit of an icky feeling about politics and factional, you know, games and icky feeling stuff." He described attending an event geared towards signing up Young Liberals where MP Damien Tudorhope spoke about Safe Schools, a progressive anti-bullying school program that some religious conservatives disagreed with.
74:47
Mr Assaf said, I think by the end of that night, I decided to join. So the ICAC inquiry into the Liberal branch stacking and donation scandal continues and we'll certainly keep an eye on that for you. In the meantime, finance update. The All Ordinary is down 63.9.7 of a percent to 9,135.8. The Australian dollar buying 69.53 US cents. Seven and a half to 11.
75:12
Now, on the way to the news, I've just had this through and it's not being reported anywhere as yet, but it will be. The Police Association of New South Wales opposes this upcoming Law Enforcement Conduct Commission public hearings. The statement that I've been sent says that the Police Association fights to ensure procedural fairness for all members For this reason, we strongly oppose the recent announcement by the LEC, they call it, to conduct public hearings into senior officers of the police as part of Operation Merka.
75:45
These senior officers are association members and will receive the same support any other member would receive when dealing with the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.
75:55
Public hearings can be valuable tools for public accountability or to further an investigation, but the selective use of when to hold public versus private hearings and when to publish a final report is too often used for media retention and pre-emptive conclusions rather than the public interest. The inconsistencies when the LEC publishes reports or keeps them private is hard to understand. One might draw a conclusion that the LEC picks and chooses according to what suits the agenda of the day.
76:25
the inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission must answer, what is it doing to oversight procedural fairness and conduct truly in the public interest because it appears the LEC is permitted to seek short-term gotcha moments that broadly sit outside their own charter? These public hearings will air allegations as if they are fact in front of significant media attention before formal findings have been made and evidence is tested as accurate or reliable or our members have a chance to respond to proposed findings. There is nothing that will be achieved in these public hearings that could not be achieved in private hearings followed by the publication of a well-considered report once findings have been properly formed based on all reliable evidence and the chance for affected members to fairly respond.
77:12
So some fairly strong words from the Police Association, and I don't blame them. We do not need any chance for members of the media to smear New South Wales Police and senior New South Wales Police, especially in this day and age where there's already not enough respect for the New South Wales Police.
77:33
And I agree with the Police Association. Why these hearings can't be held in private or in camera is beyond me. So some strong words from the Police Association. You'll hear more about that throughout the day as well. News is next.
77:53
This is Mornings with Mark Levy, right across Australia.
77:58
Final hour of the program, Sarah MacDonald will join us this hour, so we'll have a bit of fun, and I've got a prize to give away this morning. We've got the double movie pass to see The Odyssey on, well, at the Hayden Orpheum. The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, stars the likes of Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Zendaya and Charlize Theron. This is a Northside exclusive season at the Hayden Orpheum. You can book your tickets now at orpheum.com.au. So stay listening for your chance to win that. Before we get to Sarah, just a few other stories around.
78:30
The US military has launched a new round of strikes on Iranian targets a day after a foiled missile attack on... American forces, the US Central Command said the new attacks started at 10am this morning, that's Australian Eastern Standard Time, and were a powerful response to yesterday's attempted Iranian attacks on US forces based in the Middle East. Earlier, the President Donald Trump said a retaliatory attack on Iran was imminent after Tehran launched a barrage of missiles towards American forces in the region.
79:05
Iran's Revolutionary Guard had fired ballistic missiles at Jordan's base, a key US military hub for the region. That was according to Iranian state media. So that's what's playing out at the moment. And while we're in the United States, I probably should mention this for you as well.
79:25
Dr Fauci. Anthony Fauci, the former top US infectious disease official. He's faced adversarial questioning from Republican senators about the origins of COVID and on the advice of lawyers invoked his constitutional right not to answer some 111 times.
79:44
casting the hearing as a character assassination. Republican Senator Rand Paul insists on unsubstantiated claims that the origins of the pandemic began in the lab and was covered up. He chairs the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and subpoenaed the now-retired Fauci to testify and prior to the hearing released thousands of pages of the immunologist's unredacted personal diary. Citing Senator Paul's obsession with him, Dr Fauci said he invoked the Fifth Amendment, refraining from answering questions to avoid self-incrimination, adding that it pains me to do so.
80:23
Dr Fauci indicated his legal team believed Mr Paul intended to entrap him in a slip-up that could result in perjury charges. So that's what's happened overnight in the United States as well.
