good morning from unceded Darug lands☀️today on #Insiders are Guardian politics corro Amy Remeikis, 9fax economics editor John Tahoe and 9fax international editor Peter Hartcher. The interview is with Morrison government chief spinmeister and Finance Minister Simon Birmingham.
opening spiel is “going nuclear”, correctly pronounced; and “greater reliance on the US”. #Insiders
editorialising. We have been “watching economic coercion for years”, apparently. And have “sent a message to Beijing” too. Goodness. I thought the China trade restrictions on us began under Morrison? #Insiders
the montage gaily promotes nuclear normality with some laffs at the fact Morrison has made a nuclear “arrangement” with someone who can not even remember his name. Hur hur. #Insiders
the floating Chernobyls line from Bandt gets a run. Good. When he used it this week on RN Hamish demanded that the Aust Greens answer to a UK Tory statement instead. #Insiders
the closest we come to criticising a secret rushed nuclear announcement is quotes about French anger. #Insiders
#MakingNews also opens with “French rage” and Malaysian displeasure. Anti-lockdown muppets in Melbourne get some coverage. Segues from [anti] lockdown to case numbers and off to #TheCurve #Insiders
Briggs covers the steadying of reported NSW case numbers but not the known fact that NSW is not reaching all close contacts. #Insiders
an alert for where the lowest vax rates are in Melbourne. No report on highest double dose rates. #Insiders #TheCurve
the revised Doherty Institute modeling which indicates reopening with thousands of cases a day will “cause some big problems”. There is “a lot of uncertainty ahead”. Briggs questions whether unvaxxed folk will comply with stay at home orders. #Insiders
more editorialising from Speers, on this AUKUS “arrangement”. Does it make Australia more secure Peter? It is a signal of intent, says Hartcher. The signal is “Australia is prepared to fight for its sovereignty”. #Insiders
nobody wants a weak ally, says Hartcher. Everybody is attracted to a strong ally, he claims. Very testosterone. #Insiders
the quantum computing claim gets a run from Hartcher. God. I really hate the way Morrison recites technology nonsense like a shopping list. You can just tell his tech skills run no further than spreadsheets, if that. #Insiders
the French question goes to Remeikis. It could have been handled better, she says, and links our betrayal of the French to looming climate negotiations with the EU in Glasgow. #Insiders
clip of Morrison trying to sound statesmanish. Is he right? is Speers framing. Have things changed with China? Tahoe says Aust is making a “long term bet” and calls China “an almighty power that is on the rise”. The man hormones are leaking all over the place here. #Insiders
his arguments do hold water, says Hartcher, and clarifies that this was a submarine pun. The nuclear powered subs can stay underwater longer. He says ours and Japanese sub fleets are supplements to the US fleet. #Insiders
the idea is for Aust and Japan to join with the US to blockade Chinese subs and stop them exiting the South China Sea, explains Hartcher. #Insiders
clip of two US blokes whose names I missed. Remeikis says Aust has always been the deputy sheriff in the region. There are what-ifs, she says. We do not have a subs order, there is no deal. Would we have made the same deal with Trump? #Insiders
yawn. Labor does not want to be wedged on “national security” says Tahoe. They raised concerns that we abide by obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, he notes. Bit of chit chat with Speers about submarine dithering over the Abbott-Turnbull period. #Insiders
what would be the thinking in Beijing? Hartcher says we were previously seen as a pushover? I think. He says we are signalling to China that we are a “serious power” and Beijing “will rethink” its dealings with us lol #Insiders
the Marise Payne moment on #Insiders a year ago when she announced the virus source investigation to be led by Aust with no planning or warning is mentioned by Hartcher. He adds a few mild noises about clumsy diplomacy. #Insiders
segue to the interview is a clip of a French diplomat saying “this is what we call a stab in the back”. The Finance Minister has eschewed a tie but kept the suit jacket for this Sunday appearance. #Insiders
we informed the French government at the earliest possible opportunity, says Birmingham, an unprovably unspecific claim. Asked about “confidential” costs of submarine orders, Birmingham says the government’s intention is to release some costs later or something. #Insiders
some of it is a sunk cost, says Birmingham. He implies that the Morrison government has spent some short term political and diplomatic capital and taken a “difficult” long term decision lmao as if. It is, as ever, an announcement of a plan. #Insiders
this “tuff decision” machismo is so insulting. Berejiklian does it too. #Insiders
is it a blank check?
