2GB Drive with Chris O'Keefe – Full Show July 29th 01:54:25

On Sydney's 2GB, this is Drive with Chris O'Keefe. Good afternoon, Sydney, and what a wonderful start for our Aussies at the Olympic Games. Jesus, nice to be Australian in the last 48 hours. Lovely seeing the Australians at the top of the medal tally, isn't it? Now, we're going to add more tonight, I reckon. Steve Titmuss will join me as his daughter Ariane tries to outdo Molly O'Callaghan in the 200m free.

Going to be a hell of a race, that one. Looking forward to speaking to Steve Titmuss. But I do want to talk about the opening ceremony because I reckon the drag queens mocking the Last Supper, it bothered me, but not for the reasons that you might think. I've also got a very serious story I'll break after four o'clock and it's about a contract worth tens of millions of dollars being terminated by the men's government and

Only a few months after being signed. It's put dozens of schools at risk and 100 new preschools. They promised they'd build them. Well, that's all now up in the air. I've also got a double pass to the play Gaslight and $200 of free fuel right now. 15 degrees in Kensington and 15 at St. Clair.

It's eight and a half past three, 131-873 is that open line number. Our text line, 0460-873-873 or email me, drive at 2GB.com. Now, I want to go to Sydney's eastern suburbs where former TV personality, Andrew O'Keefe, no relation, has been released on bail after fresh charges. Now, the 52-year-old was arrested...

While driving through the eastern suburbs yesterday and police say that he returned a positive result for drugs in a roadside test. Dear, oh dear. Nine News reporter Kate Creeden. She's got more on this and she's on the line. Kate, how are you? G'day, Chris. Well, thanks. So what have we got on this?

Yeah, look, it's a really sad story. I mean, talk about a fall from grace. We obviously know Andrew O'Keefe from Deal or No Deal, The Chase. But of the most recent years, I guess we know him from different court appearances. And we saw it again yesterday where he was arrested in Bellevue Hill,

after going to his on-again, off-again girlfriend's property in Point Piper. We understand there he's had some sort of argument or altercation with a man that was inside that apartment. He's actually prevented from going inside that apartment due to a pre-existing apprehended violence order. We understand he put his foot inside that apartment, then left and came back again. And that's when police, when he left...

for the second time police have picked him up not that far away just down um down probably 600 meters only down the road and he was pulled over there he was drug tested and he's been charged now

The charges he faced today relate to a stalking intimidation charge and also contravening that apprehended violence order. At this stage, there are no further drugs charges that have been placed against him. He was obviously waiting for the lab analysis to come back. But at Waverley Court today, the magistrate had what was in front of her and said,

She has granted him bail. There's some very strict bail conditions. But, yeah, he's back out. He left Waverley Court about an hour ago now. Is he getting treatment, Andrew O'Keefe?

Yeah, I guess one of the reasons that the magistrate has made that decision is that he can receive ongoing treatment. He is now required to stay off drugs and alcohol. He will have to submit a daily urine sample to prove that he is staying off drugs and alcohol. He's also, his sister was there in court supporting him. She's put up a $1,000 surety to ensure that

that happens um yeah but certainly and he won't be able to uh go to the entire complex and that his partner lived in until uh today he had only been allowed to not go into her apartment now he's not allowed to go into the entire complex so look there are some some restrictions there you know it is incredibly concerning though because you think if there is someone out

there. He's also, I should say, suspended from driving. He claims he didn't know that he was suspended from driving when he was

arrested. He's facing charges and he was behind the wheel and he also had an ice pipe allegedly in his pocket. Police claim that he had on his possession when they pulled him over and he said, I don't know whose it is. So it's not mine. Someone else was wearing my jacket. So, I mean, look, it is a really sad story. He didn't look in a good way today to see him in Waverley Court and, you know, he definitely needs the help but he also needs to stay off the road because

as the police prosecutor pointed out, the rest of the community is at risk if he's not getting that help that he needs. Kate Creedon, I really appreciate you jumping on. Thank you so much. Anytime. That's Kate Creedon from Nine News. You'll see her report at six o'clock, but it is a sad story. Andrew O'Keefe, again, no relation, arrested once again. 131873. Well, there's a trading halt in effect for Rex Airlines.

Because there's a major internal crisis brewing at Rex and there is some concern that it might be going south and pear-shaped. So this trading halt is being reported by Robin Ironside in The Australian. It's pending an announcement to the ASX because there is a report in the newspaper about the appointment of turnaround experts, as in people turning businesses around, from Deloitte to try to save Rex from going under.

So the airline is known as Regional Express. I think it's not been able to return to profit since the COVID pandemic, and that is...

despite the fact that they are taking on Qantas and Virgin on the Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane to Sydney route. So Rex Airlines, a trading halt on the ASX as a turnaround expert from Deloitte goes in to try to save it from going under. Gee whiz. Airlines in Australia, they have a bad, bad run of things, don't they? 131873. Well, Anthony Albanese reckons Barnaby Joyce should resign.

He did make some bizarre comments at a rally on the weekend, Barnaby. And he urged people to use ballot papers like bullets. So he was at this anti-wind farm protest down in the Illawarra. And he says things like, load that magazine and say goodbye to members of parliament. Your greatest weapon is to turn up in numbers in Canberra, in Macquarie Street, in George Street, in Queen Street.

And the bullet you have is that little piece of paper. And it goes in that magazine called The Voting Box. And it's coming up. Get ready to load that magazine. Go, goodbye, Chris. Goodbye, Stephen. Goodbye, Albo. Chris and Stephen are Chris Bowen, of course, and Stephen Jones, of course, Albo, the Prime Minister. Look.

PM not impressed with his choice of metaphor. Here's Anthony Albanese on Sky. This is the sort of language...

which has no place in any part of Australian society, let alone in public life, from someone who has served as Deputy Prime Minister not just once but twice. We have seen what has occurred with the attempted assassination of former President Trump in the United States. And here you have a guy

going to a rally, calling for action, using analogies of guns, bullets, magazines, and goodbye to three members of the government. What does this bloke have to do to lose his job? Yeah, it's a very good question. It's a very, very good question. It was dumb as from Barnaby Joyce. Dumb as. Especially everything we saw, what, only two weeks ago with Donald Trump.

Talking about firing bullets at MPs. He has since apologised for his comments, but honestly, I agree with the Prime Minister on this one. What else does he have to do to lose his job? Now, there's been a lot of talk about Christianity being mocked during the opening ceremony. You know, the drag queens dressed up as, you know, some sort of satire piece of Christ's Last Supper.

Now, it's caused all sorts of distress and outrage from Christians around the world. But there was more in the opening ceremony if you missed it. And I just want to sort of take you through this. Did you see the bit where all the actors were standing at the conciergerie? And that's where Marie Antoinette was held captive during the French Revolution. And they're almost glorifying Marie Antoinette's beheading. They mocked her horrific death in a pretty distasteful way.

Now, Marie Antoinette was a Catholic queen originally from Austria. Her and her husband, King Louis XVI, were overthrown by the French revolutionaries. And she was killed by guillotine. And there were 30,000 other people in the justification of revolution and liberty who were also murdered in this way. And they were murdered in what's known as the Reign of Terror. And that only occurred 230 years ago.

Now, I get that art is supposed to... All I wanted in retirement was to feel confident with my money. So I picked an income account with my industry super fund. Now I take enough for day-to-day things, splash out when I fancy, and the rest can grow over time. Stick with your industry super fund in retirement. Visit compareyourretirement.com today.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Consider the fund's PDS and whether the product is right for you. ...push the boundaries, especially French art. But I think what we saw at the opening ceremony, it would be like running a skit at the Sydney Olympics, mocking the thousands of deaths during the early colonisation of Australia. It's just really poor taste. Or taking off the hundreds of thousands of lives lost during the US War of Independence.

At the next LA Olympic Games. It wouldn't happen because it's ridiculous. So why did they do it this time? It was an absurdity that a terrible part of French history with many deaths and many murders could be showcased to the world with a heavy metal band. Maybe our sensibilities are not French. I don't know. They do have a pretty strange way of going, the French. But when I saw the Last Supper skit with the drag queens ridiculing Jesus' final meal before his death, as a Catholic...

I just kind of shook my head. Look, I wasn't offended, like some, but what I did ask myself was why is this, why is The Last Supper even featuring at the Paris Olympics? Why is it there? It was, after all, a painting they were satirising, a painting by Leonardo da Vinci, an Italian that was painted in Milan, Italy. It's not French. It's got nothing to do with France.

They could have celebrated or they could have mocked Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Auguste Rodin, the sculptor behind The Thinker, even Picasso. Picasso spent most of his life in France. None of them got a run. They were all trailblazing French artists ignored by the opening ceremony organisers so they could have a shot at an Italian painting and in turn Christianity. And here's another thing. Why does everything have to be gay these days?

I know that's a bit flippant, but it's true, right? Why, when making a political statement, does everything need to be about the gay community? You know me by now. I will fight tooth and nail if I perceive perceived unfairness or homophobia. It is not on at all, ever. I hate it. I hate people being derided for who they are or being treated unfairly for who they are. But I think the drag queens missed the point here. I didn't see Islam being mocked.

In some countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Gaza, mind you, they execute people for being gay. Was there anything of that in the opening ceremony if you're trying to make a political statement? I didn't see the Dalai Lama being satirised given Buddhism generally frowns on homosexuality. I didn't see Hindu works of art derided given it sees homosexual acts as a source of ritual pollution. No, it was just Christianity targeted, wasn't it?

Again, I wasn't offended. I am comfortable enough with my own beliefs and my own skin not to care much about this stuff. But I will point out the hypocrisy.

It's just silly. It's not entertaining, nor is it all that useful for the progress of gay rights. Gay rights, mind you, that are being championed by Pope Francis, the head of that Catholicism that was so happily and clumsily belittled by the organisers and choreographers of the opening ceremony. Now, it's Pope Francis...

who is saying, yes, we should bless gay couples in Catholic churches. But no, no, no, no, no, no, no. For some other higher purpose, according to the people who choreographed this whole thing, the Last Supper was the target of their derision. Well, why? The point backfired in a big, big way, didn't it? 131873, you call me, what did you make of the opening ceremony? And were you, as a Christian or a Catholic or as an atheist?

Did you think that the last supper thing was just a little bit too far? 0460 873 873. It's 25 past three. Barbara's called in from Canley Vale. Hello, Barbara. Hello, Chris. How are you? I'm good, thank you.

My partner and I were just in a little cottage opposite Canterville Station and we heard this terrific, absolute bang. We came out and had a look. We couldn't see a darn thing. Anyway, one of the people got off the train and said that it was over at the station.

So we went up and had a look, and it's a car that's actually gone through the safety rails on the other side of the station. It's knocked it all out. I have taken a photograph of it. I've just been over there because the traffic was absolutely thick. There's police cars everywhere. How the people have survived, I don't know. The ambulance has just gone. So the people in the car have survived?

