The Chaser Report - Diverse White People | Sami Shah

Episode Date: September 19, 2021

Sami dissects the Labor Party’s issues with finding diverse candidates, and Gabbi continues to suffer from noise pollution in her neighbourhood. Meanwhile Charles and Dom warn that the next global financial crisis is upon us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chase Report is brought to you by Your Mum. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. I'm sorry. That was dumb. I take it back. I swear I'll do better next time. God, I'm so stupid! Striving for mediocrity in a world of excellence, this is the Chase of Report.

Hello and welcome to the Chase Report on Monday the 20th of September 2021. We have Gabby Bolt, we have Meadom Knight and Charles Firth for the last time. before he buggers off for a week, Charles, how could you? I know, it's going to be so good not to have to work with either of you. Yay. I'm looking forward to just working with Gabby, actually. I think Charles has been holding us back. I really don't do anything, Dom.

Well, let's see in a week whether the ratings have plunged, because that's my prediction. Should we make this interesting? How much money have you got? That's a good question, because that's a lovely segue into what I want to talk about. And why I'm so happy. Way to avoid the bet, but go on. You know, everyone here is probably a bit povo, right? You know, like, you've got to...

No. Do you have credit card or afterpay or something like that? Do you have an... We're working on a podcast because we love it. So, you know, maybe... Like, how much have you got on an after pay? It's not a personal question. Oh, I pay all of it off.

I actually... Because I grew up povo, you see, so I know what debt can do to somebody. So it's like, you know, like, at most, it would ever be like $500 or something. Yeah, I would... Yeah. I think the last thing I purchased with it was a concert team. ticket, which, you know, went down the shudder anyway. But it was like, yeah, $250.

$2.50, okay. So, spare a thought for Evergrand. Have you heard about Evergrand? No, what's Evergrand? Right. So Evergrand, it is a company in China that has just gone broke. Guess how much debt Evergrand racked up before they realized, oh, wait a minute, we don't have any money to pay it back.

Oh, 10, 20 billion? $5 million. $300 billion. No, they did it. What? They've collapsed with $300 billion worth of debt. That's like three times the Australian sub-program. I know, exactly.

That's like a quarter of student debt in this country now. Are they going to jail? It's all very protected by the Chinese Communist Party, so there probably won't be that many consequences. Oh, well, if they're in the Chinese Communist Party, then everybody in the country will be paying it back. Yeah, well, exactly. Well, it's been compared to the collapse of Lehman Brothers,

which was a sort of comparable size, actually. But that led to the GFC. I don't know whether you know what the GFC is. That cheeky little 2008 Broadway number. Yeah, I remember that. And the funny thing is that Evergrand collapsed last week on the same day as the anniversary of the Laman Brothers collapsed. That's so impressive. It was the 13th anniversary of Laman Brothers not being able to pay its debt.

Unlucky 13th anniversary. There you go. And it's going to have consequences on the Chinese economy for years. I would just note, last week, Australia signalled that it was buying a few nuclear subs, and then the whole of the Chinese economy collapsed basically the next day. Right. I think we can claim victory in the war on China. Well, there you go.

On today's show, Sammy Schar is going to take a look at what Labor's been up to with its pre-selections. Nothing controversial there. In a moment, though, we'll head to Rebecca Deanna Minow in the Chaser Newsroom. France has withdrawn its ambassador from Australia after the Morrison government cancelled its nuclear submarine deal. France called the move treason and said it was not acceptable from an ally, as opposed to blowing up a Greenpeace boat moored in an Allies harbour, which is internationally recognised as an act of friendship. New Labour Lower House candidate, Christina Keneally, said she was looking forward to representing the people of Western Sydney in the Parliament

and was hoping to meet one at some point. When told locals' major concern was about an outsider taking away the seat of Fowler from a local, Keneally maintained she still felt more welcome than she had been as New South Wales Premier. Scott Morrison cut Christian Porter loose yesterday after he could not explain who had funded his legal blind trust. The PM decided that dodgy deals involving vast amounts of money

were only appropriate if the funds were for car parks or overpriced land near. in airport. Porter has sued the blind trust that funded his legal battle against the ABC for defamation and expects it to fund his case against itself. Those are the latest headlines from The Chaser. Welcome to the war for another week. I'm Rebecca de Unumuno. Just before we chat with Sammy Shah about Labor and Christina Keneally and so on, on Saturday we published a chat with Dave Smith from the US Study Senate at Sydney University. About August, this new grouping with

