Karl Stefanovic slams Liberals’ weird Anthony Albanese attack ad

The Today host has poked fun at the bizarre new Labor attack ad, which features Anthony Albanese as the Lord of the Rings’ Gollum.

Karl Stefanovic has brutally mocked a bizarre Anthony Albanese attack ad released by the Liberal party.

On Thursday, the Liberals unleashed what could be this Federal Election campaign’s weirdest ad, just nine days out from the election.

The clip features an animated character playing Labor leader Anthony Albanese who appears obsessed with taxes in “The Lord of the Flip-Flops: The Return of the Taxes”, a parody of fantasy adventure film Lord of the Rings.

The bizarre ad featured what appeared to be an Anthony Albanese character as Gollum. Picture: Supplied.

Speaking to Deputy Leader of the Opposition Richard Marles and Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham on Friday morning, the Today host was quick to make jokes.

“I know it’s been a long campaign, everyone is getting very emotional, everyone is tired. This Liberal ad this morning is going to scare the kids out there. Kids, if you’re at home eating your Weet-Bix please look away,” Mr Stefanovic said.

Turning to Mr Birmingham, he joked to the Minister for Finance “who was the genius who came up with [the ad]?’.

In response, the politician replied: “I’ll give credit to our digital marketing guys.”

Continuing his digs on the ad, Stefanovic joked that “you can’t get anything right in the campaign, all the kids will go ‘gee, Albo looks fit’”.

Mr Marles also joined in, adding that the Liberal party were “going for the Middle Earth vote”.

“There have obviously been sleepless nights,” he said.

Wrapping up the segment, Stefanovic said: “This is getting really weird now”.

Later in the show, the former Treasurer and National President of the ALP, Wayne Swan also joked that Albanese’s character looked more like former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Karl advised children watching from home to “look away”.

Former Treasurer said attack ad character also looked like Kevin Rudd. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Some of the most notable moments from the hilarious 1 minute and 38 second clip show the Alabanese spoof clad in nothing but red shorts and speaking to himself. During the clip, the Albanese character says: “Taxes, yes taxes. We will tax all of them, so much money” before another voice chimes in: “You can’t tell them. It’s the only way we get precious votes”.

The Liberals’ new campaign ad.

The attack ad accuses Labor of flip-flopping on policies such as coal, saying it would win them votes in Queensland but not inner city Melbourne.

In a remarkable coincidence, Labor hours earlier released a meme criticising Prime Minister Scott Morrison, also borrowing from the Lord of the Rings.

“Morrison is keeping his precious ($1 an hour pay rise) away from Australian workers. He’s being tricksy,” the meme said.

Morrison is keeping his precious ($1 an hour pay rise) away from Australian workers. 

He's being tricksy. pic.twitter.com/c88KDAzzUb

— Australian Labor (@AustralianLabor) May 12, 2022