Politics

Labor’s anger over Turnbull’s ‘disgraceful’ over-60s job comment

Jun 20, 2018

Labor is calling for prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to apologise for comments he made in parliament earlier this week. Source: Getty

The Labor party is still upset a day after prime minister made some questionable comments about over-60s during Parliament on Tuesday.

As you may recall, Turnbull seemingly suggested people over the age of 60 needed to get better paid jobs if they wanted better tax breaks. The comments came during question time where Turnbull and Opposition leader Bill Shorten butted heads over the government’s proposed $144 billion personal income tax plan.

The Labor party decided to pass on the final two stages of the plan, leading Turnbull to say: “The 60-year-old aged-care worker in Burnie is entitled to aspire to get a better job.”

He also said workers were “entitled to get a promotion, and earn more” if they wanted to take advantage of the all the tax system has to offer. Shorten took to social media shortly after question time to express his disgust in the PM’s comments.

"Get a better job". This Prime Minister's message to working and middle class people. Disgraceful. #auspol pic.twitter.com/xMwQbcukvF

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) June 19, 2018

“’Get a better job’. This Prime Minister’s message to working and middle class people. Disgraceful,” Shorten tweeted. “The 60-year-old aged care worker in Burnie shouldn’t have to ‘get a better job’ to get a better tax cut, or a modicum of respect, from this prime minister.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Canberra, Labor frontbencher Julie Collins said she hoped Turnbull realised how out of line his comments were.

“I hope he’s had time to reflect on his comments and realises just how out of touch and arrogant his comments were,” Nine News reports Collins saying. “To say or imply aged-care workers in Australia do not make as valuable a contribution to society as an investment banker is outrageous.”

Her comments mirrored those she expressed on Twitter earlier.

“The Prime Minister’s comment in question time was elitist and disgraceful – it shows just how out-of-touch and arrogant he is,” she tweeted. “There are more than 360,000 Australians employed in the aged care sector and the Prime Minister’s comment is an insult to every one of these hard workers.”

She also made it very clear that Labor doesn’t share the same views as Turnbull.

Labor believes Australia’s aged care workforce is world-class and values the incredible work they do. Workers in aged care don’t need to aspire to get a ‘better job’, they need a Government that treats them with respect. 4/4

— Julie Collins (@JulieCollinsMP) June 19, 2018

“Labor believes Australia’s aged care workforce is world-class and values the incredible work they do.” She continued. “Workers in aged care don’t need to aspire to get a ‘better job’, they need a Government that treats them with respect.”

Collins also said Turnbull should apologise to Australia’s aged care workers.

Turnbull later spoke of his comments during question time on Wednesday.

“Our job, we believe, is the government’s role is to enable Australians to do their best,” he said during a passionate speech, before throwing insults at Shorten.

“You’ve just heard from this slimy, insinuating, patronising leader of the opposition that they believe that 60-year-old workers should stay in their place. That’s what you believe,” he continued.

“You don’t believe 60 is the new 40, you believe 60 is frozen in time. It’s very significant. They refer to a 60-year-old, because the insinuation there was, ‘That’s it. You can’t do anything else. You can’t earn anything more’. Well let me tell you, I’ve been 60 and I know. I’m over 60. 60 year olds have got plenty of energy, plenty of ambition and there’s a lot of them and they’re going to come after you at the next election.”

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s question time turned into a sledging match between the two leaders, with both hurling insults at each other as they disagreed.

Meanwhile, Shorten also elaborated in earlier comments he made.

“Mr Turnbull showed his true colours yesterday, and it wasn’t pretty,” he said. “He defines success and aspiration by how much money you make. I have different values. I have a different vision for Australia.”

Mr Turnbull showed his true colours yesterday, and it wasn't pretty. He defines success and aspiration by how much money you make.

I have different values. I have a different vision for Australia. pic.twitter.com/4fJvmg9tou

— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) June 20, 2018

The spat came a day after the latest Newspoll showed support for Turnbull as the country’s prime minister was at an all-time high.

While Turnbull came out on top as the preferred national leader, his government is still trailing behind Labor, with Monday’s results bringing the total to 34 consecutive losing Newspolls for the Coalition under Turnbull’s leadership.