Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed Karl Stefanovic after the Today show host accused him of ‘waffling’ in response to a question about his government.
In a heated interview on Thursday, Mr Turnbull was asked whether he was losing control of his leadership amid the citizenship crisis engulfing federal parliament.
Mr Turnbull responded by rattling off a list of his government’s achievements, before boasting about company tax cuts and the influx of jobs across the nation.
‘PM, with the greatest respect, you are waffling,’ Stefanovic interjected, accusing Mr Turnbull of being ‘patronising’.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has slammed Karl Stefanovic after the Today show host accused him of ‘waffling’
‘Karl, you have got a job. If you are looking for a job and you need a job and you have got one because of the strong economic leadership we provided, you may think it is waffling,’ Mr Turnbull shot back, pointing his finger at Karl.
‘But if you have been unemployed and you are getting a chance to get ahead, you would say you are being very patronising saying young people getting jobs is waffle.’
Stefanovic applauded Mr Turnbull’s enthusiasm, saying:’This is the real you! This is what we want!’
‘And Karl, is it the real you to patronise people who are out of work and are getting a chance to get ahead?’ Mr Turnbull asked.
Mr Turnbull accused Stefanovic of being ‘patronising’ after he interrupted his response to a question about the state of his government
‘Look at all the big issues we have dealt with recently. The same-sex marriage issue, the postal survey. Total support. It has gone out there,’ he continued.
‘The national energy guarantee has overwhelming support in our party. It is out there … that is the practical political economic leadership that Australians want and that’s what I’m delivering.
‘Now, we have this issue with citizenship. We will resolve it. That’s my commitment.
‘But the issue for Australia is, can I get a job? Can my kids get a job? Will my business get ahead? Can I start a business if I can afford to pay the power bills? Will the lights stay on when I do pay the power bills?
‘Those are the big questions and that’s what I’m providing the answers to.’
Last week, Liberal backbencher Kevin Andrews stoked a flurry of leadership speculation after describing the prime minister as being the leader ‘at the moment’.
The conservative MP, who is among the most vocal backers of a citizenship audit of all members of parliament, said there was a ‘deep sense of frustration in the community as what people see as inadequate leadership at the present time’.
Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff Peta Credlin has since described Mr Turnbull as ‘a prime minister on life support’, with the citizenship scandal ‘cutting in and out on the ventilator’, while former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has accused the prime minister of being ‘bereft of leadership’.
Stefanovic applauded Mr Turnbull’s enthusiasm, saying:’This is the real you! This is what we want!’