2GB Drive with Chris O'Keefe – Full show July 16 01:52:02

On Sydney's 2GB, this is Drive with Chris O'Keefe. Good afternoon, Sydney. I hope you're enjoying your Tuesday. Now, we will have all the latest, of course, on Donald Trump's appearance at this convention in Wisconsin. It is astounding scenes. The former president, I think he seemed a little emotional.

which is very unusual for Donald Trump. I'll bring you all that in a second. I'll also have the roads minister, John Graham, on the line because at what point has the Sydney Harbour Bridge been paid off? Seriously. It looks like the Minsk government will charge us both ways on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and on the Eastern Distributor. Yep, tolls to be hit both ways. Eastern Distributor, Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel.

in a bid to offset the tolls in the western suburbs. Now, is that fair? Well, I'll ask Minister Graham all these questions. And why did the CFMEU receive $1.25 million of superannuance money from CBUS Superfund? And what was that $1.25 million used for?

Lots to give away this afternoon. $100, $1,000 if you can guess the Olympian, of course. I've got tickets to Torval and Dean, a family pass to Featherdale Wildlife Park and $200 of free fuel. Right now, 14 degrees at Engadine and 14 at Beecroft.

It's eight and a half past three, 131-873 is our open line number. You can text me 0460-873-873 or of course email if you'd prefer, drive at 2gb.com. Now the scenes in Wisconsin at the Republican National Convention are

Look, they were over the top. But don't Republican voters just love Donald J. Trump? Ladies and gentlemen, the 45th president of the United States and soon to be the 47th president of the United States, please welcome Donald J. Trump.

It was extraordinary. So he's walked in like he was coming into a sort of WWE wrestling match or something. And he had this huge white bandage on his right ear. And there were people crying and there was just overwhelming joy and solidarity from Donald Trump's fans and voters. USA! USA! USA!

So the 45th president sat alongside his new vice presidential candidate, a bloke by the name of J.D. Vance. And he's a 39-year-old senator from Ohio. Senator J.D. Vance. Curious pick. He once called Donald Trump America's Hitler.

And now he's running as his running mate. Anyway, he loves Trump now, but he is also strongly against giving Ukraine any more money. I think that's a shocking position because if we were invaded by China, I think we'd expect the help of the United States of America. And I just don't get this Republican position of letting Putin invade Ukraine and get away with it. It seems bizarre. Only...

Whether Trump follows that line is yet to be seen. But the Wall Street Journal, one of the most influential newspapers in the Republican movement, wrote about Vance in their editorial. This is what it says, quote, It is a curious choice. Mr. Vance isn't from a swing state and he won't do much to broaden the MAGA coalition, the Make America Great Again coalition. He opposes free market policies.

Mr Trump will need for economic renewal and would Mr Vance be ready to lead the country if the worst happens? Well no doubt we'll hear about more of that about this in the coming months. In the meantime President Biden has admitted in an interview with NBC that he was mistaken to tell his donors it was time to put Trump in a bullseye.

The truth of the matter was, what I guess I was talking about at the time was, there's very little focus on Trump's agenda. Yeah, the term is bullseye. It was a mistake to use the word. I didn't say crosshairs. I meant bullseye. I meant focus on him. Focus on what he's doing. Focus on his policies. Focus on...

the number of lies he told in the debate focus i mean there's there's a whole range of things that look i'm not the guy that said i want to be a dictator on day one i'm not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election i'm not the guy who said that one accept the outcome of this election automatically you can't only love your country when you win

And so the focus was on what he's saying and, I mean, the idea. But have you taken a step back and done a little soul-searching on things that you may have said that could incite people who are not balanced? Well, I don't think— Look, how do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says?

Do you just not stand him? Does the man say somebody? Well, let's head to Wisconsin. Brian Loughnane, he was the federal director of the Liberal Party of Australia and he's now the deputy chairman of the International Democracy Union, which is sort of an international alliance of centre-right political parties. Now, he was in the room with President Trump at that convention only a matter of hours ago and he's on the line for us. Brian, g'day.

Hi, good evening, Chris. How are you? I'm well, thank you. Jeez, the energy in that room, it looked pretty amazing, really.

Well, I think Donald Trump's position within the Republican Party had strengthened anyway, but after last weekend, there's no doubt at all that the Republican Party is incredibly unified behind Donald Trump. I think the events of the weekend, the shooting was sort of very catalytic and anyone who's sort of had any doubts or hesitations within the Republican Party I'm talking about have just fallen in behind Trump.

Are you surprised at the shift? Look, I think over time, you know, it's not the party of Ronald Reagan or the Bushes, for example. It's a different party.

And there's no doubt at all that the vast majority of the delegates are rusted on Trump people, and there was practically no opposition to him anyway. And the actual organisation of the Republican Party is now controlled by Trump's people. So he was in a strong position, but even if some people there thought he was a bit of a wild card or whatever, they've...

They're so outraged by what's happened, I think, and that just locked in behind him. What was it like when he walked in?

What struck me more than anything, for the first time ever, I thought he looked quite emotional, he himself. But it was just a standing ovation. You couldn't hear yourself. It was so loud. It was incredibly loud. It's a very large auditorium. It's covered in a sporting stadium.

So you can imagine how the sound carries in that. And there was a lot of music as well as the noise of the crowd. So it wasn't quite a circus, but it was very loud and very demonstrative. Now he's vice president. Well, we're assuming he will be the vice president. Certainly he's running mate for the upcoming election, has been named J.D. Vance. What can you tell us about him?

Well, I think sometimes candidates for president try and select somebody who will supplement one of their weaknesses. So they try and say, you know, here's somebody who makes me a stronger candidate. Other times you get candidates who get somebody who's a reflection of them. So you could argue that Bill Clinton selected Al Gore because he was another young southern guy.

And I think J.D. Vance is probably of the available likely vice presidential choices, the one who is the most...

Trump-esque among them, and certainly the one who the real hard Trump base likes most. So this is a case of doubling down. And what was interesting, Jodie Vance is known for the book, The Hillbilly Elegy, that he's written about Trump

Life in West Virginia, which is a huge bestseller and was talking about just ordinary working class people and the struggles that they go through. Tonight at the convention, there was also speeches by two people

Democratic Party trade union officials or trade union officials who have always voted for the Democrats, the sort of people Biden needs to get in. So there is a very overt play for ordinary working-class voters, which is something that's happening very commonly now across centre-right parties around the world. And I think J.D. Vance is somebody who reinforces that, is...

somebody who's going to be communicating to ordinary workers. Brian, I really appreciate your time. I know it's late there. Thank you so much. Okay. Thanks very much. That's Brian Loughnane in live there from Wisconsin in the United States of America. He is the former federal director of the Liberal Party here in Australia and now the deputy chairman of the International Democracy Union. Extraordinary, the reception Mr. Trump received. Live, local.

It's Drive with Chris O'Keefe. Now, I noticed that Matt Keane has made his first speech today as the chair of the Prime Minister's Climate Change Authority. Now, I do find it strange that he's still technically in Parliament as the member for Hornsby for the time being, and he is moonlighting as the chair of the Climate Change Authority. But anyway, he's not breaking any rules.

The speech was at the Australian Clean Energy Summit and much was said about batteries as being a sort of a key plank of the technological response when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow. Battery technology, yep, it was being hailed as a crucial piece of the puzzle in transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar and wind. But it got me thinking, do these batteries work properly?

So let's look at California. There are now 20 gigawatts of battery storage in the state of California. That's a big number, 20 gigawatts. But despite significant advancements, the reality is that relying solely on batteries to enable 24-7 renewable energy, it's not happening. And it's not happening even in a location like California that's made big, big strides in solar and wind energy.

Look, batteries have been integrated into the grid. They store excess renewable energy. And the idea is you turn them on when you need to use them for peak demand periods at night or when renewable generation dips. But when that renewable generation does dip, California still uses gas plants because gas is the backbone of clean, green California's energy system.

Because the limitation of current battery technology, the limitations, they're stark, especially when you look at them through scalability and price. So the Hornsdale Power Reserve, that's in South Australia. It's often cited as one of the largest battery installations anywhere in the world. It cost around $100 million. It can theoretically, this thing, in South Australia, this big, big battery, power the entire United Kingdom for 15 seconds.

There are people who propose that we power hospitals, manufacturing plants, homes, transport, all on battery storage. As soon as the sun goes down, you ask them, oh, well, what happens when the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow? That's fine. We've got batteries. Well, it won't work.

Batteries are not a panacea. Their capabilities are still constrained by factors like energy density, the cycle life of those batteries, and the environmental impact of materials used in their production. Scaling up battery storage to the levels required for continuous 24-7 renewable energy supply, it wouldn't just be astronomically expensive.

But it would raise logistical and environmental concerns regarding where do you get the stuff to build the batteries, where do we recycle them, and how do we dispose of them? So in California, despite batteries being deployed at a big scale, the grid still relies heavily on natural gas plants to provide baseload power to meet peak demand reliably. So why can't they just tell us the truth here?

It underscores the reality that while batteries can complement renewables, they cannot replace the need for dispatchable power sources like natural gas or even nuclear energy. Ah, but nuclear is too expensive, right? Innovations in battery technology. You've got lithium-ion batteries as advances there. You've got emerging technologies, I should say, like solid-state batteries. They do hold some promise, but...

achieving a fully renewable energy grid cannot and will not occur in the short or medium term, even in the long term, however you define the long term, because the sun doesn't shine at night. Batteries won't hold enough power for long enough to sustain us.

So don't be sold a pup. Don't be sold a pup that somehow battery storage is the silver bullet because as it stands right here, right now in Australia, the only silver bullet in the energy debate is gas. It's 21 past three. 25 past three. Now, Transport for New South Wales is advising you of updated changes to the Sackville Ferry Crossing. So they're doing some safety improvement work on the Sackville Ferry Crossing.

And work will be carried out between 9am and 5pm from this Thursday to Friday and between 9.30am and 2.30pm from Monday to Tuesday morning.

all next week with no work taking place on weekends. So motorists on the western side of the river will need to detour via Western Portland Road and motorists on the eastern side of the river will need to detour via River Road. It'll add about 20 minutes to journey times to access the lower Portland ferry. And if it's a fire truck or an ambulance or a police car,

They will be able to cross at the Sackville Ferry crossing, but with a delay of around 20 minutes for the resettling of the crossing to provide ferry service. So clearly some safety improvement work going on Thursday and Friday, as well as all of next week, weather permitting. So just be aware of that. If you use the Sackville Ferry frequently, 131873, I don't know why this is a problem.

