BtN: Episode 3 Transcript 18/2/14
On this week's Behind the News

A big crime goes down in the classroom would it be wrong to cash in?
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We celebrate the 150th birthday of an Aussie icon.
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And meet the kids spinning their way towards the Winter Olympics.
Hey I'm Nathan and this is BtN. We'll have those stories and more coming up but
first let's get the news just in. Here's Emma.
The Wire
There's been a bit of trouble at the Manus Island detention centre. Immigration
Minister Scott Morrison says 35 asylum seekers escaped last night but they were
quickly caught. A refugee action group says the asylum seekers got upset after they
were told there wasn't much chance of them being resettled in another country
***
Corporal Cameron Baird has been awarded Australia's 100th Victoria Cross which is
our top military honour. The corporal died in Afghanistan in June last year after a
battle in which he acted courageously. The Corporal was awarded the cross
posthumously which means he received it after he died. His family will hold onto the
award.
***
And finally, one brave kid from Brisbane's about to depart on a big adventure! Coen
has Cystic Fibrosis. It's a disorder that affects the lungs and it got so bad that Coen
needed a new set!
COEN: It took me 18 months to get a transplant and i was on my deathbed by the end
of that.
But now that he's got his replacements, he's feeling better than ever.
COEN: 100 percent better, I've never felt like this in my wildest dreams.
Now he wants to tell everyone how important being an organ donor is, so he's going
to jet ski 2000ks along the Murray River to raise awareness!
COEN: It's really important, only two percent of people who die can actually be organ
donors, so more people on the list means creates more hope for people like me.
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Bushfire Investigation
Reporter: James Bartold
INTRO: As you just heard there, bushfires have caused a lot of damage in Victoria.
Now they're finally looking to be under control, the next task is to find out how they
started. But how can they work that out after everything's been burnt? We sent
James out with a fire detective for the day to find out.
JAMES BARTOLD, REPORTER: I'm on a hunt for clues. I've got my trusty
magnifying glass and my eyes peeled. I'm looking for anything to help me figure out
the mystery cause of a 'bushfire'. Ok, well I don't really have any idea how you look
for bushfire clues, so let's go meet someone who does.
REPORTER: Hi, I'm James.
PHIL: How are you James? Phil.
REPORTER: Phil, so you're the man in the know when it comes to investigating
bushfires?
PHIL: Yes, I'm a qualified bushfire investigator.
REPORTER: Brilliant! Do you think you could show me how it's done?
PHIL: Sure, I can show you some of the moves.
Phil's job is to figure out how bushfires start. Even though my magnifying glass isn't
needed, it's still a bit like detective work. And I'm his trusty sidekick.
REPORTER: Alright Phil, so what's this here?
PHIL: That's a piece of grass, James.
REPORTER: So it's not a clue?
PHIL: It's not a clue.
REPORTER: Alright, we'll keep looking.
Phil tells me the first step is to find where the fire started. And if you look hard
enough, there are clues hidden after a fire.
PHIL: OK James, this is a good little indicator here. We can tell that the fire has
actually travelled up this way, because it's burnt this side of the log, but this side of
the logs unburnt.
PHIL: You can see that the fires actually come through here, and its frozen the leaves
in a particular direction, so we can see that the fires actually travelled up and
through, so the leaf freeze will point towards the area of origin.
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JAMES: So should we follow that direction then?
PHIL: I think we should.
A bit like a real detective, Phil's got a whole bunch of nifty tools to help him. These
special markers map out where the fire went. Pink for the front of the fire, blue for
the back, yellow for the sides, and white for evidence.
His real pride and joy, though, is this thing called a range finder, which measures
distances and the angle of the ground.
PHIL: It helps me document what's been happening with the fire at the time.
REPORTER: It's amazing, it’s pretty flash, isn't it?
Once we've worked out where the fire started, then we can figure out step 2: How it
started. All kinds of things can start fires; machinery, power lines, the weather, and
sometimes even people lighting them. Phil has to work through all the possible
options, and pick which ones he thinks are most likely.
PHIL: Through the process of elimination we'd figure out what was in the area, rarely
do we get it wrong,
REPORTER: Has there ever been a silly one someone's told you that something had
happened and it was a little bit different to that?"
PHIL: Absolutely. People think they're going to get in trouble, people will tell
different stories to get you off the track, and just using the physical evidence we can
get to the truth.
That's why fire investigators are so important. Once the cause of a fire is known,
changes can be made to try to stop it happening again. For example, after the Black
Saturday bushfires, investigators found one of the worst fires was started by an
electrical fault. So the Victorian government put heaps of cash in to start fixing their
system!