80:36
131873, the number. Now, Origin Energy has begun telling individual customers their personal information was caught up in a cyber attack. This report from the SMH and is offering free identity monitoring while it works out the scale of the breach. Letters sent from yesterday, signed by the Chief Executive, said the data accessed may include names, addresses, date of birth, phone numbers, the BSB and the last three digits of a bank account, the last four digits of a credit card and account details. The company said about 900,000 current and former customers were affected.
81:09
So if you're affected, it looks like you'll start. If you haven't already received a letter from Origin Energy. And look, just before we get to a break, I just wanted to give the New South Wales government a wrap today because they've made an announcement in relation to a health-led response to mental health emergencies. Now, the calls to 000 are on the rise. I've spoken to some of my mates who are police officers and paramedics, and these are the call-outs that are most difficult, the mental health call-outs, and sadly there are more and more of them every single day.
81:43
Yes, paramedics are trained to deal with mentally ill patients. However, I think it's unfair for the police to be lumped in and to be forced to respond to some of these cases specifically especially when they don't have that medical training to deal with someone who's suffering and is in the middle of a mental health crisis. So how do we help these people? But how do we also alleviate the pressure on our first responders? Well, the state government is rolling out this new system. So people experiencing a mental health emergency will soon be connected to more appropriate health-led support in their communities under a new health-led response model backed by more than $270 million in government funding over the next 10 years.
82:26
The new model, designed in consultation with New South Wales Health, the police, unions and advocacy groups, will mean that when people call triple zero during a mental health crisis, they'll be connected with a new dedicated team of mental health experts who will assess their needs, provide immediate support and then connect them with the care that's right for them.
82:48
That could include being connected to counselling, mental health services or the new specialist mental health acute assessment team within New South Wales Ambulance. I think this is a much needed step in the right direction. Importantly, this reform is rooted in painful lessons.
83:04
You see, it's informed by recommendations from the Bondi Junction coronial inquest, a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry and the New South Wales Police Force's own reviews. The state government has finally acknowledged what families of victims and advocacy groups have been shouting for years, and that is that the status quo is unsafe.
83:23
Now, yes, this is a vital first step, but there's still a long way to go in this journey towards a truly compassionate mental health system in New South Wales. My only concern is the eight field teams will operate 12 hours a day. These mental health crises don't operate on a 12-hour clock. A regional family facing a crisis at 2am will still be left wondering who will arrive at their door when they call for help.
83:47
A specialised emergency response is only as effective as the system behind it and connecting someone to care is meaningless if there are no beds available or if outpatient services are stretched beyond capacity.
83:59
as emergency diversion model cannot carry the weight of a broader public health system suffering from chronic systemic underfunding. The men's government, yes, deserves credit for delivering this reform and for securing agreement across health police and the unions. It takes courage to reform deep-seated operational habits, but this $270 million investment must be viewed as a down payment, not as a finished product. At the end of the day, this isn't just about easing the burden on our police or reducing ambulance wait times, even though those are vital goals.
84:34
It's about how we treat people when they are at their absolute lowest point. When someone calls triple zero in the middle of the night, they shouldn't be met with just an ambulance badge or a pair of handcuffs being carried by police simply because the health system ran out of options.
84:50
They deserve care, clinical expertise and compassion. The New South Wales Government has shown its willingness to listen and take action, but we need to keep pushing to make sure every person in crisis gets the right help at the right time, no matter where they live.
85:08
And this $270 million is a welcome start, but our work isn't done until care is available 24-7 in every corner of this state. We've changed the model. Now let's finish the job. It's 14 and a half past 11.
85:23
What a lovely message. Mary says, good morning, Mark. Thank you for the most informative program each day. I'd just love to tune into 2GB 24-7. Would it be possible to hear the update of Bob and Tom tomorrow, the grandfather and his grandson who are raising money for MND? I'd love to know where they're up. Mary, you wouldn't believe it. We've locked them in to talk tomorrow because I think the ride finishes on Sunday. So we'll have a chat to the boys tomorrow and see how they're holding up. They've just done a remarkable thing.
85:51
And look, it's just really, really important that we keep giving MND the publicity it needs because it's just a bastard of a disease. And thankfully, Ray, who sat in this chair, spoke a lot about it.