Australia, the UK and the US, and the nuclear submarines that we're supposed to be getting at some point in the future, wherever that may be. We wanted to understand whose interest this was in. Was it in our interest or Americas? And whether we had any chance of really containing China in the region. We also wanted to catch up on the latest from Trump world. Here is the beginning of that conversation you can find the rest of it, all 35 minutes or so, in your podcast feed.

How's it going? Were you surprised by this? Ah, yes, I was. This was very effectively kept secret. Like I've got to say, my respect for the Australian government's ability to keep secrets has increased as a result of this. Whether that's good from a democratic perspective is a different question. But certainly this has taken pretty much everybody by surprise.

Well, one of the good things when you're a government that's consistently involved in cover-ups is that you get really good at keeping secrets. It's a core strength. Yeah, and they kept it from the French and from the Kiwis, it seems as well. And we'd ever got to say about whether we wanted to go nuclear either. So there you go. Yes, the French reaction of heartbreak has really been something to behold. Yeah, so this has really been a surprise.

There have been a lot of people in Australia who have been advocating for increased technology sharing with the US, but I think that even they were surprised by the extent to which this has suddenly happened. And the spin has been that Morrison did this basically on his own, didn't he? He went out 18 months ago and said, we need some submarines and it's been, you know, being talked about behind closed doors for 18 months. And I suppose that means that Morrison went, we've got to align ourselves more with Trump. But they're like, because Trump was in, in the White House back 18 months ago. So is that what it was going?

I like he was going, oh, this guy looks like the stable person. Yeah, the broader context of this is that, so I mean, when Morrison took power three years ago, he said, Australia doesn't have to choose between the US and China. Now, since then, Australia's relationship with China has deteriorated massively for a number of reasons, some of which are related to the trade war with China that Trump began. And then there have been other things like Australia's, you know, firm line on we need to investigate the causes of the pandemic, Australia taking a fairly firm line on Hong Kong and things like that. but it is all connected to the Australian relationship to the U.S., which during the Trump period, that China saw that as that was deepening. So, yeah, despite the fact that three years ago,

Morrison said we don't have to choose between the U.S. and China. So since then, we have continually chosen the U.S. The Chaser Report, less news more often. The Chase Report is sponsored by Wait, no, one second, hold on Hey John Hey, sorry, I'm doing spotting this today And I'm really struggling here

Can I get a hand? Yeah, of course, what are you got, man? So I'm working on this pull my finger joke And I... No, you can't really do a pull my finger joke It's too visual for a pod Cool, get out Now if you're a regular listener to the Chaser report

You know that we don't really discuss labor and its shortcomings very much. That's largely because they're not in power, but it's also because they're above criticism. They can do no wrong in the eyes of this podcast. And as Sammy Shah joins us, I'm sure he'll agree. Hello, Sammy. Hello, Dom. How you doing? Yeah, good. Just thinking about how great labor are, really. I mean, they really are inspiring. They're quite fantastic. Just the way that they understand politics and how to win at it is so, you know, it's textbook. You literally could write a textbook and be. them to death with it. What is going on here? What is this opposites die and you haven't told me

or something? What is going on? Look, I don't know if you've heard Charles, but I just saw Anthony Albanese, who I don't know if you know his official title is deputy leader of the opposition, with the official leader of the opposition, of course, being Malcolm Turnbull. But Anthony Albanese was giving a speech about how diverse labor is and how incredible labor is with his diversity because his last name is Albanesee. Even though he genuinely looks so, so boringly white,

he makes Bill Shorten look ethnic. So, yeah. So, sorry, I'm actually genuinely confused here. So what you're saying is Anthony Albanese is a diverse candidate in the next election and that he's he's in the opposition. I always assumed he must be in the government because he

always backs in the government. Right. I can see that confusion. I totally understand why. Especially, you know, with the submarine deal right now and how much has supported that and how much has supported, you know, anything to do with basically anything the government has to say.

