Scott Morrison reveals tips for Anthony Albanese on fighting Covid-19

Scott Morrison’s tips for Anthony Albanese on how to fight Covid-19 included one pointed barb at the Labor leader.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he has given Labor leader Anthony Albanese tips for fighting Covid-19, noting people had to “push through”.

During an interview with the Kyle and Jackie O show this morning, Mr Morrison said he wished Mr Albanese all the best, noting he himself had recovered from Covid, as had the two radio hosts.

“Hopefully the symptoms aren’t too bad but you push through, that’s what you all do,” he said.

Mr Albanese revealed overnight that he had tested positive for Covid.

Mr Morrison said he thought getting Covid was “a lot more normalised” and said when he came down with the virus he was “chairing cabinet, putting a budget together, dealing with the war in Ukraine, doing multiple meetings and presentations.

“Parents who have got kids have got to get them to school, you’ve got to run small businesses …,” the PM said.

Kyle adds “life goes on”.

Mr Morrison said “I’m sure that will be the case for Anthony and I sent him a few tips from when I had it: try and get some good rest, and have that Panadol handy, and I found drinking water was very helpful.”

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Kyle and Jackie O interview the PM.

Kyle, who said he intended to vote for Mr Morrison, also revealed eight of the 12 staff working on his radio show that morning were fellow supporters. He identified the three who weren’t as a “young gay man”, a “brown boy” with Burmese and Mauritian heritage, and a man from Uruguay who may have “floated here on a log” and who was intending to vote for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.

“I’d be interested to know what his reasons for that are,” Mr Morrison said.

“What I would say is, this election is very much about the economy because if you can’t run the economy, you can’t pay for the defence forces, you can’t pay for important medicines.”

The Prime Minister’s barb was part of a wide ranging interview on the election campaign, which has seen Mr Morrison ambushed by members of the public on camera and booed at Shane Warne’s state memorial.

When asked how he felt about instances of “disrespect”, Mr Morrison said: “It’s a bit of a cheap shot but I’ve been around politics a long time and I’ve got a pretty thick skin.

“You guys would know, when you’re out and about, people want to take selfies with you and they want to meet you and all that sort of thing, and I’ve always said yes, and when you do that in good faith and people want to use that to make a cheap political shot, it says a bit more about them than me.

“That won’t stop me from being like that.”

Jackie O also asked the PM about the leaders debate with Mr Albanese on Wednesday night and the controversy around Mr Morrison’s comment he was “blessed” when responding to a question about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, from a woman who had a son with autism whose payments had been cut.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (right) and Labor leader Anthony Albanese at the first leaders' debate held at the Gabba in Brisbane on April 20. Picture: Toby Zerna/News Corp Australia/AFP

Jackie O asked whether Mr Morrison had gotten back to the woman or had a look at her case as he had indicated he would.

“Yes we did, I spoke with her that night, I got her contact details and we’ve been following up her specific issues with the NDIS.

“It’s very difficult because every single person with special needs, needs a tailored program.”

He said he had intended “no offence” by his words but “it was also I think how some of my words were twisted”.

“My point was, I was trying to respect the fact that my experience as a parent is not the same as others,” he said. “But it didn’t quite come out that way.”

Mr Morrison said he had also apologised to Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, who was upset by his comments, which “really devastated me”.

“Dylan makes the right point, people with special needs in this country, they want to be treated as equals, they don’t want to be treated as charity cases,” Mr Morrison said.

“NDIS is not a welfare, it’s not charity, it’s giving people the opportunity to live their best lives and to have equal opportunities in this country.”

Originally published as Scott Morrison reveals tips for Anthony Albanese on fighting Covid-19