Well, I think so. I don't know. The ambulances, it's a dreadful mess. It's a shocking mess. How they've survived, I don't know. But anyway, that's about as much as I can tell you. But the guardrail with all the wires for the trains, it's held the trains up. Everybody's had to get off the trains. So, yeah. But anyway, I thought I'd ring you because I always listen to 2GB. Oh, God.

Barbara, can you do me a favour? Can you just email me that photo, drive at 2GB.com, and we'll put it up on the website for everyone so they can have a look at it. Look, I have no idea. I'm 85. I haven't got a clue how you do that. Ask your partner. They might know. Listen, you will have my phone number. I just phoned you. Would you have my phone number there or not? I'll put you back over to the guys. I'll tell you how to do it, okay?

Okay, then. Good on you, Barbara. You have a good afternoon. Thank you for alerting us to that. So that's at Canley Vale train station. There is a car on the tracks. We're chasing this with both the police and the AMBOS as it stands right now. But Transport for New South Wales say, allow extra travel time in both directions due to a vehicle on the tracks at Canley Vale. So stops and platforms may change at short notice. Some trains may be diverted via Regents Park.

So it's all sorts of mess there at Canley Vale. And thank you to Barbara for alerting us to it.

A Paris 2024 Olympic Games update. Thanks to Harvey Norman, proud to be Australia's official retail partner. Powered by LG, partner of Nine's Olympic broadcast. Adam Hawes here with an Olympic update. The Opals begin their Olympic campaign tonight against Nigeria in women's basketball. Australia has won five medals but never a gold. 43-year-old Lauren Jackson is suiting up for her fifth Olympic campaign.

Our women's rugby sevens team play their final pool game against Ireland. The Aussies are in sizzling form after crushing South Africa and Great Britain. Madison Levi crossing with seven tries. Surfer Jack Robinson has qualified for round three in Tahiti. He joins fellow Aussies Ethan Ewing and Tyler Wright.

Our hockey teams are in action tonight. First up, the Kookaburras play Ireland. Later, the Hockeyroos take on Great Britain. Alex Debeno will put aside a hip injury to team up with Alexi Popperin in the men's doubles against the US, Roland Garros. So, to the medal tally after day two. Our haul of four golds and two silver have us second behind Japan. The US is in third place. Home nation France is fourth.

Great Britain is back in 13th. I'm Adam Hawes. That's the latest from Paris. That metal telly update was thanks to Toyota, Australian Olympic and Paralympic team partner. Oh, what a feeling. Good on you, Hawesy. Now, just on the opening ceremony, speaking of the Olympics, here's a text. Chris, I thought they did a magnificent job with the opening ceremony until the last supper mocking. It was extremely disrespectful and distasteful. Why? I don't see what the point of it was. Lee's at St Mary's. Hello, Lee.

How you going, mate? I'm good, Lee. What did you make of it? Look, I thought it was a bit too avant-garde and a bit too out there for my liking. And I'm all for arts and all that sort of stuff and progressiveness in society, but I just think it was too pro-queer in general. And, I mean, I like the Mary Antoinette scene with the metal band, but that's because I'm a metalhead and I just thought that was a bit interesting. But that was about the only enjoyment I got out of the whole...

whole thing really. And there's a few interesting little arty pieces out of it all, but I just think generally it was just too progressively down that Avenue, you know, and I just think they weren't including enough other elements of society. I just think this whole, this whole movement is getting too far down that, that one, that one path, you know, I think, I think, I think most people agree with you in that sense that, um,

Look, it just didn't really hit the mark, especially at the end. I just didn't get it. I didn't get it. Good on you, Lee. Have a good weekend. Good weekend. Good afternoon. It's only Monday. Dylan's at Cronulla. Hello, Dylan. Hi, mate. Thanks for having me. You're all right, Dylan. What did you make of it?

Look mate, I wanted to make a point. As a Muslim man, this opening ceremony, I found it extremely offensive. Not only myself, but my entire community. You did raise a point about how Catholics and Christians would be offended by this. But as a Muslim man, I'm extremely offended. The depiction was not as in your face as it is for Christians and Catholics. But Jesus is also a prophet in Islam, in Arabic, Issa. He is a prophet for us, and this is something that is deeply defensive. Okay.

Dylan, I understand your point and I think there's many people that took offence to it and again, if you're going to make something provocative and be all about pushing the boundaries when it comes to art, I'm all for it. But it's got to be provocative for a purpose. I didn't see the purpose, I just thought it was gratuitous and I wasn't offended so much but I could certainly see how people were. Let's check the news headlines.

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Josh Bryant, g'day. Good afternoon, Chris. As a listener told you earlier, a car has crashed through a guardrail at Canley Vale, causing disruptions to some Sydney train lines. Commuters are being told to allow extra time and expect changes due to a vehicle near the track. The Transport Workers' Union is reigniting its calls for a stand-alone regulator for the aviation industry after ex-airline shares were placed in a trading halt yesterday.

A young surfer who lost part of his leg in a shark attack on the mid-north coast has made a light-hearted reference to the extent of his injuries on social media, posting a photo with the question, spot something missing, in reference to part of his leg, which was bitten off in the attack. And an English commentator has been stood down over a sexist remark he made.

about Australia's swimming champions during the Paris Olympics. In sport, a second day of triathlon training in the River Seine is being cancelled due to weekend downpours in Paris, which polluted the iconic waterway. In a joint statement, Paris 2024 organisers and World Triathlon say water quality levels are not sufficient. We'll have more news in sport at four. Thanks, Josh. 131873 coming up. I'm going to speak to Graeme. You wait till you hear Graeme's story.

He buys a block of land in Edmondson Park in 2015. He's trying to build his home on it, and he's now told nine years later, oh, you're probably going to have to wait until 2027.

That'll do me. We'll speak to Graeme next. Well, nothing beats a hot coffee any time of the day. And brewing right now at Coles Express and Ready Express is a small coffee, just the way you like it, for only $2. That's right, you can enjoy a small, hot, freshly ground coffee to your choice of strength for just $2. Coles Express and Ready Express coffee is made from Rainforest Alliance certified beans and is just a push of a button away.

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Give us a call because I received this email from Graham, drive at 2gb.com, and it says this. Dear Chris, I often hear Liverpool Council Mayor Ned Manoon on your program. He sounds like a can-do guy. That said, my own experience with the council is less than progressive and they are impacting housing development where solutions seem simple. In 2015, I bought two blocks of land in Edmondson Park...

The blocks are stormwater retention blocks that can't be developed until council completes all the stormwater pipes in the precinct. So for the past nine years, the council has been postponing plans to connect the stormwater precinct. I've written to them many times seeking answers only to be rebuffed each time. Thought we were in a housing crisis. Nine years, eh?

Well, Graeme, we spoke to Liverpool Council. We tried to get a statement. They haven't come back to us at all. But if you had a similar experience to Graeme, give us a call 131873. He's on the line for us now. Graeme, g'day. G'day, Chris. How are you? I'm good, thanks. So you purchased these blocks in 2015 at Edmondson Park. What was your initial thought as to how long it would take to build your homes?

When I bought the land, Chris, it was indicated to be about three to five years for the works to be done to reconnect or connect up all the stormwater pipes in the precinct. So you thought, okay, at worst case scenario by 2020...

I'll be building. - Correct. So in 2020, I actually wrote to council and they provided me an indication at that time that they'd be commencing the works in June 2021, depending on weather and COVID and some land acquisitions.

So I gave them five years and then I started to follow them up. Okay. So where is it at now? Well, the last time I followed them up in 2024, they said the works would commence in July 25, subject to weather. And they're indicating that the works would be completed in May 2027. Right. So you're talking what? It's going to be...

12 years? 12 years. And there's at least 15 blocks in this one basin in Edmonton Park in this state. So there's a fully... They're basically crests. They're like swimming pools. They're big, big...

All the earth has been removed. They're swimming pools, they're mozzie pits. I can't understand how the neighbours and others aren't complaining about these eyesores that, as I say, have got mozzies, vermin and all sorts of other stuff running around them. And this has been like this for... It will be like this for 12 years. And...

This is part of the Edmondson Park estate, is it? The housing release estate? Exactly. So there's people living in there? Absolutely. It's a lot of defence homes. There's modern homes either side of all of these 15 lots. I was there, what, two or three months ago? And I couldn't believe just how quickly it's come up, except clearly for your blocks.

Exactly. No, it's fully developed, as you're probably aware. There's a heavy rail, there's schools, there's shops. So it's all ready to go. We just need to get this last bit of infrastructure done. Okay, and it's definitely Liverpool Council, not Sydney Water doing the stormwater work?

No, it's... When the developers kick off this project, they provide all the development contributions to Council. Council has all the monies, so it's come from the development. It just sits with Council until such time as the Council get out and do their work.

And have they given you any justification as to why it's taken so long? No. As I say, the couple of times I have written, sorry, every time I do write to them, it's about weather or COVID or we've got to acquire land and they're just kicking it down the path. Is it a significant program of works?

I'm not sure, but as I say, Chris, the monies have already come from the developers. So I don't know the cost, but the money is sitting with the council. But what I'm saying is, is it labour intensive? Is it a fair bit of work? They were suggesting if they commence the work in July 2025, they'd be completed by May 27th. So that would suggest there is quite a bit of work. So that's two years of work. Again, it sounds exceptionally long. It does.

Well, Graeme, I'll reach out to the Liverpool mayor, Ned Manoon, personally on your behalf to try to get you an answer. Clearly, you just want a rock-solid timeline, right? Absolutely. We just want them to get on and do their job. I've got the money. Get on and do your job. Graeme, I appreciate you reaching out to us, and I'll get in touch with Ned Manoon. Whether or not that does anything or not, I'm not sure, but I'll raise it for you regardless.

Much appreciated. Thanks very much, Chris. No, you're welcome. Good on you, Graeme. 131873, that's Graeme, a 2GB listener, buys a block of land in 2015, reckons, well, all that stormwater work will be done in sort of three years, five years max. Now they're saying, no, no, no, it's going to take 12 years. You tell me, 131873, have you had any issues with councils lately?

It's an ongoing saga, isn't it, in Sydney? And Graeme would be one of thousands and thousands of people

who are confronting this sort of bureaucratic stuff, be it at council level, be it with RMS, be it with Sydney Water, be it with the New South Wales Department of Plant... Whatever it is, there's always some sort of roadblock that stops people building homes in a housing crisis. This is why I reckon the men's government, they've got to do something drastic here because at the moment they're just sort of mucking around at the edges. They're drawing maps on lines and rezonings and all the rest of it, but ultimately...

You know, they've just got to build homes. And unless people have keys to put in doors, they ain't going to give them a pat on the back for the work they're doing on housing. And there's one at Edmondson Park that could be fixed ASAP. You tell me your story, 131873. Well, there's no doubt about it. Dee Dee's is the very best of Sydney. Incredible locations, delicious food, whatever the occasion.

