Btn: Episode 16 Transcripts 15/06/10

BtN: Episode 16 Transcripts 15/06/10

On this week's Behind the News

We tell you why ‘tax’ is a word getting people fired up.

Changing codes – are the big bucks paid to players worth it?

And a violent volcano with a very nasty temper!

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News.

Also on the show today we'll take you into the next dimension with 3D TV, and explain all about how it works.

It's amazing stuff but first let's catch up with what's happening in other news with Sarah.

The Wire

Monday was the Queen's birthday holiday for most states and territories of Australia even though the Queen's real birthday was way back in April.

That didn't stop the celebrations though as the annual Queen's birthday honours list was announced.

Companions of the Order of Australia - the highest form of recognition - were awarded to five people.

Former Premier Steve Bracks was honoured for his work leading Victoria, while Professor Valerie Beral was recognised for her work in medicine and women's health.

Former Aussie cricketer Adam Gilchrist grabbed an Order of Australia for his sporting and charity achievements, as did comedians Roy and HG for their work in entertainment and fundraising for kids.

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A Japanese space probe has streaked its way into the atmosphere and smashed into the outback of South Australia carrying with it a sample of an asteroid 300 million k’s away.

The arrival marks the end of a mission that started in 2003 and saw the small probe travel a total of five billion k’s through the solar system.

Scientists are hoping to use the asteroid sample to shed some light on how planets are formed.

Presenter: What an amazing mission.

Afghanistan Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: Now to another mission that Aussie soldiers have been fighting for a long time now.

The war in Afghanistan has been in the news again - and sadly for all the wrong reasons.

Last week two more Australian soldiers were killed there, along with soldiers from other countries.

It all might have you thinking - why are Australians involved in a war all the way over there?

And what's life like in Afghanistan?

Well Kirsty has been looking into it.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: With a war going on thousands of kilometres away, it can be hard to imagine how dangerous it can get. But last week, Australia got a sad reminder. Sappers Jacob Moerland, Darren Smith and his explosives detection dog Herbie were killed by a roadside bomb while they were on patrol in Afghanistan. Their deaths take the number of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan to 13 since 2002.

Lt Col JASON BLAIN, BATTALION COMMANDER: They were exceptional soldiers and exceptional men. Dedicated, courageous and committed to their job.

KIRSTY: So where is this place, and what are soldiers doing over there?

Afghanistan is in central Asia and shares borders with Pakistan and Iran. The country is known for its mountain ranges and dry deserts. It's also a place that has

freezing winters and really hot summers. But Afghanistan is in the spotlight for another reason. The US government believes it's home to some dangerous people.

This is one group the US government is trying to overpower. They're called the Taliban and are a political group that used to control much of Afghanistan. They had lots of strict rules. Girls weren't allowed to go to school and they had to wear a burqa when they were outside.

Kite flying is one of the activities kids in Afghanistan love to do. But under the control of the Taliban, this as well as TV and music was banned. If Afghans didn't follow these rules they could be punished and that included being beaten.

While that was frowned upon by the rest of the world, there was also the fear that the Taliban were helping terrorists. The US government says the Taliban were letting terrorists hide out and train in Afghanistan. So in 2001, US-led troops moved in and the war started.

Australia has joined more than 40 countries that have sent over troops to Afghanistan. There are around 1500 Australian troops that are helping out by training the country's army and making it a safer place.

KEVIN RUDD, PRIME MINISTER: Our mission is important to ensure that Afghanistan does not return to become an operating base for terrorists around the world.

KIRSTY: The war has resulted in some big changes to how Afghans live. The country can now hold democratic elections and people can vote for their President. They've also laid out new rules on how the country should be run. But the Taliban has been fighting back, because it wants the US and its supporters to leave. So in the crossfire thousands of innocent people have been killed. So in such a dangerous place, why are Aussie troops still over there?

KEVIN RUDD: This is a very tough, difficult, continuing military campaign. And we are up against a determined and dangerous enemy.

KIRSTY: At this stage the Australian Government says it will keep troops there for up to five more years, but some people in the know reckon this war could run many years longer.

Resource Tax Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: Over the past month you might have heard a lot about a mining tax or a resource tax or a super profit tax or a super tax or whatever else it’s being called today.

