Scott Morrison has released a social media campaign called “why I love Australia” despite not loving Australia enough to call the bloody election yet. Or to meaningfully address climate change. Or to give healthcare workers a pay rise. Or to deal with the housing crisis and ever-increasing cost of being a human being.
The PM released the video on his Twitter and it has already been convincingly ratioed. At the time of writing it had just over 1,000 likes compared to just over 2,900 replies.
In the campaign, Morrison discussed the setbacks Australia has faced over the last few years.
“You always have imperfect information,” he said.
“There’s droughts. There’s floods. There’s fire. There’s pandemic. There is now war.”
It feels like maybe three of those five things could be addressed with a comprehensive climate policy but hey, that’s just me.
Why I love Australia pic.twitter.com/acmDsLgYo4
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) April 9, 2022
Scott Morrison then credited the Liberal Government with saving 40,000 people during the pandemic.
“40,000 people are alive in Australia today because of the way we managed the pandemic,” he said.
Quite rich for Morrison to claim this without acknowledging the extraordinary efforts of and the extraordinary pressures on the healthcare system. Particularly the nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers who were on the frontlines saving those tens of thousands of lives.
I mean, obviously this is an ad campaign for the Government. But it certainly is a bold claim to make; especially without referencing the healthcare industry.
Morrison also said 700,000 jobs had been saved during the pandemic and “countless numbers of businesses” would’ve been “destroyed”.
“This is why as we go into the next election … what’s firing me up?” Morrison asked himself. He is expected to call the election on Sunday, as per the ABC.
“We’re actually in a really strong position,” he continued.
Despite that assertion the internet was less impressed with the video. People were particularly frustrated with Morrison’s claims about the pandemic.
https://twitter.com/webelator/status/1512686979292733441?s=20&t=x2Hlaxpzfp2oR83PIYnSpw
I’m sure the nurses, teachers, retail workers and countless thousands of others who got all of us through will be touched they’ve been airbrushed from their part in the pandemic by a man making it all about him. https://t.co/Z03BFBjFbr
— David Sharaz (@SharazDavid) April 9, 2022
How can the federal government claim 40,000 people are alive today because of the way ‘we’ve managed the pandemic’? What are you comparing our death rate to? Who are ‘we’ when it was the States, not the Commonwealth, managing lockdowns?
— Troy Simpson (@TroyPSimpson) April 9, 2022
Nice marketing – but what this ad lacks is any mention of the huge sacrifices of ordinary Australians over the last three years. It’s not all about you, mate.
— Sally McManus (@sallymcmanus) April 9, 2022
The best way to unite us is to have us huddle together in fear. https://t.co/u0ayq7Use6
— Shaun Micallef (@shaunmicallef) April 9, 2022
Getting roasted by king Shaun Micallef? You know you’ve truly fucked up.
I’m particularly impressed with the one person who just replied “BOOOOOOO” eleven times in a single Tweet.
And to top off the flaming, political commentator Ronni Salt wrote an entire poem in response.
Our Country
I loathe a Scott-burnt country,
A land devoid of brains,
Of lying, rorting bastards
Ignoring drought & flooding rainsThere are no far horizons,
Just your empty, inward pleas
But soon our own good people
Will set this wide brown land free— RonniSalt (@RonniSalt) April 9, 2022
A number of people also used the hashtag #CallTheElectionDickhead. Not a resounding win for Scotty from Marketing then.
