The Chaser Report - The Rest Is Chaser

Episode Date: February 6, 2025

2025 is an election year in Australia, which Dom realises gives our podcast a distinct advantage in the media landscape. If Joe Rogan can interview his country's future leader, then why can't we? Oi, Albo, Dutton, give us a call. Adam Bandt, don't call us, we'll call you.If you know what Peter Dutton drinks, email: [e-mail] OPTICS on ABC iview here:https://iview.abc.net.au/show/opticsCheck out more Chaser headlines here:https://www.instagram.com/chaserwar/?hl=enLiNk 2 w1N fReE biTCion h3re:https://chaser.com.au/support/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chaser Report is recorded on Gadigal Land. Striving for mediocrity in a world of excellence, this is The Chaser Report. Hello and welcome to The Chaser Report with Dom and Charles. Charles, very exciting news. Oh, yeah. There's an election year coming up and we love an election year. Oh, yes, yes. And the great news is, Charles, we are in the box seat.

Ooh. Here on the Chasteur Report. Because we've seen in the United States what's been hailed as the podcast election in the UK, what's been hailed as the podcast election for completely different reasons, by the way. Podcasting is in the box seat, globally speaking, when it comes to elections.

This Charles is our year. This is our time because when you survey the podcasting map in Australia, who's going to step up and give the best election coverage in 2025? There's only one possible candidate. Yes, great. On mission, Andy.

No, but failing that. We might be in with a shout. So let's talk about podcasting in politics right after this. Okay, so first of all, if you're in charge of some senior politician who's running for this election, email us at podcast at chaser.com.com. And book your person. Yeah, we'll give you Hamish and Andy's number. No, it's going to get very busy.

Our podcast, I'm sure, will be gummed. I mean, Albo keeps calling. Oh, yes. Albo, enough at the phone. Come on. Peter Dutton keeps... You're going to lose anyway. Don't bother.

Peter Dutton keeps sending postcards to try and get on the podcast. Friend of the show and a worthy, worthy candidate. On Adam Bant? Adam Bant keeps sending, you know, environmentally friendly... I heard Adam Bant the other day on Breakfast Radio. And he honestly seems to have just called in. Like, I couldn't even work out why he was on there. And it was just to say,

Oh, by the way, the Greens were right about some issue. I can't remember what the issue was. It was probably wind farms of Wales or something. But, or no, maybe it was something really important. That's every conversation I had with the Green supporter. Yes, exactly. The Greens are right. Yeah.

And the thing is, like, it just immediately, like, I don't mind, you know, a lot of their policies and things are that. But it made me go, oh, my God. Like, the one thing, like, I thought politicians are supposed to be the type of person that you would want to take to the pub And hang out with you, right? That's the real pub test Is what you want to have a drink with this person?

Yeah, and... That's why Albo won the last election Because he's actually on a beer, isn't he? Yeah, yeah. Beer can somewhere? Yeah. Will you The Boatburn or something? Yeah, yeah.

Although, have you tasted Albo beer? I've got some over here. It's absolutely horrible. Did you enjoy it for the first year and a half or so and then... And actually the maker... It's got less popular. Because I was talking to the person who brewed it

and I think it must have been a joke But he said, we made it weaker To reflect That's been a gutton swine. It's a shandy. I was actually, you know what I was reading the other day? Apparently, you get the elbow beer and you water it down. I was hearing, by the way I was reading the other day,

Shandy's the in-drink of 2025. So perhaps the news is good for Albo after all. Who knows? What would a Dutton? Dutton would be something like a Dutton-Vermuth. What are you talking about? It'd be a Queensland rum. It'd be a Bundy or something.

There'd be a polar bear. But no, he's not, I don't think, he's got like a property. He's worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Like, it would be a crystal champagne or something, wouldn't it? I just can't see, I can't see Peter Dutton. But I don't think he drinks rum. He doesn't drink rum. Does he drink anything?

