MONDAY SHOW - 14th September 📻

0:00Hi, this is Dave Roberts. Heading into summer without a medical emergency kit, that's a risk. Summer colds can linger and getting sick on vacation can derail everything. That's why everyone needs a medical emergency kit. It includes doctor prescribed medications to treat common and serious illnesses. So if you wake up sick, at home or on the road, you already have what you need. It's like having an urgent care and pharmacy at home. Say $45 with code blue at urgentcarekit.com slash blue urgent care kit.com slash blue. This podcast is supported by your Southern California Kia dealers. Around Southern California, it's easy to spend plenty of time behind the wheel. Whether you're commuting from OC or heading to Santa Barbara for the weekend, going farther between fuel stops is something everyone can appreciate. That's exactly what Kia's hybrid lineup is built for. Kia offers five hybrid models that combine turbocharged power with hybrid efficiency with some delivering more than 600 miles of driving range on a single tank.

1:01One model that really stands out is the all new 2027 Kia Tell You Ride Hybrid. It offers seating for up to seven passengers, the confidence and capability of a three-row SUV, and a turbocharged hybrid powertrain that delivers impressive efficiency for fewer stops at the gas station. It's ready for weekday errands, weekend getaways, and everything in between. If a hybrid fits the way you drive, Kia has a model designed to fit your needs. Learn more at Kia.com or visit your Southern California Kia dealer. Welcome to the Ben Fordham Podcast. Hi there, welcome to Monday, September 14 coming up on the show today. TAFE students forced into four acknowledgments in a day. Top tech bosses call for artificial intelligence to slow down. They reckon the human race could be wiped out if we don't do something to contain it. Auction clearance rates will have a look at them after the weekend of real estate movements.

2:02A close call for the former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. One nation unveils its new immigration policy. We'll catch up with a boss of One Nation in New South Wales, Mike Newman. He'll be in the studio. There's a new plan to limit screen use in schools. Psychologist Brad Marshall will be here. And a very special auction to race funds for our veterans. We'll talk to Warwick Brook about a bottle of wine that is so far raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Get ready, the show starts now. This has been Fordham Live. What Sydney's best breakfast on 2GB, 873? Well, the Prime Minister has ripped into Pauline Hanson. The One Nation leader has copped it over comments she's made about the PM's late mother. The remarks were actually made back in January on the Karl Steffan-Ovick podcast. Pauline Hanson suggested the PM's mum should not have been living in taxpayer funded housing for as long as she did.

3:02The One Nation leader then imitated the PM, talking emotionally about his late mum, Mary Ann. I've actually grew up in a housing business now. You have no idea how hard it is to go up in a housing commission house. Oh my God, I've talked about Prime Minister. Housing commission houses should not be there for people who live in them for 30-40. And he said his mum lived in the same one she was born in for 65 years. Sorry, that's not on to me. Mary Ann Albanese is a single-moment disability pensioner. She lived with rumoured toyed arthritis and she died in 2022 at the age of 65. The PM says she worked as a cleaner to support him while battling a condition that left her in chronic pain. He's now fired back at Pauline Hanson. I am stunned at these comments, but I'll make this point. If Pauline Hanson wants to criticise me, then that's fine. But my mother was way out of Pauline Hanson's league.

4:05Way out of him. Anthony Albanese says he didn't hear the comments when they were first made, but he says he shocked and stunned to know that his late mother has been used to score political points. The Liberal Front Bencher Andrew Hastie is also weighed in. He's taken aim at Pauline Hanson. I think this is another indicator of the Australian people that she's not fit to be Prime Minister. I don't think you should be talking about the late mother of anyone in this game. And certainly not reflecting on circumstances over which she had no understanding. Mr Hastie's told News24 leave mums out of it. The One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has defended his leader. He says he's deeply concerned that politics is turning a little hollywood. Mr Joyce says politics is not a beauty pageant nor a reality TV show. And there's an unwritten rule in politics. Don't drag family members into arguments. Take on your opponent. Go your hardest. But leave their children, parents and spouses out of it. The former PM Scott Morrison says bringing a politician's family members into debate

5:10betrays a fundamental lack of decency, civility and judgment. He's told the Australian financial review. There are many things the families of politicians have to put up with. This should never be one of them. This has been for them live with Sydney's best breakfast on 2GV873. 100 cabbies have been blacklisted. Australia's biggest taxi fleet operator who run one, three cabs and silver services made the call. They've sidelined the drivers for overcharging and other misconduct. Taxi boss Damian Shea and has come out swinging. He says any driver court deliberately overcharging a passenger is kicked out of our network immediately. Not warned, not suspended, pending a review, exited. The company CEO is now calling for a national register of disqualified drivers to stop them working in the industry once and for all. He wants a more consistent national framework for taxis. Telling the Australian newspaper today, even when we remove a driver for overcharging,

6:13nothing stops their moving on to another service provider. At the moment, someone can lose their place with one network and turn up somewhere else a few weeks later. He says if we're serious about restoring passenger trust, we need a system that recognises when someone has broken it. So that's from the boss of one, three cabs and silver service. And just on transport, there's been a frightening altercation on a flight leaving Australia. Two brothers have been arrested after making violent threats towards passengers and staff. They reportedly assaulted staff members and claimed to have a gun. The drama all unfolded on a flight from Melbourne to Doha. Six hours before landing, the men began arguing. And they then turned on the flight attendants. One of the brothers allegedly began spitting, kicking, and headbutting a crew member. Up to seven passengers stepped in to restrain the men using zip ties. The brothers have now been arrested in Doha. It's unclear if they're Aussie citizens.

7:14One passenger says they were screaming about wanting to shoot people. They shouldn't be allowed back in Australia. You can say that again. It's September 14. And on this day, it was the beginning of a classic. Here's your only hint. If you think you know the answer, you can text it in right now. 0, 4, 6, 0, 8, 7, 3, 8, 7, 3. What was the beginning of a classic? And the answer's coming up on this day. Sydney's best breakfast. Two GB. All eyes will be on the independent commission against corruption today, because an extremely high profile witness is set to appear. But we'll believe it when he shows up. You can bet there'll be a few nervous people in the Liberal Party, because John Nasee, for Shedul to appear today,

8:16the fugitive property developer is set to give evidence. The ICAC is examining allegations concerning the Liberal Party and illegal donations. The disgraced property developer will appear allegedly via audio video link from Lebanon. That's where he's been hiding. And I wouldn't be holding my breath. John Nasee, for being scheduled to give evidence a few weeks ago. But at the last minute, he canceled. He provided a medical certificate which delayed his appearance. But ICAC says is due to be there today. Although the witness list is subject to change. The hearing gets underway at 10 a.m. So it could be an explosive day. We'll have all of it covered here on 2 GB. A new poll is dealt another blow to the federal government. Faith in Labor to manage the economy has crashed. According to a new resolve poll, 74% of Aussies are concerned about federal debt. 48% are demanding the government cut back on spending. The budget has been nothing but bad news for the Prime Minister.

9:20Four months on the PM's approval rating continues to decline. 23% of voters say they've lost faith in Anthony Albanese due to broken election promises. 25% now think the coalition is best suited to manage the economy. 23% say Labor, 21% one nation. When it comes to preferred PM, Anthony Albanese is in the lead. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 29% of voters say he's best suited to run the country. 25% are backing Paul in Hanson. 21% believe that Angus Taylor is the man for the job. So that's the latest poll from resolve. And footage is circulating online showing a toddler behind the wheel of a car. The video appears to show a three year old sitting on a man's lap steering a yut. The man recording the video can be heard encouraging the toddler not to crash. Go, bars. Steer. As my hands is all bars. Look where you going. Don't crash.

10:22It's the kind of thing you may expect to see on a farm somewhere, but this kid's driving through suburban Perth. The video and the driver and our under investigation by police. Kid safe CEO Scott Phillips says the footage is concerning. He says we don't know what's going to happen within the car or outside with other drivers. Please don't be over confident in what you can control in these situations. Posting things like this is just ridiculous. Nine years has contacted the adult in the video. He hasn't responded. We reckon he's going to cop a visit soon from WA Police. News you contrast. Opinions that matter. Now, Ben Fordham comments. Well, if you think your teenager is a handful, get a load of this kid. He's 17 years old. He's got more than 100 convictions. And he's breached bail 25 times this year. 2 GB breakfast has spoken to two victims of crime who want to know why this uncontrollable fog is still on the streets.

11:26One says what happened to breach bail go to jail. Isn't that what it's supposed to happen? I was under the assumption that if bail was breached, you would go to jail for that. And this is the news that these victims have copped in the past week. A judge has granted bail to a cans teenager who's breached it 25 times this year. The 17 year old has 108 previous convictions and is now accused of an armed midnight robbery with his adult brother. The court heard the case against him is strong. There's CCTV, admissions and even the judge acknowledged there was a risk he could offend again. But after 122 days in youth detention, Chief Judge Brian DeVero ruled that strict bail conditions will do. He then addressed the teenager directly saying, I expect you to be really well supervised and to behave yourself. For victims of crime and cans, those words are difficult to stomach. We've heard from two locals who want to remain anonymous because they're frightened of what might come their way.