But there seems to be some outrage at Australia's largest banks, as in ANZ, NAB, Westpac and Commonwealth Bank, lending $3.6 billion collectively to fossil fuel projects or companies throughout 2023. Why does that matter? So the analysis is being reported in the ABC and it's from an environmental advocacy group called Market Forces. And it shows that

The four banks have totaled $61 billion in lending to the fossil fuel industry since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015. And an agreement, an international treaty to which Australia is a part of, of course, to limit global temperature rises below two degrees. But what's that got to do with the banks? Banks aren't held to international treaties signed by governments, are they?

Anyway, Kyle Robertson is his name, and he reckons that the banking industry has pivoted towards backdoor approaches to financing oil and gas projects. So, look, I don't think there's an issue, really. If the banks decide to make a decision based on one, profit, and two, shareholder value, then so be it. And if it's gas, if it's coal...

If it's solar, if it's whatever, good luck to them. You know, capitalism is capitalism. The free market is the free market and they shouldn't be nobbled by mobs like market forces. Just get on with it. Okay, $1,000 if you can guess this Olympian, your first clue.

She was born in Launceston but moved to Queensland in her teenage years to pursue better opportunities. That is clue one. She was born in Launceston but moved to Queensland in her teens to pursue better opportunities. So stay listening. I'll give you another clue sometime after the four o'clock news and then you will get the cue to call.

after five o'clock sometime and that is where you can win one thousand dollars if you can guess the olympian i've only got 10 days now until paris 2024 it's all coming up very shortly

In the newsroom, Josh Bryan. G'day. Good afternoon, Chris. The final report from an inquiry looking at Sydney's toll roads has been handed down, but the state opposition says it doesn't offer real solutions to the problem. Police are checking with missing persons units nationwide as they try to identify human remains found on the New South Wales north coast.

Victoria's Police Chief Commissioner says it could take up to a month to investigate the allegations which have been levelled at the CFMEU and determine if crimes have been committed. And a survey suggests younger Australians are more optimistic about the future than older generations, but researchers say that may be a result of having a smaller frame of reference. In sport, Blues coach Michael Maguire says his side will be ready for tomorrow night's Origin decider if it gets fiery. The Maroons are under pressure to take the fight to the Blues after being bullied in Game 2. We'll have

More news and sport at four. Thanks, Josh. Coming up, I'll speak to Senator Andrew Bragg. Now, the CFMEU. How on earth did CBUS, the Superannuation Fund, give $1.25 million in one financial year to the CFMEU? And what was the money used for? We'll dive into that next.

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Well, look, this CFMEU drama, it's just getting worse. And I think people have missed one aspect of it that's quite important. Now, CBUS. CBUS is one of the biggest superannuation funds in Australia. And they have former bosses of the CFMEU on its board. You've got Dave Noonan, for example. He's from the Victorian division of the CFMEU.

And he once said on the record that a historical arrest of John Setka, quote, reeked of overkill. Jason O'Mara, he's from the ACT's division of the CFMU, and he's on the board of CBUS2. And he had his house shot up at one point, and he got the union to pay for security.

There's Rita Malia and Rita was accused in a Royal Commission of trying to force a whistleblower out of the CFMEU because that whistleblower complained about the union's links to underworld figure George Alex. Now those claims are denied by Rita Malia.

Now, look, it's normal. It's part of the course. This is how these superannuation funds are set up. Union reps are on the boards of these industry funds. And I'm not suggesting that any of these people have done anything wrong or anything like that. All I'm saying is the CFMEU has a major issue as an organisation, major issue. And its representatives are making investment decisions on the board of CBUS using members' superannuation funds.

And the faux outrage from the Labor government and the ACTU around the developments in regards to the CFMU is just nauseating. It's terrible. You reckon CBUS doesn't have much to do with Labor? Wayne Swan is the chairman and the current national president of the ALP.

CBUS paid $1.25 million to the CFMEU in 2022-2023. $1.25 million, including $233,000 to the Victorian branch of the CFMEU. Now, the union, both the CFMEU and the CFMMEU with the Maritime branch, donated more than $120,000 to New South Wales Labor in the last election. At least $230,000.

Three members of the Minsk government got donations from the CFMEU, including Anna Watson, the member for Shell Harbour, Kylie Wilkinson, the member for East Hills, and Nathan Haggerty, the member for Leppington. A whole bunch of other MPs and MLCs too who have links to the CFMEU through the Ferguson Left. That's a faction of the Labor Party. And I support unionism, right? I do. I support unionism and I support collectivism.

I don't support thuggish behaviour like is alleged by certain elements of the CFMEU. I absolutely do not support the hypocrisy of people like Tony Burke, Sally McManus and other people within the labour movement who seem to be embarrassingly indignant only after the horse has well and truly bolted.

This stuff, the allegations and the smell around the CFMEU has been ongoing for decades. For Tony Burke and Sally McManus and Labor Premiers and Prime Ministers and Ministers to stand up and go, "Oh, we're shocked at these allegations." You've got to be kidding yourselves. The public isn't that stupid.

Now, I'm pleased to say Liberal Senator for New South Wales, Andrew Bragg, is on the line for us. Senator, thank you for your time. G'day, Chris. How are you going? Can you explain to me what CBUS paid the CFMEU $1.25 million for? What was the purpose of it?

Well, no one knows. I mean, ostensibly it's for sponsorship. It could be for directives fees. It's a bit of a mystery. But the point really here is that we shouldn't have a system where people's retirement savings is being used for political purposes.

certainly not for purposes like supporting selfish behaviour, bikey, organised crime. And that's what I think is happening. So I think there's a few things that fall out of it, but ultimately the point is that people's hard-earned money is being used to underpin mafia-like behaviour. Have you asked the CFMEU in Senate estimates or under any sort of other questioning as to what that $1.25 million was used for?

Yeah, so there's currently an investigation by the Australian Prudential Regulational Authority, APRA, into these sorts of payments. And I think it's very important that the regulator enforces the law here because one thing I've observed after five years in Parliament is lots of laws are made and not a lot of law enforcement goes on. So I can see no justification for giving sponsorship benefits

of the Victorian branch of the CFMEU, particularly given what it's been up to. So, I mean, I think APRA have got to do a really, really big job here. Given you've got three members of the CFMEU currently on the CBAS board, does that raise eyebrows?

Well it raises eyebrows particularly in the housing space. I mean the Labor government in Canberra is trying to get the CBUS super fund to help them with the housing crisis. Now I think Labor's making housing worse because all their solutions are how they can send more money off to the vested interest of the unions rather than build more houses. I think this is a big part of it that ultimately here you've got the deputy chair of the CBUS super fund as a member of the CFMEU

So the organisation's been ostracised from the Labor movement, but they're still okay to apparently help the government on housing. I mean, it stinks. It does. And what do they want to put in? $500 million or something, Wayne Swan said, from CBUS. Yeah. And the whole point is that these are the people that are trying to bugger it up. I mean, they're the people that are making it more expensive to do construction in Australia because all they want to do is quit the ticket.

And I think the idea that we're going to be left with CBUS having some formal involvement with the Housing Australia Future Fund tells you everything you need to know about the government's priorities. I mean, I would say the central problem with the government is they've got no problem to solve the main issues today because they're so focused on trying to help their favourite vested interests. Before I let you go, Senator, do you think that the indignant behaviour and the far-away outrage from...

of the Labor Party and the Labor movement right across the country, not just in Canberra, is all a little bit nauseating? It's absolutely unbearable. Because ultimately, these are the people that help them with their pre-elections, help them with their fundraising, put them into Parliament. And often when you hear them speak in the Senate, it's very unclear whether they're there to do the job for the people of New South Wales or they're there for a particular union. So I find it all unbearable. And let's be completely frank, it's not like these allegations or...

suggestions around criminality within the CFMEU and corrupt behaviour by the CFMEU is breaking news to many in the labour movement. It's been going on in and around the construction industry for decades and people know about it. The ABCC proved that.

That's why I don't know why Jim Chalmers and Julie Collins think hanging out with Wayne Swan, who's president of Labor and the CFMEU, sorry, CBUS at the same time, is a good idea when they're trying to solve big problems like housing. I mean, these are not the people that are going to help. These are the people that are making it worse.

Senator Bragg, I appreciate your time. Thanks so much. Thanks, Chris. That's Senator Andrew Bragg, Liberal Senator here in New South Wales. 131873, what do you make of it? We all know there's been issues on building sites. You don't need to be a builder or a developer or a subcontractor or a union member to know this. You just have a basic interaction with the construction industry or the building game.

and you would have heard these stories. Now it's clearly worse in Victoria than it is here in New South Wales, but please, guys, spare me the outrage. Spare it.

Because the Labor movement knows exactly what is going on. And CBUS paying $1.25 million to the CFMEU of superannuance money is, quite frankly, something that needs to be seriously investigated. 131873. It's 14 minutes to four. Now, this is an interesting one. So this has just come through from the New South Wales police.

There's a bloke who's been charged over 50, five, zero alleged break and enters. Now he's been charged by the Hills Police Area Command and he's face caught today. And earlier this year, they commenced an investigation, the Hills proactive crime team into a series of alleged break and enter offences on commercial premises across the Hills area. So the police have been doing a little bit of work on that and listen what they found out.

There's been offences not just in the hills, but break and enters at Mount Druitt, Burwood, Leichhardt, Nepean, Parramatta, the Northern Beaches, Riverston, Ryde, Hawkesbury and Cumberland police area commands. So a 35-year-old man was arrested by police, so too a 44-year-old woman arrested by police at a hotel on Boundary Road at Vineyard.

And during the search of the room, police allegedly located and seized several items linked to offences allegedly committed at Bankstown, Marsden Park and Kellyville. So the 35-year-old man has been arrested and taken to Castle Hill Police Station. He's been charged 50 counts of break, enter and steal and breach of bail.

Both refused bail. They'll appear at Parramatta Local Court today. But 50 break-in enters. Well done to the police being able to link all of those break-in enters to this allegedly one guy. 131873. There's been a charge too by police after a rock smashed through a car windscreen. I hate this stuff.

