‘Clown show’: Laura Tingle makes her real feelings clear as she lashes out at Coalition

ABC’s political editor has confessed she can finally share her true feelings on one side of Australian politics now as she moves to a new position.

Esteemed ABC political journalist Laura Tingle has lashed out at the Coalition, labelling the current state of it a “clown show” of politicians.

After a surprise split was initially announced last week, David Littleproud and Sussan Ley later backtracked and confirmed the Coalition would no longer be separating.

In a blunt new interview, ABC’s Laura Tingle, who is about to leave her role as the broadcaster’s Political Editor, made her true feelings about the temporary split known.

“I can say this because I’m going, but I don’t care,” Tingle told the ABC’s Party Room podcast.

Laura Tingle on the 7:30 report this year. Picture: ABC

“I mean, like, seriously, these people are irrelevant for the next little while. They’re a sideshow. They’re a clown show.

“And the fact that their personal ambitions are just so blatantly out there (is) basically disgraceful, because we as taxpayers are paying for them to be looking after the interests of their voters in their electorates and to be looking after the national good.”

The Coalition split last Tuesday after Littleproud said both parties were not able to agree on key policy matters However, he later revealed that those issues have now been resolved.

Tingle went on to share that the Coalition “deserves” to be in its “current state of oblivion”.

“My sense is that the Coalition doesn’t have any ideas, and it hasn’t had any ideas for a really long time,” added the ABC star.

Tingle’s latest remarks come after she courted controversy last year when she had some choice words for Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton.

She was on a panel at the Sydney Writers Festival when she said: “We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been and it’s very depressing”.

Her comments were in response to Dutton’s budget reply pledge to slash Australia’s permanent migration program to just 140,000 per year.

She also accused him of encouraging racism towards migrants looking to buy or rent property in Australia during the discussion.

Despite receiving some backlash for her comments, Tingle later doubled down on them in a follow-up statement.

Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley and Party leader of the National Party of Australia David Littleproud hold a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“In my commentary at the ABC, and at the Sydney Writers’ Festival, I expressed my concern at the risks involved in Peter Dutton pressing the hot button of housing and linking it to migration for these reasons,” she said.

“Political leaders, by their comments, give licence to others to express opinions they may not otherwise express. That does not make them racist. But it has real world implications for many Australians.”

Meanwhile, after the week-long divide of the Coalition, David Littleproud and Sussan Ley briefly shared their thoughts on their time apart.

“I agree this is a professional partnership between two really strong parties in our Australian democracy that work very well when they work together,” she said, refusing to characterise their split as “bitter”.

“Personally, David and I will be friends. I think a woman who got her start in the shearing sheds of western Queensland can always find something to talk about over a steak and a beer (with you, David)”.