Thought Provoking Predictions

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Welcome to Why Is It So? Your last defence for common sense,

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with your co-hosts Paul Zammett and Vince Locizzano.

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Hello and welcome back to Why Is It So?

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We trust that you enjoyed your Christmas and New Year with your loved ones,

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and Vince and I wish for your happiness to continue for the rest of the year.

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To start off the new year, we're going to try and read the future and see if

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we can predict what is coming up,

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not only here in our backyard, but all around Australia and even in countries around the world.

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A lot of things have happened over the last couple of years and hopefully we

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can get off on the right foot and maybe even find something that we're going

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to be happy about and something that you'll like. So let's get going and over to Vince.

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Well, Vince, we're back for another 12 months, hopefully.

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Well, we've made it through the last 12, so. Well, we'll keep going and see

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what happens. Happy New Year to you, Paul.

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Happy New Year to you too, Vince. How was the Christmas and New Year break for you?

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Very good, actually, as far as eats and drinks and stuff and sleeps.

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That's about what it was. Eats, drinks and sleeps. Yes.

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We know we're getting old when that's all we're talking about.

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There's no dancing, there's no partying, there's no… There's no one to talk

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to before. Everyone was away on holidays. I think we're the only ones that stayed home.

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Oh, well. Anyway, so we'll see what happens this year. Did we do predictions last year?

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I think we did, but are we going to revisit those or are we just going to sort

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of shelve them and make predictions about the coming year?

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Our predictions probably weren't much good last year. I don't think they were

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either. Except for the football.

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We were close with that. I don't think either of us chose Brisbane.

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What would you like to talk about? Actually, the first thing that's coming up,

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of course, is Donald Trump.

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His inauguration is on the 20th. It's five days from now, six to four days or whatever the thing is.

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It'd be very interesting to see what happens. I'm looking forward to it.

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I'm looking forward to seeing all these people cringing.

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Witnessing the second coming of the great Donald Trump.

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It will be interesting. I'm surprised a lot of people that were going to go

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overseas if he got in stayed there.

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Maybe the airfares might have been too dear for him. You mean all of the Hollywood

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actors, et cetera, who were saying that if Donald Trump gets in again,

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I'm leaving the country and I'm going to go on. I think the airfares might have

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been too dear for him to get out.

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Most of them wouldn't have been able to get through Los Angeles Airport with

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all of the fires that have been going on.

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Well, let's put it this way. I think Trump would be happy to sort of shout them.

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They go wherever they like. Yes. It will be interesting.

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I'll tell you what, those fires in California are horrendous,

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aren't they? They are shocking, haven't they? Terrible. It is.

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The worst fires they've ever had, apparently.

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And they've had a few fires there already. Well, there's two issues there.

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I mean, wildfires in California have been accustomed to that for decades.

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They all know that, yes, they're prone to having bushfires.

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The question really is, what is their government, their state government,

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if you like, the Californian government and the local jurisdiction in Los Angeles

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specifically, doing about fire prevention?

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How are they safeguarding the community from these fires?

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The questions have come up about how well they've been equipped or ill-equipped.

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There's apparently no water in the reservoirs. There's apparently no water coming

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through the fire hydrants.

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I mean, it's just a recipe for disaster. They've also left a lot of the brush

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on the ground, which just becomes like kindling.

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It just catches fire at the slightest bit of anything, and it'll just start

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wildfires within no time.

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I think the people that lived in that area would have been the people who mostly

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said, no, we want to stay there with the nice leaves and the nice trees and all that sort of stuff.

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But that doesn't mean you can't have backburning and clearing of the bottom

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of the forest so that it doesn't just take off the minute there's a fire.

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There are all sorts of measures that you can take to prevent the fires from

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spreading as quickly as they otherwise.

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We can put the blame here and put the blame there, but basically the worst part

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is that we've lost 20-something odd people so far.

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And that's not... It's up to 30-something now. Was it?

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Last count, I think it was about 26 or something.

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But there was still some people. I reckon you'll find that it'll end up being

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closer to 100 or more. Which is terrible.

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Probably one of the worst deaths in fires, like open fires.

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But again, the priorities of these governments and these local councils.

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Look, this is not the time to start looking around to who we're going to blame.

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It's happened and I don't think it's time at this stage. Well,

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let's sort of see how many deaths there are.

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Anyway, it's sad to see what's happened there. It is very sad.

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It was terrible. We hope it improves. We weren't actually going to start with that.

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No, but we're just going to take this conversation wherever it goes. That's true.

