BTN: Episode 2 Transcript13/2/18
Hey, Amelia here. Thanks for joining me for BTN.
Coming up today.
- How one word spoken ten years ago is still being remembered.
- The reason everyone's making a fuss about bitcoins.
- And why some people are gearing up to celebrate new year's in February!
The Cabinet Files
Reporter: Ruby Cornish
INTRO: All that and more soon. But first. There's been a lot of discussion over the past couple of weeks about some top-secret documents called the Cabinet Files. They were found in two filing cabinets sold in a second-hand furniture store. But they've caused a lot of controversy. Here's the full story.
The following is based on actual events. But, a lot of stuff has been changed.
EMMA: Rubes, you really need to do something about all this paperwork. It's gonna collapse any second.
RUBY: Yeah, I actually did buy a filing cabinet, but I can't use it.
EMMA: Why not?
RUBY: Well, because I got it from a second-hand shop, and it's locked. And I don't have the key.
EMMA: What! Why'd you buy a locked filing cabinet?
RUBY: Because! Think of the mystery! This could have like, top secret files in it or something!
EMMA: Yeah, that sounds likely. Look I think it's time you got this thing open and actually started using it.
This is pretty much what happened to one anonymous Aussie, let's call him Mr X, who's now at the centre of one of the biggest security breaches in Australian history! You see, the files that Mr X stumbled across when he drilled into his new cabinet contained thousands of pages of classified information from the past decade. And it was from a group of the most powerful federal politicians called the Parliamentary Cabinet. The documents contained details that were meant to be kept secret for at least 20 years.
CHRIS BOWEN: This is embarrassing for the country. It's embarrassing to our allies, who share intelligence with us and assume we'll be able to keep it. This is a blunder of massive proportions.
Mr X took the files to the ABC, who read through them and broke some big stories, including the Australian Federal Police losing national security files, laws that were being debated behind closed doors, and important documents at Parliament House ending up in the wrong hands.
But the ABC decided some of the other files were too sensitive to tell us about. In fact, they were so top secret that ASIO, Australia's National Security Agency delivered a safe to the ABC offices so the files could be protected. The release of these Cabinet Files has come at an interesting time, because there are new laws currently being proposed that could make this kind of reporting illegal. The proposal, by PM Malcolm Turnbull, is aimed at cracking down on foreign spies, but some journalists and lawyers say that could extend to the media too. They argue the journalists who published the Cabinet Files could've faced jailtime if those laws were in force now.
After some serious negotiating, the files were eventually given back to their original owner, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Malcolm Turnbull also announced an urgent investigation into how the files managed to find their way to a second-hand shop in the first place, so this kind of stuff doesn't happen again.
EMMA: Ruby!
RUBY: Sorry! Hello, hello yes, I need to speak to your best journalist please.
Quiz
Which of the following is the highest level of classification in Australia?
Confidential
Secret
Top Secret
The answer is, top secret
Apology 10th Anniversary
Reporter: Jack Evans
INTRO:Today marks 10 years since former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generations.Here's why it was such a big moment for the families involved.
KEVIN RUDD: For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.
10 years ago, on this day, the nation stopped to watch Kevin Rudd, Australia's Prime Minister at the time, apologise to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for the Stolen Generation.
KEVIN RUDD: As Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the Government of Australia, I am sorry. On behalf of the parliament of Australia, I am sorry.
The Stolen Generation is the name that's been given to a group of Indigenous children who were forcibly removed from their homes. During the 1900s the Australian Government took almost 50 thousand Indigenous kids away from their families and their homes. They were put into missions, orphanages or with white foster families. At the time, the Government had policies in place that forced kids to reject their Indigenous heritage and adopt white culture. Their names were often changed and they were forbidden to speak their traditional languages. The removals caused a lot of pain for Indigenous people.
The removals continued up until the 60swhen there were big protests and people began campaigning for Aboriginal people to be treated better. And in 1969 the government stopped taking away Indigenous kids. And Australians started learning about the impact the Stolen Generations actually had.
HELEN MORAN: We were a family of eight, we lost everybody, we lost each other, we lost our grandparents, my aunts were looking for us. My aunts were knocking on doors and ringing the welfare. We lost our whole family. They changed our names, they changed our whole heritage, our identity.