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While events at Alpha is all about special celebrations, three-level venue, and they can host a range of wonderful events. Whatever the event, DeeDees has every occasion covered. For reservations, book now, deedeesgroup.com.au. It's 14 minutes to four. Now, just to follow up on what's occurred here at Canley Vale, I've just received a photo that Barbara took, our caller, who alerted us to the car on the tracks at Canley Vale Railway Station.

And she's not wrong. It's a hell of a mess. So it's come straight through sort of the chain wire fence alongside the railway tracks and has smashed into one of the steel barriers. It's brought down a whole bunch of overhead wires by the looks of things. And the car's front is significantly mangled. You've got the airbags have been deployed, the windscreen smashed. And the police tell us that upon arrival when they...

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The driver, a 29-year-old woman, was found with non-life-threatening injury. So that's good. She's okay, the 29-year-old woman. She was treated at the scene by paramedics. She's been taken to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition. But all trains are currently stopped at Canley Vale train station. And you just heard there with Steve Carline in the traffic that...

Trains are not running between Cabramatta and Granville at the moment. So trains not running between Cabramatta and Granville at the moment. And that's because of a car that's on the tracks there at Canley Vale. Thankfully, that 29-year-old woman is okay. 131873. Now, did you see this story about the Olympic commentator? Geez, he said something stupid, this bloke. So he's a Eurosport commentator. His name is Bob Ballard.

And Bob Ballard has been removed from the Olympic Games coverage over a sexist remark about Australia's women swimmers. So this was our 4x100 metre relay. The girls had just won gold, right? Anyway, Ballard's there and he's talking with his other commentators and he says, well, where are they all? Because they're taking a little bit of time, right, to get out onto the podium.

And he suggested that the girls were hanging around doing their makeup. The women just finishing up, hanging around doing their makeup. You know what women are like. Well, he's copying it badly, this bloke. What a stupid thing to say. Anyway, former English Olympic swimmer Lizzie Simmons, she was sitting next to him and said, Hey, listen, mate, your comment was outrageous.

And Eurosport, they moved quickly to remove Bob Ballard from all remaining events at the Olympics. And this is the quote. During a segment of Eurosport's coverage last night, commentator Bob Ballard made an inappropriate comment. To that end, he's been removed from our commentary roster with immediate effects.

I don't think the girls were doing their makeup, were they? Shayna Jack, Molly O'Callaghan, Meg Harris and Emma McKean. You know what they were doing? Putting gold medals around their necks. Macca's Moments. Make it McSmart with a new McSmart meal from Macca's. Two burgers, small fries and a small soft drink for $6.95. Season C's apply. All right, the standout My Macca's Moment from the weekend. It's got to be the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. We're talking footy in the Macca's Moment.

Wouldn't it be good to be a Bulldog supporter at the moment? You smashed the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium, 41-16. It never looked in doubt, did it? And you've got to say, Canterbury-Bankstown are going to play finals football this year. It'll be the first time since 2016 the Doggies have made the top eight.

And what about that try, 24th minute by youngster Gerald Skelton? So you had a kick from Reid Marnie, offload to Jacob Karras, to Skelton, unbelievably entertaining footy. Wilson bats it back, kick out past in hope, look out for the second kick. Oh, cast off by Karras with a one out in town. It was so good.

Karaz is a seriously good player. Good on you, the Bulldogs. You've got my Macca's moment. You've got my Macca's moment today because I reckon the doggies are going to the finals and the way they're playing and

That might go a whole lot deeper than most of us probably gave credit for. 131873. Now, hospitality businesses have failed at the fastest rate on record in the 2024 financial year. You've seen cafes, restaurants and small retailers registering disproportionate growth in insolvency appointments. And that's a result because the stuff they're selling is more expensive.

Energy prices are more expensive. Wage bills are more expensive. Their products and their food are more expensive. Insurances are more expensive. Their margins have been crunched and you've got people not spending money. So hospitality businesses are going out the back door at a rate of knots and it is extremely distressing for the business owners who go into these businesses in good faith. They put their heart and soul into them. They're doing sort of 70, 80, 90 hour weeks.

And they own it. So if it doesn't go well, it's on them, right? And then they go to the wall. It's really upsetting. But just the economic conditions at the moment are just not conducive to discretionary businesses. And unfortunately, your cafes, your small bars, your coffee shops, places like that, they're the ones that cop it.

Live on 2GB. Have your say. 131 873. Now, just on Graham's story about buying a couple of plots of land in Edmondson Park in 2015, waiting for Liverpool Council to put the stormwater infrastructure in, it was supposed to happen by 2018, and now they reckon it'll happen by 2027. Phil's at North Ryde. Hello, Phil. Hey, Chris. How are you? I'm good, thank you.

That's the way. You'll find that the councils don't have the funds to do all that infrastructure work. So they're taking in people's money, but they're spending it elsewhere. And to do like stormwater, it's major infrastructure through a new subdivision. So it's millions and millions of dollars and they don't have the funds, mate, because they just, yeah, I don't know what they're doing with their money from people's land. So you reckon a developer who's thrown the money in to build that infrastructure, what they've spent it already?

That money's gone mate. That money would be gone Chris. That money would be gone. Why aren't they doing these subdivisions? If the developers are paying for all that infrastructure work, why aren't they doing it? What's the reason? They don't do it themselves. They sub you it out anyway. It's subcontractors work, right? Council doesn't do it. So what's the problem? What's the hold up? You know, I'm in construction. Why don't they ring us? We'll lay the pipes. What's the drama?

All right, Phil, that's a good one. I'll get on to that one. I reckon you're right there. I reckon you're spot on, Phil. Thanks for your call, 131873. I'm going to go to Stephen. Hello, Stephen.

Oh, good afternoon, Chris. What's your story? So I live in a beautiful acreage property out at Moralia in Hawkesburg Council, and it took us four years to get approval to build our home, our new home. There's an existing home already on the property, a lovely little three-bedroom cottage, and one of the conditions of building the new home is that we have to demolish the existing house. It's 400 metres between the homes. There's nothing wrong with the place, but they won't...

They won't allow two houses on the property and therefore a perfectly good house needs to be torn down in the middle of a housing crisis. That's crazy. So they won't allow dual occupancy. Is that the idea? They will not allow the second home on the property. Yep, absolutely. And have you gone to them and asked why or is it they're the rules tough?

And they've said, we sat down in a meeting that was astounding. We said, are there any circumstances under which we could keep this place? And they said, well, you could put forward a usage case. And we said, can you provide some examples or some criteria? They said, no, you just put forward a usage case and we'll assess it on its own merits. So in other words, it's basically just the vibe of the thing. They really have, they do what they want to do. Open a barista or something now. What do they want you to do? What's the new usage case you could put forward?

A roof over people's heads? How about that one?

That seems a little too obvious, I think. We have tried everything. We've had multiple meetings. In the end, we just agreed, OK, we'll do it because we needed to get the other place built and we'd been backing him forward for four years to get the original place built. But it's just astounding. It's going to cost us a lot of money to knock it down, if nothing else. And my elderly parents would love to live in it. They'd love to downsize. Exactly everything that the government's trying to talk about

They're saying that they want to do, but they won't let us do it. No way will they let us do it. Stephen, I've run out of time, but great story. I appreciate you sharing it with us because the absurdity of local councils knows no bounds. Five to four. Four o'clock news with Josh Bryant is coming up very shortly. On the other side of that, I've got a...

pretty juicy exclusive story to bring to you and it's very concerning think icac think a 39 million dollar contract three years it was supposed to be signed for being terminated in just four months what's it cost us the new south wales taxpayer and what's going on here and the schools that were supposed to be built are they up in the air

Now back to Drive with Chris O'Keefe on Sydney's 2GB. It's seven minutes past four. Thank you for your company on this Monday afternoon. 131 873 is that open line number. Email me if you prefer. Drive at 2GB.com. Or, of course, the text line 0460 873 873. Coming up this hour, I'll dive into this.

Pretty significant story that I'm about to break in regards to a major New South Wales government contract that has just been terminated mysteriously. I'll give you the details on that. And Steve Titmuss will join me, the father, of course, of Ariane Titmuss. Will Ariane be able to beat Molly O'Callaghan in the 200 metre final? All of Australia will be watching next.

A little bit more news about what's occurred here at Canley Vale. So at about 3pm today, emergency services were called to a railway parade at Canley Vale and this is as a result of a car crashing onto the railway tracks. Now officers attached to Fairfield Police Area Command found the car that went through a fence and into the rail corridor.

29-year-old woman has been found with non-life-threatening injuries. She was treated by paramedics. She's off to Liverpool Hospital. She's okay. But all trains are currently stopped. So this is an update from Transport for New South Wales. They tell us that trains are not running between Cabramatta and Granville in both directions due to the car on the tracks at Canley Vale, and the car has damaged signalling equipment.

So as it's come through the fence on the road and into the rail corridor, it's smashed into the signalling equipment at Canley Vale Station. So both directions, trains are not running between Cabramatta and Granville. Bus companies have been contacted to get replacement services in. At this stage, there's no forecast.

So you might see trains to Diverted via Regent's Park. If you are thinking about getting on the Cumberland line or the Inner Western Leppington line to our southwest, please be advised trains are not running between Cabramatta and Granville. Now, what about this for a story? I've been working on this for the last couple of days and there are more than 30 new and upgraded school projects...

and 100 new public preschools currently at risk. They're up in the air about whether or not they're going to happen, and I'll tell you why. The men's government has mysteriously terminated a major construction contract just four months after signing it, while a former senior bureaucrat has been referred to ICAC. So this thing's called the Manufacturing for Schools Program. $39 million it's worth. It was a three-year contract signed

And the idea is they were going to use modern construction techniques, effectively like a flat pack. You go off-site, you build the school classrooms, you truck them into the school, and you assemble them on-site, like it's IKEA, but for schools. And the promise was you would reduce costs of these new schools by up to 20%,

And you would save time on the construction of these schools by 30%. So at the moment, it takes four years to build a new school. Under this model, they reckon it will take 13 months. That was the promise anyway. So a $39 million three-year contract was awarded to APP Group. And it was awarded to them in February. A couple of weeks ago, it was cancelled. Just four months in. Now, the former CEO of Schools Infrastructure NSW, Anthony Manning,

He was involved in the contract process and he was dismissed by the Department of Education in February as part of a broader restructure. But senior sources with knowledge of the situation have told me that the New South Wales government has since referred the procurement process and his involvement to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. Now, Pru Carr...

She says that any allegations that have come forward have been immediately referred to the relevant authorities. And the Department of Education also told me

that the APP contract was not terminated because of an ICAC investigation. However, concerns have been raised on how the manufacturing partner tender was undertaken for the work, and we have referred those concerns to ICAC. Again, no suggestion of wrongdoing by Anthony Manning, the former CEO of Schools Infrastructure New South Wales. However, his involvement in the procurement of this contract has been referred to the ICAC.

