‘We're waking up to woke': Praise to television after axing of The Project and ABC's Q+A
'We're waking up to woke, thank goodness, we're sick of having these people who think they're morally superior,' Ms MacSween told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus.
'I'm so glad that people have started to say no, we've had enough.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese 'raises eyebrows' in Washington by shying away from US in John Curtin address
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to downplay the US alliance in a major address has rattled the diplomatic relationship amid an AUKUS review, defence spending tensions and criticism from the Trump administration. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has 'raised eyebrows' in the United States at a time of growing disunity, sparking further concerns about his relationship with Washington. In his weekend address at the 80th anniversary of former prime minister John Curtin's death, Mr Albanese distanced Australia from its history as a close ally of the US. He said that Australia would pursue its interests as a 'sovereign nation' and not be 'shackled to the past', after Mr Curtin led the country through WWII as a close ally of the US. Mr Albanese declared the US alliance should be seen as a 'product' of Mr Curtin's leadership in foreign, but not the 'extent' of it. 'Curtin's famous statement that Australia 'looked to America' was much more than the idea of trading one strategic guarantor for another,' Mr Albanese told the John Curtin Research Centre. 'It was a recognition that Australia's fate would be decided in our region.' The comments have been interpreted by policy experts as a rhetorical step away from the US alliance, and risk being seen in Washington as a signal of diplomatic divergence. Former Trump senior advisor Christian Whiton weighed in on the Prime Minister's speech, telling Sky News that it would be met with "skepticism" by the US. 'I think you have to look at it as sort of a globalist, soft on China signal,' Mr Whiton said on Sunday. 'Maybe it's one that the United States invited because, you know, the review of AUKUS is sort of an own goal situation; it's a little unclear." Mr Whiton added that the Australian-US relationship was enduring and that the two countries' shared history was "more important than any verbiage back and forth" "There's a lot of mixed messages going on," he said. Retired major general of the Australian Army Mick Ryan also told Sky News that Mr Albanese's speech would "raise eyebrows in the US capital". "There was a huge amount of enthusiasm for talking down any threat whatsoever posed by China (in the speech)," Mr Ryan said. "The fact that the US wasn't mentioned, not just in the current concept, but also its great contribution to Australia's defence in the Pacific War will really affect many of our friends in the United States." It comes as the AUKUS agreement has come under review by the US Pentagon, a defence pact that was set up to enhance US involvement in securing the Indo-Pacific region. Nationals deputy leader Kevin Hogan warned on Sunday that Mr Albanese had failed to prioritise the US relationship since President Donald Trump was elected in November 2024. 'Given the importance of that country, not just on the economic relationship we have, but the national security relationship, it should be (embarrassing) to all Australians,' Mr Hogan said. 'We know the US is doing a review into AUKUS as well, and the fact our two leaders haven't had a chat and Albanese hasn't been able to secure that is absolutely embarrassing.' — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 5, 2025 Tensions rise following AUKUS friction The fallout from Mr Albanese's speech followed weeks of growing strain in the trilateral AUKUS security pact after the US Pentagon ordered a review of the deal. A US defence official said the review would ensure the pact met President Trump's 'America First' agenda, amid criticism of Australia's comparatively low level of defence spending. That decision came before Australia and the UK adopted what critics described as 'ambiguous' positions on President Trump's recent strikes against Iran. Mr Albanese waited 24 hours before his government issued a carefully worded statement that stopped short of endorsing the US strikes, calling instead for 'de-escalation' and 'dialogue'. That response was branded 'flat-footed' by the opposition, with acting shadow foreign affairs minister Andrew Hastie saying Mr Albanese 'should have stood up and spoken to the Australian people'. 'Sending out a government spokesman to make a brief comment about one of the biggest events to happen in the last five years was not good enough,' Mr Hastie said at the time. The perceived reluctance to back US action in the Middle East likely deepened concerns in Washington over Australia's reliability as an ally. The Trump administration has been publicly frustrated by the Albanese government's resistance to increasing defence spending to 3.5 per cent requested by USDefence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Albanese government has committed to spending 2.3 per cent of GDP by 2033, far shy of the 5 per cent agreed to by NATO allies by 2035. PM dismisses concerns Despite the mounting concerns, Mr Albanese has downplayed the idea of a rift between Australia and the US. Speaking at the Sky News/The Australian's Economic Outlook forum on Friday, he insisted that he was 'not worried' about relations with the United States. He said he was confident in getting a meeting with President Trump, even after their scheduled meeting at the G7 in Canada was abruptly cancelled. President Trump then failed to follow up with a phone call, despite speaking with other world leaders, and no meeting has been booked in since. 'I'm not worried by someone making an understandable decision, which he did, to return to Washington,' Mr Albanese said of the cancelled meeting on Friday. 'Of course, we will have meetings. There will be a range of meetings between now and the end of the year with President Trump.'