Efficiency, says Birmingham, the most mischaracterised word in economics jargon. He is not going to put figures on it. They will get the best deal, says politician, while conveying no information. #Insiders
Efficiency, says Birmingham, the most mischaracterised word in economics jargon. He is not going to put figures on it. They will get the best deal, says politician, while conveying no information. #Insiders
skills training knowledge analysis sailors scientists says Birmingham. A suite of technologies. Strategic partnership. Closely collaborate.
Streams of buzz words, nothing more. #Insiders
Streams of buzz words, nothing more. #Insiders
are we building subs here?
Bits and pieces. Apparently other countries import parts for things. The nuclear reactors - yes, he said “reactors” twice - will be built elsewhere. Birmingham repeats the claim that Aust will not develop civil nor military nuclear capability. #Insiders
Bits and pieces. Apparently other countries import parts for things. The nuclear reactors - yes, he said “reactors” twice - will be built elsewhere. Birmingham repeats the claim that Aust will not develop civil nor military nuclear capability. #Insiders
close collaboration into the future. Quantum technology. Computing. Close integrated operations. Enhanced. Blah blah blah. #Insiders
will we have US nuclear armed vessels in our ports?
A: the position has not changed.
Q: which is what?
A: there will not be nuclear weapons in Australia.
Speers tries for a bit to get clarity on ports and gives up. #Insiders
A: the position has not changed.
Q: which is what?
A: there will not be nuclear weapons in Australia.
Speers tries for a bit to get clarity on ports and gives up. #Insiders
Porter. Ahaha Birmingham says the prime minister has done the right thing - to flick the problem to Gaetjens - and lmao claims that when the advice is received, Morrison “will no doubt act on it”. Laughable nonsense. #Insiders
surely you can see that a minister accepting anonymous donations is not okay?
The prime minister the prime minister the prime minister, says Birmingham. So that’s a no. #Insiders
The prime minister the prime minister the prime minister, says Birmingham. So that’s a no. #Insiders
what WAS that says Remeikis. Ministers have personal opinions on lockdowns, marriage equality, you name it but suddenly they can not share their view on anonymous donations?? That is not good enough on ANY front, she says. #Insiders
to be fair to Birmingham, says Speers, he can not get ahead of the prime minister on this🙄#Insiders
clip of Turnbull, who appointed Porter to the office of Attorney General after evidence emerged of Porter sleazing around in Canberra bars in full view of journalists, saying the anonymous donation is a shocking affront to transparency. Whatever. #Insiders
he [Morrison] will have to cut him [Porter] loose, opines Hartcher. Huge political cost, he says, obviously meaning to the Morrison government. Because you know it could be a political gain to *some* political parties. #Insiders
well it is parked with the department, says Speers, of the decision to flick anonymous donor ministerial standards questions to Gaetjens. It is a busy time, Washington visit etc. Remeikis takes no prisoners. Mr Gaetjens is very busy. #Insiders
let’s have a look at the Labor side of things, says Speers, and we discuss, for the second week running, an opposition pre-selection process. Remeikis says white people co-opting the language of cultural and linguistically diversity is disgusting [paraphrased] #Insiders
everyone will be glad to see the back of Fitzgibbon, says Hartcher [paraphrased]. He says none of this [pre-selections] will carry sustained damage to Labor, voters will look at the government, not these internals. Hmm you’re probably right, says Speers. #Insiders
“back to you whatsya face”
#FinalObservations 1 is Remeikis noting the Biloela family received an extension and that with these policies the cruelty is the point. #Insiders
#FinalObservations 1 is Remeikis noting the Biloela family received an extension and that with these policies the cruelty is the point. #Insiders
#FinalObservations 2 is Tahoe on TGA approval of rapid antigen tests #Insiders
#FinalObservations 3 is Hartcher wishing his daughter a happy birthday and saying lockdown is hard for everybody. Fact-check: lockdown is much harder for some than others. #Insiders
we go out with the Defence Minister mistaking an elbow bump for offering a clenched fist like the walloper thug he is. #Insiders
this has been another edition of watching #Insiders so you don’t have to👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼
this week I am paying it forward to Kallico Catering in Blacktown. Direct donation info here.
https://twitter.com/inmyblooditruns/status/1437900353995952130
last week we raised just under $300 and paid it forward to Dharriwaa Elders Group in Walgett. 
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