It's a new tax that's certainly getting a lot of people worked up as pollies, business people and workers argue about who should profit from what's under the ground.

Sarah digs around to find out why it's so controversial.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: There used to be a saying; Australia rides on the sheep's back. But now a lot of people say that the economy rides on something much bigger. Big trucks, big explosions, big holes, big pits; big mines churning out big profits!

REPORTER: Under the ground in Australia there's a treasure trove of valuable minerals; gold, silver, lead, zinc, iron ore, uranium, plus natural gas and coal.

And other countries want what we have. As massive countries like China and India have grown so has the demand for Aussie resources; whether it's steel for building or gold for admiring or uranium for powering cities. That means a booming mining industry. Mining companies are getting rich, mining towns are doing well. There are more jobs and more money for the government. Except turn on the TV and you might notice there's not a lot of love between pollies and the mining industry right now.

AWU ADVERTISEMENT: Let the mining bosses know it's time to put something back. MIKE YOUNG, Mining Boss: It’s making Australia the laughing stock of the international community KEVIN RUDD, Prime Minister: We will not be intimidated by the statements or actions of any large mining company

So why's everyone so angry? The answer is tax.

The government wants mining companies which make a big profit to hand back more of their earnings as tax. They say it’s only fair because all Australians should profit from the minerals under their feet. And they reckon the super-profitable companies can afford to pay more. But that's got some mining bosses really mad.

MINING EXECUTIVE: The tax, as it stands, as announced, will be catastrophic for the mining industry.

They say big mining companies already give heaps back to the community. Mines have helped to build Aussie towns and cities. They employ thousands of people and

they helped Australia through some tough economic times. You might have heard of the GFC - the global financial crisis. Around the world economies have crashed, businesses have closed, and people have lost jobs but in Australia things got better much quicker and some say that's because of mining profits. Mining bosses say if they make less profit, everyone suffers.

CLIVE PALMER. Mining Boss: People like me don't want to pay the workers any more unless we have to, we are the baddies of the debate don't forget about that!

Companies say they'll take business overseas, and some have already cancelled or postponed projects that were supposed to happen soon. For the communities depending on those mines it's devastating. There have been lots of meetings, and lots of angry speeches. But the government, and some supporters of the tax, say the mining bosses are bluffing. They reckon tax or no tax, Aussie minerals are too valuable to leave in the ground and the industry will continue to grow. The government spent millions of dollars on its own ad campaign to try to convince people its tax is a good idea.

GOVERNMENT AD: It's important to know the facts, and here's where to find them.

And with an election on the way you can be sure there'll be more ads, more speeches and more arguing to come.

Presenter: Can’t wait.

Quiz 1

Ok all that talk of money has put me in the mood for a money quiz.

Which of these sports had the highest Australian earner last year?

Soccer

Golf

Motor Racing

Answer: Golf

It's reported that Greg Norman made the most last year - pulling in 15 million bucks. Most of it came from endorsements & sponsors.

AFL Recruits Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: It's reported that Greg Norman made the most last year - pulling in 15 million bucks. Most of it came from endorsements & sponsors.

Well imagine someone paying you 6 million dollars to do something you never done before.

Sounds crazy, but that exact situation happened in the AFL recently.

Israel Folau was offered the cash to switch codes from league, but the money is for a lot more than just his performance on the field.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: He's the high-flying winger who has taken the Rugby League world by storm.

Four years ago, Israel Folau was still strapping on the boots for his local high school.

But since then he's won a premiership with the Melbourne Storm, played for Queensland in the State of Origin and become the youngest league player to ever represent Australia.

He had the league world at his feet, but instead, it seems he wants to use those feet for a slightly different purpose - kicking red footies through four white posts.

DALE HOLMES, GWS CEO: On behalf of Greater Western Sydney, I'd like to welcome Israel Folau to our new club.

This handshake sealed a deal that has had a few league and Aussie rules fans scratching their heads.

Why? Well it turns out that Israel is signing up to play a game he's never even tried.

ISRAEL FOLAU, AFL RECRUIT: No I haven't played Aussie rules before but living in Melbourne for two years I've watched the game and been to a few games and I enjoyed it.