86:05
And we're obviously talking a lot about it at the moment because of what Jai Arrow's going through. But... That doesn't take away from the thousands of people who battle this terminal disease. So we'll do that, Mary, and thank you for your wonderful support of this program and all of my colleagues on 2GB and, of course, Sarah MacDonald, who's here in the studio. Good morning, Sarah.
86:24
Good morning, Mark.
86:25
How are you? How's your week going?
86:27
Pretty good, thank you. Yes.
86:29
You've had a sleep test this week.
86:30
Yeah, glorious day out there. So I did a sleep test last night and they taught me how to – you can do these new ones yourself now. So I went to this lab in Hornsby and they gave me equipment and showed me how to put it on.
86:43
And I put it on last night and wired myself up, looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. It's pretty simple, actually, the new ones.
86:51
And then I had the best night's sleep I've had in months. It's like, what? The one night I slept all the way through and slept brilliantly, I was wired up. So I'm expecting good results, but I'll let you know what they are.
87:02
See, one of our advertisers on this program is CPAP Direct. And when they first jumped on board, I said, look, I'd love to do another sleep test.
87:09
That's the machine you put on if you do have sleep apnea.
87:12
So that's the CPAP machine, yeah. Helps you breathe better. They do the sleep tests as well and they've got the mask, they've got all the technology. You can have a chat to all of their specialists both in Queensland and New South Wales. So I said to the boss, Bryce, I said, look, I'd love to do another sleep test. I haven't done one for years and I've got sleep apnea.
87:28
Do you?
87:29
Yeah.
87:29
Right.
87:30
Pretty bad as a bigger bloke and I'm losing a bit of weight at the moment so that's a work in progress. So I've gone into the shop and they sort of hook you all up and show you how it works.
87:39
I didn't read the instructions that I were given to take a jacket to cover it all up. So here I am driving home from Mascot all the way to Sylvania where I live. I just remember pulling up at some traffic lights at Brighton La Sands and turning to my left and there was a lady with a horrified look on her face. She's just looking at me, staring at me. What the hell is wrong with this lady? Has he escaped from a laboratory where they're testing him? I put down my window, I said, sleep test. She says, okay, just checking.
88:06
Okay, not while I'm driving, not sleeping. Well, the lucky thing was I could put this one on myself, but hopefully I've done it properly.
88:13
Are you concerned that you might have sleep apnea or just wanted to get it done?
88:16
I don't.
88:17
I don't know, but I've been waking up a lot and not sleeping properly and feeling more tired and waking up with a bit of a headache. And so there's some of the symptoms. I mean, there's two things about sleep, isn't it? There's the sleep apnea where people stop breathing a lot.
88:30
And then there's also the insomnia, which are different things and they're treated very differently. So have you got a machine you breathe with every night? Yeah. And I thought they'd be like Darth Vader, but I went away with a friend who's got one. It was silent and quiet. They're little now.
88:44
You know what, and I'm happy to be open and honest here, what I've, I used a machine for a long time and then I was waking up in the middle of the night and having these like panic attacks because I've got something strapped to my face. Yeah. So I'm sort of working through that to try and retrain my brain because you don't realise how powerful your brain is. Yes. Because I was just waking up in the middle of the night and freaking out. So I've just got to get, because it's so important to have on, But at the same time, if I lose some weight, then I can hopefully get rid of the sleep apnea. So anyway.
89:13
But your brain really needs that oxygen at night or it doesn't commit things to memory. I mean, like you were talking about Alzheimer's earlier today and this new test, it's so important for things like Alzheimer's, sleep and possibly Parkinson's. I mean, there's all this new research around that, but also committing what we've learnt in the day to memory. You can't do that if you don't sleep well.
89:33
Well, if you want to go and get a sleep test, I can only suggest and endorse CPAP Direct. CPAPdirect.com.au. Have a chat to the crew. They're across Queensland and in New South Wales. I went and saw the team down at Mascot. Brilliant.
89:46
The other thing I loved is they explain to you what they're doing. So you're learning about it as you do it. So I'd highly recommend anybody to go and have a chat about it.
89:54
And take a jacket if you get hooked up.
89:56
Yes.
89:57
So you don't scare people driving home.
90:01
I wanted to have a chat to you as well this morning, Sarah. We'll get to funeral songs in just a second, which is a bit more, but I know. But there was a story out this week about it. But I wanted to talk to you about a story that's in the paper today. Now, Ash Barty has revealed that she's going to run her first full marathon at the Sydney Marathon with 14-time Olympic medal winner Emma McKeon Barty is set to take part in the Sydney Marathon on Sunday, August 30, and it made me think, I'm sure we've got listeners out there who have set their mind to doing something, and I want to know whether they've achieved it.
