Election 2022: Scott Morrison’s plane breaks down in Townsville with a water leak

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plane has broken down in Townsville, forcing him to make other plans to keep the campaign going.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plane has broken down in Townsville before he was due to go to his next stop on the campaign trail.

But determined not to hold up his schedule, Mr Morrison swapped the Boeing Business Jet he had been flying in for the media’s plane, about 12.30pm.

His private jet was found to be suffering from a small water leak due to torrential rain in Queensland.

It wasn’t expected to take long to fix, but Mr Morrison made the decision to get aboard the less fancy media flight.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the plane. Picture: Jason Edwards

He sat at the front of the plane, wearing a set of worn Bose headphones, with the large press pack behind him before taking off about 12.45pm.

Halfway through the flight, Mr Morrison handed out pastries from the French Jean-Pierre Wholesale Artisan Bakery he had visited earlier on Tuesday.

The PM hands out some pastries after the morning tour of a bakery. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Morrison had spent the morning at a local steel manufacturing and engineering company in Townsville.

While in Townsville announcing one of two new hydrogen hubs, the city received more than 150mm of rain.

Heavy rain in North Queensland has prompted the prime minister and his trusted inner circle to abandon their air force plane in Townsville, hitching a ride with the media contingent instead.

The PMO and the Prime Minister Scott Morrison board the media plane after a water leak grounded BBJ. Picture: Jason Edwards

Originally published as Election 2022: Scott Morrison’s plane breaks down in Townsville with a water leak