Back at our bushfire site, Phil's got a fair idea that our fire was started by lightning.
PHIL: Because of the remoteness, and access issues here lightning is looking pretty
good.
But he'll need to take some snaps of the area, pack up all his evidence and take it
back to the lab to make sure once and for all. In the meantime, I'm going to keep my
eyes peeled for any more clues. After all, I've learnt there's a lot more to bushfire
investigating than meets the eye!
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Quiz 1
Presenter: Thanks Sherlock.
Let's stick with bushfires for our first quiz of the day
The question is:
What happens to the speed of a bushfire when it travels uphill?
Does it
Speed up?
Slow down?
or not change?
Answer:
It speeds up.
In fact, a fire will move about 4 times faster burning up an average hill.
Crime Cash
Reporter: Matthew Holbrook
INTRO: Okay, if you do something wrong do you think it's fair to be rewarded for
it? That's the debate going round this week after an Aussie woman named Schapelle
Corby was released from a prison in Bali after doing nine years for drug
smuggling. Rumour is she's been offered millions to tell her story. But as Matt
found out there's an Australian law designed to stop that happening.
TEACHER: You're in serious trouble, mister. You've cheated. I'm going to have to fail
you. What have you got to say for yourself?
NICK: Well...
TEACHER: Your test begins now.
NICK: Finished!
TEACHER: Your answers are all correct! But wait up, what's this?
MATTHEW HOLBROOK, REPORTER: When you do something you know is wrong,
you've got to be prepared to face the music.
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TEACHER: You could be expelled for this. You're ruining our testing system and
setting a bad example for the younger children! Off to the Principal, Nick. Outside!
But what if, aside from the whole punishment thing, doing something wrong actually
worked in your favour?
GROUP OF STUDENTS: Nick, Nick, Come on, tell us what happened! Tell us
everything!
NICK: Okay, okay, I'll tell you for a price!
Here in Australia, there are laws designed to stop people making money from
situations like this (although you have to do something worse than cheating on a
test).
It's called the Proceeds of Crime Act. Basically, if someone commits a serious crime,
they're not allowed to earn money from it in any way...at all...ever. They can't be paid
for interviews or for writing books about their experiences or cash in on the fame
breaking the law has given them.
That's why everyone's talking about this woman, Schapelle Corby. She spent nine
years in an Indonesian jail after trying to smuggle drugs into the country. And now
she's out, it's rumoured she's getting the big bucks for an exclusive interview.
Somewhere in the order of two million dollars!
That's a fair chunk of change and a lot of people don't want her to have it. They say
it's against Australian law because it would mean she's profiting from her crime. So
any money she makes should be taken away.
That might be a bit tough, because she's in Indonesia. Still, critics say everything that
can be done should be to stop her cashing in.
But there are people in her corner. They argue that everyone has the right to tell their
story and to earn money from it. After all, she's done her time, why should she still be
punished?
It's not the first time Schapelle's had to deal with this issue either. When she wrote a
book about her life a few years ago she had to hand over her share of the money.
That's what Aussie authorities want to happen again. And they're sure to fight hard to
stop her from getting her hands on the cash. In the classroom it's a bit easier.
PRINCIPAL: NICK! Come with me
The old saying still seems to be true: crime doesn't pay.
Online Poll
Let's go to a poll on that one.
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The question is:
Should Schapelle Corby be allowed to sell her story?
To vote just head to our website.
Last week we asked if you feel confident riding your bike on the road and it looks like
most of you do.
65% said you're all good pedalling on the street.
Banjo Birthday
Reporter: Matthew Holbrook
INTRO: This week marks 150 years since the birth of one of Australia's most
famous writers. There's no doubt you've heard of the stuff he wrote even though it
was done so long ago. Matt reveals who we're talking about and why he's such a
big deal.
KIDS: Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a Coolabah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled,
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.
MATTHEW HOLBROOK, REPORTER: You could call it our unofficial national
anthem. And, in fact, there are more recordings of it, than any other Australian song.
But do you know who it was written by? The answer is Banjo Patterson.
MATT: That's this guy on our ten dollar note. You've got to be pretty important to get
yourself on one of these. So what's so special about him?
Well, to begin with, Banjo isn't really his name. It's Andrew Barton Paterson. He
called himself Banjo because it was the name of his favourite horse. He was born
back in 1864 near Orange in New South Wales. He grew up on a farm and rode a
pony to the nearby town of Binalong for school. After finishing school, he did a lot of
things. He became a lawyer and a journalist, even a war correspondent! He was an
ambulance driver in the First World War and, most famously, he was a bush poet!
