Election 2022 live: Intruder gatecrashes Scott Morrison’s private event
Scott Morrison has been confronted for the second time in a week, this time by a “social activist” at a private function in western Sydney.
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A self-described “social activist” and Labor supporter has gatecrashed a private function being held by Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a sports club in western Sydney.
In a TikTok video, Adisen Wright approached him trying to get a photo, saying he “lives up in the Blue Mountains and his mate works behind the bar”.
Mr Morrison told him it was a private function before he started yelling “across the Nepean River people lost their houses”.
Mr Wright was grabbed by Mr Morrison’s personal security, spilling his beer before screaming “you’re a disgrace”.
Mr Wright calls himself a “progressive activist in Sydney” on social media and encourages people to join the ALP and union movement.
Posts show him posing with former Labor deputy leader Tanya Plibersek, wearing a volunteer T-shirt for NSW state ALP candidate Susan Templeman, publicly endorsing Ms Templeman and posing beside one of her corflutes.
In the exchange with Mr Morrison, Mr Wright can be heard saying the following before he was escorted out of The Rowers at Penrith.
Wright: “ScoMo can I ask you…I just wanted to say hi I’m pretty astounded as a young bloke here. Good to see you. Can I get a photo, is that alright?”
Morrison: “Sure. Are you in the press pack are you?”
Wright: “No.”
Morrison: “oh, right”
Wright: “I’m a local. I live up in the Mountains. Can I ask one question?”
Morrison: “Yeah sure.”
Morrison: “Why is it recording?
Wright: “I just want to ask a question.”
Morrison: “Mate this is a private event.”
Wright: “Oh sorry about that.”
Morrison: “I’m hosting drinks for the media event.”
Woman’s voice: “What’s going on? Can I help you?”
(Mr Morrison walks away)
Wright: “Across the river here across the Nepean river people lost their houses.
(yelling) “People lost their houses and they were burnt. You’re a disgrace. You are a disgrace.”
Security: “You’ve had your say mate.”
Mr Wright then walked away from the group and attempted to exit the building when he was caught up to by a plain clothes police officer who called out to him.
“What are you going to do, detain me?” he asked.
The officer displayed his badge to Mr Wright who cooperated by providing his ID. He also explained he was unaware it was a private function.
“I didn’t do anything wrong, I got a photo and I wanted to ask a question,” he said.
“I wasn’t being a d**ck and then he just, he didn’t want to talk to me and that’s fair.
“I didn’t know it was private, my mate says ‘come for a beer’, so I wanted to come for a beer and ask a question.”
The police officer asked Mr Wright why he had to “carry on”, to which he replied: “The Prime Minister is the most public person in the land”.
“I asked him what are you going to do about the bushfire response. I’m from the Blue Mountains I’m pretty passionate about what’s going on.”
“You all came in by bus. I’m a local mate, this is my home.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, if I punched the Prime Minister then yeah, I’d be going to jail. But obviously I’m not doing that because I’m not a gronk.”
“I’m not going to f**k around with the AFP.”
Referring to the 2019-20 bushfires, Mr Wright said his home was “incredibly impacted” and that locals wanted action and assistance.
NSW Police in a statement confirmed officers were called to a licensed premises on Bruce Neal Dr, Penrith on Tuesday night.
They spoke with a 20-year-old man who was issued a move-on direction and left the venue without incident.
It is the second time Mr Morrison has been confronted in the past week.
A pensioner told him he was “sick of your bulls...” during an angry exchange at a Newcastle pub last week.
‘NOT THE SHARPEST TOOL’: HOWARD FLAMES ALBO
Former prime minister John Howard has doubled down on criticisms of Anthony Albanese’s election gaffe, saying if Paul Keating had made the same mistake it wouldn’t matter as much.
Mr Howard initially brushed off the Labor leader not being able to name the reserve bank cash rate or the national unemployment rate.
When asked by reporters later the same day he replied, “Is that a serious question? Okay, well Anthony Albanese didn’t know the unemployment rate. So what?”
However on Tuesday he said the context behind the fumble made all the difference.