I remember there was a shocking one on a truck driver. I think he lost his life when a brick was thrown from an overhead bridge. But a rock, about four kilograms this rock was...

And it was thrown from Boomerang Reserve onto Henry Lawson Drive just before 10pm on Saturday night. So it went through a 24-year-old woman's windscreen. And she suffered bone and muscle bruising when she was struck by the rock. Now, the rock's gone straight through the windscreen of her car. And you can imagine, right? You're driving along and then bang! It would be frightening. And it'd be hard to keep the car on the road, to be honest with you.

So the dog squad came in, there was a manhunt for the offender and they found him, allegedly, 18-year-old man arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station. He's been charged to damage, destroy property with intention of endangering life. And I think the police inspector, Matthew Waring, said, I think it's pure luck that the driver didn't suffer more serious injuries or even worse. We can say that again, can't you?

If it's happening in Sydney, you'll hear it on Drive on 2GB. Well, I've been sent a great Tuesday tip and it came from Bill in Coogee and Bill wrote me drive at 2GB.com and he says, quote, King Charles, it's in relation to King Charles' visit to Sydney in October. So Bill says, King Charles will probably attend the Randwick races on Saturday the 19th of October.

on which day the 1600 metre King George Stakes will be run. Also, happens to be the same day as the Everest. Well, Bill, you're on the money, so I spoke to the good people at Racing NSW, and they say that Peter Volandi saw the King personally at Ascot this year in the UK. And he personally said, oh, looking forward to seeing you at Randwick.

And the King agreed and has since told other people within the racing game that he's looking forward to coming to Royal Randwick in October. However, it's not fully confirmed because the Monarch doesn't make the decisions on his itinerary. They're made by many, many people at Buckingham Palace. It's all in relation to security and timings and the like. And we know that

He has been ill. So whether or not Royal Randwick does make the list is yet to be seen, but it's certainly on the shortlist nonetheless. So whether or not Peter Volandis gets his wish and there's a bit of Royal magic at Royal Randwick for the Everest of 2024, we will hopefully find out a couple of weeks out, but

Bill, $100 voucher to Mr. Roses for our Tuesday tip for blooming great flowers. Visit mrroses.com.au. And if you have a news tip, don't forget, drive at 2GB.com. I reckon probably 60, 40 or 70, 30 that the King will be in attendance at the Everest. 131873. Now, is this...

The worst version of the American national anthem that we've ever heard. In public, at least. I'm sure there's been some shockers over the years in private. But this is Major League Baseball's home run derby. And it's a bit like T20. Bit of a hit and giggle. Pretty relaxed. But country singer-songwriter, her name's Ingrid Andrus. She performed Star Spangled Banner. And it was so bad.

that you had baseball players sitting there with their hands on their hearts and trying not to laugh. Hoots, broad stripes and bright stars Pillars fight The ramparts we watch Whistle gas Streams, bombs bursting

I won't do it to you any longer, but poor old Ingrid Andress has had a shocker. It reminds me of, I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this this morning, and I shouldn't laugh at other people's misfortune, but it's still, it's objectively funny.

And I just felt bad for her. It reminded me of, remember the Australian Idol when they have sort of the episode one and you can't do it anymore because it's all very politically correct, right? But I used to love watching the people who thought they were great singers and they were terrible singers. They were hilarious. 1-3-1-8-7-3. Anyway, Major League Baseball up there with Meatloaf at the AFL Grand Final. Tony's called in from Mount White. Hello, Tony. Hey, Chris. How are you, mate? I'm good, thanks. You seen something on the road?

Oh, no. What, truck's lost its load, has it? Is anyone there picking them up, Tony? How's the traffic? Righto. You didn't run over any, did you, Tony? No.

Nah, I've done my best to avoid it, mate. I'm environmentally friendly. Good on you, Tony. Drive safe. I appreciate your call. 131873. Of course, Dennis Lee will have the latest in the traffic. It looks like there's one of three southbound lanes closed on the M1 at Mount White. The 4 o'clock news with...

Josh Bryant is coming up very shortly. On the other side of that, don't forget I've got $1,000 to give away. If you can guess, the Olympian have already given you one clue. I'll give you another coming up shortly. Plus, if you want a family pass to go to Featherdale Wildlife Park, we'll be giving that away too.

Now, Rupert Murdoch, media mogul, he's declared that print newspapers have as little as 15 years left. He did this on Sky News last night, long-awaited interview with Rupert Murdoch, celebrating 60 years of the Australian newspaper.

And Rupert Murdoch, he's of course chairman emeritus of News Corp, says that print will be around for 15 years with a lot of luck. I reckon that's pretty optimistic. And the luck part is the qualifier from Rupert Murdoch.

I truly can't see print newspapers surviving that long. 2040-ish. 131873. Coming up, I'll also speak to John Graham, the New South Wales Roads Minister. You know what the Minns government's going to do? Charge us both ways on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Distributor.

I didn't realise I could stick with my industry super fund when I retired. Thankfully, I discovered if I stayed, I could set up a regular income, take money out when I wanted, 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.

Now back to Drive with Chris O'Keefe on Sydney's 2GB. It's seven past four. Thank you for your company on this Tuesday afternoon. 131873 is our open line number. Of course, you can text me 0460 873 873 or email me drive at 2GB.com. Now, plenty coming up the roads. Minister John Graham will join me because the men's government, I reckon, is on the cusp of breaking a promise.

They will toll the Harbour Bridge in both directions. Mark my words. They are going to toll the Harbour Bridge in both directions, toll the Harbour Tunnel in both directions, as well as the Eastern Distributor. Now, how do they justify this? I'll speak to the Roads Minister soon. And don't forget, $1,000 if you can guess the Olympian. Live on 2GB. Have your say. 131 873. Nick's called in from camera, eh, Nick? You've seen something on the roads.

Yeah, you would have heard that in the traffic with Dennis Lee. Nick, how is the traffic? How far back backed up is it?

It's just starting to bank back. The fire has got through just before it got too bad, but I've just passed it now, but it is banking back. Good on you, Nick. I appreciate the call. Thank you for that. 131873. Here's an interesting one. So have you ever heard of Tenacious D? So Jack Black is in a whole bunch of movies. He's a bit of a comedian. He's quite funny, to be honest, Jack Black. But he's a massive Democrat.

And Tenacious D, they're touring Australia at the moment. So on Sunday, they were playing at their Sydney show and they made a joke about Donald Trump's assassination attempt. Make a wish, King. Don't miss Trump next time. Man, sort of...

What was it, six or seven hours after a former president was almost assassinated live on TV and they make a joke like that. Anyway, they pushed the boundaries, but there's been huge backlash, huge backlash. And they were supposed to play in Newcastle tonight. It is sold out and Tenacious D have now sensationally cancelled their sold out Newcastle show.

just hours before they were due to perform. This story is being reported in the Newcastle Herald. So it's a result of the backlash is quite significant. And I noticed that United Australian Party Senator Ralph Babbitt, he wants them deported.

So he wants Tenacious D deported. So a spokesperson for Frontier Touring, they declined to comment on the reason for the postponement of Tuesday night's show at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

But simply, they've just said that it's cancelled. Hold on to your tickets until further information is available. And we don't know whether or not Tenacious D will play in Brisbane, like they are due to on Thursday, and Melbourne on Saturday, and Adelaide on Monday. It is not known whether those shows have been postponed too. But...

Be interesting to see whether or not Jack Black and Tenacious D, well, after a poor taste, a joke that is in well and truly in poor taste, has caused them now to pull the pin on their Australian tour. Dear, oh dear. Oh, this is not the greatest song in the world, no.

This is just a tribute. Now, when the Mins government was elected, and in opposition to, they promised, of course, to make our toll system fairer and cheaper. They'd say they'd do their best to look at it. But after what has become a bit of a feature of the Mins premiership, they went away and commissioned a review on how to do just that. How do we make our toll system fairer and cheaper? And the review, which has landed on the Rhodes minister's desk, is probably not what they hoped for.

So you've got Alan Fells, who has recommended changes to the law, uniform tolls on all 13 motorways, two-way tolls on the Harbour Bridge and Eastern Distributor, and an independent pricing arbiter to set the prices of toll roads.

Plus there's an infrastructure charge too on the Harbour Bridge and some other tunnels, whatever that is. That sounds like a tax. Now, there are lots and lots of issues with this. I understand it's a noble effort for the Minsk government to go down this path, but the fact that Transurban owns most of these roads, it means it's highly complicated. The Roads Minister, he's in charge of it all. John Graham's on the line for us. Minister, thanks for your time. Good afternoon, Chris. When will we get an answer as to the government's response to the review?

Yeah, look, we'll formally respond in the coming months, but we've given some big indications today about where we're starting from. We do want to reform tolls in Sydney. If you think that tolls are too expensive, that Sydney's too congested, as less productive as a city than it could be now, wait for the decades to come. This is a problem that we have to tackle and we're determined to do that. Alan Fels has set out the review. Absolutely, this will be difficult.

It also underlines the fact it's absolutely necessary for the city. We can't leave these settings as they are, this patchwork of tolls, for more than three decades. But how do you go about it? So two-way tolls on the Harbour Bridge and the Eastern Distributor. You're putting a toll on what is effectively a free section of road. Now, the Labor Party, for a long, long period of time, Minister, has said that that's abhorrent.

Yeah, well, this is what the report found. Two reports now, led by Alan Fels, have found this. It's not possible to have one system across the city when it comes to the city's tolling network if you stick to the way the old system works. And here's how it works. If you live in the west of the city, you pay tolls in two directions and your tolls go up every quarter or every year. But if you're crossing the harbour via the bridge or the tunnel...

your tolls are in one direction and they didn't go up for more than a decade. Allen Fels has made the point strongly in both these reports

If you're moving to one system across the city, everyone's got to pay their share here. Everyone's got to bear the burden. We can't have one system and not charge... Yeah, but how many times has the Harbour Bridge been paid off? In the Fair Income Department, how many times has the Harbour Bridge been paid off? Yeah, look, that's an absolutely fair point, and that's why the tolls were removed at one point in one direction. However, Fels is making a point here. We can't drop...

prices in the west or from the central coast or the Illawarra and that's what he's proposing. He's dropping toll prices for long distance commuters, the sort of drivers who the Premier promised before the election will be targeting assistance to. We can't do that if

if everyone's not lifting their part of the share here. Yeah, but people crossing the Harbour Bridge, Minister, it's a fallacy what you're saying to me because people crossing the Harbour Bridge have paid that bridge off a couple of times over. Likewise with the Harbour Tunnel. People using NorthConnex or parts of WestConnex with the M4 East, it's only been open for a few years. Yeah, this absolutely wouldn't be about paying off the Harbour Bridge, you're right. It has been paid off.