And new AFL side Greater Western Sydney is paying him 6 million dollars over four years to do it.

DAVID GALLOP, NRL CEO: This is a very very big punt by the AFL. It's a huge amount of money to spend on one player.

It sure is! It's one of the most expensive contracts in the AFL. And all for a guy who hasn't played a single game!

ISRAEL FOLAU: Being successful in another code, yeah no-one's done it yet so that's a big challenge that really made me excited.

Israel isn't the only convert though.

Former Bronco Karmichael Hunt also followed the big bucks to join another new AFL side - Gold Coast.

Both new AFL sides now have a high-profile rugby league player ready to line up with them when they enter the comp over the next two seasons.

But why would they take the risk? What if they end up being no good?

NATHAN: Well both decisions have less to do with how they handle the ball and more to do with how they handle the fans.

The two new AFL sides entering the comp are both situated smack bang in the middle of league heartland.

League fans are everywhere in the Gold Coast and Western Sydney, so AFL bosses have their work cut out for them trying to get them interested in their game.

So essentially, they are hoping league fans will enjoy watching a familiar face.

DALE HOLMES: It's a combination of his playing ability and a combination of his ability to get people interested in the club.

So the sides are budgeting on getting much more for their money than just a player.

Israel and Karmichael will be running kids coaching clinics, drumming up sponsors and generally trying to convince as many league fans as possible to give AFL a chance.

On the field, their success might be measured in goals and marks. But off their field, their success will be all about the attendance through the gate.

Presenter: OK that's an issue that has a lot of people talking so let's make that our poll this week

Online Poll

The question is:

Do you think it's worth paying players to switch codes?

To vote just head to our website

3D Television Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: Quite a few big budget movies have come out in 3D lately. Chances are you've seen one or two of them.

But when it comes to watching them on DVD, you're stuck with plain old 2D.

But that might all change pretty soon. Lots of companies are bringing out 3D TVs.

They're saying it’s the biggest change to television since it went from black and white to colour.

But is it really that big a deal? And how does 3D work, anyway? Sarah's been finding out.

BRUCE GYNGELL, TV Executive: Welcome to television.

For the past 60 years the television has brought the most amazing pictures into people's homes. Historic events from around the world, the wonders of nature, feats of imagination,

REPORTER: And of course, educational kids shows! But TV has always had one big drawback; everything's stuck in a box!

This isn't really how we see the world. If you watching a ball being thrown on TV you won't try to catch it. Your brain knows it’s not really coming at you. But if you're thrown a ball in real life, you know exactly when to put your hand out and that's because we see in 3 dimensions. Because our eyes are a few centimetres apart from each other, each one sees the world from a slightly different point of view. Our brain takes in both of those pictures at once and without us even noticing it uses the difference between them to figure out how far away things are to give us a sense of distance and depth. Pretty clever, huh? Try catching that ball with one eye closed. It’s not as easy. You brain uses both eyes to figure out how far away it is. Using a

camera is kind of like looking at things with one eye. There's only one lens, which means one image, which means 2D pictures. But what if you used two lenses? That's how 3D movies work. A long time ago photographers worked out how to trick the brain into seeing distances that weren't there. They'd shoot the same scene from slightly different angles then overlap the pictures. Back then, they'd make one picture blue, and the other one red.

REPORTER: Then you'd put on these daggy looking glasses so each eye sees a separate image.

The result - an image that seems to come out of the screen. 3D became big in the 50s when movies were trying to compete with a new-fangled device called television. But then they went out of fashion, maybe because it was hard to get a good quality picture or maybe it was just because the movies were a bit naff. These days 3D technology is a whole lot better and more and more movies are using it and now there's 3DTV. It uses the same idea - two overlapping images - plus new battery powered glasses that let each eye see just one image at a time. TV makers reckon 3D will be the next big thing. The State of Origin has already been broadcast in 3D and now people with the right sort of TV will be able to watch the World Cup come out of the screen. But will 3DTV catch on or is it just another passing fad? There are drawbacks. You'll need a new 3D TV and you have to buy special glasses to see the effect. And there are health warnings. Some say too much 3D TV can make you feel sick and dizzy. It could be a while before your favourite shows start coming to you in 3D. But who knows? Eventually even BtN might come out of the box!

