Anthony Albanese accused of ‘un-Australian’ Melbourne Cup act
Anthony Albanese has been dragged over the coals for an “un-Australian act”, amid calls for the PM to turn today into a public holiday for every state and territory.
Liberal MP Tim Wilson has slammed the Prime Minister as a “Philistine” who is cosying up to “neo-wowsers and puritans” for making MPs work on the most sacred day in the racing calendar: the Melbourne Cup.
Declaring that it will never happen if he leads the country, the Member for Goldstein has dragged the Sydney-born PM for scheduling a parliamentary sitting day on the first Tuesday of November.
And his campaign for a racing day holiday has been backed by his hat-wearing Victorian Liberal colleague Jane Hume who told news.com.au, “It’s un-Australian!”
“Our Philistine prime minister is forcing parliament to sit on Tuesday, defying Melbourne’s traditions and way of life,” Mr Wilson thundered.
“I make this commitment: this will never happen under a Wilson government!”
Two days ago Mr Wilson’s husband Ryan Bolger was maintaining the rage by posting an image of the happy couple at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.
“A wonderful day, but it was our only day at the races,’’ Mr Bolger said.
“Our Philistine Prime Minister, who hates our great city and its traditions, is forcing the nation’s Parliament to sit during the race that stops the nation!”.
But the post wasn’t loved by all, with one man commenting “You have to work on a Tuesday? How could they? Have you contacted your trade union about this?.”
Melbourne Cup day is a public holiday in Victoria, however it is a working day in Australia’s other seven states and territories.
An unrepentant Mr Wilson told news.com.au that it was a clear example of the Sydney-centric PM not understanding Melbourne’s rhythms and traditions.
“The only thing Albanese likes punching down more than Tories, is Melbourne,’’ Mr Wilson said.
“Sadly within the Albanese government Melbourne has no effective voice because when the choice is between the hapless Claire O’Neill or the ‘off to the green’ Richard Marles”.
This is a reference to the Deputy Prime Minister’s well-known fondness for golf.
“Albanese just doesn’t understand Melbourne or our way of life, after all this is the bloke who catches an Air Force jet to barbecue with Dan Andrews,’’ Mr Wilson said.
“Our Philistine of a Prime Minister would probably rather the race that stops the nation went away with his tribe of progressive neo-wowsers and puritans”.
“John Howard used to pause Question Time early out of respect for Melbourne’s glorious race and he should consider doing the same - he doesn’t answer any questions anyway”.
Last year Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan also criticised the PM for scheduling question time on the biggest day in the racing calendar.
“It is the race that stops the nation, and the fact that it will stop the nation everywhere, apart from the 151 elected representatives of the nation, is beyond a joke,” Mr Tehan said.
But Labor MP Patrick Gorman suggested the Liberal MPs get their priorities straight.
“That’s ridiculous. The people of Australia didn’t elect us to go down and sip champagne in some fancy marquee in Melbourne. They elected us to do our job in Canberra,” he said.
“If they really think the Australian people would have any patience at all for the idea that you would change the dates of parliament just so a bunch of senior politicians in the Liberal Party and the National Party can go down and put the fascinator on and polish up their shoes in a fancy suit,” he added.
“They’ve got something else coming.”
Last year four federal politicians were forced to defend taxpayer-funded trips coinciding with Melbourne Cup in 2022 that cost more than $5,000.
Labor frontbenchers Don Farrell, Anika Wells, David Littleproud and Anne Ruston all attended the race in 2022 while in the city for other official events
The Nationals leader David Littleproud and Labor frontbencher Don Farrell were guests of Tabcorp, while Anika Wells was invited by beer company Furphy and Anne Ruston was a guest of Pernod Ricard Winemakers.
Ms Wells and Mr Littleproud used the chauffeur-driven Comcar transport service charging taxpayers $244.80 and $489.60, respectively.
A spokesperson for Ms Wells said at the time she had attended the event in her capacity as sports minister but maintained the main reason for travelling to Melbourne was for an address at the Melbourne Institute the next day.
A spokesperson said Anne Ruston said she attended the Melbourne Cup in her capacity as shadow sports minister and that “all of the senator’s travels are in line with Ipea guidelines”.
Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack sparked controversy in 2020 when he used the VIP government jet to fly himself and his wife to the race.
Originally published as Anthony Albanese accused of ‘un-Australian’ Melbourne Cup act