12:29One says an armed intruder recently came into his home in the middle of the night. He says, one of my female roommates woke up to a thief threatening her with a hunting knife. He was demanding car keys and threatening to stab the dog. The offender was wearing a mask and was screaming violent threats. The victim writes, it wasn't his first rodeo. This was an extremely dangerous situation and we all felt he was so desperate he could follow through on his threats. He says, for everyone inside the house, it's changed the way they view judges granting bail to repeat offenders. He says, I realize that night that the decisions of these judges to bail repeat offenders is the definition of insanity. He accuses judges of putting offenders ahead of victims who are forced to live with the consequences. He says rather than defending victims, they're pandering to armed offenders. And here's his message to the judges who don't have the balls to put people behind bars. Perhaps these judges need to experience the fear of a home invasion to understand the menace.

13:34And he's not alone. Another resident has run a small business in the city for more than 25 years. He says he's watched youth offending get progressively worse, particularly since COVID. It frustrates me to see the blatant disregard for authorities and other people from repeat offenders. He's watched young people walk into shops, fill backpacks and simply leave, abusing staff when challenged. He says they know they can't get restrained and they play on it. I've been threatened, abused, screamed at and attacked many times over the years. His own home has been broken into several times. On one occasion, he woke up to his partner screaming because an intruder had walked into the bedroom. He says the trauma and stress that it put on my partner is still obvious to this day. Nearly two years down the track, she still cannot sleep properly. And closer to home in Sydney recently, we've reported on a teen criminal who's been charged 94 times.

14:35He's pleaded guilty over two separate shootings, but he's never been convicted. And for the thug in cans, he's had more convictions than kisses. 108. And he's got to hold the Queensland record for bail breaches in the space of nine months because he's up to 25. Crown prosecutor Sean Singer opposed the teenagers release, but he was let out anyway. The prosecutor told the court the community has the right to protection from these recidivist offenders. He told the court that proposed conditions were essentially the same ones. The boy had repeatedly flattered. Chief Judge Brian Devorow acknowledged the problem himself. He said there is a risk of reoffending on bail because of this bad history of breaching bail. But in a move that should shock absolutely no one, he was let go again. Someone should contact the Guinness Book of Records because we sense the 17 year old bail breacher with 108 convictions is a strong chance of notching up another strike against his name.

15:38Just study the formguide. So the judge described the Crown case as strong, the judge acknowledged the high risk of reoffending, but the judge gave him bail again. And for people who've woken up to an armed intruder inside their home, a warning to just behave yourself is like a kick between the legs. They're just expected to suck it up. Like what you're hearing? Subscribe to the Benfordham Live podcast through Apple and Spotify. Well, the new South Wales government is mandating a digital detox. They're introducing strict screen time limits for public school students across the state. It means some kids will only be able to use screens at school for 15 minutes a day. The new rules will be introduced as guidelines from next year. By 2028, the screen time limits will be mandatory for students in kindergarten, Year one and Year two. They'll be allowed a maximum of 15 minutes of screen time per day.

16:40Years three and four students will get up to 30 minutes. For years five and six, they'll be limited to 45 minutes a day. High school students will have to spend at least half of their lessons using a pen and paper. The move is off the back of some shocking academic results. Teenagers have now fallen two years behind their parents generation at school. Only half of Aussie students are meeting the national standard in mathematics. And just over half a meeting the standard when it comes to literacy. Dr Brad Marshall. He's the director of screens and gaming disorder clinic. And he's on the line for us again right now. It's been a while, Dr Brad Marshall. Good morning. It has been a while, Ben. Nice to be with you again. Just a question before we get to deep into this topic. Did they consider all of these things before they introduce the screens into the classrooms? I think we both know the answer was no, Ben. Unfortunately. You know, we've been seeing this coming for about 15 years now.

17:40And unfortunately, as you pointed out, we didn't really weigh up the positives and negatives or the opportunities and the risks before doing this. And so we started to implement edgy tech as they call it in our classrooms increasingly. And we're only now looking back and realizing that there were a lot of downsides. So there's a bit of a course correction here. But I can remember back five even six years ago where we had a principal who was also a teacher who phoned in and said, look, I've been in this job a long time. Have you got any understanding of how hard it is to run a class already? Let alone me competing with 25 different devices in the classroom. Look, Ben, I seem to believe that we talked about this some years ago as well. If you ask any average high school boy, and I don't mean to pick on the boys, but say a year or nine boy, if I ask them in my clinic, how many of your colleagues are gaming or on YouTube during a class? They will honestly tell me at least half. And so what we've got today is some pretty reasonable guidelines here.

18:44If you look at especially the year 70, year 10 guidelines that have just come out, one quarter of time is a maximum on screens now. So three out of every four lessons have to be without a screen. That's going to be a significant change. The temptation is too strong. I mean, I know it from watching my son Freddie when he's doing his homework, even over the weekend that we've just had, where we've got a bit of a study room if we can call it that, where the kids do all of their homework and other things. And I said to him, mate, whenever I walk past this room, I see the screen change in front of you. So I said, what do you go back to that other screen? And he goes back and sure enough, he's watching some YouTube video, nothing harmful or anything like that, because he's got all of those child protection things in place. But I said to him, mate, every time I walk past, you're flicking from one screen to the other, and then he pretends to go back to the homework when I walk past. And I can understand why that would be tempting, because it's just one tab away. Oh, it is absolutely not the kids fault. This is on us as adults.

19:45We allow this to happen. What we've realized is that in schools and at home, parental software doesn't work very well. It's advertised that it will work to limit things to keep them on task. It doesn't. Kids find their way around it. And in fact, then I've just launched a screen free phone for kids, a mobile version and a home version called Waffle, Waffle Phones, for this exact reason, because kids should be able to communicate with their friends and their grandparents without the temptation of those screens. Okay, is it going to be hard to unwind these habits now, considering the kids have been accustomed to using the devices for so long? Look, yes and no. I mean, it is going to be hard, but it doesn't mean that we shouldn't do it. So I do feel for the teachers because it's not their fault. Many of them, if you speak to them, they'd never wanted this. They enjoy teaching in that face-to-face model. But it was us as parents and communities that demanded this technology be rolled out. So many of them now, and rightfully so are sitting there going, well, now you're asking me to change my curriculum and go back again.

20:46So I do feel for the teachers. Yeah, I wish we had a thought of all these things beforehand. It's always good to catch up, Dr. Brad. Thanks for your time. Cheers, Ben. Dr. Brad Marshall, director at Screens and Gaming Disorder Clinic. And he remembers talking to me about exactly the same thing all those years ago. So why didn't we factor all of those things in then before realizing the consequences now? It's 21 minutes after eight o'clock, and it's time to get a great plan for your business with Red Energy. You can go to redenerg.com.au. Sydney's Weather Partly Cloudy, and the slight chance of a shower this afternoon, 92% humidity, 15 degrees at the moment, a top of 26 on the coast and 29 in Sydney's West. We want to pay tribute to a father and daughter who have tragically passed away in a plane crash. Last week, Ian Campbell and his daughter Hannah were on a light plane just south of Brisbane. But just minutes after getting up into the air,

21:47the plane started experiencing major issues. The aircraft crashed into a paddock, and Hannah and Ian both tragically died at the scene. Hannah and Ian had just returned from Papua New Guinea, where they completed the Cocoa Track together. They were raising funds for the Royal Flying Doctors. Hannah's friend Sam Warden has paid tribute, telling 2GB breakfast. She was an extremely accomplished young lady. She was following in her family's footsteps, while also paving her own way in business and the ag industry. She was an active, sporty, intelligent girl with everything to offer the world. We'll miss her dearly. I'm gonna make the most of everyday with you. These good things don't last long, and this world can do your own. So while I'm searching for the clues, I'm gonna make the most of everyday with you.

22:52I'm gonna try to compliment you when I can. Cause the eye's in a day, somehow slip away, and that's one more thing that I forget to do. So I'm gonna make the most of everyday with you. While the sun still shines on your face, our home will be a holy place. As the years go by, I promise to make the most of everyday with you. We want to send our love to the family of Ian and Hannah Campbell. And thank you very much to Sam Warden for sharing those lovely words via Retribute for Hannah and Ian.

23:52You're listening to Ben Fordham on 2GB, our number 131873 email Ben at 2GB.com and the text line 0460873873. Dave Roberts here, there you are surrounded by fans, sharing wings, sharing drinks, high-fiving random strangers. Everybody remembers the game. Nobody remembers the guy coughing behind you until a few days later. At 2am, you wake up with the fever and your throats on fire. Now what, urgent care, clothes, ER, slam, telehealth, maybe, but the pharmacy's clothes. You needed a medical emergency kit. These aren't first aid kits, they contain essential prescriptions, used for over 30 common conditions, sinus and ear infection, UTI, stomach bug, travelers diarrhea, and more. On hand before you need them. Use your doctor-developed guidebook to select the right prescription or call their telemedicine doctor standing by. It's like an urgent care and drugstore at home. When you're sick, traveling, or stranded, you'll wish you ordered a medical emergency kit.

