Nevermind the "Trump effect" on the 2025 Australian election: Australia now has more Australians with Chinese ancestry elected to Federal Parliament than ever before, and more women elected to Parliament as independents and for the Australian Labor Party than ever before. 2025 has seen the end of the two party system and the confirmation of the role of independents in the federal Parliament, with near-equal number of independents and Liberals in the House of Representatives. It has also marked the end of the reign of Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan over political influence exerted through print and electronic media.

Meanwhile there is the ongoing vote count in crucial electorates such as Goldstein and Kooyong, and the implications of the Senate results that promise a smoother legislative path for the Albanese government. Hear about the cultural and political narratives that shaped the campaign, including the rejection of divisive culture wars and Murdoch media influence, and how the so-called “Trump effect” narrative misses the mark in explaining Australian voters’ decisions.

The episode also highlights the growing influence of women and Chinese-Australian candidates reshaping the political landscape, with historic wins in seats long held by conservatives. Plus, get insights into the future direction of the Albanese government, including upcoming international diplomacy and domestic policy priorities.

Songs played on RTHK3

INXS - The Swing

The Angels - Am I Ever Going to See Your face Again

Surprise Chef - Consulate Case

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Australia's annual commemoration of its war dead on ANZAC Day interrupted by modern-day Nazis, and LNP leader Peter Dutton gets on board for a culture war in the last week of a disastrous election campaign; explaining why Welcome to Country ceremonies are a basic part of a living 60,000 year old culture in Australia; how Chinese-Australian voters are responding on WeChat to news Dutton's Liberal National Party coalition are preferencing the white supremacist One Nation party of Pauline Hanson, three years after Dutton used an ANZAC Day speech to call on Australians to prepare for war with mainland China; how Donald Trump's effect on the Canadian election is echoed in Australia's, and how Dutton's idea to label certain news organisations as "hate media" echoes Trump's "enemies of the state" rhetoric in the US. How the big issues - GenY and GenZ becoming the dominant voting demographic, Australia's ongoing military relationship with Trump's White House, and climate change making large swathes of Australia uninsurable - are being lost in the daily minutiae of election coverage... and the campaign continues to get a barbie set up and some democracy sausages served in Australia's second largest overseas electorate in Hong Kong.

Songs played on RTHK3

The Golden Gaytimes - Cozzi Livs

Goanna - Solid Rock (2023 remix)

Cranky - Australia Don't Become America

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With only 14 days left until early voting begins in the Australian Federal election, the reality of suburban and regional Australia going into the Easter break versus voter attention and campaign strategies - it’s all about junior sports tournaments for every ball and bat or otherwise athletic sporting codes, and camping or music festivals for those who don’t play sport, so who has time for listening to Dutton and Albanese? 

A quick look at how implications of Trump’s recent tariff announcements managed a 23% tariff on Norfolk island north east of the Australian mainland but 10% on the actual Australians buying American goods (won't someone think of the PENGUINS?) Exposing the outright lie pushed by Trump of an Australian “ban” on American beef exports, when the reality is rules on sourcing of meat agreed to by South Korea and Japan which the US refuses. The real victims? Trump’s “base” and anyone else in the USA who eats McDonald's burgers, made palatable with quality Aussie beef. 

Analysis of how a dodgy drop-punt from Dutton (and his comments apportioning blame afterwards) are more than symbolic for the Aussie Rules electorate in Australia, and how Dutton’s latest micro-target of hatred and a “crackdown” - international students - will play out for families from Hong Kong wishing their children to study in Australia as well as the other Chinese students who help contribute $10 billion HKD to Australia’s top universities. The bonus? Dutton's few remaining policies include jacking up the visa application fee for Hongkongers, mainlanders and anyone else wanting to study in Australia - which are already the highest in the world - to about 25,000 HKD.

