The Project: ‘Where the hell is the PM?’ fumes host Steve Price

The furious Project host has taken aim at Scott Morrison asking where he is as states go into lockdown and Australia faces its “biggest crisis”.

The Project host Steve Price slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison on the current affairs show on Tuesday night for being nowhere to be seen as Delta sweeps across the nation.

“Where the hell is the PM?” asked Price.

Sydney and Victoria were already in lockdown, they have now been joined by South Australia and later this evening the regional New South Wales town of Orange made it onto that list.

Borders between states are slamming shut so quickly it’s hard to work out if anyone can travel anywhere in Australia across a frontier.

Just about every state and territory premier or acting premier held a press conference on Tuesday to talk about cases, lockdowns, borders or all of the above.

At one point yesterday morning, three state premiers made announcements simultaneously.

But, said Price on The Project, there was one voice that was missing – Mr Morrison’s.

The Project hosts were discussing the flurry of lockdowns and border closures announced today. Picture: Channel 10.

‘Where the hell is the PM?’

“Can I say one thing,” he asked the host Carrie Bickmore after a segment recapping the flurry of lockdown and border announcements.

“Where the hell is the Prime Minister?

“He’s got half his country locked down and we haven’t heard from him for a week.”

“He’s gone missing a few times recently,” host Peter Helliar replied.

“Gone missing? This is the biggest pandemic crisis in the country and the PM is locked up in The Lodge in Canberra and he’s not talking to anyone,” Price replied.

“As a country we’re in a worse position than last year. Victoria was doing it tough and hard and millions of us were lockdown but you didn’t have lockdowns like in New South Wales (as well).”

“Where the hell is the PM?” asked Steve Price on The Project

The PM has been criticised by some for being seemingly absent during pivotal moments in the pandemic.

Through lockdown and border announcements he’s left the stage largely to state and territory leaders. They do make the final decisions on those matters.

However, some commentators have wondered if the PM should be more forward, particularly as premiers have at times descended into squabbling with one another.

Through the pandemic, the federal government has been responsible for international borders, elements of aged care and the vaccine procurement. All of which have been mired in controversy.

Federal health Minister Greg Hunt did front the media yesterday spruiking the message that 37 per cent of Australians have now had at least one vaccine dose. A further 11 per cent have had both jabs.

“The scope and scale between the rest of the world and Australia are immeasurably different and we shouldn’t lose sight of what has been achieved on an extraordinary level in Australia,” Mr Hunt said.

However his boss, the PM, has not said much for days.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s most recent public appearance was on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

PM not seen for days

On Monday, Mr Morrison arrived in Canberra ahead of parliament resuming next month.

He is deemed an essential worker. Other MPs have been advised to head to Canberra soon as they may have to undergo 14 days in quarantine.

On Friday, he made statements after the national cabinet, including on China. But little has been heard directly from him since.

On the weekend, reports emerged that Mr Morrison directly advised NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to impose harsher lockdown restrictions on the Greater Sydney region which eventually did occur.

However, in the past the PM has previously praised Ms Berejiklian for not jumping into lockdowns.

An opinion poll released on Monday showed the government was losing support amid the ongoing covid strife.

Australians are now in a deadlock, with 39 per cent saying they would vote for the Coalition, and 39 per cent voicing support for Labor.

Mr Morrison’s approval rating as PM has also dropped to its lowest level since the 2019-20 bushfire crisis, according to the Newspoll published in The Australian.

If people voted that way in next year’s election, the coalition would lose.