24:54Order online in minutes and it's shipped to your door, and say $45 with my promo code blue at urgentcarekit.com slash blue. That's promo code blue at urgentcarekit.com slash blue. Imagine your friend tells you she's taking an innocent family trip to Greenville, South Carolina. We'll call her Emma. The trip sounds great to you. Hiking at John's Gap, dinner at Topsoil, a room at the best hotel in town. Harmless, right? Here's the thing. Emma and her family never return from Greenville. They disappear. You search for answers, but nothing adds up. Emma had a great life back home. You guys were best friends. What happened? Well, the truth is, once Emma realized she could have access to Michelin recognized restaurants, nature, local shops, and performing arts all in one place, everywhere else started to seem a little... Meh. Emma's vacation is a cautionary tale. If you're coming this way, don't forget to tell your friends

25:55and neighbors goodbye. Visit Greenville, South Carolina, but you may never want to leave. Learn more at visitcreamvilsc.com. Sydney's best breakfast. Two GB. Well, one nation's unveiling their long awaited immigration policy today. Pauline Hansen is announcing a three-year crackdown. Now, there's a lot of numbers in this, but under the proposal, one nation will slash migration by 750,000 over three years. This will result in negative net overseas migration during that period. After that, annual migration levels will settle at around about 130,000 a year. The new policy will target reductions in five areas. Student visas, graduate visas, temporary skilled visas, bridging visa holders, and people on expired visas. International students are on top of Pauline Hansen's hit list. The one nation leader wants to limit those to 115,000 a year.

26:59On top of that, an estimated 80,000 people overstaying their visa will be given three months. They'll be told to leave the country. If they don't, they could be banned from ever returning. According to the Daily Telegraph, visa applications from countries marked as do not travel by the Australian government will also be paused. Mike Newman is the new South Wales One Nation leader and he's live in the studio. Mike, good morning to you. Good morning, Ben, and once again, congrats on your contract extension. Thank you very much, mate. You'll have to wake up to me for another five years. Very exciting times. Now, let's talk about the real issue, and that's migration. It's taken some time for one nation to come out clearly and say, this is our plan. Yeah, look, I mean, the whole idea of this is that I think we should put some context around this. If you have a look at the fact that visa application feeds at the moment for the government, $4.2 billion, then looking at the forward is going to be $7.2. So the government of the day, they have no interest in bringing down migration because there's a cash machine. But what we're saying is that you've got a situation now

28:00that GDP per capita is still falling. I mean, this is the thing. No matter how many migrants we're bringing into the country, the policy settings we've got are the bigger problem. And so we can't solve housing. We can't get the housing market turned around when you've got such a huge influx. So that's why we're making this big bold plan. You talk about cash cow incentives like those visa application fees, billions of dollars in the bank, student visas, the same thing, right? Massive cash cow for the Australian government. Is there a danger that by turning that tap off, you might harm the economy? No, I think, again, this goes back to the lack of productivity. I mean, Bram, Black from the BCA was writing about how poor productivity is. That's an economic policy setting. Right, we're going to get those things right. So one thing, it's actually underlying economy, where we're seeing so much of the problems. On secondary visas, this is part of the crackdown as well. They allow family members and spouses of temporary skilled workers to enter the country. And this is a big issue that we've highlighted many times before.

29:01Some people think, okay, someone's got a visa, but that visa can mean visa for you, visa for mum, visa for dad, visa for husband, visa for wife. And you can end up having six or seven people here when the original intention was won. Well, that's true. But if you think of a student who was married with one child, I mean, under sort of, I guess you could say compassionate grounds, there might be an argument, but bringing the entire family and the relatives and everyone, I think that's not the way we think about this. But ideally, if you're coming to study, you're coming to study, and that's it. This is not a pathway to then use the visa system to jump from another visa to another to stay here. So on the visa crackdown, we're also talking about these countries that are listed as do not travel locations by the Australian government. So Iran, Lebanon, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Russia, Sudan, and Palestine. So what would we be saying that we wouldn't accept people from those places? Well, I mean, that's the underlying idea is we want to make sure that the country has proper vetting of people that come here, that we get to decide who gets approval to come to come to come to come.

30:02Isn't that our job, though? That's right. It is. But the idea is that we have to have far stronger policing, I guess, for one of a better word, to make sure that those coming are properly vetted. And so what would have a blanket rule to say if you're coming from those countries don't even bother applying? Well, look, I'm not speaking on behalf of the federal. Cycles as a federal issue. I'm more interested in new South Wales state issues. But the idea is that we want to make sure that we keep Australia safe. Number one, Anthony Albanese is going to be unveiling Labor's migration policy at some stage soon. There is some speculation around it might happen this week. Do you reckon he'll be copying some of these ideas? Oh, I mean, whatever he says, everyone is now taking whatever he says as a grain of salt, whether it's golf courses, you know, CGT or, you know, taxes. I mean, he's backflipped on so many things. So I really don't really see whatever it comes out with will be believed by the public anyway. Your boss in Canberra Pauline Hansen is receiving a lot of heat today. Over comments that she made early this year about the Prime Minister's mum,

31:03Pauline suggested the Prime Minister's mum should not have been living in taxpayer funded housing for decades. And this was actually said in January on the Karl Steffan-Avig podcast, but for whatever reason it's come up over the weekend. And he is Pauline Hansen imitating the PM talking about his mum, Mary Ann. I've actually grew up in a house condition. You had no idea how hard it is to grow up in a house condition house. Oh my God, I've talked about Prime Minister. House Commissioner Houser should not be there for people living in for 30-40. And he said his mum lived in the same one sheet. She was born in for 65 years. Sorry, that's not on to me. Should Pauline Hansen be talking about the Prime Minister's dead mother? Look, to be honest, what she said here is about the idea more broadly the topic was. She wanted to make sure that we don't abuse the housing system. That's for everybody, right? The fact that it's taken the Labor government nine months to come up with this, are we really believing that the media teams of the Prime Minister didn't listen to that back in January?

32:04I'm sure they would have been crawling over it. So why is it taken nine months for them to come out here and say, well, you know, and create such a ruckus. The same thing with the hasty stuff that was over a month that video was up. Scott Morrison's told the Australian Financial Review, the former Prime Minister, bringing a politician's family into debate, betrays a fundamental lack of decency, civility and judgment. I'm sure you wouldn't have appreciated it if it was your mum. My mum's listening now. Look, I think the comments weren't directly aimed at her. I think the whole point here is that now that the polls are really going the wrong way, they really want to sort of point out that how's another way to sort of get one nation on yet another sort of, you know, gotcha moment. I think that's what it points to nine months. This is what Anthony Albanese had to say about it. I am stunned at these comments. But I'll make this point. If Pauline Hanson wants to criticise me, then that's fine. But my mother was way out of Pauline Hanson's league.

33:05Way out of it. There's Anthony Albanese. Do you think we'll be hearing an apology from Pauline Hanson? Oh, I'll be up to Pauline. I wouldn't imagine so. And what about yourself going forward? Is this the kind of thing that you'll do in political debate? If you think it's fair game to talk about people's husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers. Ben, I'm not going to be talking about any of that. My main goal here, and as I said the last time I were on this, I'm here for the New South Wales people. I don't want to go into battle. I've come back from 25 years abroad because I don't like seeing the direction our country is going. It's going to the dogs. Everybody knows it. And what we want to do is bring a totally fresh face, fresh policies, fresh ideas, and government that is not that you've experienced over the last decade. What kind of response have you received so far in New South Wales? And how many people are signing up to join one nation? Well, I mean the numbers are good. We're getting more members in my local Cessnaught branch. We've had a good surge in people joining. Look, I think the underlying groundswell has been very positive. But the thing is, I keep on saying we are listening.

34:07And that's a fact, right? And being in Cessnaught, listen to whether it's health care, a wall and buy road, all of those problems. Because I know on the 28th, I think Ryan Park is going to open up the new wing of Cessnaught hospital. They don't have any doctors. So the idea of opening a new wing is not going to mean much if you haven't got the doctors to staff it. We appreciate you dropping by this studio this morning. We'll do it again soon. Thanks Ben. Mike Newman, the one nation leader in New South Wales. One three, one eight seven three. So what do you think is Albo's dead mother fair game in a political fight. A lot of people making this point, being the first politician to bring Albo's mum into politics was Albo himself. You tell me one three, one eight seven three. I've got a bit of a golden rule when it comes to these things. And that is don't drag anyone into it apart from the person you're talking about,

35:07particularly their parents or their children. And we will routinely ignore stories when they say the son of the police minister or the daughter of the premier or whatever. We routinely ignore those stories because people are only reporting on them because of the link to someone else. So that's where I stand on these issues. But you can have your say right now. Dial the number one three one eight seven three. Is it fair game because Anthony Albanese is spoken about his mother so many times or would Paul enhance and be wise just to leave those people out of all conversations when her main target is actually the prime minister. People you know opinions that matter. News you can trust. This is breakfast with Ben Fordham on Sydney's 2GB. Thank you very much for joining us. You can dial the number have your say one three one eight seven three. I'm keen to hear from people in Sydney's Northwest and Sydney's East right now because more high rise towers are coming to Sydney's Northwest.

