A new TV spot from the Labor Party has come under fire for asking business owners to “employ Australians first” while showcasing a remarkably white contingent of representative workers.
The piece, which was highlighted by Nine News last night, shows Labor leader Bill Shorten espousing his party’s emphasis on hiring local talent, before focusing on the very, very white group of “employees.”
Aside from casually resembling a commercial for a superannuation fund, critics have lambasted the ad for implying that “Australian” directly correlates with ‘white’, with some saying the ad’s casting is an indicator of outright racism.
You’re a disgrace, @billshortenmp. You should apologise and resign for this racist bullshit. Disgusting. pic.twitter.com/C039WpyWtT
— Shane Bazzi (@shanebazzi) May 7, 2017
Getting a pretty clear message from this on how you feel about me and my fellow migrants, @billshortenmp + @AustralianLabor pic.twitter.com/8fEQffHsAB
— Ketan Joshi (@KetanJ0) May 7, 2017
WTF is this White Australia bullshit doing here in 2017?
What a huge own goal for @billshortenmp and @AustralianLabor https://t.co/JxPyimSdvI— Josh Melican (@jmmelican) May 7, 2017
Good to know how you really feel about us, @AustralianLabor @billshortenmp. With “friends” like you, who needs PHON pic.twitter.com/7XTM9GMO2x
— Upulie Divisekera (@upulie) May 7, 2017
How to be the opposition while being the same.
What an abhorrent way to try to appeal to the worst. pic.twitter.com/qjzx6IDvZy— natalie tran (@natalietran) May 7, 2017
@billshortenmp Don’t go the Trump way of populist policy,get rid of this ad,we’re a successful multicultural country, migrants built country https://t.co/Kdr5VA4XJ3
— Roz (@myofoz) May 7, 2017
HERES TOMORROWS NEWS pic.twitter.com/xwKhexbPzZ
— RUMOKO (@RUMOKO) May 7, 2017
Source: Nine News.
Photo: @KetanJ0 / Twitter.
