‘F*** off back to the bush’: Labor MP sorry for swearing in front of primary kids

Labor MP Hugh McDermott has apologised after swearing at a Nationals MPs in front of primary school children that he had been escorting around Parliament House.

A Labor MP has apologised after telling a Nationals MP to “f*** off back to the bush” in front of a group of shocked Catholic primary school children that he had been escorting around Parliament House.

Two separate Liberal staffers who witnessed the incident told The Daily Telegraph that they heard the Prospect MP Hugh McDermott swearing in front of the school group at about 1pm today.

One staffer told The Daily Telegraph that Mr McDermott appeared to have made the comment to Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson who had entered the Parliament House lift on Level 7.

“He had been waiting for a lift to go up with a group of us,” the staffer said.

“There were also people coming from the chamber.

Labor member for Prospect, Hugh McDermott, has apologised for swearing at Nationals MPs in front of school children. Picture: Jane Dempster/Sunday Telegraph.

“I heard him say ‘f*** off back to the bush’ to someone. As the lift doors closed, I turned to him and said that was out of order. I pulled him up on it as the teacher looked really embarrassed. He told me to mind my own business. It was just appalling.”

A second Liberal staffer who was at the lifts gave The Daily Telegraph a similar account.

It is understood the schoolchildren were aged 11 to 12, and were from a catholic school from Mr McDermott’s electorate.

Mr McDermott, who was still with the school group when The Daily Telegraph contacted him, apologised immediately and revealed the insult had been aimed at a group of Nationals MPs whom he claimed had been “pushing in front of the schoolchildren”.

It is believed Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson was one of the Nationals targeted by Mr McDermott. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It is understood Kevin Anderson was among the group.

“A number of MPs pushed in front of schoolchildren who had been waiting for the lift. I told them they were rude and they dismissed me and so I swore at them,” Mr McDermott said.

“I then realised and turned around, and apologised to the teacher and kids. It was a loss of judgement. I don’t like bullies and they were pushing in front of the kids. Half the kids had gone up and we were waiting for the next lift to join them.

“I don’t like bullies and they were pushing in front of the kids. But I shouldn’t have sworn. I feel really terrible.”

One of the Liberal staffers has lodged a formal complaint to the Speaker about the incident.

Mr Anderson told The Daily Telegraph that he did not hear the comment as the lift doors had shut.

He said he had been waiting for a lift with two other women who he had been escorting to a meeting when he saw Mr McDermott with a group of children.

“They were near the third lift,” Mr Anderson said.

“When the doors of lift 1 opened, we walked in.

“Mr McDermott stuck his head in the lift before the doors closed and said he had ‘a heap of kids here’. The lift doors then shut so I didn’t hear the comment.”

It is not the first time Mr McDermott has been involved in an elevator scuffle in which he has uttered the “f” expletive.

In 2017, after former Labor MP Jodi McKay was accused of grabbing a male political staffer by the arm to eject him from the lift, Mr McDermott was reportedly overheard telling him to “learn the f...ing rules, mate”.

Ms McKay at the time branded the incident a “stitch-up”.

Originally published as ‘F*** off back to the bush’: Labor MP sorry for swearing in front of primary kids