You would think that, but no, this is surprising information, you're right. One of the things that I found really exciting is that they, you know, diversity is such a difficult thing in Australian politics to embrace. And Labor has done such a good job of it

over the years. To the point that Christina Keneally, who I don't know if you're familiar with her, she's an American, which we're reminded of every time she opens her mouth. and she basically got into politics because her husband wanted to get into politics and Labor's gender diversity quota prevented him from doing so and she being a woman was therefore pushed into politics

that's literally how Christina Keneally got into politics it's a beautiful story about what a woman can achieve when given an opportunity through diversity and she has just celebrated that you know passed it on just made sure that the next person down the line also gets those benefits by going to a suburb where there's, I think, 500,000 Asian Australians and just saying, fuck all of you in the face, I am now Asian. She is, she's the Scarlett Johansson of Australian politics. And it's really been amazing to watch someone. Just walk in and take

shit that belongs to someone else. That's what this country is built on. That's true. I'm going to stick up for Christina. I don't think you understand, Sammy, as a Victorian via W.A. What she achieved what she did was she stepped in at a time when Labor was so mired in corruption and so on the nose that they had to choose someone different. So they chose a woman, made her premiere, and she had a glowing 15 months of people resigning every week from her front bench. And then she got summarily dumped by voters. So she was an amazing fall woman just when the party needed someone to fail on their behalf. Look, it's one of those things which, you know, I'm from Pakistan.

We've had a woman prime minister twice, not once, but twice, we've had a woman prime minister, which makes us better than Australia in that regard. We've also then, unfortunately, it was the same woman twice, and then we killed her in a bomb blast. So, you know, in some ways we kind of balance things out. But one of the things you discover about a woman prime minister, which Australia will one day also discover about, let's say, a person of color who's a prime minister, is that they're still shit, politicians. They, you know, they just are a different politician with a different rapping, which is an, important thing to show. What's amazing is Christina Caneli, who now is basically parachuted into Fowler, taking the seat

away from Toolee, who is a Vietnamese Australian born in Australia to refugee parents, is that Christina Cannelly last year wrote an entire column about an op-ed piece about how immigrants should stop coming to Australia and taking Australian jobs, and

basically we should close the door on our temporary migrant intake, which she's an immigrant, and now she's taking the job away from an Australian citizen, What the fuck? No, but in fairness, Sammy, like, she actually said, she actually justified it. She said that she is paving the way for people like Too Lee. By getting into Too Lee's seat, then one day, people like Too Lee will be able to get a seat.

And she's just paving the way. As opposed to the day being the next election day when Toole gets into power, is that? No, no, no, no, no. Like, Christina will be there. She'll show Too Lee how to do it. And then someone like Tooley, when Christina resigns in 20 years time, can then have their way paved, you see? Do you know, Charles, do you know how paving stones are laid down to carry that metaphor a little bit further? When you pave the way for something, right?

It means you're laying down paving stones. You have to lay down a bit of a concrete or, you know, kind of base. And that concrete is usually created, particularly it comes from ancient Rome. When we talk about these things, you know, there's ash, there's volcanic ash, and there's sometimes human bones incorporated into that concrete mixture. to give it a certain stability and gluten and everything. So, you know, she is paving the way literally on the, on the concreted bones of people of color. So thank you, Christina Keneally.