90:32
So I was just referencing the boys a second ago, Tom and Bob, grandfather and grandson, who are riding from broom to barrel to raise money for motor neurone disease. Now, for mine, anybody that sits there and puts their mind to that, I think gold medal performance, well done. But I know so many people have said, right, I'm going to run the Sydney to surf. I'm going to do the Sutherland to surf. I'm going to do the Sydney Marathon. And I reckon we... I want to hear stories this morning of people that have set their mind to something and they've achieved it because I reckon it must be the most fulfilling feeling to be able to say, I wanted to do it and I've done it.
91:05
Does it have to be a marathon and involve running?
91:07
It can be whatever you like.
91:08
Right, thank you, because...
91:11
I don't think there's any universe where I could set myself that goal and achieve it. I remember when I was younger I was like, I'm going to swim a mile, which is 36 laps of the pool, and I did that. And my dad set himself the same goal, and he never learnt to swim when he was younger. So he had to learn in his 40s and 30s, I think. And he achieved it in under an hour. So that was a gold medal performance. I always said to myself, I want to write a book. And then when I went to India, I did. So that was one goal I had. My goal now is for more sort of balance in life.
91:44
And that's kind of hard to achieve in this modern life too.
91:47
Do you have a feeling of fulfilment once you tick it off, when you tick the box?
91:52
Yeah, I think you do in anything you achieve in life. It depends if you're a goal-setting person or not, really. You know, the type A personalities are often the real goal-setters and they need to have that goal. I mean, Ash Barty is obviously that sort of person, isn't she? She has a goal. She strives for it. I've had work goals, I guess, as well. So my dad used to run the city to surf as well and we'd always go and cheer him on when he crossed the finish line. It's not something. I'm sorry, city to surfers. You're amazing. I love the guys that run in gorilla suits, people with brams. You're fabulous.
92:24
You know what we should do, Sarah? We should walk it.
92:27
Not run the city to serve together.
92:28
No, no, no. We should walk it, but we should stop at all those little bars and pubs along the way instead of a little drink.
92:33
What do you reckon? We take all day and arrive drunk.
92:36
We'll just be like social encouragement for all those that are running it and walking it.
92:39
Yeah, right. Sorry, it's 32 laps. Thank you to my lovely texter. That's how long since I've swum a mile. I can do 16 laps now, which is half a mile, or I can do 20 sometimes. It's pretty good. It's a kilometre.
92:49
It is good. All right, 131873, if you'd like to win the double movie pass to see The Odyssey at the Hayden Orpheum, what have you set your mind to and tick the box because you've achieved it? And then, look, this is not meant to be morbid, but there was a release earlier this week about Aussies being invited to build Australia's final playlist. Australia's final playlist is a national campaign encouraging people to share what matters most before it's too late. Now, we're being encouraged to choose a song, tell someone why it matters. And there's a whole heap of songs that have come out here in this particular release.
93:23
My Way by Frank Sinatra is always popular.
93:26
I faced it all And I stood tall And did it mine
93:39
We played that one at my late father's funeral and it got certainly a reception because he loved singing it in karaoke. This is a little bit more cheeky by the Angels.
93:49
Am I ever gonna see your face again?
93:59
So, Sarah, and I know it's a question that maybe you haven't thought about, but at your funeral, when your time comes that you have to leave this wonderful earth and your wonderful life comes to an end, have you thought about what song you'd like to play at your funeral?
94:14
Well, thank you for making me think about this morbid question. I think One by U2 would be up there for me.
94:20
Yeah?
94:21
Because it's about one love. We've got to carry each other. We're one but we're not the same. We've got to carry each other. It's just always a song that's lifted me to a higher plane. I've just always really, really loved it.
94:34
And also, look, you know, if you can have the angels and you can have that song at your funeral, then I can have some Blondie Atomic. Why not? Why not?
94:43
It's your funeral.
94:44
Yeah, exactly. My party and I'll die if I want to. And so, yeah, maybe I'd have a bit of Blondie Atomic or Heart of Glass or One Way or Another. No, that's not a good one. I'm going to find you. I'm going to get you, get you, get you, get you. People think I was coming back as a ghost. I won't have that one, people. All right, so... Look, Daniel suggested Bright Side of Life, Monty Python. That's a ripper. Oh, that's a good one.