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Death, death to the IDF' heard at pro-Palestine protest days after antisemitic attacks shake Melbourne's Jewish community
Violent chants have been heard at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne less than 48 hours after a synagogue was targeted in an arson attack as Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's synagogue appearance is called into question. Violent chants, including 'death death to the IDF', have been heard at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne less than 48 hours after a synagogue was targeted in an arson attack. Demonstrators marched from the State Library to Flinders Street Station during their weekly protest on Sunday and on occasion were led in their chanting by young girls, including "Death to the IOF" - standing for "Israeli Occupational Forces". A large watermelon banner which read 'Ceasefire Now' was paraded through Melbourne streets alongside some 1,000 demonstrators, who held signs reading: 'Death death to the IDF', 'Glory to the Martyrs' and 'Israel is a Fascist Entity'. — Mark Rowley (@MarkWRowley) July 6, 2025 Other signs read 'Deaf, deaf to the IDF' and 'You're sick of us? We're sick of Israel killing children'. It came a week after British rapper Bobby, of the punk duo Bob Vylan, led chants of 'death, death to the IDF' at the Glastonbury music festival. The offensive slogan was chanted about a 15 minute walk from the East Melbourne Synagogue and less than 48 hours after it was targeted by alleged arsonist Angelo Loras. On the night of the attack, Israeli restaurant Miznon was stormed by a group of people chanting 'death to the IDF', which resulted in the arrest of one man. Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin told Sky News the Australia was seeing a 'startling frequency and regularity' of antisemitic attacks and said there was a 'reticence' to face the reality of the growing hostilities towards the Jewish community. 'The Free Palestine movement is not a political movement, it's not a peace movement, it's not an anti-war movement, it's a violent ideology,' he said. 'We're seeing the effects of it in our cities right now and it needs to be grappled with. There's so much at stake here.' Sky News host Caroline Marcus said the alleged arson attack and restaurant ambush were 'disturbing antisemitic attacks' but not 'surprising'. Speaking from the grounds of the synagogue on Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described the alleged arson as 'an attack on Australia', amid concerns about domestic antisemitism. 'Arson attacks, the chanting calls for death, other attacks and graffiti — none of it belonged in Australia. And they were attacks on Australia,' he said. The Sky News host said she was 'pleased' to see Mr Burke 'calling it out' but called it a gesture steeped in irony. 'I can't help but note the irony that he is among the government ministers to have done the most to increase the hostility towards the Jewish community,' Marcus said. 'From denying visas to Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked and an American Jewish advocate Hilel Fuld to his recent statements strongly supporting the reinstatement of artist Khaled Sabsabi to represent Australia - despite his past works appearing very much to glorify Islamic terrorism.' 'On the other hand, at least he's there.' However, Marcus noted the absence of Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan who was 'conspicuously missing' since the Friday night attacks. 'Surely she should have been standing up first thing Saturday morning to address these (attacks),' she said. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the Whistleblowers, Activists and Community Alliance (WACA) said a statement was posted on Instagram about the demonstration. 'Miznon restaurant on Hardware Lane in Naarm was chosen as a site for direct action by pro-Palestinian activists on Friday night because the owner, Israeli Shahar Segal, is the official spokesperson for GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation),' WACA said. 'While politicians in so-called Australia clutch their pearls over one meal that was interrupted, we ask people to refocus their attention on Israel's genocidal reign of terror over the Palestinians.' According to the outlet, a source in the pro-Palestine movement called the protesters 'd**kheads' who think they are 'righteous and have the right to impact innocent bystanders' but instead ruing public opinion. In a separate incident in Greensborough, a building belonging to defence company Lovitt Technologies Australia was doused in red paint. A vehicle within the property had a Palestinian flag spray painted on the bonnet. On Friday, Premier Chris Minns' office was also targeted by protesters who waved flags, held up banners and chanted "Death death to the IDF".
Sky News AU
7 hours ago
- Sky News AU
‘Not the Australian way': Victoria's ‘extremely divisive' Voice to Parliament discussed
Former Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger discusses the Victorian government's Voice to Parliament. 'This is going to be extremely divisive,' Mr Kroger told Sky News host Paul Murray. 'We've just been through this, haven't we? 'This is not the Australian way; this is what Australians overwhelmingly rejected.'