Now, APP Group, they've confirmed to me in a statement that their three-year contract to provide services to the Manufacturing for Schools program has been terminated for just four months. And they say that it is a disappointing decision. And APP Group has been informed that the decision to terminate was not based on performance. And it's our understanding that the New South Wales Department of Education has decided to pursue a different approach to project delivery.

But APP won the contract through the official tender. It was open. And the compensation, well, how much is that going to be? Because if you sign a contract worth $39 million and you tear it up after four months, the taxpayer is going to be up for some dough, right? Now, the concept behind it is it's an interesting one. But listen to the schools that were slated for construction under this.

Sydney Olympic Park, Box Hill, the Gables, Jordan Springs, Gregory Hills and Gledswood Hills, Schofields and Tallowong, Leppington and Madawi. All of those schools were to be constructed under this Manufacturing for Schools program, a contract that has now been torn up.

It also included building 100 public preschools. Remember that? Chris Minns promised we'd have 100 new public preschools as part of his election commitment. And guess what? They haven't got a builder anymore because they've just torn up the contract. Now, they'll be going back out to tender. The Education Department says, look, they won't be delayed or cancelled, these new schools or upgrades. But it doesn't change the fact that they haven't got a contractor right here, right now to do the work.

and I've tried to contact Anthony Manning. I rang him and sent him a text message. I haven't heard back, but clearly there is something quite curious occurring within the New South Wales Education Department, and there's a little bit more information here that I will provide from the Department of Education. They say the New South Wales Government is in the process of restructuring school infrastructure in New South Wales. Now, this is the

body that runs building new schools and classrooms all across the state. It is no longer treated as a separate entity and no longer has a CEO. The former CEO was terminated in the course of this restructure. And they go on to say, the Department of Education is using modern methods of construction as an expanding its program to accelerate the delivery of new public schools. But you don't have a contractor at the moment.

The department has ended its agreement with the APP Group as manufacturing partner for the program. The department is seeking to encourage broader industry participation. We look forward to continuing this important change in major infrastructure delivery in conjunction with all industry partners to deliver the best outcomes for school communities. Well, there is no builder, there is no contractor and there's a referral to the ICAC saying

Because of the way, allegations around the way, the manufacturing partner tender was undertaken. And you haven't got a CEO of infrastructure either. He's been sacked in a restructure. So if you think that everything's going tickety-boo, it probably suggests otherwise. I want to bring in now Sarah Mitchell. She's the Shadow New South Wales Education Minister. She's on the line for us. Sarah, g'day.

Good afternoon, Chris. Just four months into a three-year contract, it seems, well, I think at the very least the government should tell us what the taxpayer had to spend to terminate that contract in terms of compensation, no?

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, I think there's just a lot of questions raised in terms of why was it cancelled, but also what's the flow on effect going to be? You know, you mentioned there's a number of schools and preschools that modern methods of construction are being looked to use to build. And, you know, will families, will schools, communities and parents be waiting a bit longer? I think that's the million dollar question here as well. Yeah, the government's claiming no, but as it stands today, they don't have a builder.

That's right. And it's really interesting. We started this modern methods of construction approach and it is quicker and it's cheaper and you can build a lot off-site and bring it in. And there's a number of schools that were built that way during our time in government. Jordan Springs Public School, which is actually in the Deputy Premier's own electorate, was built this way. So it is a good way to be building schools and a lot of states are looking at it across a range of different projects.

portfolio areas. But, you know, without a builder, without a contractor in place, I do think it does raise questions in terms of any time delays. And as you say, what's the cost to mum and dads and the taxpayers in terms of these cancelled contracts?

$39 million when you sign a contract like this, open tender, this APP group, they're a consortium of building contractors. They've been doing this kind of thing right around Australia. They built Bly Street, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Office. So they're pretty well credentialed. It just seems strange to me that after four months, the government had effectively changed their mind.

Yeah, look, and as I said, I think there's a lot of questions here that the government need to be answering. Certainly in my experience when I was minister, you're right, there are a lot of different but well-renowned companies who have been working in this space. Of course, you've got to have appropriate tender processes and the like, and no-one's disputing that. But it is a bit curious, Chris, and as I said, I think there's questions that need to be answered here, and the government and the minister should be coming out and being as honest and open as they can about what's going on.

I know it's difficult when the ICAC is involved or potentially involved, but do you think when it comes just down to, righto, are these schools going to be on time? Are we still going to get them upgraded? And are they still going to happen in terms of the new schools that have been promised? I would have thought that information is incumbent on the government to tell the public about.

Look, I agree, and I think that's the kind of reassurance that those mums and dads will want to hear. And you're right, you've absolutely got to let ICAC follow on with their responsibilities, and no-one's disputing that. But at the end of the day, if people are going to be impacted, if there will be preschools that were meant to be built this term of government that aren't going to be delivered... I know that some North Coast flood recovery projects were looking at these methods as well. You know, these are real people who really do deserve to know

What's happening in my community? How will I be impacted? How will my kids be impacted? Will I be waiting longer for a preschool place? I do think that the government should be more honest and open about what's going on as best as they can be. But as I said, what's going to be the impact on those local communities? I think that that is a given that they should be giving that reassurance to mums and dads. Sarah Mitchell, I appreciate your time.

Thanks, Chris. That's Sarah Mitchell, the Shadow New South Wales Education Minister, former Education Minister in the Perrottet and Berejiklian governments, mind you. 131873. Now, what do you think about all this? It's all very curious, right? The Manufacturing for Schools Program, $39 million contract signed for three years, terminated after four months.

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rsc.com or contact your travel advisor and start planning your 2025 European escape with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. It's 23 minutes past four. Little update. Trains are back up and running again between Granville and Cabramatta. So there was some damage to the signalling equipment at Canley Vale after a car ended up in the rail corridor. But...

There are still delays. However, trains are back up and running again. So I think we're in pretty good shape on that one. 131873. Now, did you see this story? It's extremely concerning. It's in the Sydney Morning Herald. So there's a mother who is maintaining her innocence because she was led into custody for forcing her 20-year-old daughter to marry a man who would later murder her.

So this is out of Victoria. Her name is Sakina Muhammad. She's 48 years old and she's been sentenced to three years behind bars. So a jury found that Sakina Muhammad forced her daughter, Rukia Haidari, to marry Muhammad Ali Halimi in August of 2019. So forced her daughter to marry and then coerced her into marriage and then Halimi, the husband...

killed her, the daughter, five months later and is serving a life prison term for her murder. And she is now the first person in Australia to be sentenced on the charge of forcing someone to marry after it was criminalised more than a decade ago. So not only has she lost her daughter to a terrible murder, she now finds herself in jail for three years. Dear, oh dear. MUSIC

I'm Adam Hawes with an Olympics update. Day three of competition is getting underway in Paris. Badminton is the opening event.

Australia's first assignment is in the men's beach volleyball. Mark Nicolaitis and Isaac Karacha are taking on Italy. Then it's shooting with James Willett and Mitchell Iles in action on day one of the men's traps. In tennis, Alex Vimanor will team up with Alexi Poprin in the men's doubles against the U.S.,

The Kookaburras will look to make it two from two when they take on Ireland in men's hockey. The Hockeyroos are up against Great Britain. In the pool, Max Giuliani will swim for gold in the men's 200 metre freestyle final. Best is being saved for last. Ariane Titmuss and Molly O'Callaghan will go head to head early tomorrow morning in what's tipped to be an epic women's 200 metre freestyle final. Titmuss looking to claim her second consecutive Olympic 200 and 400 double.

To the medal tally and Japan leads the way. Australia's second with a haul of four golds and two silvers. I'm Adam Hawes with the latest from Paris. That Paris 2024 medal tally was thanks to NRMA Insurance, a help company. Good on you, Hawesy. Well, did you see this one? A top recruiter has criticised Australians for their poor treatment of retail and hospitality workers.

So her name is Tammy Christophus Ballas, and she works for Realistic Careers. And she said that many Australians just don't understand how challenging customer-facing jobs can be. And you know what? Customer service is only dead because the customers are rude.

I know I'm going to upset the wrong people by saying this, but if you're whinging that customer service doesn't exist anymore, it's probably because you're that bad customer. Have you seen how people get treated in the retail and hospitality worlds? Unless you've actually worked in those jobs, you don't appreciate how hard it is. I was at Kmart the other day, and there was two young gentlemen manning the front doors and checking everyone's bags on their way out. They're just doing their jobs. Right before I turned up,

A lady got so offended that they wanted to check her bag that she took down their names and then was going to complain to Kmart customer service about these young kids doing their job. And there's high theft in the area, so their job is also dangerous, yet they have to deal with entitled, self-absorbed people because they think the world evolves around them. That's someone like you.

You're the terrible customer. I hope you never get served again and I hope that you get kicked out of every place that you go to. It's probably a little bit simplistic, isn't it? Well, she's certainly got a headline for herself. Realistic careers, Tammy. You don't have to be rude to retail staff. But you can get frustrated. I got frustrated today trying to... I thought I was getting scammed because $500 came off my credit card.

And I was convinced I was getting scammed, and I won't mention who the company is, but I could get nowhere with them. Spent 90 minutes over three phone calls today on the phone. And yeah, I got frustrated at the end of it, but as a rule, I don't think we're all rude, are we? Especially, I've done that stuff. I've been a bartender, I've picked up glasses, I've washed dishes in restaurants, I've carried around ice creams at the cricket ground.

You know, my experience, 99% of people are not rude. But sometimes you do get frustrated because people's bureaucratic processes just get in the way of good customer service sometimes. And sometimes, for whatever reason, common sense can't seem to be achieved. 131873. Just on the modern building of schools and this schools contract that has been

terminated by the men's government. $39 million, three-year contract terminated after just four months. How much does that cost the New South Wales taxpayer? Alan's called in from Dover Heights. Hello, Alan. Good day. How are you going? I'm good, thank you. What did you make of it?

Yeah, good. It was probably cancelled because they anticipated a backlash. You know, like when I was going to school, they used to call those things demountables. You know, you build them off-site, install them on a paddock, and it's a classroom. Put two there together, and it's a school.

You're not wrong, Alan. And it's basically the same. They're basically concrete and steel demountables. Of course it is. How can you build it off-site and then install it on-site and not be a demountable? Yeah, good point, Alan. Well said. 131873, that's exactly what they are. Let's check the news headlines.

Josh Bryant, G'day. Good afternoon, Chris. Trains have resumed between Granville and Cabramatta after a car crashed into the rail corridor at Canley Vale, causing damage to the signalling equipment. Commuters are still being urged to expect delays due to the disruptions.

The Prime Minister has accused Barnaby Joyce of stooping to a new low in political discourse after comments comparing votes with bullets. Mr Joyce has apologised for the analogy. A Victorian woman has been jailed for three years over the forced marriage of her daughter, who was later murdered in WA. And research shows more Australians are turning to ongoing...

to online gambling, with the change accelerating since the pandemic. In sport, our men's beach volleyballers are the first Aussies in action on day three at the Paris Olympics. They're taking on Italy. We'll have more news in sport in about half an hour. Good on you, Josh. Coming up next, could a common anti-inflammatory help fight heart disease?

