The Chaser Report - Keeping it Teal | Zali Steggall

Episode Date: May 18, 2022

Independent MP for Warringah Zali Steggall joins Charles and Dom to answer the hard hitting questions nobody else is asking her. Meanwhile Charles and Dom make their gloomy predictions for who will come out on top after the election. Plus Charles ponders why anyone would be opposed to a bulldozer crushing the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an election that will determine the fate of the entire universe, there's only one podcast holding politicians accountable. Scott Morrison, Anthony Albanese, who will move? Find out on The Chaser Report, election edition. Hello and welcome to the election edition of The Chaser Report. It is Wednesday the 18th of May, and that is three days, Charles Forth, just three days. until the election, my name is Dom Knight. And as always, the polls are now showing that the coalition is coming back. They're going to win.

It's tightening. And it just proves that Australians are the fuckedards we always knew them to be. Charles, you're missing something. You're missing something big. Yeah. They're not electing Scott Morrison. They're electing the new Scott Morrison. Yes.

The different Scott Morrison. The non-bouldozer Scott Morrison. Is that what has tipped the polls? Yeah. That he said, look, I'll change. If you want change, I'll change. Yeah. So rather than the inconvenience of going to labour for a different party,

instead you've got the new version of Scott Morrison. Yes. It's like when you get back together with your old boyfriend, and they promise that they've totally changed. And of course, as we know, that always works out. That always works. It works really well. People change when you tell them to change.

The other thing Scott Morrison says, and he's quite right, is that if there's one thing we've seen in the past three years with him, He's just been a bulldozer. And you know what bulldozers are like that is pushing things and getting it done? Like, bulldozers just pushed through. I know, exactly. And if we look back at Scott Morris's past three years. So many achievements.

Pushing through is what he's done. Yes. Pushing through the queue to get on board the flight to Hawaii. And I saw in his interview with Tracy Grimshaw, he was saying he's looking forward to the next three years of not having to do as much. He's going to be, what is he going to be a sort of shimmering petal? He's going to kick back. It's the kick.

It's like, you know, When you do a big project, you do that, and then you have a bit of a period of kicking back. He's kicking back, but in the lodge, he's got a good pool. Yes. And that would suit him as well. He would love that. Well, because he used to have to go to Hawaii to kick back next to the pool, but you know that pool that the lodge that Bob Hawke used to just sunbathe's naked next all the time?

I think Scott Morrison's interested in a bit of that action. Do you think Scott Morrison has his larger penis as Bob Hawke apparently head? Well, he did say he didn't hold a hose mate. Charles, I'm going to put you on the spot here before we get into the episode. Are you ready to be the first to call the election? Oh, yeah, I'm willing to call them. I've said enough. Go on.

The coalition will squeak in by two seats. By two seats? Yes. And the place that will ruin it for everyone who's decent and kind in this country is New South Wales. I see massive losses across New South Wales, maybe not northern New South Wales. but suburban New South Wales, Sydney, essentially, are the fucktards that are going to fucking re-elect Morris and the Creep. So you don't think that the multicultural voters in the seat of, for instance, Fowler,

are going to say, yeah, we'd like Christina Kinneilly. I think, well, yes, but I think that'll go to an independent, though, won't it? That'll... Dye Lee? Yeah. Maybe. Yeah. Okay, we can cut this a little bit out.

Yeah. So you've heard it. First to call election, 2022 is... Charles Firth, a coalition majority by two seats, driven by New South Wales. Game over. There's no point even voting on Saturday now. And just with that two seats, that includes Adam Band, who I fully expect to be supporting the coalition government.

Right, okay. First to call, not necessarily best to call. That's the Chaser Report. On this episode, Waringer Independent MP, Zali Stegger, will join us. Plus, I'll be having a look at the reason why Scott Morrill. Morrison has been so unattractive to voters for the last few years. I don't want to sort of like to bulldozer. But first of all, let's go to my brilliant rap of the election.

We do have to do that, don't we? Contractually, yes. This is the wrap for Wednesday, the 18th of May. Tracy Grimshaw has been arrested after she interviewed Scott Morrison last night on nine's a current affair. You don't hold a hose, you weren't in your tinny plucking people off rooftops, You weren't doing 16-hour days in PPE on COVID wards. You didn't get enough vaccines soon enough.

