Albo invites Barnaby for a beer in Annandale after Deputy PM repeatedly sledges inner west suburb

ALBO has invited Barnaby Joyce for a beer in Annandale after the Deputy PM and cow herding pollie repeatedly slagged off the so-cool-it-hurts inner west suburb in Parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce during Question Time in Canberra last week.

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NEVER before has the suburb of Annandale consumed so much time on the floors of Australian Parliament.

But in the past fortnight, the inner west suburb of less than 9000 residents was the centre of five separate attacks by Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce as he sledged Labor for being “out of touch” with ordinary Australians.

After cutting his teeth with Johnny Depp last year, the Queenslander has found a new target.

It all started on February 7 when the National Party leader accused Labor of “fighting a battle for Annandale” instead of representing “the working men and women of Australia.”

A day later he went on to describe Labor MPs as “angels on Annandale” during debate on agriculture, and accused the opposition of “being more interested in Annandale than they are in Adelaide.”

Barnaby Joyce in Question Time.

Anthony Albanese.

Mr Joyce’s Annandale assail continued into last week, when he repeated “(Labor) are more worried about Annandale, about Newtown than they are about the working men and women of Australia.”

Federal Member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese, whose electorate covers Annandale, hit back at the comments, telling The Courier: “it’s extraordinary that the Deputy Prime Minster openly declares his contempt for Australians based upon where they live.”

“I’m proud to represent the people of the Inner West, but I also care about the people of Tamworth and Armidale,” Mr Albanese said.

ALBO SHAKES IT OFF IN ANNANDALE

State Balmain Greens MP, Jamie Parker, weighed in the debate, saying: “it’s lovely of Barnaby to keep mentioning us in parliament, but it would be nicer if Labor and the Coalition stopped sledging each other and started caring for the future.”

Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek has also taken offence, asking “What can (the comments) possibly mean, other than the people of Annandale are not hardworking (which) is just not fair.”

Mr Albanese called for Mr Joyce to “get off his high horse and drop into Wayward for a beer with the locals.

So far, Mr Joyce has not replied to the invitation.

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Originally published as Albo invites Barnaby for a beer in Annandale after Deputy PM repeatedly sledges inner west suburb