Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for taking part in the 45th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.
Joyce appeared on ABC Radio National’s Breakfast program on Monday morning where he told host Patricia Karvelas the PM should be focusing on solving the national’s problems.
This year Sydney is hosting WorldPride, as well as its usual Mardi Gras celebrations bringing a huge influx of tourists to the city. Albanese has announced he will march in the parade, making his the first sitting Prime Minister to do so.
“He went to Alice Springs for four hours, and I think that deserves a little more time than four hours. He spent more time at the tennis, he probably spent more time at the Woodford Folk Festival. This is another issue where he lauds it, he tells us it’s a great thing to go to.
“He’s going to be the first Prime Minister to march in it, and good luck to him, but how do you think that makes the people of Tennant Creek, of Alice Springs, of Garbutt in Townsville, who are dealing with the law-and-order issues, how do you reckon it is going to make them feel when they only get four hours of his time.” Joyce said.
When Karvelas suggested that there was a difference between the Australian Open tennis finals and the commemoration of a historic event that focused on people’s rights being abused, Joyce said the people experience abuse of their rights today were residents in Alice Springs.
“The people in Alice Springs, a lot of people there believe their rights are being abused, and they are.” Joyce said.
Joyce denied that he’d put on an effeminate voice when heckling the Prime Minister in parliament about his Mardi Gras visit last week. Joyce denied he asked the Prime Minister what he would be wearing at Mardi Gras.
OIP Staff, image has been digitally created.
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