36:13The New South Wales government has proposed building seven apartment buildings in Castle Hill. They're set to bring 387 new units. The high rises will be up to 20 stories tall. They'll also contain hundreds of housing commission homes to make way for the development. Multiple townhouses must be demolished and the Hill Shiamay Michelle burn is against the plan. She's told the Daily Telegraph. This is another example of the men's government heaping more apartments on us without adequate infrastructure. A few hundred meters down the road. We have Castle Hill high. One of the most overcrowded schools in the state. Residents are sick of seeing their suburbs trashed. So that's Sydney's Northwest. And we also have more than 9,400 extra dwellings coming to Sydney's East and suburbs if Chris means gets his way. Multiple high rise towers that will be built around the new Wallara station. The towers will be up to 34 stories high.

37:16The new homes would be built over the next 20 years. And I know a lot of people in that part of Sydney are saying there's no way in the world that 34 story high towers are going to fit in. The premier Chris Min says the productivity commission says this is the best site in the entire state to put new homes. So you tell me if you live near Wallara station or if you live in Castle Hill pick up the phone and dial the number. 131873 Sydney's best breakfast. Two GB. We mentioned the messages we've received from cans after a 17 year old with more than 100 convictions. Whose breach bail 25 times this year has just been given bail again. Andrew is joining us right now. Go right ahead Andrew. Good morning. Good morning. How are you? I'm well. Yeah, I think you'll find that the biggest problem we have in the judicial system is the magistrates and judges.

38:17If they enforce the law and actually enforce bail conditions and put people away when they should be put away, then you're going to reduce the amount of recidivist offenders we have. They need to be held accountable to the community because they are just simply not keeping the community safe anymore. And they're very gullible sometimes. Andrew, what about this case where the judge said to the 17 year old. I expect you to be really well supervised and to behave yourself. I mean, wouldn't you arrive at a conclusion after someone has racked up more than 100 convictions and breach bail 25 times this year that they're not capable of behaving themselves. I would have thought so. Thank you very much for the call. You're next and what did you want to say and yeah, hi, Ben. I feel that since we got rid of, you know, the came and strong discipline, we've had the worst luck of respect and disregard of rules law ever in this country. It's fairly basic and I think the kids are just not getting. They're just not learning what they need to learn and that's been born out in our court system at the moment.

39:18Yeah, I think we all benefited from a kick in the bum once in a while and I certainly did. Thank you very much. Maybe we need judge Judy. Judge Judy's hang up her robe sadly, the 83 year old is now she's stepping away from TV. Her hit show Judge Judy started back in 1996 after that she started another series called Judy justice. But now the show is ending next month. Judge Judy's known for handling some pretty wild court cases. Her cutthroat style has made her a household name. When you go to a court house, you're not supposed to be dressed for the beach. That's all I'm saying to you. It doesn't require an answer. This is not a two way street. She doesn't muck around. I love Judge Judy, but it's the end of the road for the TV judge. The 83 year old says I don't want to do hair and makeup anymore. She's decided to pass the robes onto her son Adam. He's starting his own courtroom show called Adam's law. But there will only ever be one judge Judy. I'm like a fool. Do you know you're trying to sound like a fool?

40:21I'm trying to sound like a fool. I'm telling you sound like a fool. That's your opinion. No. My opinions the only one that counts. That's certainly the way she rolls in her courtroom. Matt wants to talk about Albo's mum and the sledge from Paul Enhancin. Hi, Matt. Good day, Ben. How are you? Good mate. Who's to blame here? I look like I hate Albo's to blame. I'm in our flandering team like to bring bring his mum out as part of his watch. Yes, a political watch. Every second day. I think it's fair game to talk about it. And Paul Enhancin didn't really say anything bad, Ben. I don't think what she said was the wrong theory towards his mum. It was more of a tap on him. Yeah. And it was the use of housing that she focused on. And look, you're right about that, Matt. He has brought up his mum. Eight hundred thousand times. So eventually someone else is going to start talking about her as well. Having said that, I think Paul Enhancin would be wise to leave family out of it. Bringing you the best at breakfast.

41:23This is Ben for and live on Sydney's 2GB. Thank you very much for joining us. Our number one three one eight seven three. I'm just having a look here at an image from Southwest Sydney. This is at Helen's Park. St Helen's Park near a primary school. So the Campbelltown region. A koala has been spotted crossing the road about 20 minutes ago and someone snapped a photo of it. So just be careful in that area in case a koala is going from A to B. And you're in the middle of the road trying to get to work. One three one eight seven three. The open line number if you'd like to join us. New South Wales police have been hard at work. Officers have foiled more than 50 potential underworld murders in the last four months. Since May they've taken action on more than four dozen imminent threats to life. Just a few weeks ago police received more than 10 tip-offs in the space of seven days relating to possible hits.

42:23In that same week two innocent men were killed in mistaken identity underworld attacks on consecutive days. Police sources claim it's increasingly difficult to keep up. They say they're working all hours to stop the next gangland killing. As sources told the Daily Telegraph. Just last week there were four or five imminent threats to life that we responded to. The week before that there were ten. It's all about interrupting them. And I'm confident we've stopped multiple murders. Officers believe they may have prevented a potential hit just last week. On Friday morning they arrested an 18 year old man flying a drone in western Sydney. And the homicide squad commander Joe Dewey believes the teen was more than likely conducting surveillance on someone. So yes they are up against it at the moment. New South Wales police and they're certainly under pressure to get organized crime under control. But they're saying there are many other hits that could have happened that haven't happened.

43:27Because of their work. You'll listening to Sydney's best breakfast. Ben Fordham Live. And now the business report. On a Monday we like to check in with Peter Switzer about the auction clearance rate. Switz, good morning. Yeah, hi mate. It's not great. It's getting better. But Melbourne for example on the weekend was 42.5% down on last year. So we're seeing improvement over the past few weeks. But if you compare it to the yearly numbers terrible property experts also say if we get two interest rate rises some economists are expecting the situation will get worse. Louis Christopher. He's a really good forecast. So he thinks Melbourne will fall by 7%. But Sydney will fall by 9%. But wait for this Ben. HSBC is put a new number out for Sydney. They reckon there could be a peak to trough for home values of 16%. But that means if you thought your house was worth a million dollars a year ago it's now worth 840,000 dollars over the course of the year going forward.

44:32So we're still in a difficult situation and the RBA really has to be mindful of this when they start considering raising interest rates. And how the markets. Well, the market pretty positive. Now it was up 500 points to local up 18. The original 71.65 US hence been. And you can just throw one thing in your brought up a koala on the weekend of Sydney Morning Harrel. Her store of bill, collecting a bill. He was a former union with it. He always looked like a koala with these massive curly hair. But he got stuck into everything. And he was like, I think I've been there. He's in gym charmers on the basis. He said, you're just laying people down. You're not building enough houses. You're talking about the economy improving. People are offended and insulted by what you're saying. Extraordinary outbursts from a traditional labour leader in a union boss. Yeah, the bloco ran the ACTU for a long, long time. Bill Kelty. Thanks so much.

45:32Peter Switzerland from Switzerland.com.au. Martin says, good morning, Ben Koalers. Don't go from A to B. They go from tree to tree. Thank you, Martin. And just on animals, the plan to build 1,500 new homes has led to some tension. Western Sydney University wants to transform two of its campuses near Penrath into a new town centre. The plan would make way for 1,500 homes plus shops, a potential school, and some buildings up to seven stories. But there's one major concern. A 138 Eastern Grey kangaroos currently call the site home, and locals are worried about what will happen to them. More than 6,000 people have signed a petition calling for the kangaroos to be protected. Local resident Sandra Neumann has told the herald, the big concern is what's going to happen to the ruse. The university says it will work with developers on a management plan for the kangaroos. But the kangaroos aren't the only concern. Labor councillor in Penrath John Tain is questioning whether the development will stop at 1,500 homes.

46:37He's described the proposal as a dog's breakfast, saying, there's no cast iron guarantee on that number. The planning department will now assess the proposal. And coming up this morning, I'll tell you about more high-rise towers coming to Sydney's northwest, and there's also a plan for extra dwellings and potentially building 34 stories high for Wallara in Sydney's east. Dave Roberts here, there you are surrounded by fans, sharing wings, sharing drinks, high-fiving random strangers. Everybody remembers the game. Nobody remembers the guy coughing behind you until a few days later. At 2am, you wake up with the fever and your throats on fire. Now what, urgent care, close. ER, slam, telehealth, maybe, but the pharmacies close. You needed a medical emergency kit. These aren't first aid kits. They contain essential prescriptions used for over 30 common conditions, sinus and ear infection, UTIs, stomach bug, travelers diaria, and more. On hand before you need them.

