Sen Susan McDonald – Disaster recovery, Australian security

0:00Friday morning Rural Queens land today you're with Ben Dove and across the Resonate Broadcast Network It is the 6th of March. Can you believe that the 6th of March and We have a lock going on in our country and around the world. Senator Susan Mcdonald who's been a regular on this show since I can remember She joins me we didn't get to a last week because we didn't have a show But she joins me this morning on Rural Queens and today great to hear your voice senator and thanks so much for being with us Thank you Ben. I'm looking forward to hearing all the news from football in Las Vegas and And note out you've heard all about the flooding and everything happening over here Yeah, we spoke with we spoke with John speed yesterday on the show from Tobin Moury And look the rain in northern Australia. I mean Have you done your three-week suspension? Has it been lifted you back it back in the right position now? I am I am the moment I think just Tyler became the new leader you back. He lifted it. He said you back

1:00Well, northern Australia is getting drenched it look at not a Look the flooding of Baduri and look the work that's going on with the levee banks in the water there The long-term gain is unbelievable But gee, where's this some devastation going around? But Jesus some water going through northern Australia at the moment Yeah, it'll be interesting at the end of the end of this wet to to go back and I always remember the seventies as my You know my point where it just would not stop raining all year there was so much water around of course We had the 1974 floods in 1978 cyclone Tad there was there was so much moisture around To see if this is comparable But it is extraordinary and you're right the pictures of Tobin Moury that impacts on those small Western towns and into the territory and of course right up into the the goal from what's happened at foresight and you know I'm really just just huge water and

2:02You know everybody's in my thoughts because now it's been part of the the parliamentary Wing is we have to make sure that we are helping people get back on their feet Reestablish get going again for a whole lot of reasons not only because they grow the food of the nation But they sustain these important regional towns on our northern front lines our Defensive capability is is made up by the backbone of the northern Australia And and of course for mental health and all those reasons the more that we get the right support in place Early means these communities not just get back on their feet, but they start running again Supporting all the jobs right a quick round Australia that supports red meat It's so important that we have that it's so important. We have that and we need to look at that I'm going to start with what's going on around the world with Iran And the effects it has on

3:03Australian Fuel that's that's the first thing oil prices The the scare mungering that's going on and the price gouging that's already taken place is Very concerning in my opinion How serious is our fuel supply in your opinion with what is going on on the world stage at the moment? Well, it is serious We import about 90% of our fuel And and that's because we use to produce so much oil in this country We use to produce it from the best rate mostly and as those fields of decline Thanks to anti oil activists anti oil and gas activists We've stopped supporting and encouraging the the big projects that would bring on more oil and gas to this country and secure our future The Canadian Prime Minister was here yesterday Ben. He spoke to the spoke to the joint sitting of parliament And he talked about how important it was that a nation be able to feed itself

4:08fuel itself and defend itself There's three points that I could not agree with more and so I'm fueling ourselves We need to be thinking about where are we going to be extracting more oil to be doing the refining refining in this country In the 1960s we used to have subsidies and incentives for companies to go out and drill You know, I wonder if we need to get back to that point so that we can reduce our reliance on overseas fuel But right now today the Straits of Hamas Limited blockades to full blockades. It's going to be a constant management of having US Escort ships through there to make sure that The oil gets from the Middle East around to Singapore and India those countries that do the refining And then of course back down to Australia for us For so many reasons

5:08whether it be fuel into trucks and graders and and to mining gear um We are already seeing fuel being being limited And being managed but in its distribution we're seeing domestic Retail houses with people you know you can't buy a Jerry can in towns will people are worried We we may be able to manage all of this if if the ward doesn't go on too long if the ships keep coming um But the government needs to be telling people that they have a plan. This is what the plan is But at the moment all that they'll say is that there's no worry and that is of course not true Fuel prices are already up 10 cents a liter for petrol. Yep. Uh diesel is being rationed Uh, and and we know that Brent the Brent oil price is already up to $80 at US a barrel

6:09It's expected to go as high as a hundred or a hundred and twenty dollars US a barrel that will affect not just fuel prices It's roughly one cent for every US dollar that the price goes up at our bousers Uh, and it'll also inflict effect affect inflation which is not just fuel prices, but it's also food prices Every single thing we do in this country. So should we be rationing our fuel? Well, I think we need to be pacing it but but this is why won't like to do that then why won't they do that? I have no idea then yesterday. I suspended the Senate Um, to to try and have this discussion to have this debate to talk about Placense in North Queensland where this is already happening Because distributors are having to do it for what the government Uh, but they won't discuss it. They won't talk about it And so what does that do at least a more uncertainty and people not feeling confident that there is a plan And I think it's because Labor doesn't have a plan

7:11Yeah, that's um That's the the real area that I think they don't have a plan made how have we let And I don't want to get too bogged down and these ISIS brides back into our country um, I can't believe After what happened in Bondi after our country being brought towards knees by an act of terrorism That we would allow these brides to come back who openly Fleet our country to join ISIS and then now Um, they sat claim to be rehabilitated and we just say hey welcome back welcome back you can come back into our country You deserve it is you tried to absolutely attack us, but now you're allowed to come back So I have very strong views on this then if you leave Australia to be a part of a war and fight And support People who are who are fighting against Australia and Australians Then you'd negate your right in my mind and these these that women who've been in the camp

8:18Um, some have already been assessed as not being um suitable for coming back to this country because they are extremists Uh, there are others who Are the children have now grown into adult Uh, and I am not confident that there has been a proper assessment done that we understand what their views are We have no clarity around what sort of supervision would happen in Australia remember that there's two groups that labor has already bought back There are two smaller groups that have come back Um, this this is we know that the IRGC has been putting operatives into Australia Yeah, uh, this is incredibly dangerous Uh, the that we have been warned about it and the government seems to you know through Tony Burke through He's like we've lost all all faith in Tony Burke um, absolutely he he is um now

9:18The laughing stock around the world with just how he's I know I know America are an extreme level, but like No other country is like him at the moment No, well, I think he is he is we are We're putting question marks over Australian security and safety here in this country when we don't have strong tight borders and we don't talk about what sort of security mechanisms are in place and pretend that there is no risk There is risk. There is huge risk and um, and so we we will be prosecuting that You know again about you have to level up with Australians and tell them what what plan again What plan do you have in place to make sure that these people don't come back to Australia And if you are crazy enough to to allow it to happen then what mechanisms will be in place to supervise them to ensure that they are Rehabilitated that they're not going to be meeting

10:18With other activists that have come in from Iran or other places in the world and seek to do Australia Home Yeah, crazy Crazy crazy um, we appreciate your time. I know you've had a big week When we were great to have you back on the show Have a good weekend. We'll talk to you again next week A lot going on around the world We just hope everybody remains safe and that this can this conflict can get Resolved and we can all move on Because it's not good for the world to be in war and crisis and at the moment There's a lot of angst but we really appreciate your time this morning Thanks, Ben on a positive note. We're celebrating international women stay in town for Tomorrow with Janine Feigen the mayor of Julie Creek the guest speaker And a whole lot of the other wonderful North Queensland mayors will be coming to To give their views about how that their communities have managed flood this wet season and And just to to celebrate all the great women and there'll be a lot of great men there as well, Ben

11:22Try and control Kate Petal try and control Kate Petal. She's the worry and all that Have a good one. It's a very very very very important day tomorrow. Appreciate your time. Thanks. How much you're being with us Thank Ben Senator Susan Mcdonald. This is rural Queens in today