BTN: Episode 30 Transcript 30/10/18 Hey. Amelia Moseley here. Welcome to BTN. Here's what's coming up. • We find out why thousands of people are walking thousands of kilometres towards the US. • Meet the wonderful kid who spends his free time taking care of his dad. • And bats get a bad wrap around Halloween, but are they really as creepy as they seem? Minority Government Reporter: Emma Davis INTRO: You can see all that soon. But first, let’s turn our attention to Canberra. We told you last week the Government is now one seat down in the House of Representatives after losing a by-election in the seat of former PM, Malcolm Turnbull. But will one fewer seat make any difference here? Let's find out. Meet Kerryn Phelps. She's a doctor, former deputy lord mayor, a member of the Order of Australia and a pretty great dancer. She's also about to be Australia's newest federal Member of Parliament. She was chosen by people in the electorate of Wentworth, that's here in Sydney by the way, to replace Malcolm Turnbull who quit the seat when he was kicked out of the prime minister job. But while Kerryn's jumping for joy, the Government isn't. See, Kerryn Phelps is an independent which means she isn't a member of a political party. So, in one by-election, the Government didn't just lose a seat, it lost its majority. Not sure what that means? Well, let’s take a journey into outer space to find out. This crew's job is to explore the far reaches of the galaxy. It's a pretty democratic crew but unfortunately its members are split at the moment. These guys are in the majority so ship rules say they choose the captain. CAPTAIN: Ok guys, I am your new captain, I will be leading all of you and you are very, very welcome. When a spaceship crew, or a political party, have a majority they don't just get to choose the leader, they also have an easier time getting their ideas approved. CREW MEMBER: Hey captain why don't we explore that galaxy over there? CAPTAIN: Sounds like a good idea. All in favour? Onward. While the minority, not so much. CREW MEMBER: Captain, I was wondering about a planet that I’ve seen. CAPTAIN: Maybe next time. But just like the Australian parliament, things can change. CREW MEMBER: You know what, I kinda miss Earth. I'm gonna go. CAPTAIN: Wait, what? But you're my majority. CREW MEMBER: Hey guys, looking forward to working with you. An independent isn't a member of a party so they change who they vote with depending on the idea in front of them. CREW MEMBER: How about we attack that enemy ship over there. All in favour? CREW MEMBER: Yep, I agree. But that can make things difficult when the group in charge really wants something to pass. CAPTAIN: OK guys, how about we restock the toilet paper in the bathrooms? All in favour? INDEPENDENT: Nah. So their only choice is to work with the independents and find a way to get their agreement. CAPTAIN: Listen, do you want a different brand or colour or scent maybe? INDEPENDENT: Scent, yeah. CAPTAIN: OK, if we make the toilet paper bubble gum scented you’ll agree? CREW MEMBER: Yep. It's a similar story back on Earth. In the House of Representatives, that's the green one, there's 150 seats. With Dr Kerryn Phelps in parliament, the Government will have 75 votes - exactly half. Labor has 69. So, including Dr Phelps there are 6 others who are independents or part of a smaller party. One of them will need to vote with the Government for anything to pass. For some bills, that might not be a problem. But for others it could be tricky. So, a lot of people reckon the Government could have a hard time getting things done. In the meantime, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to this crew as they explore what it's like to be a minority government right here on Earth. This Week in News The Government has announced it's going to save up for Australia's not-so-rainy days. You see, there have been nine really bad droughts in the past century and there are likely to be more in the future. So, politicians, leaders and scientists got together in Canberra last week to try to come up with some solutions. One of the big ideas from the summit was a Future Drought Fund. The Government will put 5 billion dollars into it. It'll be used to fund research, technology, infrastructure and better services in country areas. A new report's found that nearly all of us need to eat more veggies. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says 99 percent of kids and 9 in 10 adults don't get our recommended daily serves. And 4 out of 5 don't get enough fruit. One thing we're all eating more than enough of is junk food. The report found everyone but especially teenagers could cut down on those sometimes foods like chips, cake, biscuits and ice-cream. Yeah, the truth hurts. And finally, the winner of the Sculpture Award at Bondi's Sculpture by the Sea exhibition has been announced and this year’s winner is James Parrett for his sculpture M- Fortysix. It was chosen from the 107 sculptures that have been on display for the past 2 weeks. Mass Migration Reporter: Jack Evans INTRO: Next up. Around 7 thousand people from Central America have left their homes and are walking towards the border between the US and Mexico. They’re planning to camp out there until they are allowed in. Let’s find out why. Imagine having to leave your home, taking only what you can carry on your back and walking thousands of kilometres looking for a better life. That’s the reality that these people in Central America are facing right now. For the past 2 weeks many thousands of people have slowly been making their way on foot hoping to reach the US border. For some that's a 2 and a half thousand kilometre trek. LUIS PUERTO: It's very hard because the heat from the sun is getting us tired, but we are warriors. And we got to get to the place we got to get to. We're going to fight. We're going to keep on going. We're not going to stop. As it's moved on, the group has grown to more than 7 thousand people. All from different countries like Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. Most left their homes because of violence, unemployment and poverty. Now, they want to start a new life in the United States. DAISY ZUNIGA: I came because in my country there are no jobs, there is no way to support the kids. I’ve got two other kids and they are the reason I did it, because when one has nothing, and your kids ask you for something, you don’t know what to do. JOSE ANIBAL RIVERA: Whatever happens to us is better than going back to Honduras. If we die along the journey, what can we do? But we don't plan to return to Honduras. We have come determined. Anything is better than returning to Honduras. When a large group of people move as a group it's often called a caravan. This particular caravan is a mass migration which means they're hoping to permanently settle somewhere new. They usually have to travel large distances and across borders. And they've happened many times over thousands of years. But mass migrations can be really dangerous especially for the kids involved. A lot of people can get really sick or injured from travelling for so long without proper food or shelter. And once you arrive there's still no guarantee of a happy ending. Because you can't just settle in a different country without permission and the US President Donald Trump has warned the migrants that he will turn them away. He tweeted that: "People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first and, if they fail to do that, the US will turn them away." But a lot of the people who are part of the mass migration say that they have given up trying to apply to live and work in the United States because the process takes too long. No one is sure what will happen if and when this group arrives at the US border. But these people hope that this journey will help them find a safe place and soon. Quiz Which of these countries is often called the most dangerous in the world? Honduras Mexico Canada The answer is Honduras. New $50 note Reporter: Ruby Cornish INTRO: Get ready for another new Aussie note. Well, at least an update on the new one. We’ve already had a 5 and 10 and now we’re skipping straight to the 50. Here's a quick rundown on all the new features. BEN: Ruby, are you alright? RUBY: I have to get rid of this. BEN: That is so much money. RUBY: Yeah but it’s old money. These are all old $50 notes. Take it away from me. Yep, it's out with the old and in with the new. Our 50 dollar note, affectionally known as the pineapple, has had a few makeovers over the years.