It's a drug that's used prolifically by many, many people, and they reckon it could be the trick to fight heart disease. I'll let you in on it next. It's 26 minutes to five. Here's one for you. What if a common anti-inflammatory and aspirin could reduce heart disease? So this is what researchers at Curtin University are currently investigating. So if you've got type 2 diabetes, you are more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack.

But taking an anti-gout medication called colchicine or a regular aspirin, it could lower this risk. So aspirin or colchicine, what you use for gout.

Now, if this turns out to be proven, it'd be a pretty big game changer. You've got more than 1,000 Aussies who they need to take part in the trial to test this idea, mainly from regional and rural New South Wales. So let's find out more. Joining me is a lead researcher, Professor Christopher Reid from the Curtin School of Population Health. Professor, thank you for your time. Thanks very much, Chris. So what's the aim of this?

So our aim here is to identify new and novel approaches to helping particularly type 2 diabetic patients reduce their risk of future heart attack and stroke. Colchicine, so why the gout medication? How will that work?

Yeah, this is, look, it's a really interesting hypothesis or an idea. And it's been shown that it actually, in people who have had a heart attack or a stroke, if you add colchicine on top of the statins, aspirin, the antidepressants,

blood pressure-lowering drugs, it actually also further reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. So the question here is in people who are at high risk of heart attack and stroke, and there we're talking type 2 diabetic people, can we see the benefits that we've seen in those with established disease? And if we do that with this particular trial, that will be a bit of a game-changer because these are low-cost, high-risk,

highly available medications. So colchicine, I noticed there was a trial from the New England Journal of Medicine and it found low-dose colchicine reduces heart attacks and the need for stents or bypass surgery by 30%. Now, I thought colchicine sort of, what doesn't it remove some sort of acid in your body to stop the crystals developing in your toes?

Yeah, look, absolutely right. It is one of these what we call non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Colchicine's effect is to break down those crystal... And it's really effective gout medication, and many of your listeners will know that. Yours truly.

But we have seen in these trials, which really opened up a new pathway. Now, the exact mechanism or how it does it is through that inflammation or reducing inflammation throughout the system. And we know that a lot of heart attack and stroke is heavily related to the level of inflammation that the body's being exposed to. And aspirin. Why aspirin?

Yeah, look, aspirin's been the cornerstone of treatment for many, many years for people who have had a heart attack and stroke. It's a bit controversial, particularly in primary prevention. And Chris, in primary prevention, that's when we're looking for people who haven't had heart attack or stroke, but we're trying to prevent the onset of disease. So in those high-risk individuals, the question around whether should we be using low-dose aspirin in high-risk individuals is still...

still a little bit controversial. Big trials in Australia have shown that in older people, 70 years and older, there was little or no benefit of starting with aspirin treatment. So this is trying to extend further. Can we identify a group of high-risk patients

individuals, that is people with type 2 diabetes, can we see any benefits in that group? And again, aspirin is a low cost medication and if it's shown to be beneficial in this high risk population then that will be of real value to the Australian community. What do you need from the community in terms of the trial process?

You know, we've had our trials over the last decade or so have been done in primary care and we've had a wonderful response from people who are willing to participate in what we call randomised clinical trials and they answer those questions that we just don't know the answer to.

People want to know, doctors want to know, and if the results are favourable, then it's good for the community. So if people are willing to participate, are happy to be involved, if they satisfy those inclusion criteria, and it's very broad in general terms of having existing type 2 diabetes, they may well be eligible for the Colchicine and Aspirin trial.

But you can't have a packet of cigarettes and bacon and egg roll twice a day and get on the culture scene and think you'll be okay, right? Look, it's not a panacea for everything. And of course, all of our trials, one of the underlying premises is that we always focus on those important lifestyle interventions in addition to the sorts of therapeutic strategies we might be testing.

We never step away from lifestyle. It's so important in preventing heart attack and stroke. But for many people who are at higher risk, then we do need therapeutic interventions. And this is testing a low-cost, low-risk intervention that may well, in fact, provide benefits for many type 2 diabetic patients. Professor, good luck with it all. I really appreciate your time.

Yeah, thanks for your interest, Chris. Thanks very much. That's Professor Christopher Reid from the Curtin School of Population Health. Anything that our researchers can do in the realm of treating heart disease, I think we're all very grateful for. 131873. I'm just going to go to Steve at Riverstone. Steve, you're seeing something in and around your area.

Yeah, hi, Chris. Just in Riverstone, the police helicopter's been circling for about five to ten minutes and they're playing over their PA. They're searching for a missing three-year-old boy. Yeah, just concentrating. They quickly went to Schofields, but they're back in Riverstone now. Any streets roughly, Steve? Yeah.

Well, I'm in Oxford Street and I'm looking sort of to the west down towards the railway station. So, yeah, not hearing anything other than no sirens around, but, yeah, just putting it out there. All right. Hey, Steve, we'll get in touch with the police. We'll get in touch with the police too. I appreciate you letting us know about that. Thanks so much. Okay, thanks. Bye. Good on you, Steve. Mark says the same thing on the text line. Chris, police chopper circling over Garfield West.

It's a street at Riverston, making announcements over the loudspeaker. But you just heard from Steve there, a missing three-year-old boy in and around Riverston. We'll check with the police, see if we can get some descriptions of the toddler. And if we can help just a little bit to try to identify where he is, we will. 131873. But if you're in and around Riverston, please beware. It looks like police are looking for a missing three-year-old.

It's 19 to 5. It's coming up to 14 to 5. Now, we've just spoken with police. They have confirmed that they are looking for a three-year-old boy in Riverston. So they've confirmed Polair is on scene at the moment, the police helicopter. They will send us some more details very shortly. But confirmation, a three-year-old boy is missing in Riverston. Mark's there. G'day, Mark. Hey.

Yeah, g'day, mate. Yeah, they're still circling. It looks like the range is going from Riverson Railway Station along West Parade over the Oval and a little bit further past near the graveyard in that suburb at the back. Also apparently there's kids wearing a blue jumper. Blue jumper. Are they giving you any information over the loudspeaker, Mark?

Look, I can hear bits and pieces, but it's very unauditable with all the traffic and all the ambient noise around. Okay. So three-year-old kid, blue jumper, missing in and around Riverstone. Good on you, Mark. I really appreciate it. If you hear anything or there's any updates or they find him or whatever it is, please call us back, 131873. A little bit of rugby league news here. It looks like Jack Bird, St. George Illawarra player, has been granted permission to speak today.

with rivals. So Jack Bird looks like he'll be leaving the Dragons. He's got 12 months to run on his contract but has been granted permission to speak with rivals to leave the club. He's playing reserve grade at the moment, Jack Bird. Long way off his 2016 form. Shocking run of injuries though across both Brisbane and at the Dragons.

But the big news in the NRL in terms of movements is Stefano Utukamano. So he has told the West's Tigers, I'm out. So he'll be either going to the Melbourne Storm or the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. He hasn't told the Tigers where he's going, but Stefano told Shane Richardson, the chief executive of the Tigers, that he will be leaving. Now, it was a bizarre contract that they gave him. They said to him, hey, Stefano,

We want you to sign on for however many years it was, but you can leave early if you don't play three State of Origin games or the Tigers don't make the finals. You can leave early. Well, the finals is always going to be an issue for the Tigers. I've said it before. That club could stop Winx, honestly. You've had a coach in Ivan Cleary that made four grand finals, won three of them.

And Michael Maguire, state of origin winning coach, Kiwi winning coach, premiership winning coach both at South Sydney and in the Super League. Tigers? Wow, wooden spoon. Anyway, is it any wonder Paul Stefano's decided to go and ply his trade elsewhere? I would have loved if... I would love it if the Tigers could become competitive again, but honestly, it just... I don't know what's happening there, but it just feels like they're just...

Can't get their act together. Hopefully there's some green shoots soon. 131873. The injury report. That's got to hurt. From DP's, the iconic brand you know and trust. Feel it work. Speaking of rugby league, Rabideau's winger Alex Johnston has lasted just 16 minutes in the Sunday night clash against Canberra. It looks like he's got a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon.

Cody Walker, the Rabbits lost him late in the match. He's been sent for scans on his calf. James Fisher-Harris, he was forced to leave the field early with a groin injury after soundly beating the St. George Illawarra Dragons. We were very ordinary yesterday. Both fullbacks, Dane Laurie and Matt Fianai from the Dragons, they left the field after a pretty nasty head clash in the 20th minute. They were both ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Jason Taumalolo from North Queensland. He's facing a stint on the sidelines, potentially with a fractured cheekbone. And Ruben Cotter. He's also going to miss a few weeks after copping a nasty knock to his jaw. If you're a Manly fan, you might want to cover your ears on this one. Ruben Garrick and Jason Saab. Both had head knocks against the Roosters, so won't play. And Manly prop Josh Alloway. He's got a shin injury sustained in the opening tackle of the match.

Where the Tigers, they'll have four players out next week. Four. Luke, Laului.

He's got an HIA. Stafford Toa suffered a hamstring injury. And Lachlan Galvin and Isaiah Papali'i also failed to finish the match. So that's our injury report this Monday afternoon, 131873. Well, Princess Leia from Star Wars, her famous gold bikini, worn by the late Carrie Fisher. Guess how much it's gone for at auction? The famous Princess Leia gold bikini.

$266,000. It's not bad, is it? So the swimming costume was made famous from the 1983 film Return of the Jedi. And Princess Leia wore it while chained to Jabba the Hutt's throne, remember? Anyway, it was bought at a sale in America, Heritage Auctions, on Friday. It was a seven-piece ensemble. So you get the bikini, the bikini plates, the hip rings, an armlet...

and a bracelet, all designed by the late Richard Miller for Industrial Light and Magic. And that was the company founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas. There was a miniature aircraft from Star Wars that went up for auction too. That sold for, what, 2.36 million Australian? A whole bunch of other stuff. But $266,000 for Princess Leia's famous gold bikini. You reckon that's over, sir?

The breaking news you can trust. It's Drive with Chris O'Keefe on 2GB.

Now, just on this missing boy in Riverstone, police have confirmed they are looking for a three-year-old boy in Riverstone wearing a blue jumper. We're still waiting on some more details from the police. Jane's there. Hello, Jane. Hello, how are you? I'm good, thank you. What have you seen? Good. Yeah, no, I heard the helicopter. I pulled over and stopped to listen, and they did say about the boy, three years old, blue jumper, responding to the name Xavier. OK, Xavier. So if anyone did come across a boy somewhere, then they would have a name Xavier.

Jane, whereabouts did you hear that? Where was the police? So I heard that I was literally right near the train station and the helicopter was circling very low south of the train station in Riverston. Okay. Thank you very much, Jane. I really appreciate it. Again, if you've got any updates, please call us because we want a good outcome to this. 131873. So here is the details here. The police have just put it up. So...