It would if we were going to have one system, and it did mean two-way tolling right across the network. Where would that money go? It would go to dropping toll prices for long-distance commuters. That's true, by the way, if you're coming from the west into the city or if you're going from the city out to the west. If you're a health worker heading out to Westmead, driving out, paying tolls along that route and then back into the city later, those long-distance commuters, often people who don't have

options for public transport there who we're trying to get assistance to. Again, if I live in Vaucluse or Rose Bay or Mossman, and you know, I know no one feels sorry for people who live in that neck of the woods, they still paid for roads like North Connects, the M4 East, the Roselle Interchange, the M8, that they will never use.

Yeah, well, the people driving on the... Because your argument is that people who cross the Harbour Bridge, well, they've got to put their hands in their pocket for two-way tolls to help those who live in the western part of the city or the central coast using NorthConnex on roads that they use. But ultimately, through our taxes, we've already paid for parts of WestConnex. We sold off a state asset to do it.

Here's what the report finds. Firstly, that it'd be fairer to do it that way, that everyone should contribute. Secondly, that it's the money that comes from that having one system that would allow us to drop prices in the West. If you can't have one system, it becomes very hard to reform the toll system. But thirdly, this reason, and Alan Fels has talked about this today,

As the Western Harbour Tunnel opens, and the plan from the former government had always been to toll that in two directions, to have two-way tolling on the Western Harbour Tunnel and one-way tolling on the Harbour Bridge and the Harbour Tunnel,

is a recipe for traffic chaos. I buy that. And that is one of the concerns that certainly I've been briefed on from a transport point of view. It's one of the concerns that's weighed heavily on Alan Fels as he's looked at the system. Can you tell me what the infrastructure charges are? So Alan Fels is proposing an infrastructure charge for tolls on the Harbour Bridge and some tunnels. What are they?

Yeah, well, the system that Fels and Dr Cousins have spelt out really looks at allocating a declining distance model. That is, the further you drive, the lower your toll rate drops, but also recognises the fact that we're paying here for some significant bits of infrastructure, tunnels, for example, and puts a slightly higher charge on those things. One of the things that allows is prices not to move too far

from where they are at the moment. It's a complicated model, but it's the model that is being recommended to us by these independent reviewers to say, here's the way you could tip the system. What's Transurban saying? How are you going to negotiate with them? Doesn't it make more sense just to go to Transurban, sit down with the CEO and go, look, do you want the Western Harbour Tunnel? It's yours for 50 years on the proviso you do X, Y and Z on ensuring that our tolling system is uniform across the city.

It's not just the government or the reviewers saying toll reform is possible. Uh, one of the things that's happened since the interim report is the toll road operators, the toll road owners have written in saying they also believe reform is possible. They believe it'd be possible to sit down and negotiate that by the end of the year in principle. Uh,

That's an invitation we're open to taking up. We do want to talk this through, but it's taken this couple of reports, setting out a model here for how this could happen, to really bring about this serious discussion. That's why I'm really grateful for the work that Alan Fels has done.

Aren't you better off just doing that, though? Just going to Transurban saying you're after long-term returns, 2%, 3%, or whatever it is for the pension funds and everyone else that's invested in Transurban. We've got the Western Harbour Tunnel coming online. Here it is for 50 years, all yours, on the proviso you do. The M4, the M8, the M7, everything else, drop the prices on them.

Yeah, Chris, we're very open to that direct discussion and we'll set up a process to do that shortly. It's not complicated. Part of the goal here is to bring this discussion out of the back rooms. Governments and private toll operators have done these deals behind closed doors and the public hasn't known what's going on. That's part of the reason we've asked for help from Alan Fels. No one's in any doubt about whose side Alan Fels is on. He's on the side of the consumer, on the side of the motorist, and that is the...

That's the perspective we want this discussion to happen around. So there will be direct discussions. I hope that they commence shortly, given the timelines we're now talking about. But this report sets us up to be able to have those, but have them in the public interest. All right. So you want to respond to this in the next couple of months, and you're hoping, what, you can nail something with Transurban by Christmas?

Yeah, the view that's been put to us by these toll road owners is if we sit down and talk this through, based on where the report has started to head, it may be possible to have a principal agreement by the end of the year. Look, that would certainly be good news from a public point of view. From a driver's point of view, that would be very welcome. We'll take part in those discussions in a

in a really genuine way. Okay, and just before I let you go, the independent pricing arbiter, just like IPART, the idea is you set up a government body effectively to set the prices of tolls, given that they're already been agreed on in contracts and we've spent a lot of the money that has been handed over by Transurban and in some instances too, super funds have invested in parts of WestConnex. How do you think that an independent pricing arbiter would work in those conditions? Yeah.

Yeah, well, look, the good news here is not only Alan Fels has come to this conclusion. The private toll rate operators, owners, including the super funds, have written in to the review saying they're open to changes in the system. They want to make sure their contracts are respected. That's fair enough. That's a reasonable request. But everyone here is open to changes.

And that could be very good news for drivers. Alright, good luck with it. It's not going to be an easy path forward, but I think that the people of Sydney certainly demand some change, albeit probably not a two-way toll on the Harbour Bridge. Good luck with it. Thanks, Chris. That's the Roads Minister, John Graham. 131873, what's your view?

Do you think that we've paid off the Harbour Bridge many times over and it shouldn't be tolled in both ways? Or do you buy the minister's logic that if you toll the Harbour Bridge both ways, that way you can get a pool of money which can go back into people who drive long distances in the western part of our city? 0460 873 873. It's 25 and a half past four. Peter's at Chatswood. You want to talk about tolls, Peter?

Yeah, look, Chris, the minister's totally, totally stuffing this up. He's not comparing apples with apples. What is a toll? Is it just a tax or is it a charge to use the road that goes towards the maintenance of the tunnel, for the maintenance of the bridge, etc., etc.?

And the people that drive 30 kilometres on a stretch of road, they should pay more because it's 30 kilometres of road to be maintained, not a couple of kilometres of a tunnel or a bridge. It's either a fair income pay-per-use charge or it's just another tax. It's a pay-per-use charge, the difference being that we're paying a private company.

I get that, but they've made the investment. They have to pay the companies to do the asphalting and clean the walls of the tunnels. It's just don't sit there with their hand out and collect money. They've got massive expenses to pay that we would be paying for our taxes if they didn't pay it. Of course. Don't forget, they gave us a big whack of cash too so we could build...

the other roads, effectively an upfront payment for a 40-year concession, which is our toll money. Yeah, exactly. So the money was used. The taxpayers benefited from that money as well. But someone has to pay for it. I agree with you, Peter. Well said. Thank you for your call, 131873. Diana, is it Narellan? Hello, Diana.

Oh, hello, Chris. Lovely to speak to you. The origin of the free toll in One Direction was in the days of the old toll booths and it was to speed up the traffic. So they decided to make one way free and the other direction double. That's right. It was 10 cents and then 20 cents or something, wasn't it?

Oh, I can't remember because I don't live on the North Shore. No, well, if you live in Narellan... I can remember it happening. You know, I'm quite elderly now. Well, Diana, if you live in Narellan, you know all about tolls.

Yeah, oh yes, well I'm not able to drive because of my arthritis. So I don't drive anywhere these days. But Diana, I remember it, you'd have the guys, I remember as a kid, you'd have the guys on the toll booths all around town and especially on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But I'm pretty sure it was 10 cents and then they said, oh, we've got to speed the traffic up so we'll put 20 cents but only one way. That was the idea, wasn't it?

Yes, that was the idea. The toll didn't change overall. It was just double in one direction and free in the other. All right, Dana. I appreciate that. Thank you for your call. I wonder if John Graham, if he puts tolls on both sides of the Harbour Bridge, if the charge itself will be halved. Mick's at Campbelltown. Hello, Mick. G'day, Chris. How are you, Mick? Yeah, pretty cool. I was just listening to old mate before. Um...

I've lived in Campbelltown, or me and my wife and kids and grandkids. We've lived out here a long time. I threw my job in or resigned in, I'll tell you the date, the 8th of January this year. So I travelled that road.

for 17 years for the job I was in and I just had enough and like it wasn't too bad I left the trees I'll say four o'clock in the morning every morning okay we say that we get the tolls back but it takes three to four months to get the LinkedIn back so it's coming out of your account I didn't have a career me and my wife have never had a credit card or whatever

So you get that back. But then on the way home every afternoon, someone sneezes on that M5 and it stops it. Terrible. So it was multiple times that I had to go via Wollongong to get to Rose Meadow. Mm-hmm.

And what, you just got jack of it, did you? What I'm saying is it comes down to the crunch. Last year, I just had enough. And when my wife spoke about what was going on, but you know what the kicker is? The kicker here is that the first, say I got paid fortnightly. I was $425 off, better off that first fortnight in tolls and fuel.

That's a lot of money, isn't it? I get it, Mick. I've got a mate of mine who lives in Spring Farm. He's got a young family and he got offered a promotion at work, right? And he got offered a promotion and I said, oh, that's pretty good. You'll get a little bit more money. And he said, yeah, but the problem is I get the train from Campbelltown into town and the hours that this promotion means that I have to work means that I will have to drive and with tolls,

it doesn't work out financially. So we knocked it back. I'm in the meat industry. Everyone will know probably who I am, right? Everyone in the meat industry will probably know who I am. I'm better off working three days a week, casual in Campbelltown. When I can not pay that $400, then going all the way to Stratford or Greenacre or the city. All right, Mick, I'm going to keep running, but thank you for your call. I really appreciate it. 131873.

In the newsroom, Josh Bryant. G'day. Good afternoon, Chris. As you've just been discussing, the state's road minister says toll road reforms are difficult but not impossible, with the state government hoping to formalise a response to the toll inquiry in the coming months. Firefighters have confirmed a number of dogs have died as a result of smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a home in Sydney's southwest. A man has been charged with 50 property offences...