95:09
Always look on the bright side of life. Ta-da!
95:14
All right, well, let's put it out there. You know, it doesn't have to be morbid, but we're just thinking songs that you wouldn't mind playing at your funeral. It's off the back of this release this week that Aussies are being invited to build Australia's final playlist. What's the song that you'd like to have played at your funeral? And the other one that I wanted to float today, another story this week that we've covered, the Amy Crash Index came out and nominated parts of Australia that are the worst intersections and the worst for crashes and everything else. And I thought we could get people to nominate worst intersections, worst roads, blind spots, whatever, because I've got one.
95:50
What's yours?
95:51
King George's Road on a Friday as I'm trying to get to the football in peak hour. Shocker.
95:55
Yeah.
95:56
Awful.
95:56
I'm not a fan of Victoria Road. When you come off the Gladesville Bridge and you're heading, you know, towards Roselle, that's always shocking and then people go in the bus lane when they shouldn't. It's bad at West Ride as well, Victoria Road. It's got a, you know, and at Roselle. It's not a great road. It's not a great road.
96:14
It's not a great road.
96:15
People's inability to merge does my head in.
96:17
Oh, my Lord, people.
96:19
Just... Like, when I leave work, I go cross city tunnel, eastern distributor, right? And as you come off the cross city tunnel and sort of merge onto the eastern distributor, there's a part where you've got to merge onto it.
96:31
Yeah.
96:32
So one for one should be the rule, one for one. It's not that hard. But there's always somebody that wants to push ahead. I know.
96:39
It's like you go, I go, you go, I go.
96:41
I don't do road rage, but it infuriates me.
96:43
No, we don't do rage.
96:44
We've just got to be nice and calm.
96:46
Yeah, and just stay calm on the highway to hell, which somebody has suggested as their funeral song in here as well. LAUGHTER You know the other beautiful... That's Don's funeral song.
97:13
You know the other beautiful funeral song?
97:15
What?
97:16
Lady Di's funeral when Elton performed Goodbye England's Rose. Oh, beautiful. Beautiful. All right, well, let's get to a break. We want you to give us a ring. We've got the tickets to the Odyssey to be won. We're asking you what song you'd like to have played at your funeral off the back of Aussies being invited to build Australia's final playlist. What's the goal you've actually completed? And where's the worst intersection, Blindspot Road, in your neck of the woods? Jump on the line, have your say. 131873. You can email us.
97:44
via the website. You can text us as well, 0460 873873. Sarah MacDonald and Mark Levy on this Thursday will come back with your calls right after this.
97:55
Well, the board's got in a meltdown.
97:59
Oh, my gosh. It's like watching a pokey machine. There's so many great funeral songs coming in.
98:06
There's a few people that have donated this one, and I know you love it, Sarah.
98:26
That is a beautiful song.
98:27
Powderfinger these days. Look, I'm going to steal that from the people suggesting it. That is one of my favourite songs ever.
98:35
Wow.
98:36
I just adore that song.
98:38
Aussie music too.
98:39
It's in that great movie with Heath Ledger about the, I'm having a blank on what it's called.
98:43
Two Hands. Thank you. Two Hands. Mate, right here in Sydney.
98:48
Yeah, exactly, with Roseburn and Heath Ledger. It's fantastic. There's so many great ones coming in. I don't know where to start.
98:54
You know where we'll start. In fact, you know what we'll do? There's a couple here on goals. Let's tidy up that first before we get to some of these songs. Scott's at Newington who set himself a goal and achieved it. Scott, good morning to you.
99:06
G'day. I rode my push bike from Sydney to Melbourne only because if I didn't complete it, my brothers would have just caned me forever. And Billy Fields, bad habits. Bad habits. To your funeral? Bad habits.
99:18
You've got good habits though, Scott, if you do that. How long did it take?
99:23
Seven days. Wow. I lost a kilo a day. Wow. Geez, it wouldn't take me seven weeks, seven years, seven lifetimes to do that. Great job, Scotty. Thank you. Linda is at Mittagong. Good morning, Linda.
99:37
Good morning, Mark.
99:39
Yes, I needed to lose a bit of weight. I'm 75 and I do 40 laps of swimming three times a week and I walk my dog two kilometres every day.
