Under fire for Tourette jibe, Albanese apologises
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The news: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologised after being heavily criticised for sarcastically asking Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor if he has Tourette syndrome.
During a heated Question Time, opposition treasury spokesman Angus Taylor pressed Albanese to rule out tax and negative gearing changes in his housing policy reforms.
As Taylor and opposition leader Peter Dutton repeatedly interjected, a frustrated Albanese sarcastically said: “This nonsense that they carry on with ... Have you got Tourette’s or something? You know you just sit there, babble, babble, babble.”
The context: Albanese swiftly withdrew the remark and issued multiple apologies, calling his comments “unkind and hurtful.”
Disability advocates, including the president of the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia, Mandy Maysey, expressed outrage, calling the comments disappointing and arguing they had the potential to fuel the ongoing stigma faced by those with the condition.
Opposition figures also condemned the prime minister’s words, including shadow health minister Anne Ruston and Greens senator Jordon Steele-John, who lives with cerebral palsy and labelled the comments ableist.
What they said: Facing an immediate lashing for the comments on Question Time, the prime minister withdrew the comment saying, “I withdraw. I withdraw. I withdraw and apologise.”
Later in the evening, before an almost empty chamber, he elaborated on his apology. “Today, in Question Time, I made comments that were unkind and hurtful. I knew it was wrong as soon as I made the comment. I apologised and I withdrew as soon as I said it,” he said.
“But it shouldn't have happened. And I also want to apologise to all Australians who suffer from this disability. I regret saying it. It was wrong, it was insensitive, and I apologise.”
The sources: The Sydney Morning Herald, Anthony Albanese statement
