Anthony Albanese is sensationally accused of making a female Liberal MP CRY by ‘bullying’ her in Parliament after he ridiculed Peter Dutton for a geography gaffe
- Liberal MP for Capricornia Michelle Landry left parliament in tears on Thursday
- Anthony Albanese mocked Peter Dutton over a gaffe during her question
- Deputy Leader Sussan Ley said Ms Landry was distressed and asked for a review
- Ms Landry along with 10 other female Coalition MPs blasted the PM afterwards
Anthony Albanese has made a female MP leave parliament in tears after he mocked Peter Dutton for a geography gaffe during her question.
Michelle Landry, the Nationals MP for Capricornia in central Queensland, accused the prime minister of bullying her during the fiery exchange in Question Time.
Standing alongside deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley and nine other female Coalition MPs at a press conference minutes later, she demanded Mr Albanese apologise.
‘I really do not appreciate being spoken to and screamed at by the prime minister, as I was today,’ she said.
‘I feel that I’ve been humiliated by him and the Labor Party.’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during House of Representatives Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday
The drama began when Ms Landry rose in Question Time on Thursday to accuse the prime minister of breaking a promise.
She said the Budget delated $800 million of Commonwealth funding to construct the Rockhampton Ring Road by at least two years.
Mr Albanese’s answer made reference to funding the Bruce Highway through the Yeppen Floodplain, south of Rockhampton.
Mr Dutton – also from Queensland – interjected about the town of Yeppoon, more than 50km away on the coast.
The PM seized upon this geographic error to mock the opposition leader for not knowing his own state well enough.
Liberal National member for Capricornia Michelle Landry (pictured) left parliament in tears on Thursday
‘Yeppoon is a different place! And you might want to ask the Member for Capricornia, because Yeppoon is on the coast, north of Rockhampton and Rockhampton is to the south,’ he excitedly exclaimed.
‘Yeppen Floodplain is to the south, it’s the southern entry of the Bruce Highway into Rockhampton!’
Mr Albanese got a rousing cheer from the Labor Party benches and twice shook his fist towards Mr Dutton shouting ‘Queenslander!’
‘Says it all!’ he added, dismissively.
The PM then explained the history of the road project and with a consistently raised voice blasted the opposition for not getting it down while in government.
‘We will get this project done, like we got the Yeppen Floodplain done, like we, by the way, got roads to Yeppoon done as well,’ he said.
The increasingly rowdy Labor benches responded to the PM’s boisterous display by cheering, clapping, and banging the tables.
Mr Anthony yells “Queenslander” during Question Time after mocking Peter Dutton
Mr Albanese at the same time made a dismissive swishing motion with his hands towards the Coalition benches as they rose in uproar.
The episode seemed like a good bit of parliamentary theatrics at Mr Dutton’s expense until the end of Question Time when deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley raised a point of order.
Ms Ley complained about Mr Albanese’s ‘tone’ during his very shouty answer and said Ms Landry had left the chamber in tears and was ‘distressed’.
She asked Speaker Milton Dick to address it, who said he would review the video and get back to her.
Ms Landry, Ms Ley, and several other female Coalition MPs held a press conference after Question Time ended, accusing Mr Albanese of ‘bullying’ her.
More to come.