47:38Use your doctor-developed guidebook to select the right prescription or call their telemedicine doctor standing by. It's like an urgent care and drugstore at home. When you're sick, traveling, or stranded, you'll wish you ordered a medical emergency kit. Order online in minutes and it's shipped to your door and say $45 with my promo code blue at urgentcarekit.com slash blue. That's promo code blue at urgentcarekit.com slash blue. Imagine your friend tells you she's taking an innocent family trip to Greenville, South Carolina. We'll call her Emma. The trip sounds great to you. Hiking at Jones Gap, dinner at Topsoil, a room at the beach, a room at the best hotel in town. Harmless, right? Here's the thing. Emma and her family never returned from Greenville. They disappear. You search for answers, but nothing adds up. Emma had a great life back home. You guys were best friends. What happened? Well, the truth is, once Emma realized she could have access to Michelin recognized restaurants,

48:38nature, local shops, and performing arts all in one place, everywhere else started to seem a little. Meh. Emma's vacation is a cautionary tale. If you're coming this way, don't forget to tell your friends and neighbors goodbye. Visit Greenville, South Carolina, but you may never want to leave. Learn more at visit GreenvilleSC.com. Minus is Ben Fauten-Live with Sydney's best breakfast on 2GB 873. Well, what about this? Tafe students are being made to sit through multiple Indigenous acknowledgments every day in class. A Sydney student has exposed what's going on. They claim an acknowledgment of country is done at the start of every single lesson. That means they could be sitting through as many as four in each day. Tafe NSW has confirmed teachers may conduct one at the start of lessons. They also say students could be invited to identify their own traditional lands during classes.

49:43The Libra L upper House MP Rachel Merton has raised the alarm. According to the Daily Telegraph, the NSW Education Department has promised to investigate. Rachel Merton, the Libra L upper House MP is with us right now. Morning, Rachel. Good morning, Ben. Great to be with you. Have they heard of Overkill? Well, then as you may know, on the Deputy Chair of the patient portfolio, Committee in the upper house in the State Parliament, I obviously have a strong interest in education and training issues. One of these issues is the very poor Tafe completion rates in NSW. We have seen less than one in two students complete their studies. And another example we're seeing is the increasing political and ideological agendas being pushed in our hands. And it was in that context during budget estimates that I put these questions to the Department of Education about reports that have come to my office, the online Tafe experience, how the modules are working, what the requirements are, it does not stack up.

50:44What does it mean when they say that teachers may conduct one at the beginning of lessons and students could be invited to identify their own traditional lands? What's all that about? Well, Ben, see, saying students have reported to me that they're uncomfortable with this requirement. So it's reported that they go around the class, this is an online class, and students have to identify where they're learning from. Right. So students report that they join the class late to avoid this. And some of them are unsure as to what, you know, be official name or statuses of the land that they're joining on. They must also think that these young people are slow learners if they have to have an acknowledgement at the start of every single class and up to four in one day. What a waste. Correct. And the repetition and the sort of the compulsion on this completely discredits, you know, what they're hoping to achieve with this welcome to the country. And some of the students are saying the teachers seem embarrassed about it too.

51:46Well, the teachers are, the teachers are, the teachers are, the teachers are operating on that this is a mandatory requirement. And then the officials then sort of tell me during estimates, oh, it's optional, but there's no clear arrangement on this. So as a consequence, we're seeing, you know, tape students not finishing courses, turning up late for classes, running to a completing the course, and, you know, the day's filled with these rituals, which is up to four times a day. Students are partaking in welcome to country. Yeah, I wonder whether some people just do it. They go through the motions because they fear that there'll be retributions or cancellation if they don't. Good on you for drawing our attention to it. We really appreciate your time. Thanks so much, Ben. Thank you. Rachel Merton, the Liberal Upper House MP. Are you at TAFE? Have you seen one, two, three, four acknowledgments in one day? And where else have you spotted these acknowledgments when you've thought,

52:47does this really belong here? This has been for them live. What signals best breakfast on 2GV873? And just on Indigenous acknowledgments, a local council in Sydney's made a call in the past week. They've covered up a sign with an acknowledgement to traditional custodians of the land. Strathfield Council erected six welcome signs across Strathfield in 2024, costing ratepayers $400,000. And the signs say, always was always will be, wongal country. But following a council meeting last month, Strathfield Council decided to cover up the Indigenous wording with black tape. Three Liberal and two independent councillors voted in favour. The decision has sparked a mixed reaction. Some in favour of the move say, well done to the council. The land belongs to all people, not one tribe. Another says, fantastic move. A sensible one that I hope others will follow. Stop this division. Others, of course, disagree.

53:48One critic says, the whole of Australia belongs to native Aboriginal people. Another says, just acknowledge the people who were here first. Well, I think we've done that. Critics have launched a petition demanding the phrase be clearly displayed on signs. But despite this backlash, the council says, there have been no official complaints. So they've got out the black tape and put it over the top of the words, always was, always will be wongal country. Like what you're hearing? Subscribe to the Ben Fautum Live podcast through Apple and Spotify. Now speaking of money, the billionaire Sanji Gupta is back in the spotlight. He's the man who lost control of the wireless steelworks in South Australia. His company, InfraBuild, is currently tangled up in a legal battle in the Supreme Court. And the billionaire is doing everything he can to get out of it. The UK administrator of Finance and Company, Green Sill is pursuing Mr Gupta's company in court.

54:49The Finance and Company lent billions to Sanji Gupta for his steelmaking activities. They're now demanding he hand over their shares in his company, InfraBuild. But Mr Gupta is pulling out all stops to delay the case. His lawyers have already successfully argued to have the three week trial push back. They produce several medical reports claiming the billionaire is not fit to travel. According to court reports, Mr Gupta has had a heart condition since February. According to one doctor, the businessmen should avoid significant or sustained physical and emotional stress. But here's the catch. He recently jumped on a 14 hour flight from Dubai to New York. It's rumored he was looking at property in the US. There's also speculation in the Australian Financial Review that he was attending the US Open Tennis. So is the heart no good, Sanji? That you can't front up to court, but it's okay to go to the tennis.

55:50He's been contacted for comment over the weekend. He has not replied. Sydney's best breakfast. 2GB. Well, some personal news for me that we did share on Friday, but over the weekend, the Sunday telegraph has confirmed and let me read from the story from Zach McClain. The new owners of Sydney Talkback Station 2GB, Arthur and Craig Laundy, made a direct appeal to the breakfast host Ben Fordham to stay in the job when they purchased the network, leading the broadcast to reconsider a potential plan to exit the role. The 49 year old father of three opened up on the station's efforts to convince him to stay in the 530 time slot. And look, as I said to the newspaper and I've copped some grief over this from Mark Levy, I said, the biggest change has been the Laundy family coming along. Part of me felt a bit of a duty not to let the Laundy's down considering they've just spent a lot of money on the radio business. I've got a special relationship with Arthur. So naturally you don't want to let someone like that down.

56:51And this is the part that Levy loved looking into his eyes. I could tell he didn't want me to go. Craig Laundy is with us in the studio right now. I just dragged him in. Good day, Craig. Hello, Ben. Good morning. He's got those eyes, your dad. Yeah, I've had to put up with those my entire life and I don't like letting him down either. So I know exactly how you felt. He's got a bit of a twinkle in the eye. And look, we did say when we started having a conversation about it, if we didn't reach an agreement, we would all still be mates. We'd all still love each other because I've known you a long time. A long time as well as I have your old man. Yeah. But there's something about Arthur. No disrespect to you. He's got the charm. Well, if you're following around on a weekend, he would have been out there yesterday at the Marsden Brewhouse, the log cabin, makes his way around and I'm sure you listeners know exactly what I'm talking about. He just dots the eyes and crossed the toes. And he along with me and the family were very keen. You're right. We've known you a long, long time. And since we've got here, we've espoused the family business mantra.

57:52And mate, you've become a part of the family in February. And we're thrilled that you've resigned and you'll be with us. You say five years mate, but I told you at the time, if you think you're going anywhere after that, think again. You did say that. You said, this is for life, you know. And I said, I'll go try. And you know what? Doing business with friends. I know some people say to avoid it. I've never believed in that. I mean, I have a look at, I've got one of my former work experience, kids Tom Malone, who's now my boss. And I've got people who are working with me on this show as well, who I've known outside of work. I think it's great to be able to do business with friends, as long as you can have very forethright conversations with each other when you need to. Absolutely. And we as a family have a long track record of, you know, young, uh, licensees that have gone as far as they can go with us. But we talk to them and, you know, particularly in country areas, we convince them to sell up in Sydney to buy a small piece of a country pub, you know, in, say, Waga Waga, where we've got pubs now.

