Bill Shorten: Like watching a lion rape a sheep. But in a bad way
Dr Mumbo never thought the fictional encounter of a TV interview with hapless government minister Ben Swain on In The Thick Of it would ever be topped in real life.
But it has been, when Labor’s Bill Shorten found himself on Sky News without actually knowing what the policy he was supposed to be supporting was. Wonderful, wonderful stuff, and full credit to David Speers for making Shorten squirm.
(Hat-tip: Crikey)
That’s just brilliant
“I support what our Prime Minister has said.”
“But you don’t know what that is?”
“No, but I’m sure she’s right.”
Classic!
It’s like Yes Prime Minister but much much much more rubbish
Bill Shorten is taking off John Clarke and Bryan Dawe from ABC 7.30 report
No doubt, in true ALP fashion, he’ll agree with everything she says until the moment he slips the knife in and rolls her…
Thank Jeebus these people are running our country
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the guy who gets touted as our new PM. Enjoy!
…and?
He handled a difficult situation well.
Hey Tim, Armando Iannucci’s picked it up – “@Aiannucci: Well, this political footage is somewhat astonishing. http://t.co/lg0Bqtvm”
Mother Teresa was no less wicked than LRon. Otherwise great article.
Wrong tab, mods. That’s how much I love you.
I think its a storm in a teacup- don’t think it was that embarrassing at all
Of course if this was about Tony Abbott, the liberal politican would say ” I don’t know what Tony said, but I believe the opposite.” Julia is a God, so the sooner the fools, who don’t currently support her realise this the better for the country. Anyone Australian not intelligent enough to support Julia doesn’t deserve a vote.
@nick bannerman: I believe that is the policy in North Korea, too. Although “deserve” is replaced by “get”.
This is serious people. A Senior Australian Minister has just demonstrated a total lack of sense or judgement on the international stage, calling our entire nation into disrepute.
Even Malcolm retained his dignity, if not his trousers.
Shorten has just given the interview that will keep him from the Prime Ministership for the rest of his life. He demonstrated he was a faceless, soulless, clown – with a straight face.
I feel ashamed to be an Aussie. I wonder if he is self-aware enough to recognise what he just did.
The Liberal party will be using this interview against Shorten for the rest of his career.
I guess Shorten still shares the same view as the PM.
Hang on a minute.
We all accept the political system that essentially forces this kind of behaviour onto MP’s… whereby they forgo independent thought, and block-vote along party lines regardless of whether they believe in the policy or not.
By openly stating “I agree with the Prime Minister, even though I don’t know what she said” Shorten is doing nothing more than baldly stating the position that every Labor and Coalition MP in Australia holds.
It’s a lot like when Abbott said “you can’t believe me unless it’s in writing”… to paraphrase him “I promise all kinds of shit without intending to follow through, because that’s just politics”.
Shorten just showed us exactly how politics works in this country. Personally, I wouldn’t shoot the messenger.
(having said that, what he did was politically foolish)