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So what else have we got to look forward to? Oh, of course, we've got to look

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forward at the inauguration.

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Of course, we're going to have Mr. Rudd and Mrs. Wong, or Miss Wong,

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being invited to be at the inauguration.

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It will be very interesting considering these two are amongst the worst critics

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or the biggest critic of Toronto.

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It'll be interesting to see what he's going to do.

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Actually, I'm going to get a bit of a laugh out of what happens just after the 20th.

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Well, if you have ever seen two entire hypocrites who have been so vocal in

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their opposition to Trump, all of a sudden honoured to be attending the inauguration,

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more, of course, at taxpayers' expense,

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we're going to have Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong attending on behalf of Australia.

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How pathetic. And hang on.

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Really, the worst one is the person who's sending him over. Albonese.

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That's the reason he's not going, because there would be nothing else but talking about Mr Albanese.

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So, yeah, it's just another thing. It's going to be sort of a fun sort of start

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of the year, isn't it, really, when you think about it?

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Well, I think that the inauguration will be a big event.

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It'll be a very well-celebrated event, and I think it will – signify the start

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of a totally different era in the United States.

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I have no doubt that things are going to run up.

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Yeah, well, things are really going to get cleaned up. And that's what America needed.

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It needed to have a good old fashioned clean out of all of the rubbish.

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Now, when it comes to the deep state and the establishment in Washington,

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it's going to be one heck of a job to get rid of all of those people who have

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been there for decades, some of them,

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you know, basically making careers

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out of being, you know, politicians and bureaucrats and public servants.

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And there's that much waste in government. I can't wait to see what this new

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department that Trump has got started up called the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE.

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And they're going to have Vivek Ramaswamy, who's a very cluey guy, and Elon Musk.

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The billionaire actually evaluating what needs to be there and what doesn't need to be there.

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And Elon Musk has already said, I reckon we could get rid of 80% of government expenditures.

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So this will be interesting to watch. It's going to be very interesting.

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Now, from Australia's point of view, another happy day is going to be Australia Day, isn't it?

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It should be. It should be a very happy day that everyone celebrates, in my view.

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It should be a day that it doesn't have to mean that because we're celebrating

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the country, that we're glorifying any of the ills of the past that might have

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been committed by people 250 odd years ago.

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What we should be celebrating is how united we are now and how we've been able

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to bring all sorts of cultures together,

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whether it's the indigenous cultures of yesteryear, combining with the British

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culture of the early settlers and other people who have come here from Europe

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and all other places in the world.

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We've managed to, by and large, have a peaceful country that more or less gets along.

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And I think people that want to bring shame to Australia Day or remember it

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as some sort of day of mourning, it's a pretty sad reflection of them as people.

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I think that the Aboriginal people and the Torres Strait Islanders and the people

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who were supposed to be left out, if you like, most of them are really on Australia

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Day saying, yes, we're all Australians and we should celebrate it.

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It's the few, if you consider the matter.

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The usual, the noisy few. They're noisy few who, you know, and then it's taken

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up by the do-gooders and the bleeding hearts, you know, and all that sort of

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thing. We are one country.

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The Indigenous people were here before us. Most of us are migrants.

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So really, the actual people who were born here is probably a fair small minority.

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I don't think it matters whether you were here originally, and who can even

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prove whether technically whether even Aboriginal people were here originally.

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I mean, how far back do we want to go into history?

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Yeah. The point is, whether you were here or one of the very earliest settlers of this land,

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or whether you're someone who's only just arrived here in the last 12 months,

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we all have a reason to celebrate this country and how fantastic it is,

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how rich it is in resources and in natural beauty.

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And by and large, everyone lives here without too many issues in terms of being

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able to know where their next meal's coming from. Yes, we've got faults.

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Yes, we've got things that we don't do right. Yes, there's crime and there's

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all sorts of other things that are eating away at what's good about our country.

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But that doesn't mean that on the whole, we can't celebrate what's good about

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our country and how well we all get along together.

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I mean, there is, I think the saying is, there's a lot more that unites us than divides us.

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And what we should be doing is concentrating on that and celebrating what's

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great about our beautiful country.

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And the good thing is, too, that the Australia Day is also bringing Australians

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into Australia to actually... You mean the citizenship ceremonies and all that

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sort of thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

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And this is something that's always been done at Council. They're all so happy

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to be here and, as you said, everyone's here for a reason, whether it be wars

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overseas in their countries because of poverty, all these sorts of things.

