The Sunrise co-host interviewed 25-year-old Emma Dorge on live TV Friday morning, with the young woman conducting the chat while suspended over the freight rail line at Port Botany.While the 66-year-old veteran journalist conceded “everyone agrees” with the threat of climate change, he took Emma to task over her “disruptive” protesting method.“Why do you think you’ve got the right to disrupt other people’s lives?,” Kochie asked. “What gives you the right to decide to make people late for work or late getting to a hospital or school just because you’re antsy about something?”Stream your news live & on demand with Flash. From CNN International, Al Jazeera, Sky News, BBC World, CNBC & more. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >Emma – who is part of the Blockade Australia climate action group – fired back, arguing it was a “freight rail line” which wasn’t disrupting commuters.“The reason why we need to do this, and it’s not fun, is because without this disruption we’re not being listened to,” Emma added.“Everybody’s future is at stake.”But Kochie wasn’t having it, as he asked Emma for her home address so he could “disrupt” her life.“When I’m angry about something I’ll go and block your house? Can I do the same thing?” Kochie said. “Do you think you’re a bit arrogant?”A fiery Emma responded: “You won’t be getting your kids to school when fires and floods and famine take over. There is expected to be food systems collapse within the next eight years. I’m doing this for the children of the world who have no hope.”In a brutal ending to the interview, Kochie sarcastically asked Emma if she was a “good swimmer”, adding authorities on the scene could simply clip her rope.“You’ve only got water below you there, it would be a pretty soft landing,” Kochie said, with Emma dubbing his comment “distasteful.”Kochie added: “We got you up (on the show) because we just wanted to hear from a pest and what they looked and sounded like.“I’d just snip the wires. It’s ridiculous.”The climate group has caused chaos for workers and police since Tuesday, leading the state government to introduce changes to legislation from Thursday.Under the new laws, it is an offence to disrupt any bridge or tunnel across Sydney, with a maximum penalty of $22,000 and/or imprisonment for two years.NSW Police added they were implementing a new strike force to target disruptive climate protesters.
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