You didn't get enough rats so that we could finally have a holiday interstate for Christmas and China is set up based in the Solomons. Do you think maybe you slightly over-egged the part about, I Save the Country? Police refused to comment but did say that a 54-year-old white male failed marketing executive had been murdered at nine studios in North Sydney. Meanwhile, a slate of polls are out today confirming that Labor is on track to massively fuck up the election again. The admittedly, usually terrible resolve poll put the coalition within striking distance,

but a much more scientific essential poll has also detected a tightening of the race just days out from the election. And in view of that, I would personally like to retract any negative statements that I may have unintentionally made against Scott Morrison or his cabinet of fine uppercine. upstanding men and women over the last few weeks. He's got women in his cabinet, isn't it? He's got a few. Furthermore, any mockery or disparagement or suggestion that Scott Morrison was a lazy,

blame-shifting fuck-wit was, it was not my idea, right? I was very much against that stuff. It was a team decision, mostly Dom, really. You know, I don't hold a hose when it comes to those sorts of comments. And finally, wage data out today showed that Australians now going backwards in their real wages greater than at any time since the GST was introduced two decades ago. But, you know, go ahead, re-elect the government. Go on, I mean, I don't even care anymore.

You know, we get one in 500-year floods every week at the moment. Nobody under 35 can afford a home. I couldn't even afford bananas for the kids this morning, but sure, let's keep going along this path. That's the rap for Wednesday, the 18th of May. You do you. Whatever. I don't care. The Chaser Report.

Election edition. Now, Charles, as you know, one of the most negative developments in Australian politics in the past few years has been the rise of the teal independence. Ruining everything. Wreckers. They're just wreckers. I don't know whether you saw Tim Wilson this week came out and said that, in fact, if there is a balance of power, if there's a hung parliament, Russia and China will take comfort from that.

Yes. Because it will mean the government's distracted from them, from the bad countries to the crossbench. So basically, we're talking about people who are doing the work of Russia and China. Putin's allies in Canberra. So I'm very glad that today we're going to interrogate, really, I guess the one who set the template for these Teal independents, along with Indy, Zali Stegel, who is the independent member for,

Warringa, who last election got rid of Tony Abbott and ended his long service to our nation. A lot of things to ask her about, Charles. Here she is. Oh, thank you for having me. Before we start, can I just clear up how to introduce you? Are you an independent MP or are you an independent MP who is also running for the Greens? Because it's been a bit unclear in some corners. No, no party involved, absolutely independent.

I am the MP for Warringa and that is it. Well, actually, Tim Wilson, we actually tracked down Tim Wilson a couple of months ago, and we asked him about your climate bill, and he called you treasonous for introducing that climate bill because he put bureaucrats in charge of holding Australia accountable to its carbon commitments. Why, Zardley Stegle, do you hate Australia? Do you know that because the bill is modelled on the UK's climate change bill and actually the proposed commission is also in effect in the UK. It got passed on to the UK commissioners.

Did they know that they were being treasonous? They were pretty shocking. They're not Australian too. It's terrible. Oh, yeah, that they were being treasonous to the UK as well themselves. I'm surprised Tony Abbott doesn't support it if it's something the UK has been doing for a while. Well, you would think it's a special envoy. But no, look, I think Tim Wilson's got his, you know, he's got himself in a bit of a twist and a turn and he's dodging and he's just trying to come up with any excuse he can to pretend he cares about climate change while he does nothing.

That said twisting and turning and dodging very useful attributes for an alpine skier. So if he loses his seat, could he perhaps take that up? Well, look, I think he can go back and do a bit of career planning and a bit of education and think about what other options are open to. You're running against Catherine Deves. She's been notable. Yes, quite prominent, really. In this election. That's a very kind adjective to use.

She's sort of been running a transphobic platform. Let's call it. But have you considered taking up transphobia to appeal to that segment of the electorate that you're losing to Catherine Deves? I can categorically say no. No. And look, I've got to say the electorate. really, we're a caring, inclusive community, and it really doesn't reflect our values.

But what's really important, really frustrating, I have to say in this whole debate, is the misinformation about it, because the Sex Discrimination Act already protects women's sports and allows for a fair process to consider inclusion in sports. So it's not like anyone else is asking for this other than her. Why would we trust you, given that you spent many, many years working in professional sport and also I believe you were part of the Court of Arbitration for sport at one point.

