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An irate MP has explained how a question to the Prime Minister about flood compensation led to a free pass for all as MPs hurled insults at each other on the playground.
Speaker Milton Dick was unable to bring the unruly politicians under control on Tuesday as Question Time became one of the loudest sittings of the Federal Parliament since the new Labor government was elected.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese even brought up controversial failed Liberal candidate Katherine Deves for sledding an opponent while others berated each other like schoolchildren.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, a key participant in the fracas, later denounced Attorney General Mark Dreyfus as an inner-city snob by explaining why he joined in as the insults flew across the room.
“I stand up for my colleagues every day of the week,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“I’m not going to copy the lectures of Mark Dreyfrus, who has never had to look these voters in the eye and try to help them when they’ve lost everything.”
The drama erupted after Nationals MP Kevin Hogan asked the Prime Minister whether government payments to flood victims in his Page electorate would be taxed.
Mr Albanese gave a lengthy reply, but Mr Hogan was not pleased and harassed the Prime Minister at the end of his reply, claiming that his constituents would be ‘worse off’.
Mr. Dick told Mr. Hogan four times to stop interfering before Mr. Dreyfus yelled at him to “grow up” across the aisle.
Mr McCormack backed his colleague with a similar insult before the name-calling reached absurd depths.
“You’re a disgrace,” said Mr. Dreyfus. “No, you’re a disgrace,” Mr. McCormack bounced back – only for Mr. Dreyfus to try again with “no, you’re a disgrace.”
Former National MP Michael McCormack (center) visits flood-affected areas in Forbes, NSW, last month, along with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right)
Nationals MP Kevin Hogan speaks to residents in Lismore, NSW, in his Page electorate after they were hit by flooding for the third time this year
Mr McCormack said his colleague put a “perfectly reasonable” question to the Prime Minister after Lismore, in his Page electorate, was flooded three times this year.
“Then you have Mark Dreyfus, an inner-city type who would never have encountered the kind of stress, pressure, heartache, loss, and sense of devastation that a voter who experienced a natural disaster has, and there he yells at Kevin Hogan, who almost killed him. mocked and booed,” he said.
So I leaned up and he turned to me and said grow up. So there was an exchange where I told him to grow back up, he told me I was a disgrace, I told him he was a disgrace.
“In the meantime, I’ve been warned and that’s probably when you should shut up, but I’m not going to copy the lectures of Mark Dreyfus, who has never had to look these voters in the eye and try to help when they lose everything.” to be. , shouting at my colleague from one side of the room to the other.
“He was very out of line and I reminded him of that. What makes him the authority [this issue]?’
The devastated town center of Lismore, NSW, which has been devastated by flooding three times this year
Mr McCormack continued his indignant spray at the Attorney General, who represents southeastern Melbourne, Issacs voters, but lives in the affluent inner-city suburb of Malvern, 9km away.
“Kevin led his community as it reeled from floods like we’ve never seen before, and he will forever change the shape and heart of Lismore,” he said.
“I’m dealing with flooding right now and it’s a tough start to the day when a farmer calls you at 6am and says he needs help to move sheep to higher ground or to get a to build a dike to protect his house.
“And then you have that inner-city politician, who doesn’t even live in his electorate, telling my colleague he’s a disgrace?”
Mr McCormack praised Mr Albanese for his visit to flood-stricken Eugowra on Tuesday, and for acting as Prime Minister Richard Marles when he toured Eugowra and Forbes last week.
“They’ve shown good leadership to do that, it’s imperative they see firsthand the impact of these floods,” he said.
But Mark Dreyfrus, who probably only sees three places – his house, the airport lounge and the parliament intersection – isn’t going to yell at a regional member.
“I will stand up for my colleagues every day of the week because I know that when their community hurts, they hurt too.”
Mr McCormack praised Mr Albanese for his visit to flood-hit Eugowra on Tuesday with NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet (pictured)
The flood damaged Parallel Motors in Eugowra near Forbes in NSW mid-west as flash flooding, dam overflows and swollen rivers continue to deeply affect the area
Mr Albanese made his joke just nine minutes earlier after Liberal MP Alex Hawke asked if Australia had signed up for the climate change loss and damage fund.
“Why on earth has this government joined a new UN fund, which will channel Australian taxpayers’ money to other countries, including China?” he asked.
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen chastised Mr Hawke for popping the question, as he is the former Pacific Secretary, who would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the fund.
“It’s not surprising to get such a question from this opposition led by a man who thinks the impact of climate change on the Pacific is a joke,” he said.
Liberal MP Alex Hawke became the butt of jokes after he asked if Australia had signed up for the climate change loss and damage fund
“This opposition is not only concerned with the kind of cheap dog whistle politics. They don’t even know what was agreed.
“They don’t know what was agreed and I’m surprised to get such a question from a man who was Secretary of the Pacific. That’s the best they can do.’
Mr. Albanese thought it was funny that Mr. Hawke, now a backbencher, should ask a question relevant to the Pacific.
“That’s what they trapped you for, that was the biggest trap since Katherine Deves,” he said.
Ms Deves ran for Warringah’s seat in the last election and was defeated after her transphobic tweets emerged calling transgender children ‘mutilated’, among other controversial statements.
Mr Hawke responded by shouting something along the lines of ‘take it outside and we’ll see’ from his seat.
Katherine Deves stood for the seat of Warringah in the last election and was defeated after her transphobic tweets came to the fore calling transgender children ‘mutilated’, among other controversial statements