In the 90s there was a big investigation into the forced removals. It became known as the Bringing them home Report. And that report included a recommendation that the current government apologise for the laws and policies that were put in place by previous governments. But it wasn't until 2008 when Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister that Indigenous people heard these words.
KEVIN RUDD: As Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry.
After the speech there was a huge reaction.
Ten years on, the impacts of the Stolen Generation are still being felt. Indigenous kids still face a lot of problems and inequality. There are families still grieving for their losses and there are people who still haven't been able to reconnect with their parents. But despite that, most still look back on the apology as the first step in a very long journey of forgiveness.
MAN: All these years we waited for someone to say sorry from government and I say that really makes me feel different and all together and I'm really thankful for that.
WOMAN: I love what’s happened today. Took a long time but we finally got what we wanted.
This Week in News
First up, a Royal Commission's begun which is taking a look at the way Aussie banks do business.
Our banks have been caught behaving badly in a bunch of big scandals over the past decade, for things like giving bad financial advice and putting their profits before their customers.
They've paid more than a billion dollars in fines and now the Commission's carrying out a big investigation that will last at least a year.
Queensland's been hit with some wild weather over the last few days.
There's been an intense heatwaveand a massive thunderstorm on the weekend that left 60 thousand people without power.
There was hail, lots of lightning and trees ripped out of the ground!
One of the world's most famous skeletons is going on tour!
Dippy the Diplodocus has been wowing visitors at London's Natural History Museum for nearly 40 years.
SCIENTIST: It's probably, after the Mona Lisa, the most famous museum object in the world.
But now he's setting off on a trip around Britain that'll continue until 2020!
Those bones might look fragile but don't worry, they're just a replica of the real deal.
And finally, puppy love has taken over Peru ahead of Valentine’s Day!
Dozens of doggos tied the knot at a massive pet wedding.
There was cake, fancy dress and plenty of photo ops.
Mmm, im-pawsibly cute!
Cryptocurrencies
Reporter: Matthew Holbrook
INTRO:Next up, we're taking a look at cryptocurrencies. You might have heard of one of them called bitcoin. It went up and up in value before it crashed back down soon after.But what actually is cryptocurrency and how are they different to regular currencies? Take a look.
MATT: Welcome to the world's newest and most exciting currency, set to revolutionise money as we know it. Introducing Mattcoin. Any questions?
RUBY: I have a question.
MATT: Yes, you in the front there.
RUBY: What is it?
MATT: Uh, well, as you can see, it’s a coin with my face on it.
RUBY: Yes, but how does it work?
MATT: How does it work? Yes.
OK, you need a bit more than a fancy logo and a very impressive, well-respected, name, to create your own currency. But in recent years, lots of people really have created their very own money. Currencies that only exist in virtual form, but can be used and transferred around the world. And the biggest, and most well-known, is bitcoin.
Bitcoin was invented in 2008 by a programmer who wanted to create a system of money not controlled by governments or banks. Bitcoin works, in theory, like an online version of cash. You can use it to buy products and services, although unlike the Aussie dollar, not many shops accept bitcoin yet.
Each bitcoin is basically a computer file which is stored in a 'digital wallet' app on a smartphone or computer. People can send bitcoins (or part of one) to your digital wallet, and you can send bitcoins to other people. Every single transaction is recorded in a public list called a blockchain.This makes it possible to trace the history of bitcoins to stop people from spending coins they don't own, or making copies of them.
RUBY: So where can I get it?
MATT: Ah, yes.
You can buy cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, with normal money or create them using a computer. That's called mining. The computers are made to work out incredibly difficult sums, and occasionally they are rewarded with a coin for the owner to keep. It's a lot more complicated than it sounds.
But while lots of people have got behind it, there is a down side. While the value of regular money is kept under fairly tight control how much cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin, are worth depends on how many people want to buy them at that exact moment. And that's what all the fuss has been over recently. The price of bitcoin spiked hugely towards the end of last year, but has been dropping ever since. It means people who got in really early have seen an incredible return on their investment. But some, who bought bitcoin later, have actually lost a lot of money.
RUBY: So why should I buy Mattcoin?
MATT: Yeah, you should definitely buy Mattcoin.
It's a good question. Although it's not always stable, some people like that cryptocurrencies aren't regulated by governments. But there are concerns they can be used by criminals who want something that's harder to track than traditional money.
