Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Who put the red cordial in the PM's Grange? That is the question that is on everyone's lips today after that extraordinary, strange rant that we had yesterday—what will forever be known as Prime Minister Turnbull's 'know your place' speech. That is what we got yesterday, and we got it in response to questions about cuts to families. We got it about questions about cuts to young people. We got it about challenges to the fairness of a $50 billion tax cut for big business and tax cuts for big banking.

I can understand that he is under a bit of pressure—I mean, it was a tough summer. First, he tried Trump-lite: 'I'm not a politician.' Then he took his business credentials out for a run. And then there was the 'Trumble' moment, and there was our PM, his dignity dented. The pressure was on. Worse, this week he had to come back to the people's house, and he had to take impertinent questions from the plebs on this side of the chamber: questions about why he wants to cut $30 billion from schools; questions about the Centrelink debacle. I understand the pressure he is under; those opposite clearly do not. They have put pressure on our Prime Minister, and he has lost his centre. Prime Minister, please, dig deep.

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