Yeah, I would drink. I can't actually imagine Peter Dutton having a drink. Negroni? Negroni. Where would it be? Okay, big question for you. What does Peter Dutton drink? podcast at chaser.com maybe he's just a long island iced tees we know our both like maybe a frilly

cocktail with a little paper a little paper umbrella in it um if you know what our what peterot and drinks yes i mean i've never heard i've never seen him pictured with a drink i mean would it be he must have had to have drinks with barnaby joyce at some point during the coalition yeah maybe barnaby joyce turned him off his it's quite possible let us know podcast at chaser dot com that i you this is the thing charles we can provide both of these these things in the Australian relationship. Can I just finish my thought about Adam Bant first? Oh yeah, Adam Bann, yeah.

Which is just, so he rang up to sort of point out how right he was. There is no friend on Earth. Like if I had a friend who just rang me up occasionally to tell me, or you would just, you know, say how right they were, I wouldn't, like, I wouldn't be friends with them. Like, you just don't want to hang out with somebody like that. Like, the Greens have to stop being so smug about being right. Like, sure, you're right.

But don't talk about it. Like, talk about, you know, better future for our children. I'm asking the Greens to stop being a bit self-righteous is like asking Labor to stop figuring out how to backstab the current leader. It's just against the fundamental nature of the party, Charles. That's the organising principle. You can't do it. Right. So what I was going to say, it's a podcast election.

There's a lot of talk about this. You were sort of busy at the time. You know, I've just worked out what Peter doesn't drink. What does he drink? Eggnog. I can't say. I particularly can't see that. We've pitted up at Christmas.

Do you think he dresses up a Santa? Doesn't he own child care standards or something? I reckon even in the Queensland heat, he has a full Christmas jumper. Yeah, with a neck. So there's two different things that have happened in the podcasting space. Very exciting. In the UK, let's start with that. The rest of politics was the biggest podcast in the country in July during the election.

Yes. And great podcast. Absolutely huge. So, and Alistair Campbell and. Mr Campbell and Rory Stewart, actually, along with the U.S. hosts, they filled the O'Too Arena. Yes. 20,000 people, they sold it out. Yes.

We're talking about politics. Roy Stewart came and sold out the Opera House here in Sydney. Yeah. But there is no Restis Politics Australian edition because they can't be bothered. Until now. Can we still the name? The rest is chaser. The rest is chaser.

We should actually re-known this. The rest is chaser. I love it. That's it. That's it. And they also suggest that we're the dregs, doesn't it? I like that. So this is big.

So political insiders talking about politics is huge. So we need to bring on some political insiders. Yes. But I know you think you're one. But someone who's actually worked in the corridors of power. Because the American version has Anthony Scaramucci. Who technically was communications director for 11 days. And was brilliant.

He's actually. Yeah, surprisingly great. What we need is disgraced former politicians. So we're thinking Mark Latham is our third. Well, Joe Hayland's got some time. It's a very specific New South Wales reference You have to listen to the last episode

Now she's still in office She can't do it What about I just can't think of any I mean Scott Morrison Former politicians Who are insiders

Yeah We've got the wrong Firth We need Verity Firth I am on the podcast She knows everything And she's good She's much better at talking than me That's right

She just talks a leg off a chair I talked to the other day She's really very good at this talking Yeah You should potentially get coaching Charles So that could be good. Wouldn't that be terrible if the chase you're on board ended up being used to by my sister? Upgraded.

Oh, my brother's much more popular than me, so maybe our siblings should do an episode. All right, so there's that. Okay, okay. So that was the UK model, right? So we get, so we get a couple of former politicians who are also nice. Well, they've got to be able to agree. The problem is, I can't think of a single book. Respectfully.

They've got to be able to disagree respectfully. And they've got to be witty and charming. Whittian Charming and Urbane. Yeah, and sort of personal. That cuts out basically every former Prime Minister I can think about. Maybe Howard. I know someone who views himself as Whittian and Urbane. In fact, Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull, actually, you know what?

Yeah. They would do, if Rudd wasn't an ambassador, they would actually do. The rest his politics. I bet you a billion dollars, Malcolm Turnbull has called up Alistair Campbell. He's had a podcast. He did that podcast about leadership in. and contemporary, defending democracy, I think it's... But then everyone tried to download it on the copper fibre network,

on the copper network, and they couldn't, because of him. Well, the other thing is, I think a lot of listeners started, got halfway through the podcast and petitioned the, like, the producers that listened to change the host. They really wanted Tony Abbott or Scott Morrison in that role. Okay, so that's the UK model. In a moment, I'll explain the US model, which is even more exciting. Oh, okay.