99:51
So you swim two kilometres three times a week and you walk two kilometres?
99:56
That's one kilometre, 40 laps. And I do a two-kilometre walk with my dog every day.
100:03
You've given me the kick up the backside I need, Linda.
100:05
No, 40 laps is two k's, Linda.
100:07
That's unbelievable.
100:08
That's amazing.
100:09
Linda, thank you for calling through. Let's get to some of these calls about... Look at them all coming through. Funeral songs. Phil's at Kellyville. Morning, Phil.
100:18
Yeah, g'day, Phil and Sarah. My song, it's a bit irony because I'm actually having a very happy life, but it's Pet Cemetery by the Ramones. LAUGHTER
100:45
Oh, very good, Phil.
100:49
Hopefully you won't be buried in a pet cemetery either.
100:52
Oh, dear. Down in my neck of the woods, Sylvania, Rob. Good morning, Rob.
100:56
Hi, Mark. How are you going?
100:57
Good, mate. Good, good.
100:59
Billy Thorpe, Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
101:02
Well, I've got Judy's version.
101:05
Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly.
101:17
Bluebirds fly over the rainbow, why then?
101:27
Oh, why can't I?
101:32
Beautiful.
101:33
I saw Wizard of Oz at the Sphere in Vegas at the start of this year. Oh, I know. I was so jealous of that. Incredible venue. 131873 is the number. What about this?
101:45
H in Newcastle. What about Queen? Another one bites the dust. Oh, jeez. LAUGHTER
101:50
There's people suggesting burn, baby, burn and put another log on the fire too if they're getting cremated. So I'm loving the sense of humour. Why can't you make people laugh even when you've gone? I mean, death is, of course, devastating and there's a lot of grief, but that's the thing about funerals. When you kind of put in a funny song, you kind of let that tension and those tears turn to laughter.
102:13
We'll lighten it up a bit. Rod's at Harrington Park. Good morning, Rod.
102:16
Good morning, guys. The irony of life, picking a funeral song. There's two options to go with. One's already been suggested, Highway to Hell. The other one, the Led Zeppelin classic, Stairway to Heaven.
102:32
There's a lady who's shown all that glitter's gold And she's buying a stairway to heaven Nice.
102:46
Rod, which one are you going to go with? Do you think you're going to heaven or hell?
102:51
I'm going with the rest of the traffic numbers on the highway.
102:57
You win. You win the tickets. Stay there, mate. Double pass to see the Odyssey at the Hayden Orpheum. You can book your tickets at orpheum.com.au, but Rod gets the tickets. Brilliant. 131873, the number. Let's keep going here. Christine is listening to us at Mascot. Morning, Christine.
103:15
Good morning.
103:16
Hello, Krista.
103:17
I have a song that I've told everyone that I want at my funeral, and that is Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here.
103:24
How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl.
103:37
Yeah, right.
103:41
Running over the same old ground. Have we found the same old fears? Wish you were here.
103:55
Beautiful song. Pink Floyd.
103:57
Yeah, that's a good one. That's a great one. There's a lot of people making a lot of jokes. Ding Dong the Witch is Dead. Another one from Wizard of Oz.
104:10
Pop goes the weasel.
104:13
Bat out of hell, says Wayne. Hot potato by the wiggles.
104:16
What about this one? I fell into a burning ring of fire. I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher. And it burns, burns, burns. The ring of fire, the ring of fire.
104:34
Johnny Cash.
104:35
Yeah, my dad passed away many years ago, says Jenny. He wanted great balls of fire. He was cremated, but Mum didn't approve.
104:44
Still makes me smile.
104:46
Les in Canberra. Good morning, Les.
104:48
Good morning, Mark and Sarah.
104:49
How are you?
104:50
Very well, thank you, mate.
104:52
Well, my suggestion, I'm going to organise a video that will be played at my funeral and my departing song is Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
105:24
Great stuff. Thank you very much for that. 131873, the number. A couple of nominations for this one, including Paul, who's phoned through.
105:32
Here comes the sun.
105:36
Here comes the sun. I say it's all right.
105:42
The Beatles.
105:43
That's lovely because you're saying it's all right. Yeah. So, yeah, a couple of other people are saying the Beatles' day and the life. I love this one from Rob Green Day's Good Riddance Time of My Life. No, that is a great song, Rob.
105:57
I think that's brilliant.
106:00
You know, I've been to a few funerals where they've played this one. It's a beautiful song. Josh Groban. Josh Groban.