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I just think it's sad that there are some organisations, whether it be Tennis

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Australia or Cricket Australia or whether it's certain organisations like, you know,

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Aldi and I think there was someone else that was going to ban Australia Day

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products in their country.

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In their businesses. I noticed, by the way, that Woolworths has reversed their

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position of last year. Yeah.

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And don't kid yourself. It's not because all of a sudden they've become patriotic.

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It's because it was costing them a hell of a lot of money in the backlash that

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they got from their decision last year. That's all.

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But what I was about to say was that I think it's sad that these organisations

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are not celebrating Australia Day for fear of offending someone who takes offence

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at it all or who feels sad about our history or something.

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I don't think the people at the top of the tree for liking most of these big

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businesses, in their own, if it was an iron decision, they wouldn't be doing it.

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The fact is they're doing it with people protesting.

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And even if it's a few, they're the ones that get all the attention.

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Yep. And that's the problem. It's the fear of offending the woke brigade who

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are offended by everything. Yeah.

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And also the noisy minorities who jump up and down and go on about,

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you know, how this country was invaded and all this sort of business.

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You know, I just think that they need to find something in the depths of their

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heart to actually look at what's good about this country.

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And despite its flaws and despite maybe parts of the history not being celebrated

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in terms of how, you know.

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Certain people were treated at the time of early settlement,

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they're almost magnifying that

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to say that everything that we've become since is one big lie or one big,

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you know, that we should be feeling guilty about living in this country or even

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being born in this country. I think that's pretty sad.

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But that happens, see, to Indigenous people of all that. Yeah.

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Except in America, it's happening in Europe.

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I mean, it's still happening in the Middle East. Yeah.

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These things have been going for years and years and years, and it's the same

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problem that we have here.

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The problem is, I must say, on a lower scale to what's going on over there.

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But that's heading that way if we don't take control. But are you trying to

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tell me, or if anyone tries to tell me that English settlement of this country

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has made it worse for Indigenous people is kidding themselves.

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We have put so many resources every year, billions upon billions and billions

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of dollars into trying to improve, apparently, the lives of Indigenous people.

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Now, I think governments throw a lot of money at the problem without necessarily

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addressing the root of the problems in the Indigenous community.

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And I don't want to make this podcast all about that.

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That's a whole new podcast. But they're not really addressing the root problems

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when it comes to alcoholism and sexual abuse within these families and all those sorts of things.

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And the crime that's taking place at the moment in places like Alice Springs

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is almost unheard of in the other parts of Australia.

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The unfortunate reality is that when governments just simply throw billions

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of dollars at the problem, what we've seen happen is that a lot of these people.

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Indigenous bodies have been set up, and there's a lot of people who are milking

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the situation financially out of it.

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They're no different to anyone that's in power. Right.

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I mean, have a look at our own government and our own leaders of the community,

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and regardless whether they're Indigenous or not, they are all the same.

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And the fact of the matter is that's one of the biggest reasons why I think

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the referendum of 2023, the voice referendum as it was known,

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failed miserably because we all know we've already been throwing billions of dollars at this issue.

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And it's not like Aboriginal people don't have a voice. They have all of these

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bodies that give them a voice.

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So what's the need to have yet another body set up to give them a voice?

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It's no different to any other representative body who represents groups of

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people, whether Whether they be their ethnicity, it might be the Italian community

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might have a body that talks to government about our issues.

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Speaking, just before, I'm going to cut you off there. Yeah,

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that's right. Only because we're running out of time.

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We're talking about the sort of rorting systems.

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The name Team Palace, does that sort of say anything to you?

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The reports of this week. Now, this is in the time after he's announced that

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he's going to resign, I know he's going to step down from politics.

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On trips around the world, $72,000.

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That was one trip. Yeah, that was the last one.

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In total, it's about $650,000 worth of trips.

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$650,000 is what he spent over his whole career.

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Now, we're talking about the Victorian Treasurer here. That's the matter.

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Who has only just stepped down from his role after being there for 10 years.

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And he's not Indigenous.

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What we've seen here is a politician. There's been a minister in a government

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that has sent our state into the biggest deficit in history.

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They have introduced 34 brand new taxes since they got into government that

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are raising more money in tax than ever before.

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And despite all of the record amounts of money that they're collecting in taxes

00:15:49.454 --> 00:15:54.374
and levies and duties and all of those words that basically all mean tax,

00:15:54.834 --> 00:15:58.494
Despite all of the extra tax that they're raising and charging Victorians for,

00:15:58.674 --> 00:16:01.694
we're still going backwards in terms of overall debt levels.