Why would we trust you and not Catherine Deves on this issue, Ali? Well, you know, I'm still waiting to hear what her sporting prowess and background is for why she's so qualified. But I can assure everybody, having been to four Winter

Olympic Games and participated in a fifth as a arbitrator for the International Court of Sport, I am very focused on fair sport. I've always fought for anti-doping, and I'm very, very focused on women's sport and making it fair, but also inclusive. Has it been hard to run against Catherine Deves this time, given her determination to undermine her own campaign? Well, it's a little hard to have a rational argument, I must say. We've got a lot of, it is a different campaign.

There's a lot of Palmer United, a lot of One Nation, you know, the post-lockdown and COVID kind of, aspect has meant we've got a lot of different kind of elements campaigning that we normally would have. Have you done any candidates' forums against Catherine Deves? Well, we had one forum, but it wouldn't say it wasn't really a debate. It was a forum with a few questions, but there was about eight of us on stage, so it wasn't a very effective one. She didn't turn up at one of the forums we were due to have.

So no real debate in the way I had against Tony. Well, Tony Abbott actually strongly endorsed Deaves a few days ago. Is that the kiss of death for Deaves? Well, I don't know if it helps, considering how much the election, you know, felt like it was time to move on from Tony. But then, you know, look, John Howard's coming out as well. I think the missing Prime Minister in all this is how come Scott Morrison can't turn up in Waringa and campaign for her?

And look, the reality is he is. so unpopular, he can't even turn up for his own captain's picks. I'm just looking at your website here, Harley, with some of the policies, and one that caught my eye was your policy on arts and culture. And you mentioned that you enjoyed Australian shows and documentaries during the long lockdown days, some of which have been made, you say, right here in Warringa. One of my favourite movies to have been made in Warringa is BMX Bandits, Nicole Kidman's first film, in which she and her co-bike riders, in fact,

took BMX bikes down the Manly Waterworks, one of the greatest scenes in Australian cinema. Can you commit right here and now to funding and supporting our BMX Bandits 2 in this term of the parliament? Well, look, love to have a BMX Bandits too, but unfortunately, Manly Ocean Works is closed. So you can't do that one anymore. Are you willing to commit now? A new Waterworks for Manley. Answer the question. Oh, I know, I know.

Look, I love BMX Bandits number two. I just don't think it will be the same location. It's very sad. I know. I now understand why Tim Wilson called you treasonous. Treasonous. Oh, I know. But maybe we can think of something better, bigger and better.

I don't think it's possible. Is Palm Beach in your electric? No, that's up in McKellar. All right. So you don't have to watch Home and Away then. I don't get home and away. We have got quarantine stations at North Head. So we do have the odd ghost, if anyone's interested.

And it was very disappointing that during COVID quarantine station wasn't brought out, brought back into being a quarantine station. Actually, that's true. That was right there, wasn't it? That's quite, great. What's your policy on ghosts? They do have tours and you can spend the night there and see the ghosts. So there you go. Sounds great, actually.

Now, one of the big issues in this, in fact, during the last term of the parliament and in this term of the parliament, is the model for a federal ICAC. You've talked a lot about this in the past. As a former barrister, whom in the last, who in the last, the parliament would you most like to personally prosecute? Oh, I'm going to have to decline to comment on that one. Is there too many to choose from, is it? There are a few I can think of.

There's a few that sit on some front benches. Can we readapt a car park that wasn't needed? We build on that for the Federal IACs headquarters. Well, from car parks to triangles of land to the odd gas, infrastructure. There's a few things I could think of that could be definitely subject of a few inquiries. Are you officially one of the teal independents or is that sort of slightly separate to you? How does that all work? Well, look, turquoise teal started here in Warringa. Until now, all independents were actually mostly orange, you know, were Indy was orange and

Central Alliance in South Australia was orange. So we started the teal. The teal is Warringas. But, look, I've been very happy to share. And I know for the media, it helps everyone likes their color coding, right? It's like in Parliament House, the carpet is in the color coded, and you know where you are from the color of the carpet. So it's one of those things that people like that, being able to identify independence with that. And look, I'm happy that we've got so many smart and sensible

and qualified people running as chill independent. Well, they're running as community independence, but I know they've been given the moniker of Tew. And it looks like they're on track to sort of take out quite a few moderate liberals. Do you feel a bit bad about that? Like they sort of seem to be sort of targeting the sort of softer side of the Liberal Party. Well, can I just pull you up? Can we define moderate?