58:52And we've got young bloats that have worked with us there that now have shares of six or seven hotels. So we're not, you know, afraid to back talent. And, you know, we feel that we've done that in, in convincing you to stay on for another five years. Was it a tough negotiation? I'm asking on behalf of the listeners here. This is what I would be asking if it wasn't about me. Easy or tough? Um, it wasn't too tough. You know, there was that hesitated there was that mutual respect and, and, and dealing, and dealing with your brother makes it a bit easier. Um, easier. Yeah. Well, the only talent being in case you haven't worked it out can be quite temperamental. Really? Yeah. So management and dealing with them and taking on a talent out of the equation can be, can be very productive. Well, look, I'm looking forward to it. And it's interesting because the family had a big say in the whole thing as well. When I said, look, I'm thinking of maybe taking a year out and trying something else because I've been inspired by my wife, Jodie, take on a Lord degree. She's a year away from being a lawyer now. And I do think there's something else there out there for me.

59:53But there's no reason why I can't undertake some of those other challenges while I'm hosting the breakfast show. But when I said to the kids, I might take some time off radio. They just said, Dad, that sounds dumb. You love the job. You love what you do. Just keep on doing it. And so that's what we're going to do. I've worked out next negotiation. I'm going straight to Freddie Ford. Oh, really? Yeah. With some crispy, chrome doughnuts because I got told that one of the discussions was, Dad, does that mean you're not coming home with things like crispy, doughnuts in the future? Yeah. Whenever there's a freebie that arrives at 2GB and I tuck some home, the kids just can't believe it. So they think if I stop working at 2GB, does that mean the doughnuts are going to stop? So look, mate, in all seriousness, I'm really, really proud of the decision. I've known you a long time. Always got a long well with you. Even when you're in politics and we had to exchange some barbs from time to time here and there. But I think your family and the way that Arthur has run his life, it flows down through everyone. And as I've said to a number of people, Arthur has got more class in his pinky finger than most people in their entire body.

1:00:53It's very time, mate. And that standard flows through the whole family. That's very true. And on to the next generation after yours that I've got to know as well, a whole range of people, your children and other children in the family too. So mate, I'm really, really happy with it. And I'm looking forward to it. And then a big day for you and your family and a big day for me and my family. The Ford and family, Laundie family. As you say, I've been friends for a long time and long made that continue. And now we just knuckle down and get the job done. 1 million per cent. Thank you so much, mate. Thanks for that. Craig Laundie on 2GB Breakfast. Like what you're hearing? Make sure you've subscribed to Ben Fordon. Mark Levy is joining me right now. And he tells me he's got an announcement to make as well about his future. Levy, good morning. Good morning to you, Ben. Yes, a significant announcement to make. You've been hogging all the headlines lately. So I thought I'd make an announcement. What are you going to do it now? Or are you going to do it on morning? Well, I'm going to give you an exclusive on your show. Okay. I've just walked past the new owners of the radio network. I've just spoken to Craig Laundie. Yeah.

1:01:53And I could officially tell you that I've signed on for the next three weeks of finals football. Oh, well done, mate. Congratulations. It's the best I could come up with. What sign sealed and delivered? Well, apparently I've got the next three weeks of finals. So I'm all locked in. So you'll be calling every game of the NRL finals on the continuous call today. Not every game. I'm going to share the love with Mike Pearce all this week. I and Mike did a great job yesterday. Big call. Yes, first final. First final. I'm going to give you an unbelievable. So I've said, Mike, you can do this Sunday. And we'll just see how we go. But I'm locked in for three weeks. I like this. I think everyone should be making announcements now. Okay. I want to hear one from Mick Mack this afternoon and one from Clinton too. What are you doing after nine? We're going to have a look at Paul Enhanced and one nation's immigration policy. They want to slash it by 750,000. We'll get some reaction from the opposition, Senator John O'Donney and the shadow immigration minister. A lot of concerns around what this could potentially do to the economy. So we'll chat to John O about that. And if you're around the telly tonight, Karen Affair has got a big story. They've interviewed Simon Boater, Marco Tapia's family.

1:02:55Of course, Marco was the university student who was shot dead a couple of weeks ago in these ganglion crimes. So Simon will give us a preview of that little later this morning. Beautiful. We'll be listening, mate, and look forward to further announcements throughout the day. Thank you, Ben. Thank you. Mark Levy. You'll be hearing him mostly calling the NRL finals. Along with Mike Peasle as well. I heard Mike's call yesterday afternoon. I was in the car on my way home from AcuPuncture and the radio was on and mate. I'll tell you what, he can call Mike Peasle. There's no doubt about that. It's 10 minutes to 9 o'clock and it's time to get a great plan for your business with red energy. Redenergy.com.au Sydney's best breakfast. 2GV Look, we should just see whether we can give away some money to Betty right now. Betty? Oh, I'm just shaking with happiness. How are you, Ben? I'm well. Now, why don't we just calm down just for a moment because I don't want you to be rushed as you're doing this?

1:03:55I would love it if you could share with me four code words to win 2 grand. Oh, yes, absolutely. Bonus, roosters, broad past, payday. You've got it. You've got it. Oh, wow. Thank you very, very, very much. I love you, Ben. I love 2GV too. Thanks for this wonderfulness. I can't believe it. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, I'm happy that we're going to hear your voice for another five years. So, my Betty, thank you very much and we appreciate your loyalty to 2GV. I'm just reading a few other messages here as well. Go leavey. We love you too from T. Now, a few birthday wishes I believe right now. We better accommodate because I've got someone sending me a message right now. This one, first of all, I was wondering if you would be able to wish my nan and a happy 82nd birthday. She listens to 2GV every morning.

1:04:57Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday. And this one as well, Michelle says it's probably too late but I was wondering if you could wish my beautiful mum, Diane. A very happy 89th birthday. She always listens to Ben and the radio's on 2GV all day long. So, happy 89th to Diane and happy 82nd to Anne. 1, 3, 1, 8, 7, 3, the open line number. Now, I'm not suggesting that you would need to worry about these things, Diane or Anne. With a cost of specialist medical appointments are on the rise. Last year, Aussies paid more than 5 times the benchmark price on more than a million occasions. And other 6 million services were billed at 3 to 5 times the benchmark fee. The health minister Mark Butler has put excessive specialist fees in his sites. His department has uncovered a broader affordability problem. The government determines the benchmark schedule fee for services and providers can set their own prices on top.

1:06:00But we're told that specialist out of pocket costs have been rising at twice the rate of inflation. Last year, Aussies paying out of pocket out of hospital specialist fees were charged nearly $500 more than in 2019. In hospital gap fees for those with private health insurance rose nearly as sharply over the same period. The department of health says the government is concerned about the pace with which specialist fees are increasing. Dermatologist charged the highest amount above the benchmark for out of hospital services. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, obstetricians, gynecologists and sports and exercise specialists followed. So Mark Butler, the federal health minister, trying to do something about that. Like what you're hearing? Subscribe to the Benfordham Live podcast through Apple and Spotify. We better give some money to David David. You were first in with the correct answer in the quiz for that.

1:07:00You get $100 from on deck on deck of the small business loan specialist. We love your work on deck on deck. If you run a small business and you want to hire someone new or smooth out any cash flow issues or get a second or a third or a fourth location, you can talk to on deck. 1-800-677-6652. The answer is coming up on this day. You're listening to Sydney's best breakfast and now the US report. We have more warnings today about AI. Harley Cairns on the line from the United States. Hello, Harley. Hi there Ben. You know, it might be time to start to listen to the top experts in the AI world. I mean, Dario Amelde, the head of anthropic, supported by Sam Altman, open AI, and Elon Musk of Groc and Tesla. They're saying the world needs to slow down the rush to develop artificial intelligence.

1:08:03They are all saying that the risks are very real and very serious and that it might be a threat to the existence of humans as soon as two years from now, certainly in this decade. So they're calling for three things, independent monitoring of AI models and the ability to pull the plug so to speak. Industry-wide regulation and global regulation. Now, the problem is that AI is like an unruly teenager. It's building a mind of its own and once it gets a mind of its own, it'll do whatever it wants to do. And that's the big issue. Altman said that AI beyond human control is absolutely possible. Musk said both of them are right. He's been saying this for a while as we know. Now, President Trump and other world leaders have been saying we can't afford to put on the brakes because China is held bet on domination of and with AI.

1:09:08Amelde says he and his staff are genuinely frightened for humanity's future. And they say that AI is already showing plenty of sides of being uncontrollable. You give it a job to do and it goes way beyond what you told it to do. It goes places it's not supposed to go. It exceeds its authority and it leaves its own program. It's amazing stuff and it's scary and should be scary for everybody. Yeah, one AI researcher's told the BBC there's a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future when AI turns on us. Let's hope not, Harley. And tell me about the war of words between two singers over anti-Semitism. Yeah, well, Pete is fully capable of defending her opinions. That's for sure. She called out Maclamore for his anti-Israel spouting at a couple of concerts in New Jersey. He had even created a slide show to go with his bullet, which included pictures of Gaza and the flight of Palestinians, of course.