As part of police investigations into a series of alleged break-and-enters right across Sydney, and meteorologists are reminding drivers to take care, especially in areas under threat of snow from an icy blast which is hanging over eastern Australia, with that possible snowfall hanging around until at least tomorrow. In sport, a big boost for the struggling Raiders in the NRL. Halfback Jamal Fogarty returns from injury to face the Warriors on Friday night. He hasn't played since April due to a bicep injury. We'll have more news in sport at five.

Thanks, Josh. Fred's at Cranbourne. Hello, Fred. Yeah, g'day, Chris. How you going, mate? I'm well, thanks, Fred. That's good. Yeah, I just about these tolls. I want to know why we're paying tolls when we register our cars. Say, for instance, I just registered mine. It cost me $745. $214 of that was for the actual registration. The rest was for tax, which is supposed to go to the roads.

Now, you add that up over all the cars on here, we shouldn't have to pay tolls, mate. They make enough money from the tax, and not to say that, but the fuel exhaust as well. Good on you, Fred. I can understand the frustration for people. The truth is big companies came in and built a... ..gave us a whole lot of money to build a very expensive road in West Connex. And we built the M5 East, the tunnel under Parramatta Road didn't exist.

You built the widened M4. Didn't exist. You built NorthConnex. Didn't exist. You built the M8, duplicating the M5. Didn't exist. You've got the M4, M5 link and the Roselle interchange. You've got a motorway going to Sydney airport. You've got a motorway going to Coggera. You know, all of this stuff costs tens of billions of dollars. The former coalition government took to an election. We're going to sell the poles and wires.

We voted, yep, and they're going to use that money after they sold the poles and wires to build WestConnex. And they did that, and it means that it costs money. And unfortunately for the people of New South Wales, we voted for this. We knew what was happening, but exactly how it's all played out in terms of this road being contracted, it needs to be uniform. Surely there is a way through this, though, and I think if you're talking about equity...

And things being fair, I don't see how it is fair that a person who lives in, for argument's sake, Cronulla or Avalon, who would have absolutely no reason to use North Connects, the M4, a widened M7, the M8, never used them. Their state asset was sold too. They owned it. Their taxes helped fund the build of these brand new roads. It got people in the western suburbs around much easier than it once did.

How are they being disadvantaged because the Sydney Harbour Bridge all of a sudden gets tolled both ways? Makes no sense at all to me. And if you're talking about equity, it is not equitable. It's just a revenue stream. So can we please just be honest about it? Charging tolls both ways on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel is nothing but a revenue stream that the New South Wales government is doing to fund toll reform.

Just be honest. It's got nothing to do about being fairer. Nothing at all. It's just a way that they can put their hands in your pockets. It's as simple as that. 25 to 5.

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. It's 21 to 5. Cathy's called in. Cathy's stuck in the domain tunnel. G'day, Cathy. Hi there. How are you, Chris? I'm good, thanks. How is it? Oh, it's a shocker. I've been the super centre on the Eastern Distributor and I'm only just at the art gallery and it's now been 20 minutes. So please avoid the area if people can. It's a shocker. What's happened?

I think it's the over-height truck. I haven't got to anything as yet, but I think it's the over-height truck and or the car fire on the Roaringa Freeway going north. Probably a bit of both. Good on you, Cathy. I appreciate that. Now, Dennis Lee tells us that it is due to an over-height vehicle, one of three northbound lanes closed on the eastern distributor. Thus, Cathy's very, very slow trip through the eastern distributor and up to the Domain Tunnel. But...

Still, they'll charge you both ways on the Eastern Distributor now. You can sit in traffic for 20 minutes, half an hour, an hour, whatever it is, doesn't matter. You've still got to pay. 131873. Now, I'm just going to return to US politics for a moment. It's been a big day in Wisconsin. The Republican National Convention has been held in Milwaukee and Donald Trump has selected his vice presidential running mate. And his name is J.D. Vance. What do we know about J.D. Vance?

He's young. He's only 39 years old. And given Trump is 78, there's... Vance is a chance of becoming president, I suppose, depending on Trump's health. J.D. Vance doesn't have much experience in office, though. But he is best known for his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. And Mr. Vance, he's a first-term Ohio senator. He was only sworn in last year. He's a big Make America Great Again guy.

But he once compared Donald Trump to Hitler. Very strange. He's now the candidate for vice president. Donald Trump's running mate. He's got strong views on foreign policy, perhaps most significantly. He is against the United States providing ongoing aid to

to Ukraine. Now, earlier, I spoke to Brian Loughnane. He was the federal director of the Liberal Party of Australia, now deputy chairman of the International Democracy Union. And he said that J.D. Vance may be a Republican, but his role will be to talk to working class voters. J.D. Vance is known for the book

book, The Hillbilly Allergy, that he's written about life in West Virginia, which is a huge bestseller and was talking about ordinary working class people and the struggles that they go through. Tonight at the convention, there was also speeches by two trade union official's

who've always voted for the Democrats, the sort of people Biden needs to get in. So there is a very overt play for ordinary working class voters. And I think J.D. Vance is somebody who reinforces that. He's somebody who's going to be communicating to ordinary workers. Yeah, and maybe Donald Trump just needs a little bit of youth, right?

Maybe he just needs a bit of youth. Well, Professor Simon Jackman is from the US Studies Centre at Sydney University. He's on the line. Professor, thanks for joining us. Pleasure. JD Vance, were you surprised?

Not really. I thought it was going to be either him or the governor of North Dakota. But for all the reasons you just foreshadowed, that youthful exuberance, I thought J.D. Vance would be a good pick. And also, it's not so much often these picks are about the state they're from. J.D. Vance is from Ohio, or he represents Ohio in the Senate. That's a red state. That's not why Trump has picked him. He's picked him for the reasons to do with his youth.

but also his ability to pick up, as you said, those white working class trade union votes in states like Wisconsin, in states like Pennsylvania. That's what Vance brings with the ticket. Does he have much experience in public office? What's he done in his life? No, no, he doesn't. He doesn't. He's only recently in the United States Senate. Oh.

And so this is a big step up. He's a relative newcomer. And he got into the Senate on the back of, you know, a big, big donation, $15 million from Peter Thiel, one of the co-founders of PayPal, really bankrolled his

you know, transition from being this author writing the book, Kill Billy Elegy, that got a lot of play and you referred to and as did Brian Locknane there, that transition was really bankrolled. You don't run for US Senate without a lot of money. But that was really effectively bankrolled by Peter Thiel only a couple of years ago.

And he's only been in federal politics, I think, only about four years at this point at most. One thing I don't understand is what is with Republicans and their opposition to providing aid to Ukraine? It's a really great question. It's such an inversion of the traditional role of the Republican Party as the party. Could you imagine the party of Bush and the party of Reagan saying, oh, no, we're going to kowtow to Russia?

Yeah. And this is the this is the big the big inversion. And it's really it's got two thrusts to it. One is, I think, unique to Trump. And I don't think anybody really knows what it is about Trump and Putin. But the other thing is, it's about this real focus on America first. And that is why is the United States spending money on problems in Eastern Europe?

when a lot of Republicans would say, well, at least MAGA Republicans would say, the issue is on our southern border. And this is something Vance has been incredibly articulate, incredibly passionate about saying, our number one security challenge is not Russia and Eastern Europe, it's what's happening on our southern border. And so there's a big push to secure the southern border, there's a big push to deport illegal immigrants, particularly those who have been convicted of a crime, and a big push to stop drugs coming over the border. Yeah.

JD Vance, he's also got some very interesting takes on abortion. Oh, yeah, yeah. And not just that, right? So a whole bunch of other topics. And it's all relatively new for him. The JD Vance who wrote Hillbilly Elegy is almost...

bookish, academic, very, you know, engaging in sort of this very nuanced debate and insight, sociological insights about what's happening to, you know, the rural working class, the ex-urban working class, post-industrialization, all this sort of fancy hullabaloo. And then,

Once he's in office, he drops his opposition to Trump and comes out firing one of the most forceful advocates on issues like abortion, on issues like immigration, on an America First foreign policy stance, a real transformation for J.D. Bannon, going from once using some very harsh language to describe Donald Trump to now his running mate in the space of about four years. It's a pretty remarkable transition. Simon, just before I let you go...

The big bandage on Donald Trump's ear. It's the first time I saw him a little emotional, to be honest. Yeah, look, and all eyes on Trump. And I just wonder what's going to happen here. Is it a bit good cop, bad cop? Have we got to chagrined Donald Trump at least for the next couple of days or two? And I think this is what the J.D. Vance pick is about. Is it good cop, bad cop? Vance goes in hard while I think on and livens up

the Republican base on some of these more extreme policy stances. Whereas Trump, after his assassination attempt with the bandage on his ear, perhaps wanting to sort of appear, frankly, a little more conventionally presidential than he's used to. And we'll get a bit of language about union. I have no idea. That's just me.

forecasting what the next two or three nights of television might look like. Maybe he's just a guy that almost died and he's feeling it at the moment. You could probably forgive him for that. You've got to think, right? That's the other thing, right? You've got to be thinking that too, even for Donald Trump, right? Something like this has got to just like, whoa, slow you right down and maybe take stock. Yeah. Simon Jackman, appreciate you coming on. Have a good day. No worries. Thank you, sir. That's Professor Simon Jackman from the US Study Centre Australia.

at Sydney University just on J.D. Vance, on his abortion point of view. So he argued against exceptions for abortions that were as a result, pregnancies as a result of rape and incest. And this is what he said, quote, I think two wrongs don't make a right. And he dismissed pregnancies that result from those traumas as inconveniences. Well, don't know how that'll go.

capturing the centre of American politics, but who knows over there. 13 to 5. If I could talk to the animals, just imagine it, chatting with a chimping chimpanzee. Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting with a cheetah. What a neat achievement it would be. Alright, our family pastor Featherdale Wildlife Park is on the line. All you've got to do is guess this animal. It's the animal.

That sounds like a motorbike. Debbie from North Curl Curl, hello. Hello, how are you? I'm all right, Debbie. What's the animal? Awesome. My son tells me it's a hippo. It is a hippo. Well done, Debbie. How old's your son? He's 14, but he's a dinosaur and animal freak. Oh, awesome. He had to think about it, but he was pretty sure. Are you going to take him? Yeah, of course. That wouldn't be fair otherwise. Hey, Debbie, family pass coming your way to Featherdale Wildlife Park. Enjoy it, okay?