His name is Xavier Deeth. D-E-A-T-H. Xavier Deeth. He's three years old. He was last seen at the Avenue in Angus at about 2.30 this afternoon. He was unable to be located, so officers attached to Riverstone Police Area Command have commenced inquiries into his whereabouts. They hold concerns for his welfare, of course, because he's three. That makes sense. So Xavier is described...

Caucasian appearance, 120 centimetres tall. He's little. Blonde hair, brown eyes. So he's got blonde hair, brown eyes, wearing a blue jumper, grey pants and blue gumboots. So let's hope that Xavier Deeth, the three-year-old, if you see him, please contact Riverstone Police immediately.

Little Xavier, three years old, last seen at the Avenue in Angus at about 2.30 this afternoon. So if you're in and around Riverston and you're seeing the police helicopter, that's what it's all about. Last seen wearing a dark blue jumper, grey pants and blue gumboots. Three years old, Xavier Deeth. I'm sure his parents are worried sick. It's six to five. The five o'clock news is coming up very shortly with Josh Bryant. But if you're planning a trip to the United States...

and you want to bring your dog or your therapy dog with you, well, there are some new rules and regulations. So the US Centre for Disease Control and Protection, the CDC, they don't want the reintroduction of rabies in the US. So they're doing their best to stop infected dogs from entering America. Now, we're OK, because Australia's rabies-free.

However, you've got to be careful about where else you've travelled with your dog and that will determine whether you're allowed entry into the United States. I've never travelled with Murphy. I don't think most people would travel with their dog. Some would if obviously seeing eye dogs and the like. But the list is long. So Brazil, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Africa, just to name a few. If your dog's been in any of these countries within six months of arriving to the US...

You need to follow the requirements, and those requirements are pretty stringent. Honestly, not worth it. Not worth it. So I'll probably just leave the pooch at home if you can avoid it. 131873. Coming up after the 5 o'clock news, Steve Titmuss will join me, of course, the father of Ariane Titmuss. We all want to know, who's it going to be? Ariane or his rival and good friend Molly O'Callaghan? Who will win gold?

in the 200 metre freestyle final. On top of that, Ray Hadley will join me. He'll be calling it and he'll be poolside ahead of a big day of swimming finals. I want to get Ray's take on what is shaping up to be one of the biggest swimming events in Australian history.

Now back to Drive with Chris O'Keefe on Sydney's 2GB. It's seven minutes past five. Thank you for your company on this Monday afternoon. 131873 is our open line number. You can email me drive at 2GB.com or of course the text line 0460 873 873. I've got a double pass to give away to see the new psychological thriller Gaslight. It's a stage play.

I'll give that away in the next hour. Plus, of course, the jewel for fuel a little later. Looking forward to chatting with Steve Titmuss, the father of Ariane Titmuss, coming up very shortly. I can't wait for this race. Ariane v. Molly. How much fun is this going to be?

Now, just before we get to the Olympics, there is a three-year-old boy who is missing in and around the Riverstone area. So this is from police. This is the official details that's been sent through by police. His name is Xavier Deeth, or Deeth, you'd probably say. Xavier Deeth.

He's three years old. He was last seen at the Avenue at Angus at about 2.30 today. They haven't been able to find him. You've seen police helicopters in the air with a loudspeaker saying that he is of Caucasian appearance, about 80 to 90 centimetres tall, and he's got blonde hair and brown eyes. So he was last seen wearing a dark blue jumper, grey pants and blue gumboots.

So Xavier Deeth is his name. He's three years old, and I'm sure his parents are desperate to find him.

So you've got a lot of police and emergency services in and around the Riverstone area trying to figure out where Xavier is. If you know where he is or you've spotted him or spotted a little boy matching that appearance, three years old, blonde hair, brown eyes, dark blue jumper, grey pants and blue gumboots, call Crime Stoppers 1-800-333-000 or just call Riverstone Police today.

Local Area Command straight away. So just call Riverstone Police and get in touch because we've got to find this kid. 131873. Now, flights at Beirut Airport have been cancelled or delayed as tensions escalate between Israel and Hezbollah out of Lebanon. And that was following that rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 teenagers and children.

So Lebanon's Middle East Airlines have said disruptions to its schedule were related...

to insurance risks rather than any intelligence. Lufthansa, the German airline, has suspended five routes to and from Beirut by the group's carriers, and Swiss international airlines and Euro Wings have suspended some routes too out of an abundance of caution. There's some Turkish airlines as well who are also suspended

having some changes to their air routes as a result of what is expected to be retaliation from Israel into Lebanon. So I did note that US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democrat presidential candidate, said her support for Israel's security is ironclad, but she's also told Benjamin Netanyahu the war in Gaza must stop.

The Olympics is underway. It's all anyone in Australia is talking about now. How extraordinary is the swimming? And our very own golden girl, Ariane Titmuss, she is just killing it. What a delight it is to watch her race. She's won gold in the women's 400 metre freestyle. She's defending her title as number one in the world for this race.

And it's not over yet either. So I reckon we've got probably one of the most exciting races of the entire Olympics coming up and maybe one of the most exciting swimming races I can remember in recent Olympic history. Arnie going head to head with her training mate and rival, Molly O'Callaghan in the 200 metre freestyle final and

judging by the semi, there's not going to be a whole lot into it. Steve Titmuss is Ariane's father and, of course, her number one fan. I'm pleased to say he's on the line live from Paris now. Steve, g'day.

Chris, g'day to you, g'day to everyone back home in Australia. I've been looking forward to speaking to you for weeks and weeks and weeks. Jeez, you must be proud, mate. Oh, mate, quite incredible. I was enormously proud. And leading up to that 400-metre final, Robyn, Mia, Aunty, Sister and I, we sat by the edge of the pool and looked across it and thought back to when...

Ariane first learned to swim when we made the move from Tasmania to Queensland nearly 10 years ago and said we never dreamed in our wildest of imaginations that we would be at the centre of, you know, the most extraordinary stadium that's ever been assembled for an Olympic swimming event.

And the atmosphere was just electric. And so we're just enormously proud of what Arnie's achieved. And really, the other night when she won that 400 was just a result of extraordinary hard work. And, mate, good news is my voice has finally returned. That's good for a newsreader. LAUGHTER

Mate, you're not wrong. And, look, it was just... I know when she had 25 metres to go and there was no way known that they were going to catch her, that I literally got the shakes of excitement and realisation that, you know, a little girl who dreamt of not only going to the Olympics and not only winning an Olympic gold medal, but then being able to back up for two Olympics in a row, that dream came true the other night, the 400, and hopefully we've got still more to come.

Absolutely. So take us back to, you know, I don't want to do a history lesson, but take us back to Launceston in the public pool. You know, in Tasmania, swimming, especially outside, I could imagine it'd be pretty cold. When did you notice, though, and when did you realise, when did it dawn on the Titmuss family that Arnie was different?

Yeah, we... You know, Dan and Tassie, the situation down there was that there wasn't the high level of coaching that exists elsewhere in Australia, and particularly in southeast Queensland. You know, we went to... She was a young 13-year-old, and she won a national championship at the Sydney Aquatic Centre. I think it might have been the 200 metres that she won. And...

There was a group of Melbourne kids who were sitting in front of us. And when she won, one of them turned around and looked at us and said, Tasmanians aren't meant to win. That's what he said. Well, he has. And she has. And then she got selected then in the Australian junior team to go to a trip to... I think it was to Samoa or Hawaii, I think it was. And...

We then knew that there was something special with her. Her coach back then at the time was a guy called Peter Gartrell. And he said, I can't get any more speed out of Arnie. I can get endurance out of her, but I can't get any more speed. You guys are going to have to find a coach somewhere else in Australia who's able to get more speed out of her. So literally, it was eating an elephant one bite at a time. We sat down as a family. We decided together that we would make this journey north and west.

We had about a month to make up our mind. You know, in swimming, you haven't got 18 months to sit around and think, oh, what are we going to do? We literally had a month. We had to work out what we're going to do career-wise. We had to spend the next...

Six odd months selling up a family home. Robert and the girls moved up to Queensland six months before I did. I stayed back in Tasmania to complete a contract I had there and also to pack up and sell the family home. So, you know, and we look now and even we've spoken about this several times in the past 24 hours, and that is that what if we hadn't have made this move? You know, this week may never have happened.

But Steve, it takes, as a family, it's an enormous sacrifice because there was no way telling that a 13-year-old would become Ariane Titmuss and done what your daughter has done. Do you think that sacrifice, in a way, has driven Arnie to this success?

Oh, look, I think, look, a couple of things with it. We always like to call it that we made choices, not sacrifices in relationship to what we've done. And our thing was that we said to the girls, you know, Arnie's dream was to be an Olympian. And we said, hey, guys, as parents, we need to have the responsibility of giving our children every possible opportunity to chase their dreams. And we said, if we move to Queensland...

And it doesn't work out. Well, hey, we've gone on a great adventure as a family. And, you know, we've created a whole new life for ourselves in Queensland. So we said to ourselves, what's the worst case scenario? And that was that we lived in a state that had beautiful weather and

and we had some friends who lived... You lived on the Gold Coast. Yeah, I lived on the Gold Coast. We had some friends who lived up there as well. So it was a case of... It was calculated, if you like, to the point where, you know, there was no guarantee. There's no guarantees in life that, you know, your daughter's going to become a champion.

wildest dreams do we ever think we'd ever reach, Arnie would ever reach this particular level. But, you know, that was the situation. And then once we moved up and, you know, it was within about a year that, you know, she started to really improve and then made the Australian senior team. But then, you know, the move proved to be one that was enormously successful. But, you know, when you say, you know, was it a massive gamble? Was it a risk?

At the end of the day, we had a fallback situation of thinking that we'd traded a whole new life for our family. And as parents, Robert and I could sit back and say, well, we did what we signed up to do, and that was to give our children every opportunity. For Ariane's sister Mia, it's provided her with some great educational opportunities, and also she's now pursuing a career in the medical field.

And, you know, in areas that perhaps may not have been possible back in Tasmania. We're very happy you did it. And...

Not as happy as I am, I tell you. That's highly commendable, Steve, because I'm sure you sat down with your wife and your family and there would have been moments. It's only human where you have moments of doubt. But, you know, to give your children the opportunity that you have and to make that decision as a family, honestly, you should be very, very proud. Now, let's turn our mind to the 200 metre freestyle final. You've seen a lot of Molly O'Callaghan. Of course, you've seen almost every stroke that Ariane's ever put in a swimming pool. How's it going to go down?

