Hecklers make Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to Longman a trip he probably wishes he skipped
Retired public servant Toni Lea gives the PM and LNP candidate Trevor Ruthenberg a hard time in Longman. Photo: AAP/Darren England
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and LNP Longman candidate Trevor “Big Trev” Ruthenberg have felt the heat while campaigning in the Queensland seat of Longman after being confronted by voters at a hotel at Sandstone Point.
The voters fired up at the Prime Minister over penalty rate cuts and the ABC, a day before residents head to the polls for the Super Saturday by-elections.
One woman then turned on Mr Ruthenberg for wrongly claiming he earned a prestigious defence service medal.
Mr Turnbull arrived at Sandstone Point Hotel to speak to patrons eating and drinking, when he was challenged about the cuts by local Toni Lea.
“I’ve got a daughter who’s a student, she goes to work [in a cafe] and gets penalty rates to pay her rent and buy her food and go to university,” Ms Lea said.
“You cut penalty rates and she can’t do that.
“There are also women that are out there working to get these penalty rates so that they can pay for their kids’ food. Penalty rates are a thing that help people, you don’t cut them and it does not create jobs. Sorry Malcolm, but I disagree.”
Watch the heated exchange
The conversation became heated, with more voters joining in, after Mr Turnbull said the cuts to hospitality, retail and fast-food workers were the result of a ruling by the Fair Work Commission.
Ms Lea then turned on Liberal National Party candidate Mr Ruthenberg.
“You sir, tell me what member of the defence department knows what medals they have and don’t have?” she said.
“You had a medal you didn’t deserve and you wore the damn thing.”
Mr Ruthenberg denied he wore the prestigious defence service medal when Ms Lea cut him off, claiming “bullshit”.
A voter then called out the Prime Minister over talks to sell the ABC.
“You remember the Parliamentary friends of the ABC? And you’re now going to sell it,” the man said.
Mr Turnbull promised the ABC would be publicly owned “forever”.
Longman covers much of the Moreton Bay Region, including the former Caboolture Shire and some of the former Pine Rivers.
The by-election is one of five being held nationally tomorrow, Saturday July 28, after the dual citizenship fiasco saw MPs ruled out from legitimately sitting in Parliament.