Banjo wrote about the bush and Aussie life as he saw it - and a lot of it! He was
inspired by his experiences growing up. He wrote throughout his life even when he
was busy with other jobs. By 1895 he had a whole book's worth of poetry. It featured
one of his most famous poems – The Man from Snowy River.
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TIM ELIOT READING OF MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER: But the man from Snowy
River let the pony have his head, and he swung his stockwhip round and gave a
cheer, and he raced him down the mountain like a torrent down its bed.
Over the years, it's been made into a movie and a TV series. But Banjo didn't just
write poetry, he also wrote short stories and novels. Banjo Patterson died in 1941 at
the age of 76. Now, one hundred and fifty years on from his birth, his legacy as a poet
and author is still strong even outside of Australia! When US President Barack
Obama visited a couple of years ago, he quoted something Banjo had written.
BARACK OBAMA: Of Australia he wrote: "Hath she the strength for the burden laid
on her, has she the power to protect and guard her own."
Today, people recite his poems, remember his stories, and sing his songs - helping to
celebrate an important part of Australia's history.
KIDS: And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong, who'll come awaltzing Matilda with me.
Quiz 2
Happy birthday Banjo!
Let's do a quiz.
The question is:
What does ‘Waltzing Matilda’ actually mean?
To dance with a girl?
To jump into a waterhole?
To travel with a swag?
ANSWER: To travel with a swag.
Back in the day 'Waltzing' was slang for going for a walk and it's thought 'Matilda'
was one of the names given to a travellers' swag, or sleeping bag.
Uni Camp
Reporter: Peter Ah Sam
INTRO: Right, as you'd know University is a goal for many kids after high school.
But one group is there in fewer numbers than they should be. Indigenous kids only
make up one percent of enrolments. Peter took a look at one program trying to fix
that.
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K'TAHNI: Hey, my name is K'tahni and I am from Darwin.
BRADLEY: Hey my name is Bradley and I am from Halls Creek.
KALEISHIA: Hey my name is Kaleishia and I am from Katherine.
PETER AH SAM, REPORTER: These guys might be from small towns but they have
big dreams.
All three are on an Indigenous scholarship, called Yalari, which offers free private
schooling to Indigenous students from rural and remote communities.
I thought I'd break them out of class to ask them about their next big step.
REPORTER: Hey Bradley, Kaleishia and K'tahni do you want to come out and have a
chat?
REPORTER: So what are your plans for next year?
K'TAHNI: I'm hoping to maybe get into a uni course next year and hopefully be able
to pursue filming, film making.
KALEISHIA: Well, I want to be a sport psychologist but I don’t know yet something
to do with sport really.
Bradley: I think I'll come back and do psychologist or something like that cause yeah
it's real good.
All three are keen to go to university, which puts them in a pretty small minority.
You see, only one percent of uni enrolments in Australia are Indigenous kids, despite
the fact that they make up 3 percent of Australia's population.
REPORTER: Why do you think that is?
Bradley: I think that cause like I know people back at home that have finished school
and didn't want to go because they'll be homesick you know. They don't want to miss
out on like spending time with their all their people.
KALEISHIA: I think some think it's going to be too hard for them to cope.
It's a problem heaps of people want to fix.
But how?
Well, up in Darwin, Brittney is taking part in one program that's aiming to help.
BRITTNEY: I'm nervous about meeting new people and going away without
somebody I know, but I am looking forward to making new friends and getting a
better experience on everything.
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Brittney is part of a group of 250 Indigenous students who were invited to check out
the University of Sydney over their summer holidays.
BRITTNEY: It kind of reminded me of the Harry Potter buildings and everyone else
keeps saying that, but it's really big and old, but it's beautiful.
She loved getting the chance to experiment with her future career.
BRITTNEY: I want to be a forensic scientist or maybe a midwife, but definitely a
forensic scientist.
And she says this program has certainly encouraged her to aim for uni entrance.
BRITTNEY: I've always wanted to come to university, but now I, like, really, really
want to come and it doesn't look that hard to do.
Back with me at high school, these guys say there are some other simple ways more
Indigenous kids could be encouraged to give uni a shot.
KALEISHIA: Advertisement of more Indigenous students, like, succeeding in the
areas; promoting more indigenous students graduating and going to uni and
graduating from uni.
K'TAHNI: Inspiration is probably the biggest thing because it hits home for them and
then they'll probably be inspired to achieve for themselves and for other people.
Inspiration for more Indigenous kids to turn their big dreams into a reality.
The Score
Presenter: I think it's sport time now.
