Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What are the latest headlines regarding Israel and Gaza flotilla activists?
Hey, it's Chris Beer with you.
Welcome to The Briefing. Have you been seeing those AI images of Albo working as a hairdresser, a Pilates instructor, or maybe even a tradie and wondering what it's all about? Well, it's being driven by small business owners who aren't happy about the changes in the budget to the capital gains tax. But what exactly are they trying to achieve?
What you're hearing now and seeing with AI Albi and all this stuff is different sectors yelling as loud as they can saying, please don't touch us or please look at us in a different way. Now, this is an amazing reversal of what was kind of meant to happen when the capital gains discount was brought in.
That chat about capital gains tax, what it all means and whether the fears of the business sector actually stack up and if this social media push can work to change the government's mind is... is coming up in the second half of this episode. First though, let's get into the headlines with Sacha Babagat on Thursday, the 21st of May.
Hey Chris, we're starting overseas where there's been massive international backlash as video emerges of more than 400 activists, including Australians, appearing to be mistreated after being detained by Israel. The group had been part of a global fatila attempting to break the marine blockade on Gaza.
Now, in video that was put out by Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gavir, the activists are shown zip-tied and kneeling on the ground at Ashdod Port. So what you just heard there was a clip which shows a female activist being grabbed by the head and dragged down after she yelled free Palestine.
And this is all happening while Ben-Gavir is waving an Israeli flag over the bound detainees as the Israeli national anthem blares.
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Chapter 2: Why is Anthony Albanese meeting with Kumanjayi Little Baby's family?
He can even be heard telling guards to ignore their screams.
Eleven Australians are among those being detained and Penny Wong is among the foreign ministers that have since responded to this clip, saying the footage is shocking and unacceptable.
She's condemned Ben-Gavir's actions, who is already the subject of Australian sanctions, and says she's directed our ambassador to Israel to again push for the release of the Australian flotilla members and ensure they're being treated humanely.
Leaders from the UK, France, Canada and the US have also expressed outrage, with Italy's Prime Minister going so far as to demand an apology, saying the activists are being subjected to treatment that violates human dignity. Her country, as well as France, the Netherlands and Canada have all summoned their Israeli ambassadors.
Now, this video has even drawn a rare rebuke from the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who said, while Israel has every right to stop flotillas, Ben-Gavir's conduct is, quote, Netanyahu has since instructed authorities to deport the detained activists as soon as possible.
Back home now and Anthony Albanese has called the loss of Kumunjai little baby unbearable while meeting with the five-year-old's family. The Prime Minister has travelled to Alice Springs and spent time with her mum and grandparents yesterday.
It was mainly an opportunity just to say to the family though that the nation stands with them. They are not alone. Kumunjai little baby is known throughout our nation and indeed throughout the world.
The little girl, who is referred to as Kumunjai Little Baby for cultural reasons, went missing from the old-timers camp late last month. Her body was found days later and a 47-year-old man was arrested and charged with her murder.
Now, during the visit, the PM laid flowers at the town camp in memory of Kumunjai and he also met with representatives from the council, which manages more than a dozen town camps, as well as reps from Alice Springs Hospital, Northern Territory Police and St John's Ambulance. The little girl's death has sparked a wider conversation around the safety of Indigenous children living in camps.
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Chapter 3: What impact does motor neuron disease have on NRL players?
Yeah, the NT government has launched an independent review into the Territory's child protection system while announcing new laws that would change how services approach rehoming Indigenous children. Albanese says the government should be consulting with Indigenous families about these new laws.
Yeah, because there is concern around them from Indigenous leaders and community groups that what these new laws will do, which were announced last week, is water down what's called the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, which acknowledges the value of cultural connections for First Nations children who are placed in child protection. So...
Right now, the priority is put on kids remaining with their family or close family or kin or remaining very close to those families, even if they can't be placed with a family member. So legal services and Aboriginal peak bodies have voiced those concerns.
They think it'll dilute Indigenous concepts of kinship and also limit the Northern Territory's court's abilities to act in the best interest of children.
NRL player Jai Arrow has announced his immediate retirement, saying he's been diagnosed with motor neuron disease.
I wanted, you know, to do this to let people know I am OK and I am ready to fight.
The 30-year-old who plays for the Rabbitohs hasn't taken to the field this year after getting the diagnosis in November last year.
Now, he didn't speak at the press conference yesterday, during which a statement from him was read out by Rabideau's chief executive, Blake Solley, and coach Wayne Bennett. But the audio you just heard there was from a sit-down interview he did with Channel 9, during which he fought back tears as he discussed his diagnosis.
I want to do everything I can. Any trial, any medication that... will maintain me for as long as possible.
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Chapter 4: How is Queensland's new public hospital changing healthcare access?
I want to inspire as well.
Arrow's career has spanned premierships, origin appearances for Queensland and a player of the season nod last year. Motor neuron disease is a devastating and debilitating neurological disease that destroys a person's motor neurons. So those are the nerve cells that help us walk, talk, breathe, speak and swallow. There is no cure. And
We've spoken a little bit about this disease on the show before. This is obviously the disease that they raise funds for with the big freeze in Melbourne every year. I also spoke to MasterChef judge Sophia Levin about it because her dad sadly passed away from it. And she spoke about how it just changed everything about him in such a very quick amount of time.
So yeah, really sad to see and so young as well.