Songs played on RTHK3

Jimmy Barnes - New Day 

The Delvenes - Orange Clowns

Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Waterhole

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Talking about the ongoing situation of Cyclone Alfred, which is lingering over Queensland and has now morphed from a cyclone to a slow-moving heavy rain system. While some locals celebrated its fizzling out, others expressed frustration, likening it to a media-driven panic. With significant flooding and over 118,000 properties without power, the cyclone's impact is severe and continuing. Meanwhile there are questions: the strange blocking of search results for "Cyclone Alfred" on Facebook, which Meta later attributed to a technical glitch. But for those who remember Meta blocking Canada's national broadcaster the CBC during historic wildfires not long ago, is this really a "glitch"?

The cyclone has pushed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's election plans off course, and now there's another character complicating the narrative: former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has gone very public, very often in the last days to critique Donald Trump and his looming tariffs, and questioning the future of Australian-US relations. Hear also the remarkable story of heroism involving Barry the shearer, a man from Echuca now hailed as a national hero for thwarting an attempted hijacking on a Jetstar passenger airline flight, singlehandedly recasting the conversation about what is considered "terrorism" in Australia.

Songs played on RTHK3:

The Cruel Sea - Razorback

The Night Parrots - These Are My Co-Ordinates

The Wiggles and Dolly Parton - Friends

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Anthony Albanese's government finds itself with a lovely set of economic numbers but a media narrative in lock-step declaring his government on track to lose the coming national election. As Trump and his cronies shatter relationships with Europe and the US sides with Russia in the United Nations against Ukraine, some serious thinking has begun in Australia about the future of its military alliance. A freshly purged US defence and foreign policy leadership with a new cohort of conspiracy theorists, podcasters and Fox presenters pose big questions when the US has been given so much of Australia's allegiance, resources and its reliance for security. 

Meanwhile the influence of US media and politics continues to grow in Australia, with opposition leader Peter Dutton's embracing of the racist “Great Replacement Theory” pushed by Tucker Carlson and now Musk and Trump. This time, Dutton is claiming a secret migration plan to bring in refugees to vote in marginal electorates in Australia, with no evidence but plenty of support from useful idiots on national television. Meanwhile, the shattered landscape of Aussie soap operas has another victim with the axing of "Neighbours," after 40 years, contrary to the story of its salvation by Amazon two years ago.

Songs played on on RTHK3 today:

Geoff Achison - High Wire

Wrong Way Up - Hang On To Your Cool

Fairtrade Narcotics - Pivot 

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A nation hangs on the words of a phone call… Aussie PM Anthony Albanese informs the nation he has called up Donald Trump to ask please, mate, alliance partner, international trading partner with trade surplus, maybe you could exempt Australia from a 25% tariff on all imports of steel and aluminum. Australian metal exports to the USA approx 240,000 tonnes of steel - HKD #2 billion worth - per year and around 167,000 tonnes of aluminum - worth HKD$4.9 billion HKD. 

After the call Albanese said Trump would “consider an exemption”.

After the call Trump told his press pack there would be “no exceptions or exemptions.” 

But this is White Potus series 2: in the last season back in 2018 Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull made several calls to get a tariff exemption. In this series Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles yesterday handed over a cheque of US$700 million to newly installed US Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth, who reportedly honoured the occasion by declaring “the cheque had cleared” to the press. Also yesterday the unelected shadow president Elon Musk ordered his teenage Red Guard team of hackers into the Pentagon and the US defence and ship building departments. 

Australian sports history news: Jordan Mailata from Bankstown in Sydney has become the first Australian player to play in a winning Super Bowl team. The first game he ever watched was in 2017, now he’s a lineman with the Philadelphia Eagles. His natural talent builds on his natural gifts of stature: 6'9" and 176 kg. 

Coincidentally the NFL has announced plans for a multi-year commitment to hold regular season games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While many Sydney fans express disappointment that their rectangular stadiums weren't chosen, others are laughing at the tiny proportions of the US American football field. A nice place for Aussie rules football, a cricket match or an event like a Rolling Stones gig, or Taylor Swift’s largest ever concert crowd - but the standard NFL rectangle field is only a third of the width of the MCG… 

Meanwhile, the ancient forests of south western Tasmania are burning, and Liam Neeson is leasing his “Taken” voice for a real estate ad in Melbourne. 