You really are showing us how to do. You know the best thing about this is now any American who moves to Australia can feel inspired enough to get into Australian politics because that's what we've been wanting. More Americans in our political structure. Yeah, it can only go well for us. Absolutely.

Look, Sammy, Paul Keating made a very helpful interjection into this discussion saying that, look, that's all well and good, but you need executive experience. You need people who know how to actually run the country and do the job. And I think that's a good point. What Christina Caneli brings to the front bench is someone who knows how to get plummeted into a job, not do it very well, and then get kicked out of it within 15 months. I mean, that Tule does not have that experience. Absolutely.

Tully, you're right. And Paul Keating is 100% correct. Tully might be naive enough to think that you've got to stand for something, that you've got to have values and principles, that when you do this job, you've got to be good at it, you know, that you've got to believe in equal representation for the people, that democracy is for the people, by the people, off the people. All of these things that have no place in Australian politics, and Paul Keating is 100% correct.

But what about the grassroots? Because this is the thing, the other thing that really annoys me, is that people in that electorate seem to want to determine who their candidate will be. Whereas what we know is the way that our system works, is that if there's a safe seat, a seat that is so safe that Labor, we can't possibly lose it, they can put whoever they want. They can just parachute in some old hack who's been around for ages, and they've just got to put up with it.

There's no grassroots. That's not how our system works. This whole grassroots thing, this isn't Obama's America. Stopped using incorporated language. We've never had a grassroots campaign in Australia. We're not going to start having one now. This is Australia, God damn it. You better learn how to live here.

You better love it or you leave it, just like Christina Caneli probably will say in her next top head column. Hey, has anybody seen John? He's meant to be doing sponsors. No? Okay, I'll just... All right. Uh, let's see.

The Chaser report is... What'd you say? I was doing the sponsor reeds. I just said the Chaser report is... Chaser report in D's nuts. Fucking got him. Thanks. Thanks, John.

Oh, man. These neighbor stories will not stop. It's just... It's a never-ending saga. So what's happened? Okay, so you already know the story about the neighbor that I may or may not have plotted. his murder who lives behind me.

Is he dead yet? No, no, he's not because the doof-doof still happens on a semi-regular occurrence. But no, now there's a new addition to the fun. My next-door neighbor, who is this very lovely woman, informed us earlier this week that her roof needed some repairs done. And so they had to build scaffolding on the side of our property to get to her roof because all the houses in my street are really close together. So they've built some scaffolding and everything.

and I have never witnessed roof repairs being done, but, oh, is it loud? It's so loud. Are your roofs connected? No. No, right. So you're probably grateful for the doof-duff because it gives you a break from the other noise.

Not really. Lucky for me so far, they haven't occurred at the same time. Can you ask them to syncopate it? Oh. I was getting a bit grumpy with them this morning because I was like, not only are they bashing a roof apart, but they also started blasting radio.

Oh, man, that's so nice. 1980s. You should introduce them to podcasts. You should introduce them to our podcast. The tide's turned. I got to say, I think I can win these guys over because then Copacabana started playing, of all things, Manalo, and I heard about five tradies at once, just go, we fell in love. And I was like, oh, Copacabana, I love this.

So you hear noisy intrusion. What I hear is opportunity for street karaoke. I don't know if that would get me then called. by crime stoppers that they might cause me. I don't want to become the noise disturbance. Well, Gabby, the moment that it's illegal in the state of New South Wales, we will all come over to your house, we'll bring an incredibly loud PA system,

and we will do karaoke very late in the night. Well, only if it's Barry Manolo. Oh, I love Barry Manolo. I grew up with Barry Manilow in a non-ironic way. Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. We read them at the end of the week, and maybe just mention Barry Manilow in today's game, if you'd be so kind.

And you should subscribe to the podcast or follow it in your podcast app. Our gears from red microphones, we're part of the ACAST to create a network. Catch you next week, except for you, Charles. Get out of here. I'm away. See you. Fuckwits. Oh, thank you.