FlowNews24

The federal assistant treasurer and minister for financial services Stephen Jones joins us on FlowFM to talk about global ratings agency S&P Global's tick of approval for Australia's cherished Triple-A credit rating and their expectation Australia may stave off the worst of recession. The minister isn't being complacent, saying inflation and cost of living relief are a delicate matter to be addressed including in the May budget.

We speak with the shadow treasurer Angus Taylor about the essay published in the Monthly by federal treasurer Jim Chalmers which his shadow says aims to put the government at the centre of the economy, not everyday Australians.

Kathryn Taffs speaks with southern NSW listeners on FlowFM about the updated River Condition Index, the latest status of the data available and what recent flooding events might mean for river health in the indicators.

'Completely bogus' is the way the South Australian health minister Chris Picton describes claims made on FlowFM this morning by the shadow minister, the Liberals' Ashton Hurn, about ramping figures from last February compared with now. Ms Hurn told Flow listeners that over almost 12 months the wait times to get into emergency departments in Adelaide had almost doubled. Minister Picton points to the cancellation of elective surgery at that time 12 months ago as a cause for the increased ramping numbers quoted by his shadow but not disputed by the Minister.

The South Australian Liberal shadow minister for health and member for Schubert Ashton Hurn joins us to talk about the ramping situation she says is worse now than it was when the former Marshall government left office. Yet the ambulance union is conspicuous by its silence. The MP for the regional electorate for Schubert including the Barossa Valley also talks about her latest regional trips including to Mount Gambier today, and what regional people are telling the opposition about their health needs.

The shadow education minister explains why his government didn't ban mobile phones in high schools outright during the Marshall Liberal government's term in office (2018-2022) and attacks the Malinauskas Labor government's measures leading up to the start of the South Australian school year on Monday 30 January 2023. The former education minister says his government didn't promise or impose a ban, so he is 'embarrassed' for the now government that it pledged a ban but has not, in the Opposition's view, imposed one.

The South Australian education minister hopes for a 2023 school year without the interruptions due to COVID-19 measures in recent years and talks about the modern bullying that can occur in schools through the use of mobile phones and social media. Minister Boyer responds to the Opposition's claims on Wednesday 25 January 2023 that the government's measures restricting mobile phone use in high schools is not as comprehensive a ban as that promised by then Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas 2019, now the state Premier.

Threatened species such as the short-fin mako shark and smooth hammerhead shark have been identified via DNA testing for sale in South Australian fish and chip outlets in a dilemma for shop owners as well with the challenge tracing back to what is caught, processed and sold wholesale as 'flake' for general public consumption. Professor Bronwyn Gillanders from the University of Adelaide's School of Biological Sciences and Environment Institute tells Flow listeners their DNA testing also identified species for sale as 'flake' not even found in Australian waters.

The mayor of the Edward River Council centred on Deniliquin, NSW has been endorsed as the NSW Nationals candidate for the south-western seat of Murray at the March state election. We speak for the first time with the fledgling candidate on various policy concerns in the large regional seat.

The southern NSW seat of Albury hasn't been in ALP hands for 35 years but that's not deterring young Thurgoona teacher Marcus Rowland from aiming to unseat incumbent Liberal Justin Clancy from his safe seat. With a particular emphasis on the Federation Council area, we speak about roads, teachers and supporting our farmers.