- Has competed at five Olympics
- Was unsuccessful in qualifying for Paris
- Tapped into Olympic spirit in new role as MP
An Aussie Olympic shooter now serving as a Federal MP has fired both barrels at the sitting opposition during a bizarre stunt where he awarded ‘gold medals’ to sitting members including Peter Dutton.
Australian MP Dan Repacholi may have failed in his bid to attend a sixth Olympic Games in Paris this year, the two-time Commonwealth Games gold medal winner carried his Olympic spirit into parliament on Thursday.
The first-term federal Labor MP was unable to qualify for Paris in his event, the 10-metre air pistol shooting.
He would have become only the second sitting federal politician to take part in an Olympics, an honour that to this day only falls on Col. John Gretton who won a gold medal for sailing in the 1900 Olympics in France while serving as an MP.
So instead, he took a handful of plastic gold medals to Canberra and fired shots at the LNP opposition.
‘It’s been just over a week since our record breaking Olympic team returned home from Paris with a hefty baggage bill for all the medals they won,’ he said.
‘Now speaker I fell just short of making my sixth Olympic games this year, but I brought some medals to parliament for those opposite to recognise their performances over the last few sitting weeks.
‘The first gold medal was for diving. I awarded that to the Leader of the Opposition for diving for cover when he gets asked to explain his nuclear costings.
‘The 2nd gold medal went to well-done Angus, the member for Hume, who got the gold medal for running. He’s running away from his responsibility to propose even a single cost-of-living policy. It’s a marathon effort from him
Australian MP Dan Repacholi hands out fakes gold medals to the opposition for their ‘achievements’ in recent weeks
![He handed out the honourary medals to MPs including opposition leader Peter Dutton](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/23/02/88839195-13770969-image-a-4_1724376289083.jpg)
He handed out the honourary medals to MPs including opposition leader Peter Dutton
![Repacholi competed at five Olympic Games in shooting but was unable to qualify for Paris](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/23/02/88839193-13770969-image-a-2_1724375868936.jpg)
Repacholi competed at five Olympic Games in shooting but was unable to qualify for Paris
‘Then the 3rd gold medal went to the member for Farrer, Sussan Ley. She gets a gold medal for the best backflips on tax cuts. First, she won’t support them, then she will support them and then she wants to have an election on them. Simone Biles would have some stiff competition here,’ he continued.
‘Finally, there is a new gold medal for the member for Fairfax, Ted O’Brien in the brand new sport of sheer audacity. He gets the gold medal for conveniently forgetting that his party forgot to vote against energy bill relief.’
Labor Party MP Julian Hill could be seen having a chuckling over the roasting that Repacholi gave to the LNP members, while former National Party leader Barnaby Joyce could also see the light side of the jabs.
![Former National Party leader Barnaby Joyce saw the light side of the Olympian's stunt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/23/02/88839189-13770969-image-a-3_1724375876641.jpg)
Former National Party leader Barnaby Joyce saw the light side of the Olympian’s stunt
And those watching at home found the humour in the stunt as well.
‘Dan Repacholi gets a gold medal for bagging the Opposition,’ one commented.
‘Just a bit of fun. Even the Libs enjoyed it.’ Repacholi later posted.
Not everybody had a sense of humour about the stunt, though.
‘Grow up. You are not 12 years old and dribbling on in the school yard. You are a member of parliament. Contribute something decent while you are there. A rubbish attitude,’ one follower commented.
‘Lift your game – this stuff demeans OUR parliament,’ added another.
‘People are homeless and hungry, unable to afford the very basics, unemployment rising, inflation stubbornly high, and this is how the government wastes its time. Our political system is the joke, not this embarrassing attempt at humour,’ fumed another.
Mr Dutton, Mr Taylor, Ms Ley and Mr O’Brien have been contacted for comment.
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