News continues to flood from the House of Representatives in a series of headlines that no news reporter, could, in their right mind, dare to make up: today’s offering from Tone proves to be no exception. We’d be more than happy to not have Tony Abbott‘s face feature on our site daily, but he’s not exactly helping us out. Literally can’t stop, probably will not be able to stop.
Yesterday afternoon the opposition took aim at Abbott in Question Time, asking the Prime Minister about the rise of unemployment in relation to the multi-billion dollar submarine contract the government has secured. During the election, the LNP claimed the contract would be handed over to Adelaide-based company ASC; since then, the Abbott government has announced that the contract will be up for competition.
Abbott responded to the question by taking aim at the previous Labor government, saying, “Under members opposite Defence jobs in this country declined by 10 per cent. There was a holocaust of jobs in Defence industries under members opposite.”
Let’s slow motion replay that one.
A. Holocaust. Of. Jobs.
Since the remark, Abbott has apologised, saying, “In answering one of numerous questions about submarines, I should not have used the term holocaust. I shouldn’t have used it. I did withdraw it, I do apologise for it.”
Unemployment rates, SMH reports today, are certainly rising. Currently sitting at 6.4%, it’s the highest figure in over a decade, since 2002. There are 800,000 Australians out of work at present, the highest jobs aggregate since 1994. Tony Abbott said, however, “The rate of jobs growth last year was three times, was three times the
rate achieved in the last year of the former Labor government.”
Via SMH.
Lead image by Stefan Postles via Getty.