Because everyone uses that moniker, but I don't know quite where it stands or what it stands for. I think it's relative. Well, isn't it just that they're more hypocritical because they say one thing and then do another? Isn't that what a moderate name? Oh, okay, that's the definition of moderate. They say they support climate action and then they vote with their cabinet to not support. Yeah, okay, so moderate is a pseudonym for hypocrite? Yes, yes, yes.

Okay, gotcha, gotcha. So on day one of the next parliament, assuming that you're re-elected, which seems fairly likely given your opponent and everything else, do we know where the secret meeting is where all the Teal independents are going to caucus together and form a party? Yes. Has that meeting been set yet? Is it at sign behind the court's house? No, no, no, no, no, none of the above.

Sorry, I'm just looking at the next question. Sorry. No, I don't know we should leave the awkward silence. Leave the silence. report. How's it going to work then if you have some, shall we say, fellow spirits, and it is fair to say that if you look across the policy platform of the TIL independence, there are a lot of commonalities. How will it work if you and your colleagues, but not co-party members, if you have the balance of power, how will you approach who to make

Prime Minister and what policies to support? Oh yeah, look, I anticipate, look, I accept that many people running as community, independents are aligned in values and aligned on questions of principle and key policy issues. I would expect, I mean, look, reality is it won't be decided immediately. There'll be recounts, so it will take a week to 10 days to be sure of what the parliament looks like. And after that, I would expect there to be some meetings and conversations. I don't know.

Did you watch Total Control? There's lots of ideas, and I was very inspired by Total Control. Oh, Bet Scott Morrison wishes he had Total Control. This election has sort of turned into a bit of a cost of living election. Waringa's pretty well-heeled, though. What are the things that are costing more in Warringa? Like, are you having to look out for the soaring cost of caviar or something? Oh, that's a bit harsh.

Shambri shirts? I acknowledge that Warringa is fairly astrant. But not all pockets of Warringa are that way. And for a lot of frontline workers and people working in, you know, nursing and age care, our teachers, our essential services, for them incredibly tough and cost of living really hits, especially when it comes to, you know, housing affordability is a pretty big one for around our way. Obviously, prices are pretty crazy.

But also, we're highly reliant on tourism and retail, and we've had two years of lockdown. So a lot of our businesses have actually done it fairly tough. Would you support a policy of, like, free caviar for teachers? doing it touch. I'd be happy to hear from the teachers to see what they would prefer. How can I afford a house and waringoes, Alex Tegel? I think the chase is going to have to commercialise a bit. That's actually just true.

Can we talk about that after the invite? Now, integrity and accountability are some of the biggest issues during this campaign. It's something you discussed a lot. But realistically speaking, if the Morrison government is reelected, it's entirely possible if they get a majority in their own right, what will any community independence who've been elected be able to do? Aren't you essentially going to be part of a minority whom the government doesn't need?

And isn't your community going to struggle to get representation, you know, to get policies enacted that you want? Well, think back to the last three years. The coalition has had a majority. And yet think of how much the debate has moved when it comes to net zero by 2050, climate action, integrity, it's been put on the, it's been put on the agenda by the crossbench by independence, by holding government to account and pushing the opposition to pull up its

socks and do better. So I would argue regardless of whether a side of government forms a government by, with a majority, having a backbench MP is just losing your voice. You're losing your vote by proxy to the party room. An independent member on the crossbench can speak up, can ask their own questions and put pressure on both sides of politics. You've been the subject of a few dirty tricks campaigns this election. I actually went up to your electorate a few weeks ago and there were billboards about with these transphobic messages which were put out by Advance Australia and which is a sort of right-wing version of get-up or something.

And then there was sort of placards that were sort of thing. Do you know who is behind all these dirty tricks, or are some of them genuinely sinister and anonymous? We had some cor flutes that popped up all over the electorate overnight once that weren't authorised, which is a criminal act. So they are being investigated by the police. And are there any links? Do you know, have you got any information about that? Well, I have a pretty strong belief that it's all advanced Australia, but we can't prove that at this point. But there are not that many manufacturers, you know, people that print those corflutes.

So it can't be that hard for the police to find out who did what. But we have had a win with the Australian Electoral Commission, finding that Advanced Australia has breached the rules when it comes to that truck and when it comes to some of the brochures that are being put into people's letterboxes. So we are going to be pushing for criminal prosecutions against them for that. And what are, just out of interest, what are the rules that they've breached with those transphobic truck things? Well, the trucks, sorry, the breach they've had is in relation to the one where they've said that I was associated with the Greens, the same as what they did put for David Pocock.