“The context is that he’s not regarded as being the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to economics and because the Labor Party doesn’t have a well-developed economic plan,” Mr Howard told Sky News.
“A stumble like that is magnified because it’s emblematic of the state of affairs.
“Now if that had been a mistake made by say, Paul Keating when he was Prime Minister or leader of the opposition, treasurer, well people would have said ‘so what’ and moved on because he was regarded as having strength in that area.”
Despite the tough start to the campaign for Labor Mr Howard said he thinks the election will be close.
“I think the election will be really close. I know often people automatically say that but I think it really will be,” Mr Howard said.
“Now one of Mr Albanese’s real problems is he’s not identified with any big policy causes, I mean I can’t think something really big that Albo has campaigned for over the years.”
Mr Howard identified the government’s “problem” as the period of time it had already been in office.
The Liberal prime minister from 1996 to 2007, spent much of Tuesday backpedaling his initial dismissing of Mr Albanese’s own goal.
“If (Mr Albanese) had a reputation for being on top of the economic argument it probably wouldn’t have mattered,” he told Perth’s 6PR radio.
“One of his problems is that I can’t think of an economic or major political issue that he’s really championing.”
Mr Howard experienced his own televised pre-election stumble over interest rates in an interview with A Current Affair before the 2007 poll.
Asked at the time if he could nominate the reserve bank’s official rate, Mr Howard answered: “It’s 6.25 per cent”.
Then opposition leader Kevin Rudd – who went on to win that year’s election for the Labor Party – correctly quoted the figure of 6.5 per cent in a separate interview later that night.
Mr Albanese was quick to apologise after his gaffe on Monday, telling reporters in Tasmania he had made a mistake.
“I’m human. But when I make a mistake, I’ll fess up to it, and I’ll set about correcting that mistake,” he said.
“I won’t blame someone else, I’ll accept responsibility. That’s what leaders do.”
The unemployment rate is at 4 per cent, and the reserve bank cash rate is at a historic low of 0.1 per cent.
MORRISON GIVES ALBANESE A SERVE
Mr Morrison blasted Mr Albanese over his unemployment figure gaffe, saying he has “no idea” what the top job involves.
Speaking at Rheem Australia in the NSW electorate of Parramatta, the prime minister seized on the Labor leader’s blunder, where he thought the unemployment rate was around 5 per cent, not 4 per cent.
Mr Morrison also accused Mr Albanese of going around “at the union’s behest” by talking about rising rights of casualisation in the workforce.
“His fundamental understanding of the economy is wrong,” he said.
“He doesn’t know and he doesn’t understand that Australians have worked hard to ensure that there are now 375,000 more Australians in work today than there was before the pandemic.”
Asked what it revealed about his opponent, Mr Morrison said: “I agree with John Howard that leaders will not get every single figure right”.
“If there is something Anthony Albanese he should be apologising for, it should be that he doesn’t have an economic plan,” he said.
Mr Morrison also issued a warning to Mr Albanese over his attacks on his leadership.
“Passing judgment, sledging me, making criticisms of me, seeking to attack me over these last three years, that’s not a substitute for having an economic plan,” he said.
“It’s not a substitute for knowing the things you need to know about what’s going on in the Australian economy.
“It’s not a substitute for the strength you need to stand up to the many challenges that are going on in this country.”
Mr Morrison said Mr Albanese has had plenty to say about him over the past three years.
“But when you have to actually step up, put your hands on the wheel … it’s a lot easier sitting in that back seat,” he said.
“He’s got no idea. This is a tough job, and it won’t be easy under Albanese.”
Mr Morrison toured the hot water system factory alongside Liberal candidate for Parramatta Maria Kovacic, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne.
Donned in high-vis, he shook hands with smiling workers.
But it was a protective glove, taped in the shape of a rude finger, that made the Prime Minister frown.
Mr Morrison also announced $2m to help train 120 assistance dogs during a visit to western Sydney on Tuesday.
Assistance Dogs Australia will receive funding for a new training school in the heart of Western Sydney.