Here Emma with the score.
It's been a great week for the Aussie cricket team in South Africa! They were up
against the best test team in the world and not a lot of people thought they'd win. But
thanks to some dynamite bowling from Mitchell Johnson and some big centuries
from Warner, Marsh and Smith, the Aussies smashed South Africa by 281 runs!
***
In W league soccer Melbourne Victory have pulled off a big upset, knocking out
Sydney FC in a blockbuster semi final! Melbourne started with an early lead but
Sydney clawed their way back into the game. It wasn't enough though - a late penalty
gave Melbourne the win. The Victory will now take on Brisbane in the grand final this
Sunday.
***
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To Sochi, and the Aussies have picked up a couple of medals! Snowboarder Torah
Bright won Australia's first, grabbing Silver in the Women's Halfpipe.
Lydia Lassila chipped in with a Bronze for aerial skiing. She tried pulling off a super
tricky quadruple twist but slipped at the end and just missed out on the gold.
***
And finally, Australia's largest Indigenous cricket carnival's just wrapped up. It's
been running for 21 years in Alice Springs and grown from two teams to forty! But
one of the biggest changes this year is the focus on kids. The aim is to find Australia's
next Indigenous cricketer.
YOUNG CRICKETER: I've just dreamt of it all my life, just playing cricket, I've
always wanted to play for Australia.
It looks like they've got plenty of options!
Figure Skating
Reporter: Emma Davis
INTRO: Now as you saw there the Winter Olympics are well underway. And one of
the events that always draws some attention is figure skating. Emma went to meet
some champion junior figure skaters to find out how the sport works and why they
love it.
EMMA DAVIS, REPORTER: This is what figure skating is supposed to look like. This
is what figure skating isn't supposed to look like. I tried backwards skating, some
turns, even a tiny jump! But mostly I just ended up landing on the ice. So if anyone
needs some help from two young experts, it's me.
James and Giuseppe are 13 years old and as you can probably tell, they're a lot better
on the ice than I am!
REPORTER: "You guys look awesome and I look ridiculous, How did you get into ice
skating?"
JAMES MIN: "I was really interested in the sport and one day my Auntie offered to
take me to the ice rink just for a public session and I just fell in love with the sport
and I love the speed and the feel of the ice."
GIUSEPPE TRIULCIO: "My sister skated before me and then one day my mum
brang me in and I was watching and I liked what I saw."
REPORTER: "OK so what made you keep going? You did classes but why did you like
it so much?"
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GIUSEPPE: "Just the jumps and spins and stuff."
It's just as well they kept with it, because they're achieving awesome things. This is
James and Giuseppe competing at the state championships. Soon after, both went to
the nationals, where James took home gold and a spot on the international team.
JAMES: "At the end of the day, like once you reach the high levels it’s not more like a
physical competition anymore it's more like a mental so if you can handle the nerves
you'll do it on the day."
So what do you need to be a star on the ice? Well figure skating needs a combination
of both grace and strength. You also need some wicked moves.
Once you've got that, you need to work out which discipline you want to compete in.
There's men's and ladies singles; ice dancing, where the couple can't ever be more
than 2m apart; and pair skating, where the couple can dance where ever they want.
James and Giuseppe both compete in the men's singles and they're already mastering
some pretty wicked tricks. It's amazing they don't get dizzy!
REPORTER: "I'm terrified of falling over on the ice, aren't you guys scared?"
JAMES: "Well we fall over but we keep trying and trying until we master it. It's all
about having the confidence inside of you."
REPORTER: "Now your costume is super sparkly, do you have to wear a fancy
costume?"
JAMES: You don't have to but it's better because your program has to tell a story and
your costume helps with that."
EMMA: "The winter Olympics are on right now so the next ones are 20-18? Are you
going to go?
GIUSEPPE: "Hopefully, yes, that's the goal."
JAMES: "It's my goal but we'll see how I go, we'll just take every step as it comes.
Maybe even 20-22 is more likely."
But in the meantime these two guys will be sitting down in front of the TV like the
rest of us, watching their heroes compete in Sochi.
REPORTER: "And during these Winter Olympics will you be watching it on tv?"
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JAME: "Yes, Japanese and Australia."
EMMA: "You have to go for Australia!"
JAMES: "Yeah, Australia definitely, but Japanese."
Closer
PRESENTER: That's us done for today but there's plenty to keep you busy until next
week. Just go to our website, where you can vote in our poll, do some quizzes and tell
us what you thought about today's stories. You can also tweet about today's ep
anytime using #BehindtheNews.
See you next week.
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