And that's an unauthorized use of local, and it's misdirecting voters because it's implying to voters that they're voting for a party instead of an independent. So they are. The transphobic trucks, well, they're in trouble with the Olympic Committee and Swimming Australia because they, they weren't authorized to use images of other athletes on those items. So all in all, Advance Australia are a lovely bunch that just ignore the rules and the laws and put up a lot of rubbish. Zali, you spent a lot of your life representing Australia as skiers. We said you've been involved in an elite sport for many, many years.

You spent a lot of your life in beautiful alpine resorts around the world. Why on earth did you want to give up that life and go in Canberra? I was wondering where that question was going. Yes, it's a whole other. environment in Canberra. But look, you've got to do it. This is a decade. We need action, and I'm very committed to it.

And do you visit the prayer room ever? No, no visits to the prayer room. So who do you think, final question, who do you think's going to win? Are you willing to call it? A million dollar question, hey. I hope it is a, but it's a parliament of balance with the, a very strong. With Zali Steguil. is the kingmaker.

The teals with a balance of power is what you're hoping for, is it? The teal's in queenmaker positions. Sally, thank you for joining us. Pleasure. Rigging elections since before it was cool, the chaser report. So, Dom, I've discovered why Scott Morrison is just not resonating with voters. Hang on a second. At the start of this episode, you called the election for the coalition.

You mean despite this. Despite getting re-elected, he's not resonating with the voters. Yeah, well, I've been reading yesterday's financial review. Oh. And in it, a very whipsmart contributor called Graham Young has come up with the fairly novel theory, I think, which is that the problem with Scott Morrison is that he's too much just of an alpha male. Oh. And that's out of fashion.

Right. He likes an alpha male now. And he's too sort of like just with it and centered and got his shit together. Well, yeah, just too alpha. He just walks into a room and he's like, hey, I'm Scott Morris and I'm here to get stuff done. Yeah, and that's not, that's not because he's a misogynist. Right. That's not that.

And they're actually very, like the opening paragraph is the private minister's problem is not that he is a misogynist. It's the alpha male persona, persona. Right. That has gone out of fashion. So it's not. that there's anything negative about him he's actually a great example of fantastic alpha masculinity

that's not fashionable. Is it due to the woken of all of our minds' chance? Well, it's because of women. It's actually women are to blame because it's out of fashion because they mistake alpha male, I'll make the decisions love, with some sort of, like, sexism.

So when they see Scott Morrison, they're misinterpreting their... So a man is telling women that they're misinterpreting another man. Yes. Is that right? Yes.

That must be enormously. I'm so, I can just imagine how grateful the female voters of Australia art have this mansplained to them by the Finner Review columnists. Are they going to change their votes as a result? Well, apparently not. So, look, I'm willing to call this election having read this article. Oh, really? Which is, I think the Labour Party is going to squeak in and they're going to win by two

seats. Well, Alvo is a beta. He's a total beta He's got feelings He cried Not only did he cry Charles He cried on camera over Kevin Rudd

I mean if he's crying over Rudd Imagine how much waterworks There are behind the scenes With our boat See I cry a lot And I don't think of myself Am I a beta

But remember beta Was always better than BHS Yeah that's true I view you more as a failed alpha I think I'm a beta Right I think you're more of a failed alpha What else is there

Like surely it's just not alpha and beta. There must be more than two types of men. Oh, there's probably an Omicron that's very popular at the moment. Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta. Zeta? Are you a Zeta male? Probably.

I'm an Omicam male. Right, well, there you go. So what's Adam banned? Oh. Actually, he probably is an alpha, like an actual alpha. Within the Greens. He's a Greens alpha, which is everyone else's beta. Which is Zeta.

It's like, when they were trying to work out, wasn't he unopposed as leader? I think everyone else was just like, oh, yeah. Yeah, of course it's happening. Yeah. So you heard it here first. Labor will win the 2022 federal election by two seats. Yes. Charles, will that be driven by New South Wales?

It's going to be driven by New South Wales. I think it's the suburban seats in New South Wales in Sydney. It places like Fowler and Parramatta are going to go Labor, right? Absolutely. And let's not, I think Gilmore, Gilmore, you know, everyone's saying, oh, Andrews Constance is such a good local candidate. no way. Like, Labor's got this.

Okay. First to call it for both liberal and Labor. Charles Firth here on The Chase Report. Our gears from road microphones. We're part of the ACASC credit network, and I don't think Charles understands maths. See ya.