1:10:14And he blamed Israel, not Hamas. He had reposted a stop anti-Semitism message which called for Maclamore to be kicked off of Ed Sheeran's tour. And she was attacked online for supporting Israel as though that's a bad thing. She said, and this was interesting. This is the most recent thing. She said, I was born at you. And most people maybe didn't know that. She said, I didn't pick it. I've never hidden it. She said, Hamas is a terror organization. Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations. But she said she was scared as a mom by Maclamore's racism and said she needs to be able to say that without being told that she somehow cool. With genocide because she noticed here here, you know, makes good makes good sense to me. You know, and you know, pink pink is she's a smashing talent. And she has important things to say. I think in this world is seeing way too much anger.

1:11:20Yeah, not the first time that Maclamore has been called out over that issue. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks, Harley. All right. Thank you, bad. I'll see you. And he's pink. What about us? What about all the times you said you were at the answer? What about us? What about all the broken happy ever after? What about us? What about all the plans that I did at the disaster? What about us? What about us? What about us? We have problems that are want to be sold. This is Dave Roberts. If you're heading into summer without a medical emergency kit, you're taking a risk most people don't think about until it's too late. Summer colds linger and can turn into sinus infections at last for weeks.

1:12:20Getting sick right before vacation can derail everything. And we're traveling, finding a doctor and pharmacy is stressful. That's why I ordered medical emergency kit. It's like having an emergency care and a pharmacy right at home. It includes essential prescriptions like a moxasillin and generic Z-pack to treat a wide range of common and serious illnesses. So if you wake up sick at home or on the road, you already have what you need. No waiting for your doctor, no hours at urgent care, no pharmacy lines, no copays, just match your symptoms to the right prescription in your guidebook or call their telemedicine doctor standing by. Start on your med sooner and feel better faster. Every home needs at least one medical emergency kit. 40 years online in minutes and it's shipped to your door and say $45 with promo code blue at urgentcaredkit.com slash blue. That's promo code blue at urgentcaredkit.com slash blue. Imagine your friend tells you she's taking an innocent family trip to Greenville, South Carolina. We'll call her Emma. The trip sounds great to you. Hiking at Jones Gap, dinner at Topsoil, a room at the best hotel in town.

1:13:23Harmless, right? Here's the thing. Emma and her family never return from Greenville. They disappear. You search for answers, but nothing adds up. Emma had a great life back home. You guys were best friends. What happened? Well the truth is once Emma realized she could have access to Michelin recognized restaurants, nature, local shops and performing arts all in one place, everywhere else started to seem a little. Meh. Emma's vacation is a cautionary tale. If you're coming this way, don't forget to tell your friends and neighbors goodbye. Visit Greenville, South Carolina, but you may never want to leave. Learn more at visit Greenvilleac.com. Minus is Ben Fautum Live with Sydney's best breakfast on 2GB 873. Two women are fighting for life after a police vehicle and a car collided. It happened in Bosley Park in Sydney, Southwest just after midday on Sunday.

1:14:27Police were responding to an urgent job. Apparently a child had been seen running on the road. And that's when a Kia sedan was t-boned by a police vehicle. Both cars left the road. They crashed through a fence and struck two separate homes. The two women inside the Kia were trapped in unconscious. Paramedics treated a 21-year-old pea-plated driver. They've transported her to Westmeat Hospital. The first condition is listed as critical. The passenger has been rushed to Liverpool Hospital. She's believed to be in her 50s and is in a critical condition. The two male officers involved, both 24-year-old constables, have been taken to hospital for treatment. A critical incident has been declared and an investigation. It's now underway and will be subject to independent review. So let's hope that both of those women pull through. One of them is listed in a critical condition. And what about this? Nine people are in hospital after a serious three car crash. It happened just after 11pm on the Hume Highway.

1:15:34A yut collided head on with an SUV, which then crashed into a sedan in Cabra matter in Sydney, Southwest. Fire and Rescue freed the driver of the SUV before paramedics treated him for head injuries. He's currently in Westmeat Hospital in a critical condition. The driver of the yut has also been taken to hospital. One of his passengers, an eight-year-old child, has been treated for facial injuries and rushed to hospital. Two other children from the yut are receiving treatment for lacerations from a seat belt. The driver of the sedan, plus a woman and two teenage girls inside, have been taken to hospital too. A crime scene has been established and investigation is underway. Like what you're hearing? Subscribe to the Benfordham Live podcast through Apple and Spotify. Just on Indigenous acknowledgment, Scream says, I went to a performance of the Lion King in Sydney last night.

1:16:34There was an acknowledgment of country prior to the performance. I've been to productions in New York and London. And no such acknowledgment exists before any performance at all. Do we still really need this in our country before every single show? Well, look over the weekend. We also had NFL. That was on Friday in Melbourne at the MCG. You even had it before that clash. It was one American team playing another American team. But because it was at the MCG, they had a lengthy welcome or acknowledgment before the game could get underway. The UK report, Kings Road Premium Woolsooths in three colors have arrived. Business weddings, races and school formals, book a suit fitting online at kelicountry.com.au Boris Johnson has taken aim at Vladimir Putin after a train carrying Mr Johnson could have been the target of a Russian drone attack. It's being described as a close call. And Adam Gilchrist has got the story from London. Hi, Adam.

1:17:35Hi, Ben. Yeah. It's an odd one this because it's essentially a stationary train at the Ukraine Pog and Border. It had been carrying some national security advice. Boris Johnson isn't that, but he still has a bit of a cue. He's showed great support for Vladimir Zelensky when he was in power. And so for through the part of the circle, if you like. But we know that also the former CIA chief David Patreus had also been in the vicinity on another train in that area. It appears that the Ukrainian intelligence had got a tip or four, had certainly got some kind of information and they'd begun to evacuate the area. But nonetheless, it was a drone strike that hit this train and hit the engine. No casualties we understand, but at the same time, it seems a very high profile thing to have done. Surely it was deliberate. And as Boris Johnson himself has said, I don't know what warped logic drove Vladimir Putin to blow up a stationary Ukrainian locomotive. Well, we can't say for sure it's this kind of random and sensitive attack your cradians are enduring every day. And I think that's the point.

1:18:38But the good people of Ukraine are putting up with exactly this in their own backyard every single day, whether we mention it or think of it or not. If I hadn't, this needed to have some security advisors and some rather senior figures would have, of course, added to the whole impression of it. And sadly, the Ukrainians have been putting up with it for years now and tell me about the professional dog walker who's suing. It's such a thing these days isn't it professional dog walkers today exist 20 years ago. Maybe they did. Well, I suppose I didn't have a dog 20 years ago, but Alexandra Bell is her name. She sued for unfair dismissal. Basically she works for a dog walking company. She said that she was given too many dogs to walk and that it was interfering with her picking up her own children and her lifestyle. The thing I found most extraordinary about her claim against her employees was she said she wasn't given access to water or toilet facilities when out walking dogs. Well, who is? Who the f**k? You know, that's what happens when you walk dogs. Anyway, the main problem with her claim for unfair dismissal was that she filed it in the wrong part of the United Kingdom.

1:19:46She filed it actually in Northern Ireland and asked the deadline for when you walk to a file that says she's completely lost her case. It's been dismissed out of hand, but regardless, it's a not one. Are you expecting a toilet to be laid on for you when you're walking dogs out in a park? Yeah, it might be a little bit easier if you're a boy as opposed to a girl, but we'll leave everyone's imagination to figure that one out. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Thank you so much, Adam Gilchrist on the line from London. I met a professional dog walker a few weeks ago. She was looking after about six or seven dogs down at our local park and it looks like a lot of fun. I mean, she had them all under control. If they were not so well behaved, maybe it's a different story. We've received about 700 messages about the Prime Minister's new digital freedom bill. He claims he won't be using it to censor his critics, but he's finding it hard to convince people based on your messages, where says wait until the I've changed my position on this one six months after he implements it.

1:20:47Brad says his word is his bond until it's not Gary says elbows are hypocrite. He can't be trusted. Harry says, of course, you'll use it for censorship. That's the whole point of it. David says this algorithm, VS is all about government control. Your lander says when the PM says, no, he means yes. Cheryl writes, always remember if it's elbows idea, it comes with more problems and solutions. And Adam says, why wouldn't you believe, Mr? I never fell off the stage and I'll never do a deal with the Greens on tax reform and I'll never change legislation on CGT. I wonder why? What you're in, make sure you've subscribed to Ben Fordham. Annika Wells is going to attend this year's AFL grand final after months of stepping back from high profile events following the fallout of her expenses scandal. She's confirmed her return. The sports minister says she'll attend the grand final because it's a huge event on the calendar.

1:21:50And the high profile labor figure has been absent from major events in the wake of that travel and expensive scandal that led to her paying back about $10,000 worth of costs. Annika Wells hasn't revealed whether her husband will accompany her to the grand final after he's enjoyed previous perks. So she'll be back in the AFL grand final suite. No doubt and overseas tragically six people have died after a ferry capsized in Indonesia. 130 people remain missing after the vessel sailing between Java and Borneo. Cops and bad weather, the ferry lost contact early on Sunday morning. There were 213 passengers and 30 crew members on board. So far, 107 have been rescued. 130 are missing and six have died. Rescue is a battle ways of up to two and a half meters to reach the ferry while a helicopter has also joined in the operation.