The investment will help children with autism, veterans with post-traumatic stress and people with a physical disability needing help.
Mr Morrison visited the Orchard Hills site in the Liberal-held electorate of Lindsay with MP Melissa McIntosh – who holds the seat on a 5 per cent margin – marking his first defensive visit of the campaign.
Mr Morrison was all smiles and laughter as he met with assistance dogs in training - even taking a selfie with one.
He admired their dog jackets, which featured little yellow learner plate signs, and asked about their training.
“I’ve got a schnoodle and I can’t keep him off our bed,” Mr Morrison said.
FATHER BOB’S STAR TREK TIP
Mr Albanese met with legendary Catholic priest Father Bob at his charity headquarters in Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon - where he was told he needed to take inspiration from Star Trek to win.
The Father Bob Maguire Foundation is in the seat of Higgins, held by the Liberals on a margin of 3.7 per cent.
When Father Bob was asked how he rated “Albo’s chances”, he brought up Star Trek.
“It depends on us. We the people,” he told reporters.
“It’s all very good being pious and saying: He’s a great bloke, oh my God, you know, I met him today down at the warehouse.
“You know what I mean? It’s not enough. You’ve got to go where no one has gone before as in Star Trek.”
Mr Albanese announced $300,000 would go to Father Bob’s foundation if Labor was elected.
It helps people experiencing homelessness or disadvantage by providing food, education and social inclusion programs.
Member for Macnamara and Labor MP Josh Burns was present, along with Labor’s Higgins candidate Michelle Ananda-Rajah.
ALBO HOPES TO ‘SHAKE IT OFF’
Mr Albanese referenced Taylor Swift's song "Shake it Off" when asked about his trainwreck first day on the campaign – before admitting he might risk another headline on day two because he wasn't across the details on who the Australian Human Rights Commissioner was.
"My approach is I fess up, I took responsibility,” he said, talking about his gaffe of not knowing the national unemployment rate on Monday.
"That is what I will do. From time to time, if ever I make a mistake, I'll own it.
"And I'll accept responsibility. But as I quoted, The Ramones on day one of the campaign, here's a Taylor Swift comment for you: ‘My theory is shake it off’."
He was later asked about the Australian Human Rights Commission being warned it could be downgraded from an A accreditation to a B if it didn't make changes to ensure the independence of its leadership.
Last year, the Morrison government selected Lorraine Finlay to be Human Rights Commissioner “without an open, merit-based selection process” according to the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC).
Mr Albanese was asked by a journalist if he'd commit to not making similar appointments. "Sorry, at the risk of creating a headline here. I don't know who Ms Finlay is," he said.
"She's been the Human Rights Commissioner since the end of last year," the reporter responded.
"You know, we'll have a look at that," said Mr Albanese, before deflecting onto the Coalition.
"But this government, what I do know is that one of the reasons for the delay in the calling of the election was so that they could make just dozens of appointments day after day after day," he said.
"I mean, is there any former Liberal MP or Liberal mayor or Liberal councillor who hasn't been appointed to the AAT or the Productivity Commission or to the Fair Work Commission.
"Like it's just it's just an outrage.
“I think there can be good political appointments. And I'll name one … I think Barry O'Farrell was a good appointment."
Former NSW Liberal premier Mr O'Farrell is Australia's High Commissioner to India.
Mr Albanese said he had not only supported Mr O'Farrell privately for that role, but also publicly.
"We spoke to people who we have connections with to support an Australian in that role that contrasts with what our opponents have done historically," he said.
LNP Senator for Queensland Amanda Stoker took to Twitter to attack Mr Albanese for not being across human rights after the press conference.
"For all of Labor’s talk about human rights, @AlboMP doesn’t even know who the human rights commissioner is. Findlay (sic) was appointed in September last year.
“He’s got no substance on human rights, and as we saw yesterday, no substance on the economy. Is there any brief he is across?" she tweeted.
She later tweeted: "Lorraine Finlay* is an is an eminently qualified constitutional law academic and human trafficking specialist.