Presenter: It’s amazing how it all works..

Quiz 2

Now in that story Sarah talked about 3D movies so I reckon we might do a quiz on that.

The question is:

When was the first 3D movie shown to a paying audience?

1922

1952

2002

Answer: 1922

Presenter: It was called ‘The Power of Love”. Now let’s check out the latest from the World Cup in the Score.

The Score

The South African Soccer world cup has kicked off but the first round has brought bad news for Australia.

The Socceroos went down in their first match of the tournament 4 - nil to Germany.

Striker Tim Cahill was also sent off during the match. He was shown the red card which means he could miss their next group match against Ghana.

The Socceroos will have to win their next two matches to guarantee passage through to the knockout stages.

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To the Formula One now and Aussie Mark Webber has lost the lead in the championship after a disappointing fifth place in the Canadian GP.

Five different drivers held the lead during the race but Lewis Hamilton managed to grab the chequered flag.

The win catapulted Hamilton to 1st place in the series.

NZ Volcano Reporter: Marija Jovanovic

INTRO: The recent volcanic activity in Iceland that stopped air traffic in Europe for weeks has brought our attention to the dangers of these lava-spitting mountains.

And that's particularly true for New Zealanders living near their own volcanic time-bomb.

As Marija reports, it's reminded them of the dangers bubbling in the volcano's crater

They're wonderfully scary but also very real. Active volcanoes are a threat in many areas around the world.

In New Zealand, the very volcano you might have seen in the Lord of the Rings movies is just as terrifying, maybe more so, in real life.

Instead of Mount Doom, it's actually called Mt Ruapehu, and it's found on New Zealand's Northern Island about half-way between Wellington and Auckland. It's the most active volcano in all of New Zealand. And just one eruption could do a heap of damage.

When you think of volcanic eruptions you probably imagine red hot lava. Lava usually moves really slowly giving you time to get out of the way.

But THIS is the sort of volcanic eruption that's much more deadly -a waterfall of volcanic ash, rocks, gas and mud that race down the sides of the mountain at up to a hundred k's an hour.

Mt Ruapehu has a big lake in its crater. So when it erupts, a mix of hot ash and water gushes down into the surrounding valleys, causing a type of mudflow. And that flow is called a lahar.

DR. SHANE CRONIN: It can be generated by an eruption, it can be generated by rain or storms triggering material washing off a volcano, or triggered by some kind of landslide collapse or in the case of Ruapehu, by eruptions through crater lakes.

Mt Ruapehu erupts about once every ten years. The last time it proved its power was on Christmas Eve in 1953 when it knocked over a passenger train and killed one hundred and fifty people.

DR. SHANE CRONIN: The most fascinating aspect of that lahar was it was without any sign of volcanic activity. And by the time it got down here, you're talking about three-and-a-half to four metre high wave of water and rocks coming our way at about 20 kilometres an hour.

According to scientists, that lahar flow was only small. They can get up to 100 times bigger. And because of Mt Ruapehu's nasty temper, scientists keep tabs on its behaviour.

BLAKE McDAVITT: We have all the sensors that are on the mountain and all the information from those sensors that pick up airwaves and volcanic activity, all the information comes down into this computer.

Movement under the volcano's surface gives scientists an idea of how powerful a volcanic eruption can be.

DR. GILL JOLLY: First thing is seismic monitoring. So we measure the ground vibrations, looking at the earthquakes that are happening underneath the volcano. Second thing we would do is actually look at how the ground is moving.

The real danger on the mountain is for the thousands of skiers and snow boarders who carve down its slopes every year.

If a lahar was to start during the snow season, they'd have about ninety seconds to escape before being totally wiped out.

Just imagine - a flow that starts at the top of the mountain, can be up to four times bigger by the time it reaches the volcano's base.

Scientists say that Mt Ruapehu will definitely erupt sometime in the future but they're not sure exactly when.

And we all know that when it comes to mother nature - nothing's ever certain!

Presenter: I wouldn’t want to be near that when it blows!

Closer

Well that's it for today's show.

Don't forget to get onto our website for more info about any of our stories - you can send us your comments and tell us what you think in our poll.

We'll see you next time.