Scott Morrison launches personal attack on Anthony Albanese, accuses him of ‘appeasing’ China

Scott Morrison has unleashed an extraordinary personal attack on Anthony Albanese as he fights for his political life ahead of the 2022 election.

Scott Morrison has unleashed an extraordinary personal attack on Anthony Albanese calling him a “sook and a snarler” who was trying to appease China and leading a Labor Party that was drowning in criminals who end up in NSW jails.

As he fights for his political life ahead of the 2022 election amid plunging opinion polls, and leaked text messages calling him a “complete psycho”, the Prime Minister declared it was gloves off.

Unleashing in question time after the government was forced to pull religious freedom laws in the Senate, he accused Mr Albanese of trying to “appease” China.

“They know who their candidate is in this election - it’s the leader of the Labor Party,’’ the Prime Minister said.

He then accused Mr Albanese of being “a sook” after the Labor leader told him to stop making things up.

“There are many qualities you need to be a prime minister of this country but being a snook and a snarler..,’’ he said.

Mr Morrison was then cut off by the Speaker before he could continue.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called Anthony Albanese a ‘snook and a snarler’ during an explosive Question Time. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gary Ramage

On Tuesday, Mr Morrison told Parliament during an apology to Brittany Higgins and other political staffers that Parliament should not be a place of cruelty.

“Nor can it be a place where incivility towards each other is somehow a sign of strength,’’ he said.

Earlier, Mr Morrison declared that the “gold standard” for Labor corruption was in Mr Albanese’s home state of NSW.

“They had so many ex-Labor ministers in prison, they could start a branch of the Labor party in the Silverwater prison,” he said.

“His good mate Ian McDonald, Mr Speaker, he saved his preselection and went off to prison!”

Mr Macdonald was a NSW state Labor minister who went to prison last year over a corrupt mining licence along with Eddie Obeid.

Last year, Mr Albanese detailed his once friendly relationship with Mr Macdonald during the trial.

Mr Morrison accused Mr Albanese of trying to “appease” China. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gary Ramage

“He enjoyed being a minister and he thought he was a good minister,” Albanese said.

In cross-examination, Mr Albanese confirmed he met Mr Macdonald in the 1980s and they went to sport games together, to each other’s homes, and confided personal matters.

As Parliament erupted into uproar over the Prime Minister’s sledge, Mr Albanese told Parliament the Prime Minister that question time should not become a forum to engage in “the kind of spray he is now.”

In response, the Prime Minister threatened Mr Albanese warning him if he wanted to throw around allegations of corruption he would return fire.

The original question related to the Prime Minister’s failure to legislate an Independent Corruption Commission.