THE HON ANDREW HASTIE MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR DEFENCE

MEDIA RELEASE

THURSDAY 18 AUGUST 2022

PM OR DJ? ALBANESE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE’S DOING

Today on FM radio Prime Minister Anthony Albanese twice made the extraordinary admission that he does not know what he will be doing on the 11th of November.

HOST: No, we’ve already picked it. We’re not into Sydney. So it's going to be in Brisbane, the 11th of November.

FATMAN SCOOP: It has to be in Brissy?

HOST: That’s my man.

FATMAN SCOOP: All you got to do is put on a cool shirt, take a shower, bring your laptop. I'm gonna show you exactly what to do.

PRIME MINISTER: That sounds pretty good. I don't know what I'm doing on the 11th of November.

[…]

PRIME MINISTER: It’ll be cool.

HOST: Yes?

PRIME MINISTER: If I can, I don't know what I'm doing on 11 November.

At 11 am on the 11th of November—as we do every year—Australians will be honouring and commemorating our veterans and those who have given their lives in defence of our country.

It would be unbecoming and disrespectful for the Prime Minister to skip the Remembrance Day Service at the Australian War Memorial to party with a celebrity at a dance concert in Brisbane.

I call on Prime Minister Albanese to apologise to our veterans for his careless and insensitive comments – which he made on Vietnam Veterans’ Day – and I urge him to attend the Remembrance Day Service at the Australian War Memorial to honour our fallen.

In political life, our public statements reveal our priorities. The Prime Minister has made it clear he cares more about partying with celebrities than honouring our veterans.

Today, on Vietnam Veterans’ Day he also failed to mention our Vietnam Veterans in any of his media appearances.

On top of the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that he doesn’t know what he is doing on the 11th of November, he also boasted in the same interview that “the Air Force fly us around”, and jokingly offered the FM radio hosts a “lift”.

His comments show the Australian public that he is ignorant of our national traditions and customs, and flippant about the RAAF aircrews who protect our airspace.

Prime Minister, get your priorities straight and show some respect to our veterans. You can start by apologising to our Vietnam Veterans, and committing to honouring Remembrance Day.

[ENDS]