Oh, fantastic. Thanks so much. Well done, Debbie, and well done to your 14-year-old son too. That's our great mates at Featherdale Wildlife Park. Free wildlife adventure trail for kids all July. Check them out, featherdale.com.au. A thousand dollars. If you can guess the Olympian, this is clue number two.

She was one of the stars of the Tokyo Olympics when she captured the 200 metres free and the 400 metres free gold medals.

Star of a Tokyo Olympics, winning the 200 metre freestyle and 400 metre freestyle gold medals. I'll give you the cue to call just after the five o'clock news. I've given you two clues now. You should know it's pretty straightforward, right? There's $1,000 to be won each weekday. Breakfast, mornings, afternoon, of course, here on Drive. Paris 2024. Not long now. The breaking news you can trust. It's Drive with Chris O'Keefe on 2GB.

A whole bunch of plans have been revealed to turn a block of land on Parramatta Road into more than 1,000 units. It's part of this big proposal to turbocharge our inner city's housing stop. So Daycorp, they have a proposal, Daycorp, for 1,185 homes along Parramatta Road at 5 Dock.

Big development, is it? So you'll have six residential towers up to 30 stories tall, mix of retail tenancies, commercial floor space, apartments...

And it is between 129 to 153 Parramatta Road and 53 to 75 Queens Road at Five Dock. Well, the Parramatta Road area, it needs rejuvenation. And I know that there is a Sydney Metro line going in there. So if there's a thousand units, that means at least sort of two and a half thousand people have a place to live. I'm all for it, really. Five to five. It's interesting when they say the quiet bit out loud, right?

So Qantas boss Vanessa Hudson has said that there aren't enough passengers in Australia to sustain more than three domestic airlines, given how expensive it is to provide services across the country. So she was speaking in Perth, the CEO of Qantas, Vanessa Hudson, and she said Australia's aviation market differs from the rest of the world because...

We've got a large country geographically, small population, and we are reliant on domestic travel. So any more than three airlines is too many. Five o'clock news is coming up very shortly with Josh Bryant. On the other side of that, I want to talk about Australia's second division soccer competition.

I didn't realise I could stick with my industry super fund when I retired. Thankfully, I discovered if I stayed, I could set up a regular income, take money out when I wanted, 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.

Now back to Drive with Chris O'Keefe on Sydney's 2GB. It's seven past five. Thank you for your company on this Tuesday afternoon. Give us a call 131 873. My email address is drive at 2GB.com or a text line 0460 873 873. Coming up, I know that the A-League is in all sorts of financial trouble and there's questions about whether A-League soccer will continue.

ultimately continue in the form that it's in.

But did you know the B League or the second division, it looks like it's fallen over before it's even begun. I'll tell you all about it coming up. And I've also got $1,000 to give away in probably the easiest guess, the Olympian, yes. Opinions that matter. News you can trust. This is Drive on Sydney's 2GB. Well, there's been a survey that was used to inform Clover Moore and the City of Sydney's decision to...

look at 30km an hour speed limits in the CBD. So Clover said there's parts of the CBD which will be 30km an hour. Otherwise, it's 40km an hour on all local roads. And the City of Sydney and the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, they put a survey out to say, before we decide to do this, just let us know what you think. So the entire survey only received 107 responses...

through an online portal and just six of them were in favour of Clover Moore's speed limit changes. So council managed roads in the suburbs of Glebe, Forest Lodge, Beaconsfield, Waterloo, 50km/h limits have been dropped to 40km/h limits.

In Annandale, Redfern, Alexandria, Zetland, Woolloomooloo, it'll go from 50km to 40km. And then in some parts of the CBD, Clovermoor will cut it to 30km an hour. And the survey they used to instruct them as to whether or not to go down this path, just six people said, yeah, we should do this, honestly.

Clover Moore, she just does what she wants. That's fine. Now, Premier Chris Minns has said that he opposes the drop to 30 kilometres an hour, saying that you can walk quicker than that. And Australia's largest city should not be treated like a country town. So that's good news that Chris Minns is against it. Hopefully he can use the cloud of transport for New South Wales to knock it on the head. But Clover Moore.

It's all a bit dictatorial, isn't it? Just six people saying, yeah, we want it. And she goes, well, we're doing it anyway. 131873. So there's been a bit of a mystery in Coffs Harbour. So there's a place called Jetty Beach at Coffs Harbour. And on the 18th of June, police were called there, right?

And police found human remains in the sand dunes. So a volunteer doing preservation work found the human remains. They were bones. And it's believed to be the remains of a woman in her 50s or 60s. And she was wearing a bras and things singlet top and blue denim jeans. And police believe she died somewhere between 2020 and 2023. And there was a novel, Reading Glasses,

and a backpack that have been discovered close to where the remains are, and they believe it is this lady's belongings. Police have absolutely no idea who she is. None. None at all.

All they know is they believe that she died somewhere between 2020 and 2023. They've got her DNA. It matches nothing on their records. And the items of interest are a paperback book by Anne-Marie Conway titled The Butterfly Summer, reading glasses, silver earrings, hair clips, a Target branded blue and white striped button-up shirt, and a Harvey World travel backpack, as well as a Laura Jones brand wallet. If that

piques your interest or triggers any memories, 1-800-333-000, because police need your help to identify who this lady is, 131873. Now, the Minns government, Chris Minns, when he was in opposition, he said, no, no, no, we're not going to do tolls both ways on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Well, guess what? Looks like that was a lie. Looks like that was a lie. Because the Fells Review into Toll Reform in New South Wales

has suggested that the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel and the Eastern Distributor should be tolled both ways. And John Graham, the Roads Minister, has said, you know what? We're probably going to do it. This is what the report found. Two reports now, led by Alan Fels, have found this. It's not possible to have one system across the city when it comes to the city's tolling network if you stick to the way the old system works. And here's how it works. If you live in the west of the city...

you pay tolls in two directions and your tolls go up every quarter or every year. But if you're crossing the harbour via the bridge or the tunnel, your tolls are in one direction and they didn't go up for more than a decade. Allen Fels has made the point strongly in both these reports

If you're moving to one system across the city, everyone's got to pay their share here. Everyone's got to bear the burden. Terribly reductive logic. Scott Farlow, he's a New South Wales member of the opposition. He's a Liberal Party member. He's on the line. Scott, g'day. G'day, Chris. How are you today? I'm not too bad. What do you make of all this? Feels like a broken promise, doesn't it?

Well, Chris, it is a broken promise. The Premier said before that there'd be no new tolls on existing roads. And here we are, a couple of years later, he's in government and he's going to slap a toll on the people of Sydney both ways across the Harbour Bridge. That's the people's bridge, Chris. It's something we paid for many times over and it doesn't need a new toll. Scott, I was talking to, when I was speaking to the Minister for Roads, John Graham, I said, I don't understand your logic.

So you want us to pay two-way tolls on the Harbour Bridge and the Harbour Tunnel to raise some money, then to offset the tolls for people in Western Sydney. Yet people on the North Shore and the eastern suburbs and anyone who's been driving on the Harbour Bridge, doesn't matter where you live, you've been paying tolls on that for many, many decades. And if I live in, say, Avalon, I also paid...

through the sale of my poles and wires, a state asset, for roads like North Connects, West Connects, M8s, all of these different tunnels and motorways that I may never ever drive on in my life.

And, Chris, the people across regional New South Wales as well. Good point. But the truth of the matter is that people do not just use the Harbour Bridge if they live on the North Shore or the eastern suburbs. People in north-west Sydney use the Harbour Bridge. People in western Sydney use the Harbour Bridge. And people in the central coast use the Harbour Bridge. This isn't just used by one area of Sydney. So it's just another toll from a government that came in and said that they were going to put an end to toll mania. Their answer has been to slap on another toll.

It would make more sense to me if you sit down with Transurban, go righto. You realise this is silly. We realise this is silly. Let's do this. Here's the Western Harbour Tunnel because you're the only toll road operator that is in the game. Here's the Western Harbour Tunnel for 40 or 50 years. And I know that you've got toll concessions on WestConnex and the M7 and the like until 2060, whatever the number is. We'll extend it for another 20 years and then we'll make the tolls uniform. Isn't it as simple as a negotiation as that?

Well, look, John Graham stood four times now with Alan Fells about this report, but they still haven't made a decision. They still haven't gotten around the table and actually tried to nut out a deal with Transurban. And all we've seen today is the creation of a new bureaucracy when it comes to the Sydney motorways. So this isn't a government that's serious about ending tolls and trying to bring toll relief. They're a government that's trying to work backwards and unscrambling a mess that they've made for themselves.

Do you believe that the government knows what it's doing here? Because as you said, it's the people's bridge. And if you're raising money through a two-way toll to give to Transurban to offset tolls in Western Sydney, that isn't a roundabout way to privatisation.

Well, Chris, it comes back to the government's got to tell us what the cost of all this is. Like, I think everyone in Sydney would like to see toll reform, but it's like the little doers, tell them the price, son. And there is no cost that has been put on the table from the government yet. And that is very dangerous for the people of New South Wales that we still don't know what this is going to cost all of the taxpayers in New South Wales. Good on you, Scott. I appreciate you coming on. Thanks so much. Good on you, Chris. Thanks, mate. That's Scott Farlow.

He's the acting Shadow Roads Minister here in New South Wales. 131873. William says on the text line, so Chris, it sounds like you just want to keep slugging Western Sydney. That's not what I said, William, at all. Use your ears. What I did say was get down, sit down with Transurban, negotiate person to person, government to Transurban,

and figure out a way which Transurban wins and the motorist wins. The motorist does not win by people paying tolls on the harbour bridge or the harbour tunnel both ways.

It is a revenue stream that is simply being exploited by Alan Fels and John Graham and Chris Minns' government. It's as simple as that. That's all it is. It's lazy. It's just pure laziness from the Minns government. And Chris Minns, it came out of his mouth. There will not be any new tolls on existing free roads, nor will the Harbour Bridge be tolled both ways. But guess what? Gets into government, changes his tune, of course. William, try harder.