106:07
So I can stand on mountains You raise me up To walk on stormy seas Yeah, what a voice, Josh Groban.
106:24
There's a few people here that are Elvis fans as well. Return to centre Address unknown No such number We've probably got time for one more. I did see it but it's dropped off the line.
106:45
While you're looking, I'm going to tell you a funny story. I met a woman once who'd done this workshop where she made her own coffin to help her confront her fear of death and she told me that she was putting a life-size picture of Elvis on the cover so that for eternity he'd be on top of her.
106:59
LAUGHTER
107:08
You know what, we might finish it there.
107:11
You've got to have a sense of humour when you're confronting this thought, right?
107:17
God love her. In fact, we'll take Peter at Borkham Hills. Pete, you there, mate?
107:20
Yeah, going at the end of the line.
107:22
Oh, travelling Wilbury.
107:38
Doing the best you can Well, it's all right
107:44
As long as you lend a hand. Well, who would have thought funeral songs?
107:49
Yeah, John's saying he'd like thorn in my side and dedicate it to his wife. And look, sorry, the caller before who was doing the 40 laps, yes, if it's a 25-metre pool, then it is 1K.
107:59
Sorry, I'm really bad at maths, but I'm good at songs.
108:02
This was brilliant.
108:03
So, like, I'm loving these suggestions. My funeral's going to be five hours long now, thanks to all of you with your beautiful suggestions.
108:10
Well, next week we're going to do birthday songs. Yeah.
108:14
See you, Sarah.
108:15
See you, Mark.
108:15
Bye-bye. Sarah McDonald with us each and every Thursday. Just before we get to a break, some birthdays today. There's a couple of big ones. Of course, this man celebrating a birthday. I have a headache.
108:25
It might be a tumour.
108:27
It's not a tumour. I'll be back.
108:30
Put that cookie down. Now! Get to the chopper! Who is your daddy and what does he do? Hasta la vista, baby.
108:40
Yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 79 today. A couple of other birthdays. Simon Baker, the Aussie actor, 57. Kate Bush, 68. Who else have we got? Oh, this particular actor, 63 years of age. She featured, of course, in Friends.
108:55
Smelly cat, smelly cat. What are they feeding you? Everybody, smelly cat. What are they feeding you?
109:08
Lisa Kudrow is 63 today. We all loved friends.
109:28
We just wanted to put the claps in there. We'll take a break. Other side of this, Trent Nikolic, and we'll share your good news stories.
109:36
Now, breaking news at 11 minutes to midday, and this is a story that I broke here on this program and let's just say got a bit of grief for it as well, just quietly. Six men have been charged over the alleged brawl at a sporting event in the South West earlier this month. You'll remember I reported on that brawl after an under-18s game at the Oaks.
109:57
Well, I can tell you today that several people, as you know, were injured, including a man aged 71. Well, following inquiries, I can tell you that earlier this week, police issued court attendance notices to six men aged 71, 46, 44, 40, 21 and 18. They've all been charged with a fray.
110:18
The older man was also charged with behaviour and offensive manner in near public place school. The 71-year-old man and 46-year-old man are due to appear before Picton Local Court on Thursday, September 17. The four other men are all due to appear at the same court on Thursday, the 10th of December. Three 17-year-old boys were also dealt with under the Young Offenders Act. So we've had six men charged. There are also three individuals dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
110:49
So we'll leave it in the hands of police and also the courts. I made mention that there was more to come and there certainly was with these charges emanating from police this week.
111:04
Trent Nikolic is in the chair for Michael McLaren. Morning, Trent.
111:06
Hello, mate. Morning, everyone.
111:08
Now, funeral songs.
111:09
Another one bites the dust over mine.
111:13
My whole family knows. I love Freddie Mercury, I love Queen and I like the sentiment of the song.
111:19
Another one. How good are some of the messages? You got a message here from Peter saying there's a reason there's a highway to hell and only a stairway to heaven.
111:28
That's good stuff. Oh, clever. Clever, clever, clever. That's good stuff. I love it. Thanks, Mark and Sarah, for the laughs this morning while I'm doing my rehab exercises, Sally and Armour Tree. Well, you know what? I said to Sarah before, I love Thursdays. We get all the serious stuff out of the way and we just have a laugh. Yeah. Life's too short and too serious. What have you got coming up this afternoon?