00:16:01.934 --> 00:16:06.394
So eventually it's the Victorian taxpayer that has to pick up the tab for all of this.

00:16:06.614 --> 00:16:09.954
They can kick the can down the road as much as they like in terms of getting

00:16:09.954 --> 00:16:13.454
future generations to pay for it all. But sooner or later, it's going to come

00:16:13.454 --> 00:16:14.434
and bite us in the backside.

00:16:14.674 --> 00:16:17.754
I personally think Victoria is gone. It's stuffed.

00:16:17.954 --> 00:16:20.594
I think it's a job that's just too great for even the opposition,

00:16:20.594 --> 00:16:24.074
even if they got into power in two years from now. I just don't know that they're

00:16:24.074 --> 00:16:26.594
capable of ever reining in the problem.

00:16:27.714 --> 00:16:31.194
Closer to that, we have got a federal election coming up. Yes, we do.

00:16:31.534 --> 00:16:36.474
And now it seems to be that we've made predictions, or supposedly made predictions.

00:16:36.674 --> 00:16:38.994
Yes. We've been talking about government.

00:16:39.234 --> 00:16:41.714
Yes. And I suppose it's the...

00:16:42.423 --> 00:16:46.903
I don't know. Most stories come out of the government. Everything starts with the government.

00:16:47.203 --> 00:16:50.063
Is it sort of supporting? Is it going to be a hung parliament?

00:16:50.263 --> 00:16:51.503
What do you think is going to happen with it?

00:16:51.643 --> 00:16:57.263
My position, look, it's very rare to see first-term governments kicked out,

00:16:57.343 --> 00:17:01.523
but unless they do something that is really quite disastrous.

00:17:01.883 --> 00:17:05.643
Governments. Yes. Has been our Prime Minister, a Labor Prime Minister since

00:17:05.643 --> 00:17:11.303
2022, and he's the first Labor Prime Minister since we voted out Kevin Rudd

00:17:11.303 --> 00:17:13.723
and Julia Gillard in 2013.

00:17:14.383 --> 00:17:18.743
So nine years they were in opposition, Labor, and what we saw is three Liberal

00:17:18.743 --> 00:17:20.043
Prime Ministers in the meantime.

00:17:20.403 --> 00:17:23.283
During that nine-year reign, they had three Prime Ministers.

00:17:23.523 --> 00:17:29.263
So it would be very unusual to have a first-term Prime Minister voted out totally. It's possible.

00:17:29.383 --> 00:17:34.723
If everyone is that upset and pissed off, so to speak, with Albanese,

00:17:34.863 --> 00:17:38.783
that they want to get rid of him all together and Labor, well,

00:17:38.803 --> 00:17:41.483
then they'll lose. and Dutton will be voted in.

00:17:41.603 --> 00:17:46.503
But the question is, is Dutton doing enough to swing a lot of the disgruntlement

00:17:46.503 --> 00:17:47.963
with Labor over to Liberal?

00:17:48.123 --> 00:17:53.083
I wonder whether maybe this time we're going to have a situation where neither

00:17:53.083 --> 00:17:56.543
side wins enough seats to actually govern in their own right,

00:17:56.543 --> 00:18:00.463
and we're going to have a couple of handfuls of independent,

00:18:00.863 --> 00:18:04.403
of course, Adam Bant from the Greens normally wins in the seat of Melbourne,

00:18:04.463 --> 00:18:05.523
so that gives them a seat.

00:18:05.583 --> 00:18:09.763
I think it could very well be a minority government situation,

00:18:09.763 --> 00:18:13.283
which would be disastrous for this country because what it then means is that

00:18:13.283 --> 00:18:19.023
certain individuals with their own little agenda will end up governing through

00:18:19.023 --> 00:18:21.623
having the balance of power in the lower house.

00:18:21.743 --> 00:18:25.723
They will end up determining who governs and what policies are implemented.

00:18:25.963 --> 00:18:28.863
I think, I think. And normally in those situations, by the way,

00:18:29.263 --> 00:18:32.683
Labor normally has a lot of those independents favour them.

00:18:32.843 --> 00:18:36.123
So what you'll probably end up with is Albanese, yes, he'll get a second term,

00:18:36.263 --> 00:18:40.163
but only in minority government with the help of independents and Greens.

00:18:40.463 --> 00:18:41.643
Now, that would be disastrous.

00:18:42.043 --> 00:18:47.263
I was just going to say. I would rather have Albanese in majority than have that situation.

00:18:47.443 --> 00:18:52.363
Yeah, at least things will get done. So to me, the ideal situation is either

00:18:52.363 --> 00:18:54.743
one side or the other in majority.