Bitcoin's even been banned in some countries. But despite that uncertainty, cryptocurrencies still have a lot of supporters. And while some virtual currencies have come and gone, others seem like they're here to stay.
MATT: So, who wants Mattcoin?
Ask a Reporter
Have you got a question about cryptocurrencies? Ask me live on Friday during Ask A Reporter!
Head to our website for all the details.
Poll
And our poll this week asks whether you think cryptocurrencies will take over from regular money one day.
Tell us what you think on our website.
Meanwhile here's the results from last week's poll. Thanks for voting!
Lunar New Year
Reporter: Jack Evans
INTRO:Friday the 16th of February marks the beginning of Chinese New Year.But you might be wondering why it's celebrated a month after the official change of year in Australia.Here's the answer!
This week you might notice a lot of people getting ready to celebrate the new year. But I know what you're probably thinking, that was almost 2 months ago. Well this Friday marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. And more than 1 and a half billion people around the world will mark the occasion with parades, performances, food and fireworks.
But why is it held now? Well it's all got to do with the phases of the Moon. You see Chinese New Year follows a different calendar to the one used in Australia. It's called the Lunar calendar which follows the moon. New Year is held on the second new moon after the middle of winter in the northern hemisphere. And each year it actually falls on a different date in January or February. This year it's the 16th of Feb. The date also marks the beginning of the Spring harvest the best time for farmers to prepare for the growing season.
Each Lunar New Year in China is named after one of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. According to legend when the gods decided to create this system, 12 animals argued about who should go first. So, the gods held a race to decide which animal would be first and the rat won. Each year the animal changes in the order they finished that race. This year will be called the Year of the Dog. And the Chinese zodiac suggests that if you're born into the year of a certain animal you take on its characteristics. For example, rats are seen as cunning, a tiger is seen as brave and a dog is seen as being lucky.
A lot of the traditions that take place during Chinese New Year, like hanging red lanterns and setting off fireworks, are believed to come from an ancient story about a beast called Nian. Every year at the end of winter, Nian would apparently emerge from the mountains and terrorise people. Until one year when an old man came up with a plan to scare off Nian. The villagers hung out red lanterns and banners, banged on drums and set off fireworks. It was believed that the loud noises and the colour red would scare Nian away.
Today these types of celebrations have continued and not just for one night a year. It's actually celebrated over 15 days with dragon dancing, giving money to kids in red pockets and plenty of dumplings to eat. For these guys it's just the start of two weeks’ worth of fun welcoming the Chinese New Year with a BANG!
Quiz
Which of these is nota word used to describe the phases of the moon?
Waxing
Shrinking
Gibbous
The answer is,shrinking.
Sport
The Winter Olympics has kicked off in South Korea.
Scotty James led the way for Australia in the opening ceremony.
SCOTTY JAMES: After that atmosphere and all that just happened I think it's going to be awesome to use that energy during the week.
Two Aussie women reached the final six of the moguls for the first time in historybut both narrowly missed out on medals.
Britt Cox, the 2017 world champion, finished fifth, while 19-year-old Jakara Anthony beat all expectations to finish fourth.
JAKARA: It's been pretty unreal. I'm very excited and I'm so happy right now with my result and the way I skiied today I'm really happy with that, even regardless of the result.
Melbourne City will get the chance to make it three W-League titles in a row after they upset the Brisbane Roar 2 - nil in Queensland.
Roar finished top of the table in the regular season but couldn't get it done against Melbourne.
Melbourne City will take on Sydney FC this weekend for the title.
And finally, an Aussie has won the Empire State Building Run-Up for the ninth time!
Basically, people come to this super famous building in New York and race their way up 86 floors that's almost sixteen hundred steps!
Suzy Walsham is particularly good at it. This is her sixth win in a row but she said her body is still suffering a little!
Surfing Masterclass
Reporter: Matthew Holbrook
INTRO:Finally today. Some kids with a vision impairment in New South Wales recently got a surfing masterclass from a record-breaking Paralympian.Let’s check it out.
Aussie beaches are pretty iconic. Waves, flags,and seagulls trying to eat your food. Oh, also surfers. Lot of surfers.
That's something eleven-year old Travis is keen to have a go at todayalong with a heap of other kids who are visually impaired.