Labor MP Shredded The Government By Proving How Similar Real Policies Are To ‘Betoota’ Headlines
I want to play a game.
Everyone knows our government’s policies can be a joke, but Queensland politician Anika Wells tore the Liberal National Party a new one by asking if recent policies were real… or just Betoota Advocate headlines.
The Member for Lilley addressed the House of Representatives on Thursday with a number of statements relating to young people’s economic prospects.
As it appears to be Muck Up Day in the House, fellow yooves let’s play a game: @BetootaAdvocate headline or Morrison Government policy? #auspol pic.twitter.com/QAZlBLnqzr
— Anika Wells MP (@AnikaWells) June 3, 2021
“Treasurer tells young first home buyers being crushed by an investor-driven housing market of his own making, to get a better job,” the Labor MP launched into her game with.
“Betoota!” a politician yelled back in response. But nope — former Treasurer Joe Hockey actually said that in 2015.
Amongst all the other shitfuckery that’s happening everywhere you look a special shout to all the folks,especially young people, trying to buy somewhere to live in a cooked housing market, with stagnant wages and the whole policy set up tipped against them.#auspol
— Michael Tull (@Michtull) March 23, 2021
“Government asked youth to use their retirement savings to prop up [the] hyper-inflated property market,” Wells asked next.
Bit of a trick question — while it was a Betoota headline, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg did float plans to let people dip into their superannuation early to pay for their homes. In the latest federal budget, the government announced a superannuation-style scheme to let people save for their deposit, as a trial for eventually letting first home buyers use their actual retirement savings to buy a house.
“Deputy prime minister, who earns nine grand a week, tells casual baristas, who earn 20 bucks an hour, that going a week without pay isn’t a long time,” Wells threw to her colleagues.
This of course is the words of Michael McCormack in his temporary capacity as acting prime minister, directed at Victorians in their fourth lockdown without the aid of JobKeeper this time around.
Michael McCormack, the Deputy Prime Minister and current Acting Prime Minister, really said “a week (without pay), in the scheme of things, is not a long time” if this doesn’t scream how out of touch the Australian Federal Government is, I don’t know what will
— CHANEL (@cfreezle) June 2, 2021
Wells ended her pop quiz with one of Betoota’s satirical bits against maligned Harvey Norman, and its co-founder’s resistance to give back the government funds it used to pay its employees last year, despite making a significant profit during the pandemic. “Millennials can’t afford [a] home after spending all their money bailing out Gerry Harvey,” she said.
Gerry Harvey is a thief. It's that plain. It's that simple. #Giveitback
— Kym🌻🕯️ (@KymLouiseC) June 5, 2021
As far as criticism of federal policies go, Wells’ lighthearted digs against our doomed economic future went down a treat.