Topics: Assassination attempt on President Trump, CFMEU organised crime links, The Ultimate Sacrifice podcast, World wife carrying championship  

 

E&OE   

 

SARAH ABO: 

Joining us to discuss today's headlines is Nine News Queensland presenter Melissa Downes from Brisbane and Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor from Goulburn in New South Wales. Good to see you both. Angus, how do you see this. Is Donald Trump's second term as President basically secured now? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, that'll be a matter for the American people, but clearly tragic, shocking events in the United States. And the important point here is that violence has no part to play in our great democracies, whether it's in the United States, or here in Australia, or the UK, which is where our democracies came from. Democracy, the whole point of it, was to resolve disputes without violence. And that is the most important point we can all make at a time like this. 

 

SARAH ABO: 

I mean, it was incredible watching this all unfold, right? I mean, you see there, the President ducking and then that defiant image of him, Angus, rising with his fists raised like that. I mean, that is something that obviously will go down in the history books. But it also speaks volumes about just America at the moment, doesn't it? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, it does. I mean clearly, there's great divisions in America, but those divisions should never become violent. And, you know, the whole point of democracy is we get a chance to have our say at the ballot box. And that's true in any great democratic nation. And we've got to keep coming back to that, and calling out completely unacceptable behaviour clearly, and it's not what we want to ever see here in Australia. 

 

SARAH ABO: 

Melissa, the Secret Service is now facing serious questions about this incident, how it could have happened. How can we excuse this? I mean, we were talking before about whether this is embarrassing, but surely there are enough protocols in place to prevent something from happening like this, so close to the President? 

 

MELISSA DOWNES: 

You would think so. But it also feels like that's America, isn't it? I mean, if it's going to happen anywhere, it's going to happen in America. But I think the really interesting thing happening from here on in is how Joe Biden handles it. If he was under pressure before, can you imagine how much more pressure he is under, how he handles things from here on in. It's almost like his last chance to prove himself that he can, that he should stay in, as President and potentially, you know, the next President, because he hasn't done well, this doesn't work for him. He would be certainly worried about what's going to happen from here on in. 

 

SARAH ABO: 

Angus, do you think Biden stays as the Democratic man to win the next election? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, that'll be a matter for the Democratic Party. Obviously, he's been nominated, so it's, you know, it's very hard to step back from that. But I think the important point here is, let the processes play their way out. There's great time honoured processes in America as there are here in Australia. And they should be respected by everybody. And I think that's the really key point here, is respect, and calling out unacceptable behaviour and violence in particular. Democracy's resilient, but it shouldn't be violent.  

 

SARAH ABO: 

Alright Angus, just very quickly, you may have seen those explosive allegations against the CFMEU yesterday on 60 Minutes. Do you think Tony Burke should deregister the union? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:  

Well, of course. But actions speak louder than words and the Labor Party has been very close to the CFMEU. They've been taking donations from the CFMEU for many years. And the behaviour we've seen on these construction sites is completely unacceptable. Labor is joined at the hip with the CFMEU, got rid of the ABCC. And last time I was on this program, we were just talking about the intimidation and threatening behaviour towards the head umpire of the AFL, by the CFMEU. So Labor's got to get serious about this, stop taking their donations, deregister and reestablish the ABCC. That is the right thing to do. 

 

SARAH ABO: 

Alright Melissa, you have a new podcast covering the horrific police shooting in Wieambilla that launches today. Can you tell us a bit more about it? 

 

MELISSA DOWNES: 

Yeah, so the Wieambilla shooting was in December 2022. That's when four young officers were ambushed when they went to a remote property three hours west of Brisbane, they were going for a welfare check. And when they arrived, completely unawares, three members of the Train family were there, fully prepared to kill police. That was their aim. They killed two officers, two survived. So, we have a podcast that's starting today, two episodes launch today, two more next week, that retell that story of everything that we know so far. But then on the 29th of July, a coronial inquest begins and we expect to learn so much more, and especially about the killers, but also about police operations. What  those young officers faced as they went in, the siege that followed, the officers that went in and put their lives on the line to shut down that event. So we just expect that this story, there's so much more to come out of it. And yes, The Ultimate Sacrifice launches today and will run for probably another eight weeks. 

 

SARAH ABO: 

Yeah, it was just a horrific incident. Melissa, looking forward to listening to that podcast. And Angus on a bit of a lighter note, we recently spoke to your beautiful daughter Adelaide and her [boyfriend] Elliott about taking top honours in, of all things, the Global Wife Carrying competition. So tell us, does she get her incredible athletic abilities from you or her mother? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

Well, I think it was more Elliott's athletic abilities. It was an extraordinary team. Very proud dad to have an international champion, a world champion, in the family. Not necessarily the sport we would have expected. 

 

SARAH ABO: 

It's so bizarre, isn't it!  

 

ANGUS TAYLOR:  

She's had a wonderful time.  

 

SARAH ABO: 

Did you even know what the Wife Carrying championships were before this? 

 

ANGUS TAYLOR: 

I didn't, until Elliott introduced, he's from up in the Hunter Valley. And of course the national championships are in Singleton. So that's how it came about. They've had a wonderful time and very proud dad.  

 

SARAH ABO: 

Indeed you are. Angus, we're very happy for the whole Taylor family. Thank you so much for joining us. 

 

ENDS.