First with the news, only in Sydney. It's Drive with Chris O'Keefe on 2GB. So have you heard about the latest saga in Australian soccer, Australian football? Because it seems the promised B-League, sort of the much-anticipated second division of professional soccer in Australia, it might be fizzling out before it even kicks off.

So after all the hype and all the promises, it looks like we might be stuck with just the A-League for a while longer if the A-League survives. So Vince Rigari, great journo, he's written this in the Herald. So the A-League has been struggling with its finances and overall management for years, right? They got this massive injection of $150 million, the A-League, from a private equity firm called Silverlake. That money's been spent and nobody really knows where it's all gone.

So then fans look forward to a fresh start. There's a new lower division with all the traditional clubs. So a second division, Arpia Leichhardt, Sydney Olympic, Marconi, Sydney United, the Wollongong Wolves, and then proud traditional clubs from Melbourne too. They all play each other. And for football lovers who miss the good old days of the tribal National Premier League, violence or not, this was music to their ears, right? But the B League dream is starting to look a bit like a pipe dream.

So Football Australia, the governing body, they've hit a snag in the plans to launch the second division. And there's a whole bunch of finger pointing going on and confusion over who will foot the bill in setting up the second division league, the B League. And they also can't find two to four other clubs to play in it because there were some quite lofty financial benchmarks that these clubs needed to meet if they were to be admitted into the second division.

They can't find any other clubs who can meet those benchmarks by the sounds of things. So with the A-League almost falling over, the B-League, with all the traditional clubs, was supposed to be that spark, that chance for smaller clubs, traditional clubs, to shine and the sport to grow domestically here in Australia beyond its current failures. Now, the A-Leagues themselves, the Australian Professional Leagues, they've got nothing to do with the second division, and it's still fallen over.

So where does Australian soccer go to from here, honestly? There is so much unprofessionalism and so much uncertainty surrounding the future of both, not only the second division, but the A-League itself.

So one thing is for sure, though, the powers that be, they need to get their act together if they want to keep the beautiful game alive and kicking in Australia. In the meantime, all we can do is watch English Premier League, watch the Euros, and I suppose Barrick for the Matildas. It's about the best we can do. 20 past five. It's coming up to 24 past five, and new research has indicated that a cave found on the moon...

provides ideal conditions for human exploration. This story in the ABC. So research published in the Journal of Nature Astronomy yesterday analysed images that NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft took all the way back in 2010 of a pit. Now, the site is where Apollo 11 landed back in 1969, if you believe that it did land. It's visible from Earth, though.

And the Nature Astronomy paper confirmed previous research from geophysical research letters late last year, which indicated the pit led to a big cave on the moon. So it extends 100 metres deep, this cave on the moon, and at least 45 metres wide. It has a skylight on the moon's surface leading down to overhanging walls and a sloping floor. And they reckon it could even extend a fair bit underground.

And they believe that it is a possible option for a lunar base, a human lunar base. So a big cave on the moon. Fascinating, isn't it? So the lunar surface, I think it gets to about the moon's surface. It heats up 127 degrees Celsius during the day and cools to around minus 173 degrees Celsius below.

at night, but within the cave, they're pretty confident you'll get 17 degrees Celsius consistently. So, you know, once you get all your bits and pieces with your oxygen and everything else sorted, maybe, just maybe, it could be

the place where we could have a lunar base. 131873, just on tolls. Todd's called in from Rudy Hill. Hello, Todd. Yeah, g'day, Chris. Just two real quick things. I reckon tolls should be uniform both ways on every toll road. No matter where you're going, whether it's Western Sydney or South Western Sydney, get in both ways. So should Sydney. It should just be uniform.

Well, do you reckon that... Hey, Todd, just on that then, on that logic, should they get rid of M5 cashback? Because it's the only road in the city that gets cashback. So we should just make them free then? Yeah.

Yeah, mate. And secondly, it takes 30 minutes to get from A to B on a toll road. If it takes you an hour to get from the same A to B, you shouldn't have to pay a toll. You shouldn't be paying a toll to send a car park. Yeah, I agree with that part. And I reckon that's the same logic as if the trains, you know, go to God on a regular basis in massive delays and the like. There should be...

Toll-free days, for sure. And there should be fare-free days, just like on the train lines. Hey, Todd, I've got a double pass for you to go and see Torval and Dean, okay? You enjoy your afternoon. 131873. Don't miss Skating Legends Torval and Dean on their last ever Australian tour. They're at Kudos Bank Arena. They're skating. June 2025 for Torval and Dean. Tickets on sale now from Ticketek. If it's happening in Sydney, you'll hit on Drive on 2GB.

Well, Matt Keane, the incoming Climate Change Authority Chair, he's issued a call to arms for the clean energy industry to enter the arena and push back against vested interests seeking to erode public confidence in renewable energy. So he's a Liberal MP for another few weeks until the new member for Hornsby is anointed at the by-election. But he told the Australian Clean Energy Summit, Matt Keane...

that the science and the financial heft, the industry that is, they have the heft to counter the propaganda of vested fossil fuel interests. And he says this, quote,

While many here remain silent and hopeful, they, as in people who are interested in gas and coal and nuclear, are loud and determined, says Matt Keane. It is time for many of you in this room to put your mouth where your money is. The facts, the benefits and the positive outcomes are on your side. It's time for you to enter the bait and argue for Australia. Well, good luck with that, Matt. Good luck. All I'd say to you is...

I made the point at the top of the program just after three o'clock how far away batteries are from being a viable alternative or a viable technology, I should say, to power our grid 24-7 when it comes to solar and wind energy. And we're seeing that in California itself. And they use a little thing called gas. And whichever way you look at things, coal's dead, right? So government's spoken, the private sector's spoken. Forget coal power. But gas...

is critical to keeping the lights on. Critical to keeping the lights on. And any suggestion otherwise is just simply an out and out lie. Let's check the news headlines.

Josh Bryan, G'day. Good afternoon again, Chris. Drivers are being promised a formal response from the state government on toll roads within the coming months after an expert inquiry handed down its final report on the issue. Police are checking with missing persons units right around the country as they try to identify a woman whose bones were found on a north coast beach. Investigations are underway after a woman was shot in the hand near Albury. The man who allegedly shot her was later found dead at another police station.

Thanks, Josh. 131873. Now, I've just received an email from...

I won't say who, but it's a letter from the CFMEU that they've just sent to all of their members. And there's some suggestions that this is propaganda.

But I'll read it to you. So it says this. Dear member, I'm writing to you to inform you of a significant and unprecedented decision made by the National Executive of the CFMEU this morning. The Victorian branch will be placed into administration and the National Office will assume all senior executive powers. The decision has not been taken lightly. We will establish an independent process to investigate any credible allegations of wrongdoing. Well, it's not independent. You're paying for it. So it's the CFMEU investigating the CFMEU.

Now, this is the first time in our union's history that such an action has been taken. Well, I wonder why. However, we have zero tolerance for criminality. Anyone found to have engaged in criminal conduct while representing the CFMEU will be identified and removed. Our union exists for one purpose only, to defend and advance the safety and conditions of workers.

Well, I'll pay the safety and conditions of workers thing, but I don't think that's their only purpose. The Victorian branch has been immensely successful in pursuing this purpose. Here we go. I want to pay tribute to John Setka for his incredible achievements as Victorian secretary. He is a legend of our union, John Setka.

How can we take these people seriously? Who leaves an enormous legacy. However, recent allegations are serious and demand a thorough response. It goes on and on and on. We stand firm in our commitment to protecting and advancing the rights and safety of all our members. In solidarity, Zach Smith, National Secretary of the CFMEU. They should just bring back the Builders' Labourers' Federation. Seriously. Bring back the BLF.

It's at the point now where the CFMU... I wonder where Anthony Albanese and Tony Burke are going to go here because as it stands right now, the CFMU is very hard to take seriously. It's 28-6.

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I think the technical term for the weather today is bloody freezing. So right now, 13 degrees in the city and 12 in our west. It'll dip to 10 in the city tonight and 11 in the west. But that wind, it's bitterly cold, isn't it? Tomorrow, partly cloudy. Tops of 19 in the city tomorrow and 19 in the west. Oh!

Okay, that's your cue to call. 1-300-722-873. 1-300-722-873. You heard the two clues earlier. Your cue to call. Call me now. 1-300-722-873. There's $1,000 for you to win. $1,000 for you to win. Call the competition line.

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Scott Haywood's got money news for you tonight after 7 o'clock. Scott, what happened on the markets? Good afternoon, Chris. The ASX 200 hit a record high yesterday as we both celebrated, but couldn't quite hang on to the gains today, falling only marginally just 18 points or 0.2% to 7,999. Of course, it was a big night in the US, which was the first trading session after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

And investors rallied to the market. You know, a Trump victory now is looking very likely, and that is probably a good news story for most sectors on Wall Street, but it unfortunately didn't translate back home. It was a mixed day here, but...

Apparently, Donald Trump is going to slap 60% tariffs on Chinese goods, so I don't think he'll be in favour of the Chinese, but I don't think the Communist Party have to vote in America when it comes around in early November, whether it be Trump or Biden, in terms of propping up the economy. But that is something that will be a big factor in the next few months. Coffee prices going up, are they? Well, you know, coffee is one of those luxuries. Like, it's one of those great smells in the morning when you have a freshly brewed coffee, but...

You know, to get your hand on coffee in terms of traders, in Australia in particular, the price has gone up more than 50% in the last 12 months. And in some varieties, it's at all-time highs. Tonight, I've got Julia Tink, the co-founder of St. Romeo Coffee, on Let's Talk Business to talk about why coffee is so expensive if people are cutting back.

And some of the price challenges that small business owners have to combat to manage increases that are around inflation and, of course, the labour shortages that people have had in terms of just getting a coffee at your local barista. Scott, we'll hear from you after seven o'clock. Appreciate you coming on. Thanks, Chris. That's Scott Haywood with Money News after seven o'clock. Carol's in Guyamere. Hello, Carol. Hi, how are you going? I'm all right. How are you? Oh, I'm okay. Are you going to be a thousand bucks richer or what?

You confident? I hope so. All right. You've got to tell me who this is. You've got to tell me who this is. She was born in Launceston but moved to Queensland in her teenage years to pursue better opportunities. She was one of the stars of the Tokyo Olympics. She captured the 200 metres freestyle and 400 metre freestyle gold medals. It's an easy one. Who's our Olympian? It's Ariane Kitsmith. Well done. $1,000 coming your way.