111:45
Look, I'm going to invoke what the ICAC witnesses have been doing and I'm just going to say I don't recall. So I don't know what's on the show. I don't know what I did yesterday. It's the theme, isn't it? Yeah, it is. How good is it? How good is it? Look, we're going to talk to Dom Rowe from Homelessness New South Wales. This is something that I'm really intrigued with. A rise in Airbnb short-term rentals in the city having a material impact on long-term rentals, which means residents can't find anywhere to live. I think that's a big one. Angus Barnes from the Sydney Royal Wine Show.
112:16
It's Australia's oldest wine show, currently underway. We'll talk to Angus. Anna Corday will have our regular entertainment report. And then we're also going to talk to Stephen Milne, who's the Riviera Director of Brand, about the boats that they build up there in Queensland. But the Sydney Boat Show is coming up. Yep. So we're going to talk about that as well. And then obviously all the news. We'll let you know if anything important happens in ICAC. But like I said...
112:40
Be prepared for me to say I don't remember and I don't recall. I must be a bit of a nerd, right? I get home and I put the idea of life straight. Well, you have to watch it. And I watched Old Mate yesterday and, you know, I don't recall. I loved the opening, though, from the council assisting when... The first thing that Dylan Whitelaw said was words to the effect of, oh, well, I was shocked by what I heard in the opening address. And then council assisting said to him, Mr Whitelaw, I would advise you to consider your evidence carefully, knowing full well they've got all the dirt on him.
113:14
They've got all the dirt on him. They're going to throw it at him.
113:16
You have to watch it. I said to our colleague Clinton Maynard before, it's like every day it's like a developing movie script because he couldn't make it up. And you have to watch it. It's our taxpayer dollars at work, mate.
113:26
I said earlier this week, Trent, that it took the Labor Party 10 years to get rid of the ghost of Eddie Obeid. I think it's going to be much the same for the New South Wales Liberal Party. Anyway, good on you, mate. Thank you, mate. Nice to see you. There he is, Trent Nikolic. He's coming up on your radio after midday, filling in for Michael McLaren.
113:41
With someone's home.
113:57
Parramatta BMW is your destination for driving joy.
114:02
Yeah, time for the good news and you've got a chance to win the brand new BMW iX1, the fully electric SUV from Parramatta BMW. David at Cronulla has been in touch via drivingjoy at 2gb.com. Dave's father, 86-year-old Norm Muddle, has been a life member of the Allura Surf Lifesaving Club down at Bait Bay in Cronulla. He's been made a life member. and it's been a long time coming. He first joined the club back in 1982 and his contribution spans more than four decades of service, leadership and dedication.
114:33
He's done just about every job going, senior vice president, secretary, treasurer, publicity officer, as well as patrols, competing and mentoring the next generation. He's also picked up his 25, 30 and 40 year long service awards along the way. His family say they couldn't be prouder. a true club legend and a reminder of the quiet heroes who keep our beaches safe. So well done to you, Norm, 86-year-old Norm Muddle, who's been made a life member of the Allura Surf Lifesaving Club down there at Cronulla. Congratulations to him and his family.
115:05
And if you've got a good news story you'd like to share with us, He goes into the running, Dave and Norm, for the chance to win the BMW iX1, the fully electric SUV. All you need to do is send us your good news story. That email address, drivingjoy at 2GB.com. Drivingjoy at 2GB.com. It's all thanks to 2GB and Parramatta BMW, your destination for driving joy.
115:28
All I really need is a bit of joy.
115:33
Before I get out of here and hand the reins over to Trent Nikolic, the public-voted Archibald Prize People's Choice Award has gone to Michael Zavros for his haunting portrait of Alex Rivchin, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jury. A record 45,769 people voted for the prize, for which Zavros has been awarded $5,000. So congratulations to Michael and also to our mate Alex Rivchin.
116:02
And that's it for me today. Thank you very much for your company and all of that feedback. What about the funeral songs? Went off. Trent Nikolic will keep you informed and entertained for the next three hours before Clinton Maynard takes over. And then Adam Hawes with all the sporting news. James Willis with money news. And then John Stanley tonight before Phil O'Neill takes over. And then at 5.30 tomorrow morning, Ben Fordham is back for breakfast. If you've got a story for us, mark at 2GB.com. And your good news, drivingjoy at 2GB.com. Have a great afternoon. I'll see you around the roundabout.
116:33
Bye-bye.