“She is an excellent human rights commissioner and I am thrilled our government appointed her to the AHRC last September."
DON’T HAVE TO BE NOSTRADAMUS
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has spruiked Darwin’s defence credentials, saying “you don’t need to be Nostradamus” to realise its strategic importance to the nation.
Speaking at Stokes Hill Wharf on Monday, Mr Joyce said a new port at Middle Arm on Darwin Harbour would bring in close to $16bn worth of private investment into the country.
Mr Joyce said the port would be important for national security and economic growth for Australia.
“You don’t have to be Nostradamus to realise that defence is a large part of our budget, massive increase in defence expenditure, taking it over 2 per cent of GDP,” he said.
“Here we are at the front and this great city has had experience of what it’s like to be at the front.”
Federal budget papers have earmarked $1.5bn for the construction for a second port in the Darwin Harbor, next to the Chinese-owned Port of Darwin.
“Our nation must become as strong as possible, as quickly as possible and what we’re doing here at Middle Arm with $1.5bn just in this announcement, $1.5bn dollars is going to be transformative, bringing in close to $16bn worth of private investment,” Mr Joyce said.
“Assisting us in growing our gas exports, our critical mineral exports and development of hydrogen. It is making sure that this port becomes one of the premier ports in Australia.
“(We have) the greatest opportunity to be part of the massive wealth and the massive growth from Indonesia that is racing ahead to be one of the biggest economies in the world.”
PARRAMATTA CANDIDATE ‘THE REAL EEL’: MORRISON
Liberal Parramatta candidate Maria Kovacic “is the real eel”, Mr Morrison declared in a swipe at her opponent, who is hosting a $200-a-head fundraiser in Sydney’s CBD.
Labor’s candidate Andrew Charlton is under fire for spruiking the “drinks and canapés” event this Thursday.
Tickets go for $200 and Mr Charlton will be joined by former NSW Premier Bob Carr.
Responding to the controversy on Tuesday, Mr Morrison said Mr Charlton was “not from western Sydney”.
“Maria Kovacic, she’s the real deal, she’s the real eel,” Mr Morrison said, referencing the NRL team Parramatta Eels.
“She’s from Western Sydney, she’s run a business in Western Sydney, she’s raised a family in Western Sydney. She is Western Sydney through-and-through.”
The median weekly household income in the Parramatta electorate is $1596.
Mr Charlton told party members he had bought a house in Parramatta, after pledging to move to the electorate before the election
Mr Morrison made the comments while he was kicking off the second day of his re-election campaign with a tour of the Rheem complex in the seat of Parramatta on Tuesday.
Flanked by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Mr Morrison spruiked his pledge to create 1.3 million jobs over the next five years.
The western Sydney electorate, held by Labor on a 3.5 per cent margin, is in the Liberals sights following the retirement of long-time MP Julie Owens.
HOW TO ENROL TO VOTE
More than half a million Australians are still to register to vote for the May 21 federal election.
Voting is compulsory in Australia and those who fail to vote can be fined.
The Australian Electoral Commission says prospective votes have until 8pm Easter Monday to register to vote.
The easiest way to register to vote is via the AEC website. It takes about five minutes.
You can find all the details you need to know here
KENEALLY HIT BY COVID
Labor is a teammate down on its second full day of the election campaign, with high profile frontbencher Kristina Keneally isolating with Covid-19.
Senator Keneally, who is running for the lower house in the Sydney seat of Fowler, took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to confirm she would be somewhat out-of-action for the next seven days after waking up feeling “rotten”.
“This morning I … tested positive for Covid. I’ll be isolating at home in Liverpool for the next seven days and following NSW Health rules,” she wrote.
Labor parachuted the former NSW Premier into the safe Labor seat in western Sydney last year, a move met with criticism.
Retiring incumbent Chris Hayes had been campaigning for lawyer Tu Le to replace him, arguing the electorate demanded better representation for its cultural diversity.
PM HAS ‘NO VISIBILITY’ OVER TUDGE $500K PAYOUT
Mr Morrison has revealed he has “no visibility” over payments made by his finance department.
