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The Briefing

Keir Starmer resigns + Bird flu's hit Australia. What now?

22 Jun 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

2.613 - 4.219 Sacha Barbour Gatt

A Listener Production.

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6.427 - 20.82 Chris Spear

Hey, it's Chris Spear with you. Welcome to The Briefing. For half a decade, Australia has managed to be free of a particular strain of bird flu. That all changed over the weekend. So what do we know about the new strain of the virus and is our government prepared for what could happen next?

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21.241 - 34.273 Professor Paul Griffin

This one in particular is called H5N1 and the issue with this and part of its name is that it's highly pathogenic. So this has become known as highly pathogenic avian influenza and it's caused devastation around the world.

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34.253 - 44.162 Chris Spear

A deep dive into what you need to know about this strain of bird flu is coming up in the second half of this episode. First though, let's get into the headlines with Sacha Babagat on Tuesday the 23rd of June.

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47.129 - 56.381 Keir Starmer

Every decision I've taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labor Party.

56.641 - 70.139 Sacha Barbour Gatt

Thanks, Chris. We're starting today in the UK where, yes, Sir Keir Starmer has officially resigned as Prime Minister. His decision follows months of sustained pressure on his leadership from both inside his own Labor Party as well as externally.

70.419 - 87.784 Keir Starmer

The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election. I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question and I accept that answer with good grace.

87.848 - 108.098 Sacha Barbour Gatt

Starmer's resignation comes less than two years after his resounding election victory in which his party ended conservative rule in Britain, winning a majority of 174 seats. It is worth noting, though, many saw that election as kicking the Tories out rather than voting Labor in, with a historic low 65% voter turnout that year.

108.579 - 116.691 Sacha Barbour Gatt

Starmer will stay on as caretaker PM until July 9 when a new party leader is chosen. And as to what he'll do once he's out of politics?

Chapter 2: What led to Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as Prime Minister?

309.543 - 329.497 Sacha Barbour Gatt

Vance, though, says that could all change very soon, but we've had no confirmation from Iran on that front yet. Who we have heard from is Iran's foreign minister, who says Tehran has secured exemptions for oil and petrochemical exports, the release of some frozen overseas assets, as well as a plan for the country's redevelopment. All topics on the table at the summit.

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329.697 - 349.667 Chris Spear

Yeah, it's worth noting Vance has now left the summit, but those talks will continue for the rest of the week. We don't know exactly who from the US delegation will remain. On what's happening in Lebanon, the UN says that ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be holding and that ships are continuing to transit through the Strait of Hormuz at the moment.

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350.896 - 371.367 Sacha Barbour Gatt

Back home now, and Australia is seeing a historic drop in support for multiculturalism, according to a major survey. The Lowy Institute's annual poll, which is the country's longest running check on what Australians think about the world and their place in it, found support for cultural diversity has plunged from 90% just two years ago to 73%.

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371.968 - 383.823 Sacha Barbour Gatt

It is the biggest single shift on any question in the poll's 22-year history. But it is worth noting the majority of the 2,000 Aussies surveyed do back multiculturalism as a source of strength.

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384.164 - 402.705 Chris Spear

Yeah, trust in the US has also hit a record low. Just 31% believe Washington will act responsibly on the world stage, while trust in China has crept up to 28%. For the first time ever, Australians' distrust for the two superpowers is roughly equal in measure, which is wild.

402.685 - 422.713 Chris Spear

And despite one in five trusting the US president to do the right thing, support for the US alliance remains strong at 73%, as does support for AUKUS. Other findings, you know, this survey pulls on a bunch of different things. Like you said, Australians take on the world and their place in it. One of the things was AI and the economy.

423.114 - 436.28 Chris Spear

Six in 10 Aussies are pessimistic about the economy over the next five years. and two-thirds now believe AI's risk outweighs its benefits. So that's a change in result of about 12% from 2024.

436.3 - 451.504 Sacha Barbour Gatt

And I think that leads us into the next story. A rare warning from Intelligence Alliance Five Eyes has been issued overnight, telling the world's leaders to act now on powerful new AI models that will be able to take down governments and businesses.

452.006 - 461.245 Sacha Barbour Gatt

The collective, which is made up of intelligence agencies from Australia, the US, the UK, New Zealand and Canada, says these threats are months away if nothing is done.

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