Look, the big thing for us was that the big thing in swimming is when you're a 400 metre swimmer and you've swum a 400 metre heat, then a final, it's all about the recovery. How do you recover? Arnie came out in the 200 metre heats and she looked, I think probably the best she looked in the pool after swimming a 400 the night before and came out in the 200 heat and swam pretty well, swam okay. And then last night in the semi-final, look, it was a

It was a really good swim by Arnie. She's looking great in the pool. And I think, look, there's only one of five girls can win this particular race tonight. And it gets down to the Olympic Games aren't about times. They're not about world records. They're not about Olympic records. They're about who can pull it all together on the day and who can make it work. The thing that, you know, a lot of the media are writing up, and I suppose we look at it this way too, is that, you know, Arnie's got a...

you know, a steel-trapped mind, a very strong mind mentally. You know, Molly's a swimmer who's very powerful off the wall. Look, I think what we're just hoping for is that we get an Australia 1-2, which would just be thrilling to see that happen. I know it's been many years. I think before the two girls were even born,

since Australia last had a 1-2 in this particular event. So, you know, how's it going to go? Look, it's going to be tough. It's going to be a fight right down to the wire. A fingernail will probably separate...

the two swimmers at the end of tonight, but it's going to be one where we've got, you know, two of the fastest swimmers ever in history, over 200 metres in Arnie and Molly, going head-to-head. And, look, at the end of the day, you know, whoever pulls it all together on the night is the one that...

that will take it out. And obviously, you know, we were a bit biased about who we'd like to, like to see win, but you know, we would just love to see a situation where we get those two Aussies up on the podium. And, uh, you know, that would be a, just a, an icing on the cake and just a fabulous result for, you know, not just, not just for, for our family and for Molly's family, but, um, also for, you know, for the country and for the swimming team and for these Paris Olympics. Well, Steve, uh,

I'm sure you've got a bit of a taste with it, with all your phone blowing up and all the rest of it, but Australia is right behind you guys. Right behind you guys. Yeah, absolutely. Look, and I tell you, Chris, one thing that I think humbled us enormously was after Arnie got her gold medal from the 400, the reception she received inside this extraordinary La Defense stadium

which is a rugby field which has been turned into an indoor pool with a drop-in pool. The reception she received from the crowd, you know, we were just in awe of thinking, wow, who would ever have thought that we could have such a reception for our daughter? You know, as Ian Thorpe, I think, summed it up, there's only two people in the world at the moment who don't love Arnie, and that's, you know, Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh at the moment. Yeah.

She's got enough friends, Steve. She doesn't need them. I know. And look, thank you to everybody. Thank you to you, Chris, and thank you to everybody back home in Australia for your extraordinary support. We're massively humbled by the whole thing. And these are really moments in your life that you pinch yourself and you think, you know, wow, who would ever have thought...

you know, a decade ago that we'd be, you know, I'm now looking out on a beautiful blue sky across down towards the, one of the big arches here in Paris towards the La Defense Arena and thinking, you know, tonight we're back there on this world stage and we've got a daughter who's going to have a big old crack at another gold medal. Fire up, Steve. You're an incredible Australian and you're even a more incredible dad, I'll say, from one to another. Good luck with it all.

Good on you, mate. Appreciate it. Thanks, Chris. That's Steve Titmuss, very proud father of Ariane Titmuss. What a showdown it'll be, eh? Ariane and Molly O'Callaghan in the 200 metre freestyle final. Now you'll hear it live here on 2GB, 5.48am tomorrow, our time. And we've had a couple of texts, what time are the girls racing? So the women's 400 metre medley final, 4.30am tomorrow.

And then it sort of rolls through. 200 metre men's freestyle final. Men's 100 metre backstroke final. Women's 100 metre backstroke final. And then the big one, 5.48am. So just a shade before 10 to 6. It's not too early. Arnie v. Molly. I just can't wait. A Paris 2024 Olympic Games update.

Thanks to Harvey Norman. Proud to be Australia's official retail partner. Powered by LG, partner of Nine's Olympic broadcast. I'm Adam Hawes with an Olympics update. Day three is underway in Paris. Australia is out to build on our tally of four gold medals.

Our first hope is diving duo Cassio Russo and Dominic Bedgood in the men's synchronised 10m platform final. Then it's over to Max Giuliani, who's qualified fifth fastest for the men's 200m freestyle final. In the women's 200m free, Molly O'Callaghan and Ariane Titmuss are the hot favourites for gold. In other events, Tristan Carter is in the semi-finals of the men's canoe singles. Skateboarder Shane O'Neill gets his Olympic start at

after rain delayed the event by 48 hours. Australia's women's rugby seven side will look to cement their place in the semi-finals when they take on Ireland. The Opals get their women's basketball campaign underway against Nigeria. Boxer Harry Garside enters the ring in the men's 63.5kg division. The medal tally early on day three, and Japan leads with seven medals, including four gold. Australia is second. I'm Adam Hawes with the latest from Paris.

That Paris 2024 medal tally was thanks to Woolworths, proud fresh food partner of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams. Good on you, Horsey. Here's an interesting email, drive at 2GB.com. This is from Marie. Chris, thank you for that wonderful interview with Ariane Titmuss' father.

Very humbling. What a wonderful Australian family. That's what mum and dads can do for their kids if they can. How blessed are they and Australia to have them in our lives. Absolutely. Steve Titmuss, hell of a person. Really great broadcaster too. And what him and his family decided to do when Ariane was 13 just to pack the family home up and have a punt that this was all going to work and move to Queensland. Well,

Aren't we happy they did it? 131873. Here's Tom on the text line. Chris, Australia has won gold in the women's 200 metre freestyle three times at the Olympics. Shane Gould in 72. Susie O'Neill in 2000. Ariane Titmuss in 2020.

We've never had one a silver medal. So if the girls go 1-2 in the morning, it will be a first for Australia. The US has done it in 68 and 84, and East Germany did it in 1980. Good on you, Tom. Hope you're enjoying it. 1-3-1-8-7-3. Well, Simone Biles, have you watched her Netflix doco? She's the American gymnast, and she pulled out of the Tokyo Games because she had some demons, mental demons, as to why she pulled out. Anyway, so she's come back.

And she was wearing a glittering dark leotard featuring 10,000 Swarovski crystals valued at $4,500. So she's jumping on, you know, whatever she was doing. I don't know what she was doing, her gymnastics and all the competition and everything, wearing a leotard worth four and a half grand. Not bad, right?

A news update. Pick your favourite Kia from the award-winning Kia Sportage to the street-great delivering Kia Seltos for Kia's most powerful car ever, the all-electric EV6 GT. ♪

Josh Bryant, The Newsroom. G'day. Good afternoon, Chris. The police helicopter has been called in to help in the search for a missing three-year-old boy who's gone missing at Riverston in Sydney's northwest. A teenage boy who died in a house fire in the state's Hunter Valley is being remembered as a kind and bubbly soul. A showdown between swimmers Ariane Titmuss and Molly O'Callaghan will headline the action for Australia on day three of the Paris Olympics.

and Marion Aged Care Home in Leichhardt is getting into the Olympic spirit, running its own mini Olympics for residents with events such as egg and spoon races and table tennis. In sports, Steve Smith won bragging rights over Pat Cummins in the final of America's Major League Cricket tournament in Texas. Smith smashed 88 off 52 balls to give the Washington Freedom a 96-run win. We'll have more news from sport at six. Good on you, Josh. It's 26 to six.

A weather update. We'll be here to help in unexpected weather. NRMA Insurance, a help company. Well, possible late shower right now, 13 in the city and 13 in the west. Temperatures tonight will dip to 9 in the city and 5 in the west. Shower or two tomorrow, tops of 16 in the city tomorrow and 17 in the west.

A finance update. Enjoy impossible to ignore savings across the Mercedes-Benz SUV range.

Well, finance update. All odds is trading up 0.86% today. Pretty good day for the all odds. ASX 200 is up the same, 0.86 of a percent. One Aussie dollar buying 65.47 US cents. Now, I did notice Barbara, who called in a little earlier about the car into the signaling equipment and crashing into the tracks earlier.

at Canley Vale there. She called in and tipped us off. She's also managed to send us a photo. And this car is badly, badly mangled. But Barbara, she is going to see the new psychological thriller, the stage play, Gaslight.

So Gaslight the play, is it madness or is it manipulation? The gripping psychological thriller arrives at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in August. So Barbara, she's off to the theatre. 131873. Now the families of two police officers in Queensland who were shot dead have called for immediate law changes in

around firearms and police communications. And this was on the first day of a coronial inquest into their deaths. You'll remember this. Matthew Arnold, Rachel McCrow, both constables. They were shot in cold blood by Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train at the Wyimbola property in the Western Downs region just before Christmas of 2022. So it was out near Tara, remember? And those people were waiting for the police and it was an ambush.

So Ms. McCrow has called for immediate changes to police policies and procedures to reduce the likelihood of the loss of life in similar circumstances. And she said this to the inquest. We pose this question to authorities. Could a national firearms and ammunitions register drones and satellite based communication strategies reduce the risk for police officers?

So Queensland police say they're aware of shortcomings on the gun licensing, registration and regulation systems. And the state coroner is continuing to hear this inquest. It was terrible what happened to them. And I do note too, that there is a great podcast that nine podcasts have done. Of course, the owner of this radio station is,

But it is called The Ultimate Sacrifice. And it's the team behind Hannah's story. Based out of Brisbane. They did such a good job on this. But The Ultimate Sacrifice is about this case. It is currently the number one podcast in Australia on top of Joe Rogan. So if you want to check out The Ultimate Sacrifice, I'm told, it's very much worth a listen. It's 19 to 6. Now, it was great to chat with Ariane Titmuss' dad, Steve, a little earlier. What a great Australian. And an unbelievable father, too.

But the women's 200 metre freestyle final tonight, well, tomorrow morning, our time, it will be an absolute nail biter.

So you've got Ariane up against her mate and rival, Molly O'Callaghan. So their race is at 5.48am. So just a shade before 10 to 6 tomorrow morning, our time. You'll hear all the action right here on 2GB. But there's some amazing races coming up in the early hours of tomorrow. You've got the women's 400m medley final. That kicks off at half past four. And then from then on, it sort of rolls. Men's 200m freestyle final. The men's 100m backstroke final. Women's...

women's 100 metre backstroke final, but the big one. It could be one of the more significant swimming races Australia has had in recent Olympic history. 5.48am, Arnie v. Molly. Well, let's go live to Paris, our very own Ray Hadley. He's poolside ahead of this showdown. Ray, g'day.

Yeah, g'day Chris, nice to be with you. So I am poolside getting ready for the morning session which starts with the 400m individual medley heats. This one, Summer McIntosh, as was the case with Marchant, the Frenchman who won the 400m men's individual medley, has a mortgage on it. Her time would suggest that she's somewhere between 4 and 6 seconds faster than any other competitor including the two Australians, Jenna Forrester and Ella Ramsey, so...

Barring an accident, it'll be a Canadian gold medal for the 17-year-old, who, of course, was second in the 400 to Ariane Titmuss on the first night of competition. So that'll be wonderful. But like you say, the cynosure of all eyes, tomorrow morning your time, tonight our time, will be the final of the 200 for women. And these two girls are out to create history. They went in unison to the line in the heats just alongside each other. And...