The Chaser Report, less news. Less often. So, all right. So the UK political podcasts were number one. Very urbane, polite. Great. I mean, much better podcasts than this one, frankly. But fortunately for us, there's no Australian version of that.

There's no one doing that. There's a party room. It's all analysts and commentators and so on. You want people who've been in the back. So that's one thing. But the US version was even bigger, which is where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, remember her, by the way, Kamala Harris?

Kamala, Kamala. Was she? Oh, she worked at McDonald's, didn't she? She was a McDonald's worker. She didn't she go on about it? I think she then was the vice president, a roughly job of equal importance, really, to be a McDonald's worker. She was sort of like the Joe Biden of vice president.

She was the Joe Biden of Joe Biden. Yeah. Carmel Harrison, Donald Trump both went on a lot of podcasts in the U.S. campaign. I was talking about this during all of our U.S. election episodes. And in particular, Donald Trump went on the Joe Rogan experience. He took three hours out of his campaign cycle to go on that podcast. Yeah, he flew to Texas. Yeah, and Kamala Harris wanted to do it and wasn't able to get the spot.

Kamala Harris went on the podcast, Call her Daddy, which is the most... Oh, call her daddy. Oh, is that the one with that... Is that the one with that woman who sort of is a bit insulting towards all her guests? Yes, it's Alexander Cooper, I think. Yeah, who sort of pretends to not really know who they are. A bit cheeky in front of me. And so Kamala Harris went on that.

That's the most popular podcast with women who, overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump. So the theory only goes that far. But the point is, when you want to reach the people, Charles, you go on a podcast now. So Alba, where are you? Why aren't you on our podcast? Peter Dutton.

Why wouldn't they go on like chat 10 looks three or whatever it is? Or Hamish and Andy or Mead or Friedman or something? Well, maybe they will. No, we've got to say that we're the best. But they can't offer, they can't afford, we can. Yes, which is a lesser role. audience. No, but people trust us in the way that they don't trust.

We have the reputation and the renown. Yes. The self-regard. Yes. I think that's what, you know, because the thing is we make predictions and we stick to them. You're about to say, because we make predictions, we turn out to be right. But at the start of this episode, you criticised out of bad for saying that his predictions were right. Something Charles Firth that you've done many times on this podcast.

But look, let's throw down the gauntlet. open invitation to major political figures. Yeah, yeah. So we're talking that Till candidate from the seat to seats over. I think we had them on most of the chance. Yeah. But come on the podcast. Make your pitch to Australian voters and make this the podcast election chance.

Yes. We'll get a lot of Australians against further immigration candidates ringing up. Yeah, Pauline Hanson might be available. Podcast atchaser.com. the door is open because the thing about our listeners Charles and this is actually true

is that unlike they're intelligent the Hamish and Andy or they actually give a shit about politics listeners to this podcast yes that's right and they all

probably just don't have any swing voters in their entire social circle and they've probably and our listeners are so sophisticated that they've already formed their political views

and you have no chance of influencing them but let's pretend that you do No, yeah, come on. Yeah, and I think what you should do is you should be, you know, all the idiots that you come across during the day, I'm doing the listeners now. You know, all those people who go,

I don't really know much about anything. You should get them to listen to this podcast, then our numbers will go up, and then all the politicians will go, hang on. What a good idea. These people are polling well with Kiss FM listeners and stuff. Oh, very good. And then they'll come on.

Do you think, Charles, should we set up, should we have a day at the National Press Club? Well, we basically just, we do the podcast, we throw open the, yes, throw open the microphone and any and all politicians come on for the, and subject themselves to the grilling. Yes. To the blowtorch of the chaser report. The blowtorch.

Who is brave enough? The national blow torch. The national blow torch, that's very good. Well, if you're willing, staff is listening, influential figures in Canberra. Yes. If you think your politician is up to the task of the grilling from night and Firth, Yes. Send us an email, podcast at chaser.com.

Dotter. The gauntlet thrown down. The blow torch. The chainsaw. Thrown up. Lockwood, can you give us the sound of a blow torch and a chainsaw? There we go. Oh, there it is.

Amazing. Exciting stuff. We're part of the Aconiclass Network. Game on. Game on. Game on.