The comments came after it was reported education minister Alan Tudge’s former staffer and lover, Rachelle Miller, would receive a compensation payout worth more than $500,000.
Speaking on 5AA, the Prime Minister said he could not confirm whether a payment had been made.
“I know it’s taxpayers money and those matters are handled by the Department of Finance at arm’s length and from politicians,” Mr Morrison said.
“This has been done independently.
“The Department of Finance has provisions that enable them to deal with these matters privately.”
Mr Morrison said people were assuming there was “wrongdoing” on Mr Tudge’s part but no matters had been raised with him following an independent investigation.
“Alan Tudge can continue to serve, he has chosen for the sake of health and family for a period of time to stand aside from the ministry,” he said.
“But there’s been no other education minister sworn in, no one went out to the Governor-general, we’re very transparent about all of that.”
VOW TO REVERSE ‘MEDICARE CUTS’
Mr Morrison has been accused by Mr Albanese of “damaging Medicare cuts” while promising to put $31m towards helping people with mental illness in regional areas.
The Labor leader announced on Tuesday that his party would “restore” telehealth psychiatric consultations for people living in rural Australia at a cost of $31m over the forward estimates.
Changes under the Morrison government in January were criticised by health professionals because they removed 50 per cent loading for some rural psychiatric services, meaning providers couldn’t bulk bill.
The health department at the time said it was about consolidating telehealth into a single national program to ensure “universal equitable access”.
Mr Albanese said going back to the old system would support 450,000 consultations over four years and 1.426m consultations over ten years.
The announcement attacked Mr Morrison for “cuts to Medicare bulk billing for psychiatric telehealth”, appearing to take inspiration from the successful Mediscare campaign that dealt a body blow to former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2016.
“By contrast, Labor understands the importance of mental health care for Australians, regardless of where they live,” it says.
Mr Albanese’s first campaign promise on Monday was also health focused – committing to helping children with hearing loss through $6.5m in funding to build two new support centres in Tasmania and another in Sydney.
‘WHOPPING BILL’ FOR LABOR’S PLAN
Labor’s suite of aspirational policies could cost taxpayers a whopping $302bn over a decade, according to a Coalition analysis.
The opposition’s policy platform includes sweeping commitments to increase Australia’s foreign aid budget, reform paid parental leave, boost the refugee intake and expand early childhood education.
But these promises – along with a long-term plan for a universal 90 per cent childcare subsidy and a potential increase to unemployment benefits – have not been costed by Labor.
The government has produced its own analysis, which will be used by the Prime Minister to mirror his successful 2019 election offensive on Labor’s proposed $387bn tax hit.
Finance Minister Simon Birmingham demanded transparency from Labor “about the costs of these vague promises and how they’re going to pay for them”.
FORMER MP’S ATTACK ON ALBO
A former Labor MP has hit out at Mr Albanese for using his public housing background and the fact he was raised by a single mother as part of his election campaign.
Mr Albanese grew up in public housing in Sydney’s inner west, with the Opposition leader telling his story as a way to show that he did not come from privilege and had to work to get to where he is.
After Mr Morrison called the election for May 21, Mr Albanese took the opportunity on Sunday afternoon to remind Australians about where he came from and how it has shaped his values.
“I am humbled to put myself forward as Prime Minister of our great nation,” he wrote above a photo of him and his mother, Maryanne Ellery.
“I grew up in Sydney, in public housing, the son of a single mum. I learnt the value of a dollar. I learnt the importance of resilience.”
Former Labor MP Emma Husar lashed out at Mr Albanese on Twitter, responding to the photo with his mum by telling him to “check your privilege”.
“A public housing Tennent (sic) is not a prerequisite for PM,” she said.
“Ensuring those who need can access public housing or any housing for that matter is.”
Ms Husar added that 49 per cent of marriages end in divorce.
“You’re not the first or last kid to be raised by a single parent. Check your privilege,” she wrote.
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Originally published as Election 2022 live: Intruder gatecrashes Scott Morrison’s private event
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