I can't wait to see Arnie swim, can you? She's going to be a superstar. Me too. Her and Molly O'Callaghan, they're just going to blitz the pool. Our golden girls.

That's it. I hope they do. And talking about it, you're in the money. Good on you, Carol. $1,000 coming your way. Ben, Ray, Michael and myself will all have more chances to win. Stay listening. I can't wait. Especially Ariane Titmuss and Molly O'Callaghan. What Dean Boxall has done with them on the Gold Coast is quite extraordinary. Some of the fastest swimmers in the world all happened to come out of the one pool. Well done to the girls and we can't wait to support them at the Paris Olympics. It's 20-6.

It's 17 to 6, a little bit of breaking news. The federal government is preparing to appoint an independent administrator to overhaul the CFMEU. So they'll impose tight control on key parts of the CFMEU. And Anthony Albanese has expressed contempt for John Setka. And as Prime Minister, he has said he will take whatever action is appropriate to fix the problems with the union. Well, maybe, just maybe...

You should have just kept the Australian Building and Construction Commission instead of Tony Burke going out there and demonising it. Anyway, it looks like the Employment Minister, Tony Burke, will unveil the federal response. They'll all be very upset, won't they? Outraged at the developments out of the CFMEU. Each and every one of them knew exactly what was going on. You only need some very brief interaction with the building game to know the stories about the CFMEU.

And for Tony Burke and all the crowd in Labor to now stand there and say, oh, we didn't know. We're shocked, appalled at the developments. They are lying through their teeth. Inside Word on everything Sydney. It's Drive with Chris O'Keefe on 2GB.

Now the new financial year is underway, so here's a question. When we're squirrelling our money away, what is a better investment? Shares or property? Well, our resident property expert, Scott Kuru, he's from Freedom Property Investors, a commercial partner with us here on Drive, and I want to check out how the residential real estate is performing. Scott, g'day.

Yeah, the market is going really good, Chris. In Sydney alone, prices are up 6.3% this year. And that's a time when we've got the highest interest rates in a very long time, Chris. What is it, Scott? What's driving this thing? It's supply and demand. And just going to your point, I know you just gave the breaking news about the unions. And if I could just...

Of course. Let your audience know because one of the big things that's affecting the ability for us to build more property and fix the supply is the cost of building a new property. Now, materials like concrete and steel, those costs are under control right now, but the labor costs are going through the roof. A lot of it has to do, you've got guys that hold fines, stop, go, stop, go, making $160,000 a year. Mm-hmm.

And those costs go into what you and I pay for our homes.

So there's a big issue there with the cost of labour. And you speak to any developer and it's making it more and more difficult at the moment to make these developments financially viable. Labour, insurance, the cost of supply and even just dealing with government bureaucracy like Sydney Water to get basic approvals done. That means we don't have supply to your point, Scott. The prices go up 6% in a high interest rate environment.

That's right. People should know that who they vote for and policies do affect what they're paying for the cost of their property to bring new supply on. Yeah, so pretty much that's the problem. We're not building enough property. There's a lot of constraints there. Cost of building is one of them, Chris. Now, talk to me. The list of Sydney suburbs set to join the $1 million club, what are they?

look i don't have a list here but pretty much if you go out 45 minutes to 55 minutes travel from the sydney cbd so if you sit there on your google maps and you're doing some research figuring out where to buy go to google maps map out you know that that 50 minute drive radius start looking at all of those suburbs and what you'll find is you'll see properties at price points around 600 700 800 000 in the next two to three years you can expect most of those

to get over the $1 million mark. So we've been saying this for a long time. The market's three groups, you know, affordable, low-end, 700K, middle, 1.2, 1.5, top-end, 2 million and above. 2 million and above, prices have dropped 7.5%. The middle of the market has only grown 4%. The affordable end, where we've been trying to educate your audience there, Chris, to make a move there, has grown 10% year-to-date. Yeah.

And some of those suburbs, Scott, when you and I were growing up, you'd go, sorry, what? A million dollars for a house there? You go to Mount Druitt. I'm not saying anything about Mount Druitt. I grew up in those areas, right? But paying $1.2 million, you know, you go back to when I was a young lad, you never would have dreamed it. And this is just the crazy reality that we're part of right now, Chris. So there's a lot of talk about, you know, there's pessimism when it comes to the economy, potential interest rate hikes, all the rest of it.

recession talk, all that. Are you seeing that pessimism in the property market at the moment, Scott? No, we're not. And, you know, because the demand is there. There's not enough property being listed. There's not enough being built. So people are scrambling. You've got to understand the core...

expense that everyone has is the cost of their accommodation. So people will literally eat less or not eat. People will not drive. They'll, they'll, you know, not spend money on their petrol to ensure that they're housed comfortably and safely. So, um, there's a, there's a long way to go before, um, the market, um, starts to drop. Scott Kuru, as always, I really appreciate your time and insights. Thanks so much. Take care, mate. That's Scott Kuru from Freedom Property Investors.

commercial partners with us here on Drive but it is we're only talking about it yesterday there's a full segment of the I think the Sydney community at the moment which it classes the working poor and I'm talking about lawyers I'm talking about doctors talking about nurses I'm talking about teachers people earning sort of household income of two hundred thousand dollars a year

Well, how do you break in the market on 200 grand a year? You can't. You can't. After tax, it is very, very difficult to live in Sydney. So it's really, in my view, almost an existential question for Chris Minns and any governments and society as a whole. What do we want our living standards to look like? Because it's directly related to how much we pay for property. And it's a real shame because...

A million bucks to live an hour out of Sydney. Well, it wasn't that long ago that you would have said you were absolutely dreaming. Now, it's cheap.

All right. Do you want to win 200 bucks of free petrol? All thanks to Shell V-Power. Call the open line. Sorry, now. 131873. 131873. We're going to play the Jewel for Fuel next. On 2GB Drive, let's Jewel for Fuel. $200 of it, all thanks to Shell V-Power. Our contestants this evening, I've got Joel Adilawong. Hello, Joel. G'day, Chris.

G'day Joel, Joanne's at Kingsford. Hello Joanne. Hi, hi. Joanne, you want to start? Yeah. Or do you want to go second? It's up to you, you tell me. What do you want to do, first or second? First. Alright, you ready? Yes. Your time starts now. True or false, the first President of the United States was Abraham Lincoln? False. Correct. George Washington, which rock group recorded the album London Calling in 1979?

The Clash. Michael Phelps won his first Olympic medal at which games? 2000 or 2004? 2004. Correct. Michael Jordan starred in a film with the Looney Tunes. What's it called? Space Jam. What's Australia's biggest air fort? Sydney. Correct. It's not too bad, Joanne. Three keeps you in the game. Three keeps you in the game. Joel, you there? Yeah, mate. Ready? Your time starts now. Which of the Nobel Prizes did Nelson Mandela win?

Peace Pro. Correct. Pass. The White House. McDonald's. Correct. Yes. True. Well done.

Joanne, I'm sorry. Joel, you got there. Four is a very good number. You did it with ease. $200 of free petrol coming your way thanks to Shell V-Power. It is the jewel for fuel and we play every afternoon here on Drive. And now, a preview of what's coming up on Wide World of Sports. Pick your favourite Kia from the award-winning Kia Sportage to the street-cred delivering Kia Seltos or Kia's most powerful car ever, the all-electric EV6 GT.

Mark Levy's got Wide World of Sports coming up next. Levy, can I ask you a question? Yes. Are you as nervous as I am for tomorrow evening? No, not at all. Not at all. I'm confident. I'm feeling good. I'm enthused by what they did down in Melbourne, and I think we've got a team that can become the first since 2005 to win a decider. Yes, my pom-poms and leotard are packed for Brisbane, but I am prepared to stand in solidarity with the Blues as

as they attempt to do what no team has done for a little while. I'd leave the leotard out of it. Why not? I look good in a leotard. Brother, we're big boys. One can't be leotarding.

What colour's yours, Maroon, you dribbler? What's a mixture of Maroon and Blue? With splinters in the backside? Hey, by the way, Billy Slater got a little bit cranky today at his press conference. What was fake news? Something was fake news, wasn't it? So Danny Weidler on 100% Footy last night was reporting that Selwyn Cobbo and Billy Slater, no talkies, were...

there's a bit of bad blood between them. So all the journos are there today at the press conference and they've said to the Queensland coach, well, what's going on? And the Queensland coach has pinched one from Donald Trump, fake news. So he got a little bit cranky today when they kept pushing him on it, saying everything's fine, everything's fine. But Danny did say last night on 100% Footy that Billy will deny, deny, deny. So I guess we'll find out tomorrow night how Selwyn plays as to whether or not

there's any bad blood between him and the coach. What's happened?

Well, if there was problems, he wouldn't get picked, would he? The Cobb? Well, I wouldn't have thought so. But they are, you know, they have been criticised for some of their selections throughout the series. But I just love when the Queenslanders are copying it left, right and centre. And Michael Maguire, he just stood there today and said, how good is it? We've got all the old Blues players involved. Paul Gallen, who will be with me tonight, is one of them. He's met with them over the recent months and just bringing the Blue back to what the Blues is all about. So good luck.

to him tomorrow night. And how many minutes for Jackie Trubojevic? Six? Seven? Oh, listen, don't start. Just, this is the problem. I really get upset when people, all they want to do is talk. I was down at the chemist getting some medication for my flight tomorrow and there was an old bloke down there going, ah, we've been in this position. I said, this is the problem. You've got to support him. You know,

You know what it is? It's a bit like being a Dragon supporter, right? Oh, don't put it in the same boat. You expect disappointment. So then when and if success does come, it's all that sweeter. Well, Thursday, I want a...

Oh, no, Friday I'm back. I want an apology, okay? You've got Thursday off, have you? Absolutely. You'll be travelling back from Suncorp Stadium. Looking forward to it, Levy. We'll talk to you then. That's Mark Levy with Wide World of Sports coming up. Don't forget, tomorrow we'll get the last word from the man himself, Phil Gasgool, as we head into the decider, State of Origin number three. I can't wait. That's it from me. Drive at 2GB.com if you've got anything you'd like us to look into. Bye-bye.