00:18:55.123 --> 00:19:01.283
A minority government is never any good. It's very, very hard from not being

00:19:01.283 --> 00:19:05.183
in government but being in the opposition to make inroads.

00:19:05.303 --> 00:19:09.043
They can't make any laws. they can't actually pass the bill.

00:19:09.203 --> 00:19:14.743
But what he has to do is not only criticise what the government's doing and hold them to a.

00:19:15.120 --> 00:19:19.720
But part of his job as an opposition leader is to present an alternative government

00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:21.180
and what they would do differently.

00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:24.400
Now, he's starting to cut through in that respect. Yes, he is.

00:19:24.440 --> 00:19:29.260
Whether he's cutting through enough in every demographic and in every generation,

00:19:29.260 --> 00:19:30.760
I'm not really sure about that.

00:19:30.900 --> 00:19:34.980
The media likes to project him as some sort of monster. I don't believe that

00:19:34.980 --> 00:19:36.860
that's fair. I think he's better than that.

00:19:37.060 --> 00:19:40.580
I think he's a straight talker. Yeah, yeah. But the other thing I've got to

00:19:40.580 --> 00:19:47.440
say with the Liberal Party is that they also have lightened themselves as in

00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:50.840
they've become almost a Labour-like party.

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:56.380
They've gone towards the left in order to try and attract people from the left.

00:19:56.620 --> 00:20:01.420
Now, when you do that, the danger is that you actually disenfranchise a lot

00:20:01.420 --> 00:20:02.580
of your traditional base.

00:20:02.580 --> 00:20:06.680
And a lot of conservatives and a lot of right-wing, if you like,

00:20:06.940 --> 00:20:08.780
common-sense type people,

00:20:09.060 --> 00:20:12.740
that's what they like to see in government, common-sense policies,

00:20:12.940 --> 00:20:16.760
a lot of them are feeling disgruntled with the Liberal Party in recent years,

00:20:16.800 --> 00:20:23.020
that they no longer represent the silent majority of people out there that just

00:20:23.020 --> 00:20:25.180
gallop out their lives and work hard,

00:20:25.260 --> 00:20:28.800
whether they're working for a company or they're in business for themselves

00:20:28.800 --> 00:20:30.580
or whatever the case may be.

00:20:30.580 --> 00:20:35.880
That's the nature of government that they want to see, the John Howard-style liberal government.

00:20:36.040 --> 00:20:40.380
Politicians are on both sides. In fact, Green is everywhere in the whole part

00:20:40.380 --> 00:20:41.420
of the parliament, really.

00:20:42.260 --> 00:20:46.460
There's no one there that has got the charisma of past.

00:20:46.620 --> 00:20:50.660
That's the other thing about Dutton. He's seen to be someone who lacks personality

00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:53.960
and lacks that sort of salesmanship, if you know what I mean.

00:20:54.620 --> 00:20:57.960
He's not really an extrovert. I think he's come out of the police force.

00:20:58.060 --> 00:21:01.380
I understand. Under rules and regulations. Like, you know, you've got to dot

00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:03.900
your eyes and cross your center. Yeah, understand that.

00:21:04.080 --> 00:21:08.380
Understand that. So it is very difficult, but he does have to.

00:21:08.700 --> 00:21:12.900
Will he motivate people to not only change their vote away from Labor,

00:21:13.080 --> 00:21:16.500
but will he motivate them enough to say, yes, I'm going to put a number one

00:21:16.500 --> 00:21:20.480
next to Liberal, okay, now, or National? Only time. That's the big question.

00:21:20.840 --> 00:21:24.420
And I think that Labor will lose support in terms of primary vote,

00:21:24.460 --> 00:21:28.180
but whether the Liberals and Nationals can pick up enough of that support to

00:21:28.180 --> 00:21:32.800
go directly to them or whether that sort of person that votes away from Labor

00:21:32.800 --> 00:21:38.720
might just turn to an independent or a Greens or one of the other minority parties.

00:21:38.800 --> 00:21:42.140
But with politicians, it seems not to be just Australian.

00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:44.620
We're talking mainly Australian and American politics.

00:21:45.060 --> 00:21:50.220
What about Trudeau? Justin Trudeau, one of the best bits of news I've seen since

00:21:50.220 --> 00:21:51.260
the start of the new year.

00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:56.480
He has sent Canada into massive amounts of debt. their standard of living has

00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.440
dropped away remarkably and.