It’s a weird month. 

Songs played on RTHK3:

Katalyst - Uprockin’ 

INXS - One X One

The Night Parrots - Winter Flowers

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February is a turbulent time across Australia. Townsville hit with severe flooding after massive record-smashing rainfall, with power outages, no access to clean water and the problem of crocodiles now swimming along flooded streets. Meanwhile, a heatwave scorches the rest of the continent, with Melbourne aching after three consecutive days of extreme heat and multiple bushfires.

Trump's tariff scare sent the Australian dollar to a four-year low with concerns over tariffs affecting trade with China. This economic tension coincides with a troubling closure of USAID and a possible withdrawal from the Pacific, which could significantly impact Australia's relationships in the region.

On the political front, both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and opposition leader Peter Dutton attended Lunar New Year festivities in Box Hill, seen as the most Hong Kong city in Australia for its high concentration of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese people. Dutton, facing criticism for his past remarks on China, is now seen adopting a more conciliatory tone to the Chinese community while at the same time embracing a curated collection of Trump culture wars upon DEI policies, "efficiency" and "strength", earning him the nickname of "Temu Trump" on Australian social media .

As Parliament reconvenes, expect heated debates on issues like antisemitism and community diversity, as both leaders prepare for an upcoming election.

With a focus on legislation aimed at childcare and green energy, this session could shape the political landscape in the lead-up to crucial votes.

Songs played on RTHK3:

Floodlights - Cloud Away

The Cartridge Family - Grandpa Loved the Pixies

Smoked Salmon - Hey Hey Narcissus

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Reporting on the three great traditions of January 26 since John Howard named it a holiday in 1994 - a long weekend, Invasion Day protests and Murdoch media culture wars. Upon the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz a discussion of William Cooper, Aboriginal leader who led the only public protest against the Nazi Kristallnacht in 1938, supporting the Jewish people of Germany. He also was part of the campaign begun in 1939 to make January 26th a day of mourning for Aboriginal people.

Here in 2025 on January 28th Australia begins Lunar New Year Festivals in all its major cities as well as many of its suburbs with prominent Chinese and Vietnamese communities. Hear of the big events planned in Sydney and Melbourne while in the north of Australia people face the rare occasion of five cyclones forming in the oceans from the north west of Western Australia all the way to the north east of Queensland.

Music played on RTHK3:

Thelma Plum - The Bown Snake 

The Beefs - Red-Bellied Black Snake

Yothu Yindi - Jailbreak 

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This week the Australian Federal government appointed two women as ministers and thus for the first time in Australian history its national government achieved gender parity in its Cabinet. Meanwhile in Washington, among the US tech broligarchy frotage there was West Australian billionaire mining oligarch Gina Rinehart, whose coal interests in Canada bely one of the reasons for her attendance and support of Trump. In Melbourne, the dull thud of tennis balls being whacked has been interrupted by all sorts of dramas involving players, a heavy drinking crowd and a TV reporter whose antics have been seen as an insult to the nation of Serbia. It's been a nice distraction from the usual culture war leading up to January 26...

Music played on RTHK3

Midnight Oil - US Forces

The Seven Ups - New World Monkeys

King Stingray - Cat 5 

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Talking about the East Donnie video which went viral involving an arsonist charred with crime, and enquiries about whether this put arson hospital; opposition leader Peter Dutton launches his Australian version of MAGA, although this one spells GABOT. Phil points out this is Tagalog language for “ripped out/weeded out/pulled out”.  Interestingly Peter Dutton launched his campaign in electorate stood for and lost by Hong Kong born  Gladys Liu in the last election.

Meanwhile, scientists have identified three species of funnel-web spider, including one from the Newcastle region that is larger than them all, albeit with a not very creative name.

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