No drama, no problems, just coasted to the line and they go into the final and Molly O'Callaghan or Arianne Titmuss, well, Arianne's the best swimmer in the world, probably at that distance, but it's harder to deny the chances of the other young girl. She's four years her junior.

You'd think we probably will go 1-2 in the race. We'll probably go 1-2. And I think Arianna will win. I think Molly will be content with silver. But she's already won a gold medal, Molly, as part of the 4x100 women's team. So it'll just be a great celebration. We've got the 800 freestyle heats this morning as well. Elijah Winnington has already had a silver medal and Samuel Short.

Samuel Short owns the fastest time on the field at the moment. It's a shorter session because of the 800 heats. There are four in total. They take a bit of time to get through. Kayleigh McEwan and Anna Anderson will be doing battle in the first heats of the women's 100 backstroke. And then, of course, we return at about 4.30 tomorrow morning, your time, and it starts all over again. And I think it will be the race of the meet tomorrow.

the 200, from our point of view particularly as it's two young Australians who will fight it out we imagine and it'll just be a wonderful celebration in front of 17,000 fans, many of them Australians who've travelled to Paris to be part of it and they'll be part of a famous time by the time we get to tonight.

And, Ray, they're writing their name up against some legends of swimming. You know, 1972, Shane Gould won the gold medal in the 200-metre freestyle. 2000, Susie O'Neill, Ariane Titmuss 2020, and now Titmuss trying to go back-to-back and O'Callaghan breathing down her neck. You've called some big events, big Australian events. How's this, Ray?

It's right up there at the top of the swimming tree. I mean, the number one event I've ever called was the 4x100 in 2000 Anchored Bay in Thorpe. That's without doubt. We were not the favourites, and Thorpe was able to gather Gary Hall Jr. in in the final 50 metres to win the gold. That's the greatest race I've ever seen or broadcast. But you've got to remember, Ariane's not just going for a double in the two. She's going for the...

the double in the four so it's a double double as Libby Trickett would say so it's a really big deal and you refer to Shane Gould and you've got to be my age to remember 1972 when I was 18 she won three gold medals in 72 three gold medals at the one meet and that's a phenomenal performance and she was only a kid at the time so

So, look, you know, Betty Cuthbert won gold medals, three gold medals in Melbourne and then came back in 1964, eight years later, and won the 400 hurdles. We've got some great Olympians. Dawn Fraser, of course, back-to-back 100s. And we've had some great Olympians, some great swimmers, but I think that when we reflect in some time of the future on perhaps some of the greatest swimmers, Ariane Tippus will be very, very, very...

close to being the best we've ever produced. Speaking to Ariane's old man, Steve, before he says he just can't believe the facility, Ray, what's it like? Oh, it's world class, as you would expect. It's just...

You know, a superb stadium. The remarkable thing is the pool and the actual competition pool and the warm-up pool were made in Italy and trucked in. And they didn't get trucked in until about April or May and then assembled in June, so not that long ago. They say it's a slow pool because we haven't had world records. What is that about?

Fast pools and slow pools. Well, I'll seek guidance from Libby Trickett a bit later about why it's a slow pool. I did read something this morning about the nourishment they're getting in the Games Village or something to do with it, that there's too many vegan diets, apparently. They need a bit of protein, a bit of beef into their bodies and the cardboard beds and all the rest of it. But I'd hate to think that you're not doing a world record because you're on a cardboard bed while you're eating tofu as opposed to steak.

So, look, I have had the experience where they before, just the way the pool's put together and the configuration of the pool, you know, sometimes you get a fast pool. It's not like athletics where you could be able to have a tar win and, you know, it assists you or, you know, you face into it. But, you know...

In most circumstances, the pool's a pool. But the experts tell me that this is a slow pool. Well, it mightn't be as slow by the time we get to the young Canadian summer Macintosh. If she smashes the world record, it might all of her cabin, not the vegan food, not the pool. It's just that she's superior to everyone else. So we'll have to wait and see, I guess. Ray, we've been enjoying your call. Keep going. I really appreciate you coming on.

We'll do our best. Thanks very much. Bye. That's Ray Hadley live there from Paris. Of course, that 200-metre freestyle final, if you missed it, 5.48am, Arnie v. Molly. You'll have a whole bunch of the heat starting after Wide World of Sports with Mark Levy coming up after us. But if you want the gold medals...

4.30am, the women's 400m medley final kicks off. And then it'll be the men's 200m free, men's 100m backstroke, women's 100m backstroke and the big one, the 200m women's freestyle final. Now there's a whole bunch of other Australians competing on day three of the Paris Olympics. So you've got the basketball at seven o'clock tonight, the women's basketball. Australia is taking on Nigeria.

In the equestrian, which I've just been loving sick, Vonnie is mad on her equestrian. And the Palace of Versailles is extraordinary backstrop for the eventing in the cross country. But from 8 o'clock tonight, the team eventing jumping final will take place. And at 11pm, you'll have the individual eventing jumping final.

In the hockey, the Kookaburras will take on Ireland at 6 o'clock tonight. And the women will play a pool match against the Poms at 1am. And the surfing in Tahiti at Chopo from 3am. Molly Picklam, Tyler Wright, Jack Robinson, Ethan Ewing, the Aussies. Round three of the surfing. And we're surfing well, aren't we? 131873. How good are the Olympics? I love it. Every four years. Can't wait.

On 2GB Drive, let's duel for fuel. We are dueling for fuel this Monday afternoon. Our contestants, I've got Martin at Kensington. G'day, Martin. G'day, Chris. How you doing, mate? I'm good. Thank you, Martin. I'm good. Simon's at Surrey Hills. G'day, Simon. How you going, Chris? Outstanding, Simon. Just around the corner from each other, fellas. Righto, Simon, you're kicking us off. You ready? Sure. It's all thanks to Shell V-Power. Your time starts now. What type of pasta is often served with meatballs?

Spaghetti. Correct. Asia. Correct. Molly O'Callaghan. True or false. True. False. The Killers, Simon. The Killers. That's three. Martin, you ready?

Yep, I'm ready, Chris. Your time starts now. Which country produces the most coffee in the world, Brazil or Italy? Brazil. Correct. The Tasmanian jackjumpers belong to what sport? Basketball. Correct. Mars was the Roman god of what? Love. Correct. Samuel Morse was famous for inventing what?

Park. Morse code. Let fault serve as terms in which sport? Tennis. Correct. You got it, Martin. Well done. Four players, three. Simon, well done. Martin, 200 bucks of free petrol coming your way thanks to Shell V-Power. Really, really well done. That was a classy duel for fuel from you. It is the duel for fuel we play every afternoon here on Drive.

And now, a preview of what's coming up on Wide World of Sports.

Mark Leafy's got Wide World of Sports coming up next. Leafy. Hello, Chris. Sleeping much, champion? Doesn't matter. Olympic Games are on, mate. Two weeks of competition. I'm jumping out of my skin with some of the performances so far. Jess Fox, the swimmers, the cycling the other day. I mean, it is just unbelievable. And the beauty about tonight is once we get through the swimming trials, we've got rowing, we've got boxing, we've got skateboarding, we've got the C1, the canoeing, we've got rugby sevens.

So our listeners, a bit of surfing, our listeners are going to hear a few sports that they're not used to hearing on the radio, like the equestrian. So I'm looking forward to a big night and morning ahead. We're big equestrian people. You are? Yeah. Of course, Vonnie loves a horse. She loves it, doesn't she? Was she in the national team? Was she? For dressage, yeah, she was. There you go. I might give her a ring later and get some terminology off her. She'll do it. She loves it. She's watched everything. They come to the first jump, up and over they go.

And down she goes. Oh, that's made her fall. One of the things that often doesn't get, I think, credited in the equestrian sports is that the men and the women are on the same...

all in the same comp. Yeah. So they win. They're just versing each other, and I think that's good. And we've got an Australian in a good position at the moment, Chris Burton, who we'll hear from later tonight as well. So it's all still to come. We've got Berto here from the famous Berto family. What's his torpedo like? You know, I will say this, though. Cousin Matt? I will say this. I think the equestrian people need to be a bit more daring with their horse names. They're boring. It's like, I was looking at them the other day. There's a competitor from somewhere. Boris.

Trish. Let's get a little bit more creative with horse names. Are you with me? I think outside the box. You're at the Olympic Games with a horse. Get a little bit more creative. I spoke to Steve Titmuss, Ariane's father. Great chat, mate. Great chat. Isn't he a good bloke? He sounds like an absolute ripper. And his daughter is just a world superstar. You know who was a groomsman for Steve Titmuss? Mm-hmm.

Peter Overton. Is that right? They worked at Channel 7 Adelaide together, I'm told. Two of the nicest people in the world. Well, there you go. Do you know Daryl calls Peter Overton Ovo? I said, I don't think the main anchor of Nine News is appreciative of being called Ovo. And then Peter sent me a text message the other week. He says, I've just walked into my local Woolies and a bloke came up to me and called me Ovo. LAUGHTER

What else is going on? What else? Isn't that enough? I can't believe how good the Olympics is. That's fantastic. I mean, and this is the thing, right? Once we, you get the naysayers and the narcs, you go, oh, the Olympics. But once it's on, everyone is infatuated with it. Can I give you a bit of narc-age? Oh, don't. Listen, we're three days in. I want you to be positive. Opening ceremony. Oh, that was terrible. What about the bloke, the smurf? Or the orange beard? Oh.

You know, there was a great moment yesterday at the pool, and Ray and Libby had it covered. So there was a swimming cap at the bottom of the pool. A bloke with a dad bod stripped down and jumped in. Oh, you mentioned it. Good on you, mate. You know, you've got all these ripped athletes on the pool deck, and then old mate walks out with little budgie smugglers on and in he goes. Molly or Ariane, who wins it? You know what? Ariane is already a superstar. I'd love Molly to win.

But either way, I just wanted Australia to win. I don't want to make that decision, but I'd love Molly or Ariane to win. I'm going to get splinters. So Shane Gould, Madam Butterfly, Susie O'Neill, Ariane Titmuss all won the 200 metre freestyle. We've never gone one and two before. Ever. Really? Yanks have done it. There you go. Tom told me that on the text line. He's good with his stats, Tom. He's got it.

He's been texting me the last couple of days. He's pinpointed a few of the Olympians leading into the Olympics, Dom. Has he? Yes. I wonder if he's having a bet. How did you go at the swimming competitions at the school carnival? Me? I was a good swimmer. I think that's where I found my calling to be a radio broadcaster. You know what I did during the swimming carnivals at public school? I was the ground announcer. You know what? Can I tell you something about swimming? Guess who I swam against, too? A bloke by the name of Ian Thorpe. I'll see you later. Goodbye. What about this name-dropping, Chris? Goodbye. Goodbye.

Okay, mate. I thought I would have given up. Bye-bye. That's Mark Levy coming up with Wide World of Sports next. That's it from us here on Drive. It's been a great show, hasn't it? I'll see you tomorrow at 3 p.m. Bye-bye.