00:21:59.969 --> 00:22:03.729
If a conservative opposition doesn't win government at the next election,

00:22:03.889 --> 00:22:08.009
well, I give up making predictions. That's what they're probably saying about us.

00:22:08.149 --> 00:22:11.009
I don't think it's as pronounced here.

00:22:11.229 --> 00:22:15.089
I hope it is because I don't think Albanese deserves another term,

00:22:15.109 --> 00:22:21.829
but I just wonder whether Australians are just more complacent than what the Canadians are.

00:22:21.929 --> 00:22:24.209
Well, we tend to have that attitude.

00:22:24.649 --> 00:22:29.469
She'll be right. Don't forget in Canada, you have the entire farming community

00:22:29.469 --> 00:22:31.389
basically getting together in

00:22:31.389 --> 00:22:37.069
protest and creating a convoy of protest in towards the cities of Canada.

00:22:37.289 --> 00:22:40.829
Do you know what Justin Trudeau did in response to that? Shut down their bank account.

00:22:41.069 --> 00:22:47.569
This is the sort of measure, the sort of tyrannical left-wing socialist leader that he became.

00:22:47.909 --> 00:22:52.229
And that's why he ended up becoming so bitterly hated by Canadians.

00:22:53.049 --> 00:22:56.169
I'm sure there's a lot of people there that might have once voted for him that

00:22:56.169 --> 00:22:57.629
are thinking, what the hell was I thinking?

00:22:58.329 --> 00:23:03.469
But he's announced his resignation now, so let's just hope that Canada can also,

00:23:03.729 --> 00:23:09.109
well, he's announced that he will be stepping down once his party decides on

00:23:09.109 --> 00:23:11.629
who their next leader is going to be.

00:23:11.709 --> 00:23:14.249
And that person will take them to the next election.

00:23:14.449 --> 00:23:19.709
Whoever that person's going to be, I would suggest is on a hiding to nothing.

00:23:19.929 --> 00:23:23.569
But then again, some people won't resist the temptation to become party leader.

00:23:23.669 --> 00:23:28.609
So they'll do it just to become the party leader, even if it's only for a short time.

00:23:29.069 --> 00:23:32.749
But, yeah, I hope that Canada can go in the same direction as the United States

00:23:32.749 --> 00:23:38.429
once they hopefully turf out this tyrannical socialist left government.

00:23:38.709 --> 00:23:42.009
Right. Now, we've, I think, had a go at every government.

00:23:42.849 --> 00:23:44.649
Well, we haven't yet. It's just about.

00:23:46.329 --> 00:23:49.629
Let's get on to something a little lighter. Yes. With the AFL.

00:23:50.069 --> 00:23:53.989
Oh, okay. Yeah. Last year we did do a prediction on where they're going to finish

00:23:53.989 --> 00:23:56.729
in the latter and who was coming in and who was going. Yeah.

00:23:57.229 --> 00:24:01.309
Would you like to take the first chance without naming Carlton as winning the grand final?

00:24:01.529 --> 00:24:06.689
Well, look, I think it'll depend on who the next Prime Minister is. No, I'm only kidding.

00:24:06.869 --> 00:24:14.069
Look, in essence, it's 30 years since Carlton won a flag. Might be 31 this year. No, no, this year.

00:24:14.849 --> 00:24:19.069
If we don't win it this year, it'll be 30 years, plus next year it'll be 31.

00:24:19.229 --> 00:24:24.029
But if we win it this year, it'll be the first time in 30 years since we won in 1995.

00:24:24.809 --> 00:24:28.089
And I think we're going to do it. I actually think we're going to do it.

00:24:28.229 --> 00:24:31.869
And I'm speaking as a very biased Carlton supporter, all right?

00:24:32.089 --> 00:24:35.729
But I honestly do think that when you look at our list… As you always say,

00:24:36.089 --> 00:24:37.629
you're already eight years.

00:24:38.069 --> 00:24:40.749
No, no, no. We're 30 years into our five-year plan.

00:24:42.064 --> 00:24:46.084
I do think that we are ripe for the picking in terms of… Ripe is right.

00:24:46.204 --> 00:24:49.284
I don't know about… When you look at the demographic of the players,

00:24:49.404 --> 00:24:53.564
their average age, the amount of games they've played, and how they've improved

00:24:53.564 --> 00:24:56.704
their list in the off-season, I think Carlton is… Cherry ripe.

00:24:57.324 --> 00:25:00.384
…champions. We are cherry ripe to finish top four.