1:22:51I'm being told that Mick Mack did give the code word on Friday. That's according to Mark. So Elliot, you might have missed it, mate. A sports update. Discover the new Kia Premiership offers today. Cashback offers on the Kia EV3 and EV5 vehicles. Visit your local Kia Dilo today. What's happening, Spiro? Morning, Ben. All eyes on the US Open. Tennis men's final right now at Flushing Meadows in New York as Alexander's Vera veggies closer to securing his second major tidally when the French open earlier this year. He's currently two sets up in the showdown with the home town hero Ben Shelton. And in the third set, Shelton leads Vera five four, but Zverev currently on serve. Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes is one of the Spanish Grand Prix in the Formula One to help strengthen his championship leaders Oscar Piastri's unlucky seasons taken another hit finishing in eighth after early contact on the opening lap. In the AFL W competition, the Sydney swans knocked off the GWS giants by 31 points in the local Darby at Hansen Park. Great to see many of the swans men's playing group turn up to show their support as they prepare for their grand final qualified this Friday night at the SCG against the dockers after free mantle defeated Jolong over the weekend.

1:24:05Well done to Jio Patio, one of the brightest stars in Australia boxing. He's defended his ring magazine Cruiserweight championship title, locking out his opponent, Noel McCalean in the ninth round. EP election this morning as well, Manchester City coming out on top in their clash with rivals Manchester United, one nil. And in rugby union South Africa, defeating New Zealand three won in their series, the spring box, the red hot favorites to win a third straight rugby world cup next year off the pack of their dominant victory over the all black. And some great rugby league in week one of the final. It had to be one of the best opening rounds of the final series you've seen in a long time band kicking off on Friday night. The lower ranked team, the Knights pulled off an upset over the rabbit. Oh, no one really gave new castle a chance, but they got the job done to spell the end of South Sydney season. The dolphins have done the unthinkable. They've defeated the warriors in New Zealand. So in just their fourth season in the competition and their first final series, the dolphins are now one win away from the grand final. The shark shaped up to knock off the cowboys on Saturday night. And the Panthers just got home in an absolute thrill of they defeated the roosters 19 points of 12. So penraeth is qualified for the preliminary final and the big question is, can they win their fifth NRL Premiership in just six years, all be revealed in the coming weeks.

1:25:16We'll talk to you in a now she's been like what you're hearing subscribe to the Ben for them live podcast through Apple and Spotify. Now we want to talk wine. The treatment of our veterans is in the spotlight. RSL leaders are gathering in Canberra to discuss ways to help support our ex-service men and women. And tomorrow night they'll be taking part in an annual tradition. RSL clubs are getting the chance to enter a special auction a six liter bottle of wine is up the grabs. But there's a bit of a catch with this the winning club will get the chance to have the wine on display for 12 months. The bottle has been signed by five Victoria cross recipients. And since this tradition began almost 10 years ago, the bottle has already raised over $200,000 to support veterans.

1:26:16And Warwick Brooke, the boss of DeBortley wines in New South Wales and the ACT is on the line for us right now. Warwick, good morning. Good morning Ben. Thank you for having me. I'm very grateful. Lovely to have you here. What kind of wine is it? It's a six liter bottle of bean DeBortley sharrows and we back in 2016 at our first conference in the Hunter Valley. We had that as the prize for the wine option or the wine options game, I should say before the main dinner. And whoever bought it, they didn't drink it. Have they have they consume the wine? Is it just the bottle or is the plonk still inside? No, the plonk still inside, absolutely. The plonk still inside and the lady that won the wine options on that particular night, which is a lovely lady by the name of Bob Pickett from cops hub RSL after winning the wine option said, I don't drink wine. So let's bunny. You just won the wine options. So I said to Gary Gibson, who was the CEO at the time.

1:27:18We had Martin Donaldson, who was the keynote speaker and a VC recipient. And I said to Gary, how about we ask Mark if he will sign this bottle and we'll auction it off after dinner and the winning club will take that despite in their venue for 12 months and bring it back and we'll auction it off again in 12 months time. So we did that in 2016. We raised $6,000 on that first night. And you've done it again and again and again last year the bottle went for how much? The bottle last year went for $61,616 and Ben on that particular night. There was not a dry eye in the room because a wonderful gentleman from the Mounties Group who beat $61,616. His name was John Dean. I said to him, John, you need to come up on stage and let people know what this $61,616 represents.

1:28:18John came up on stage. He walked to the lectern and he said, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Mounties Group, we have just donated $1 for every Australian that lost their lives. That's a wonderful one. That's quite amazing. Quite amazing. Well, the thing tomorrow night Ben on behalf of the veteran's benevolent fund, I get to do the auction again and that winning club will take the bottle for 12 months. And I hope to get above $61,616 because the bottle now is priceless. It's got a lot of these signatures on it. There is nowhere that we have five VC signatures in one spot. We can't ensure it. So the bottle doesn't travel too far. It's in its own cabinet and it is, as I said, completely priceless. You mentioned Mark Donaldson's sign it. Do you have the other names at hand on who the other VC recipients are who sign the spot? Keith Payne Simpson, Kenan. So we're missing two at the moment, which is namely a very important one. Ben Robert Smith. So we're hoping that in time, Ben will be able to sign the bottle.

1:29:25You'd like Ben Robert Smith to sign? I would love Ben Robert to sign that Ben Robert Smith to sign the bottle would be wonderful. Well, I'm sure he will put his hand up if he hears this interview. This is Warwick Brooke, the boss of DeBortley Wines in New South Wales and the ACT. So now it goes under the hammer pretty soon. How can people get involved or do you have to be there at the event to put in a bid? You've got to be there tomorrow night at the Galadina. So all of the RSL clubs who are in Canberra for the conference at the moment will have a Galadina at the end of the conference tomorrow night. And at the end of dinner, we'll bring the bottle up on stage. It stands about as high as you'd die as it's in its own cabinet. And we will start the auction and the clubs will be and that money goes to the veterans benevolent fund. Fantastic idea. Please let us know what it ends up going for this time around Warwick. I will, Ben and Huttfleet will take it to over a quarter of a million dollars sometime tomorrow night. Lovely to talk to you and thanks so much for getting in touch. Thanks so much for your time. Ben really appreciate it.

1:30:26Warwick broke so they've already raised more than $200,000 supporting veterans with that bottle of wine. Last year it went for $61,616 and we'll see if they can beat that record this year. You're listening to Ben Fordham on 2GB. Now we talked a lot of business owners across Sydney. One thing we hear constantly is opportunities don't wait. When the phone rings with a new job, when stock becomes available, it's go time. That's why we like the team at On Deck and what they're doing because they've built their whole business around speed. Their lightning loans can deliver approvals within minutes, keeping you focused on running your business instead of filling out boring paperwork. Unlike the big banks, they understand that small business owners don't have weeks or months to sit around waiting for an answer. So if your business needs funds to grow or manage cash flow, check out On Deck. As with any loan, terms and conditions apply and loans are subject to approval. So have a conversation with your broker or visit the website now on deck.com.au.

1:31:27Just a little bit of history repeating. And now on Ben Fordham live on this day. Today is the 14th of September. It was on this day in 1982, Grace Kelly, the princess of Monaco, passed away after a car crash. She rose to fame as a leading Hollywood actress before she married Prince Rayner. She was only 52 when she died. In 1985, the Golden Girls debuted on TV. Thank you for being a friend. Travel down a road and back again. Your heart is true. You're a pal and a confidant. This was our quiz question. It ran for seven years. The Golden Girls. In 2011, the champion Aussie racehorse, Winkz, was born. She's well-clear Winkz. Today we farewell and a straight-in icon. The greatest of all time. Winkz wins her third quintalism at Beach Cluega.

1:32:28In 1955, Little Richard recorded this. Little Richard recorded 2D fruity when he was only 22. It's happy birthday to Pope Leo, who turned 71 today. And on this day in 1974, Eric Clapton went to number one on the charts with this. And that's right, Eric. But I did not shoot the debut. I shot the Sherry. And I did shoot the debut. Reflections got the better out of me. What is to be lost for me?

1:33:30the charts with his cover of Bob Marley's eye shot the sheriff and Eric Clapton's version was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003. It all happened on this day, the 14th of September. And that is it for the podcast for today. Thank you very much for podcasting. As if you want to listen to the show live, you can tune into 2GB Sydney, 873 on your AM dial or you just go to 2GB.com. There are so many ways to listen and we're on from 5.30 until 9am Monday through until Friday. If you just want to keep on podcasting, that's great. Leave us a comment, leave us a review. And if you want to leave us a five star rating, I'm not going to argue with you. Thanks so much for tuning in. Let's do it again soon. Bye-bye.