Well, they say that there is a suspected risk factor for MND, which is head injury and relatively common, obviously, head injuries in sports like rugby league, in the AFL, in rugby union, even soccer to a lesser extent.
But they think that the bigger risk factor ā so that's to say there is a link, but there is a bigger risk factor which is triggered by the environment, things like insecticides, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Because those living in rural Australia where those chemicals are very common in farming and agricultural sectors ā
people in rural Australia are 40% more likely to die from motor neuron disease.
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Chapter 5: What is the significance of AI-generated images of Anthony Albanese?
So there is a potential link with head knocks and being involved in a contact sport, but there are bigger risk factors at play as well.
To Queensland now, where the state's first major new public hospital in a decade has opened its doors and it's getting attention for the services it won't provide.
Mater Hospital in Springfield is a 186-bed facility with almost 1,000 staff, expected to see around 185,000 patients a year, offering things like emergency care, maternity services, intensive care surgery, paediatrics and specialist outpatient services.
So, yes, this is a public hospital, but because it is going to be Catholic run, there are some treatments that it won't offer. That includes voluntary assisted dying, pregnancy terminations and no contraception, which includes things like vasectomies and hysterectomies, unless there is an immediate threat to a patient's life. So it has to be... life-threatening.
The Martyr Group has defended this and people getting outraged saying that, you know, this shouldn't come as a shock. We've always done this. I think the reason people are upset is because it's a public hospital and the Queensland government has handed over the running to a Catholic group, which is going to refuse some services.
They acknowledged that, but they also said, we will still transfer patients who do want those things, so they will enable transfer pathways. But groups like Dying With Dignity Queensland and Children By Choice say it's not good enough. They argue that these procedures are legally available in the state, and so they should be provided in publicly funded institutions.
Premier David Christopher Lee was also asked about it yesterday and he defended the arrangement saying that services are available at other hospitals and they will continue to be funded at other hospitals.
And an 18-year-old from Melbourne has become the youngest Aussie ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
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Chapter 6: What changes to capital gains tax are proposed in the budget?
Hi, Bianca. How do you feel?
I feel really good, but the weather is really bad. Real good. You need to take some photos and go because it's a little bit cold and windy and
We're so proud of you, Bink. It's amazing what you've done and so much hard work. It's amazing.
Thanks, Dad. I feel really good up here, actually.
Yeah, so that was Bianca Adler there. She's 18 and she achieved the mind-blowing feat yesterday morning, our time. Her dad, who you just heard there, was also on the mountain, but he remained at Camp 2, which sits at about 6,500 metres. The peak is just shy of 8,500 metres, Chris.
Yeah, after reaching the highs of the summit, Adler has since made it down to Camp 4, where she's having a bit of a tougher time.
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Chapter 7: How might proposed tax changes affect small businesses and innovation?
I feel pretty hopeful, but... I still have to go to camp too. Coming down was definitely a lot harder though.
And that's the interesting thing about this. You know, we all hear about people summiting Everest or, you know, climbing to the top of Everest and it's like, wow, you did it. But it's the climbing down that's so much harder and is like more difficult for them. The VCE student is expected to rejoin her dad sometime today at camp two before they make their way back to base camp.
I mean, congratulations. Can you imagine juggling your end of year, like your last year of high school plus Everest?
Yeah, well, they said her next challenge is finishing year 12. And I'm like, God, that is a cakewalk compared to summiting Everest. The thing you mentioned about coming back down, I actually deep-dived this earlier this year in February with a guy called Daniel Bull. He's another Aussie who's climbed Everest. We'll pop the link in the show notes. You can have a listen.
Chapter 8: What are the broader implications of tax policy on Australian startups?
It's fascinating. But he talked about when you're going up, you have the drive. You have the energy, even if you are ā completely exhausted but you have that adrenaline pushing you up. Once you've summited, then all of that adrenaline wears off and then it's a challenge to get back down and back to safety and there's this area called the death zone. Oh, yeah.
And that's around where Bianca is at the moment or was at least when we last heard from her. So Daniel Bull talks a lot about that in my interview with him. It's fascinating.
I want to describe, I'm not going to give it away, but he describes a particular moment in the death zone and I was like, what?
Yeah, it's crazy. It's insane. But yeah, it's actually Bianca's second attempt. I found some of her TikTok videos. They just came across my feed because I'm quite interested in this. But there was images of her like all frostbitten or on the verge of getting frostbite and she was defeated because she couldn't make it up.
She was 400 metres short of the summit when weather forced them to turn back. So I'm sure she's absolutely stoked to have made it the peak this time.
Now, that is it for headlines for today. Coming up next is my deep dive into capital gains tax, the discount, what the tax means, and why business owners in the startup sector are putting images of AI Anthony Albanese out onto the internet. Stick around. That deep dive is coming up for you next. It's been over a week since the budget dropped and everyone is still yapping about it.
The coalition don't love it. The Greens have their thoughts. Disability advocates have weighed in. Private health insurers, investors. But the loudest voices that have emerged this week, small businesses and start-ups. Their qualm? Well, it's the government's decision to scrap the 50% discount on capital gains tax on most assets from 2027.
Founders say it'll take a bigger slice of their profits when they sell and ultimately will push innovation offshore. And they've found a very 2026 way to make that point. Business owners across the country have been posting AI-generated images of the Prime Minister, welcoming him as their, quote, silent business partner with a 47% stake in their company.
He's been pictured on the tools, in the office, at the desk, and Albo's actually seen him.
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