00:25:00.964 --> 00:25:05.224
I honestly think we will finish top four, and from that position I think we'll

00:25:05.224 --> 00:25:08.584
end up winning the flag. Who do you think you'll actually play?

00:25:08.764 --> 00:25:14.144
We'll be playing the… The second… We'll be playing the North Coburg Thirds.

00:25:15.364 --> 00:25:18.484
No. Who will we play in the grand final?

00:25:18.744 --> 00:25:22.264
The temptation is always for last year's grand finalists, but I actually think

00:25:22.264 --> 00:25:24.864
GWS will be the team to beat this year.

00:25:25.204 --> 00:25:31.244
They seem to be good enough during the year, but when it gets to the finals, they choke.

00:25:31.664 --> 00:25:35.864
Yeah, but I think that's what's going to change. But we've seen that the last three years.

00:25:35.984 --> 00:25:40.164
No, having experienced that under this new coach, when I say new coach,

00:25:40.244 --> 00:25:41.864
Adam Kingsley, This will be his third year.

00:25:42.304 --> 00:25:45.184
It's the first year they did very well. They only lost by a point to Collingwood

00:25:45.184 --> 00:25:46.784
in that preliminary final. Doesn't matter.

00:25:47.004 --> 00:25:50.444
Last year they went out in straight sets. This year I think they can turn that around.

00:25:50.684 --> 00:25:54.144
So I think Carlton and GWS, for me, into the grand final.

00:25:54.624 --> 00:25:58.544
I think Brisbane will just drop away a little bit. I don't know whether Brisbane

00:25:58.544 --> 00:25:59.644
will leave and finish in the fourth.

00:26:00.364 --> 00:26:04.864
Eight day month. They've lost Joe Danaher. No, Joe Danaher is not.

00:26:05.424 --> 00:26:09.224
No, one player doesn't make a turn. I know, but he's an important player that

00:26:09.224 --> 00:26:11.104
they'll find hard to replace. Yeah, maybe.

00:26:11.364 --> 00:26:14.144
What about your Collingwood? How are they going to go? They lost last year.

00:26:14.564 --> 00:26:17.324
So they won the year before. They didn't even make the eight.

00:26:17.524 --> 00:26:19.884
No, we went ninth because we didn't want to embarrass ourselves.

00:26:21.264 --> 00:26:24.584
We were about to finish in the eight. And then what's his name?

00:26:25.044 --> 00:26:31.284
The coach? Yeah, McRae. McRae said, hang on, boys. Put the wrong boots on today. We're not going to win.

00:26:32.124 --> 00:26:35.344
We don't want to finish in the eight. Do you think Collingwood's going to get back into the eight?

00:26:35.484 --> 00:26:37.504
And do you think that they're going to play off for the grand final?

00:26:37.544 --> 00:26:40.664
I think they will get into the eight. And if they don't get into the grand final,

00:26:40.704 --> 00:26:42.584
I think we won't see them in the finals for,

00:26:43.153 --> 00:26:47.753
The next two or three years after that, I'd say. But having said that.

00:26:47.953 --> 00:26:49.753
Who are they going to play? I think Hawthorne.

00:26:50.353 --> 00:26:53.933
Hawthorne and Collingham. So you think it'll be a Hawthorne and Collingham grand final? I do.

00:26:54.133 --> 00:26:58.573
I think Hawthorne went very, very well last year. It took them four or five

00:26:58.573 --> 00:27:01.393
games to get going, but once they got going, they really floof.

00:27:01.813 --> 00:27:05.373
So you think they can follow that up with an even better performance this year?

00:27:05.533 --> 00:27:07.453
Yeah, okay. They didn't play in a preliminary.

00:27:07.873 --> 00:27:11.953
I think they'll jump up five. They do have a good side. and they're very young

00:27:11.953 --> 00:27:13.693
and they are very plausible.

00:27:13.953 --> 00:27:16.153
They can make, you know, they're like putty.

00:27:16.433 --> 00:27:20.553
They can make them into good players because they still believe in what they're

00:27:20.553 --> 00:27:23.433
told. All right. So a Hawthorne-Cottonwood grand final for you. Yeah.

00:27:23.573 --> 00:27:25.873
A Carlton-GWS grand final for me.

00:27:26.253 --> 00:27:28.373
Let's hope if either of us are even close.

00:27:29.493 --> 00:27:33.253
Well, what other teams do you think? I think North Melbourne will come up. Oh, no.

00:27:33.793 --> 00:27:38.173
I think North Melbourne will be a long way to go still. No? And so is West Coast and so is Richmond.

00:27:38.713 --> 00:27:42.373
Richmond and West Coast. The teams that I think will improve dramatically this

00:27:42.373 --> 00:27:49.473
year and potentially get into the eight are Adelaide Crows and maybe even Fremantle

00:27:49.473 --> 00:27:51.913
Dockers. I think that they could improve too.

00:27:52.433 --> 00:27:56.233
I don't see that. So who's going to be the team that jumps out of the pack and

00:27:56.233 --> 00:27:59.253
all of a sudden makes a massive impression like Hawthorne did last year?

00:27:59.413 --> 00:28:03.013
They finished bottom four the year before, and all of a sudden they finished in the eight.

00:28:03.133 --> 00:28:05.353
I think North Melbourne. You think North Melbourne's going to be that team?

00:28:05.373 --> 00:28:10.073
And then we'd be coming from 16th, 18th. I can't remember. Well,

00:28:10.173 --> 00:28:11.053
Richmond finished last.

00:28:11.353 --> 00:28:14.593
Oh, okay. Richmond finished last. I think Goldstab and Will,

00:28:14.653 --> 00:28:21.113
but they showed, like Hawthorne, they showed a little bit of technique.

00:28:21.493 --> 00:28:24.153
That's a big call. They only had three wins last year, and to make the eight,

00:28:24.233 --> 00:28:26.413
you've got to have something like 13 at least.

00:28:26.593 --> 00:28:30.593
So you're saying that they're going to go from three wins to 13 wins at least

00:28:30.593 --> 00:28:34.393
in one season. Think back 12 months and where were Hawthorne?

00:28:34.755 --> 00:28:38.715
Yeah, they'd made five or six wins a year before. Yeah, but they were still one way from the four.

00:28:39.035 --> 00:28:43.055
Little mate getting to the grand final. Yes. So they were close.

00:28:43.055 --> 00:28:46.475
Carl, if you're actually a man of your own convictions, I'll see you at the

00:28:46.475 --> 00:28:49.435
TAB and you'll be putting a bet on North Melbourne to make the eight.

00:28:51.395 --> 00:28:53.875
Now would be the time to do it because you're not going to get the odds.

00:28:53.875 --> 00:28:57.175
That's what I'm saying. Did you do that with Hawthorne? No, I didn't, unfortunately.

00:28:57.855 --> 00:29:03.115
Okay. Well, anyway, in terms of any further predictions for the year 2025,

00:29:03.115 --> 00:29:06.335
Is there anything that you think might just happen out of the blue?

00:29:06.715 --> 00:29:10.935
Like, could we see, I mean, it's hard to predict natural disasters because you

00:29:10.935 --> 00:29:13.855
never know when they're going to strike. You never want to predict them either. No.

00:29:14.075 --> 00:29:18.115
But anything else that you think might happen this year that you've got a gut

00:29:18.115 --> 00:29:21.875
feeling about, whether it's anything politically or anything to do with sport

00:29:21.875 --> 00:29:25.615
or anything to do with… If you say sport… Or anything else for that matter.

00:29:25.935 --> 00:29:30.415
No, look, I can't think of anything really that will jump out at us.

00:29:31.795 --> 00:29:39.475
What will interest me is they're talking about China bringing another 50 different models of MadiCard.

00:29:40.175 --> 00:29:46.255
God help us. Don't forget, they've already taken over where Toyota have left off.

00:29:46.675 --> 00:29:53.575
Really what Toyota did in the last 10 or 15 years is what China is just starting.

00:29:53.955 --> 00:29:58.355
And don't forget. Are we going to get into a world where everything is in China?

00:29:58.775 --> 00:30:02.135
Well, do you think that this country is safe from Chinese invasion?

00:30:02.615 --> 00:30:05.155
They don't have to invade us. They've even bought us out already.

00:30:05.275 --> 00:30:06.835
They've been buying us. They've bought us out already.

00:30:07.475 --> 00:30:11.395
That's enough about China. It's time to say thank you for listening.

00:30:11.575 --> 00:30:15.195
Thanks, Vince. I'll have to make sure that I don't come in dressed in my dress anymore.

00:30:18.415 --> 00:30:24.935
And my blouse. Never noticed. All right, mate. Thanks and have a good day.

00:30:25.215 --> 00:30:27.735
Thank you, Nilsson. Catch you next week.

00:30:28.975 --> 00:30:33.735
Thank you for listening to Why Is It So? Make sure you tune in to our next episode.

00:30:34.035 --> 00:30:37.095
Remember, it's your last offence for common sense.