By Charlie Moore, Political Reporter For Daily Mail Australia
The Liberals have released a counter-advert blasting Labor’s commercial featuring Scott Morrison saying ‘that’s not my job’ three times.
The Labor TV and radio advert is considered one of the most effective pieces of the election campaign, criticizing the Prime Minister for his errors and justifications over the last three years.
But the Liberals say the clips used were taken out of context and mashed together for dramatic effect.
They are so furious about the advert they have released a counter-ad – first seen by Daily Mail Australia – explaining why they think it’s so unfair.
This advert features a clip of Mr. Morrison stating ‘that’s not my job’ during an interview on the Today show with Karl Stefanovic and Alison Langdon on August 19, 2020.
Stefanovic asked: ‘Why haven’t you personally lost patience with Dan Andrews’ and the PM replied: ‘Because that’s not my job.’
Mr. Morrison defends his statement, clarifying that it was not an excuse but rather an explanation of why he refrained from criticizing the Victoria premier amidst the significant Covid outbreak in the state.
The second clip is from a press conference in Queensland on October 11, 2020.
The Prime Minister was defending his policy allowing Aussies to access their superannuation early when he said: ‘ I’m not going to go around telling Australians how to spend their own money, that’s not my job.’
In the third clip, the Prime Minister was being interviewed by Tara Brown on 60 Minutes on March 22, 2020.
Asked if he was frightened by the pandemic, he replied: ‘It’s not my job to do that’.
Coalition campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham claimed Labor has been ‘caught out lying to the Australian public’ by falsely implying the PM was making excuses for mistakes.
The advert, released on April 21, slammed Mr Morrison for his Hawaii holiday during the 2019 bushfires and blamed him for the slow Covid vaccine rollout and rapid test shortage.
Asked if the commercial was frustrating, Mr Morrison told Ray Hadley on radio 2GB on Tuesday: ‘Well, yes.
In the third clip the Prime Minister was being interviewed by Tara Brown on 60 Minutes on March 22, 2020.
‘I mean, the three quotes they’re using. I was asked, should I be afraid of the pandemic? No, no, that isn’t my job to be afraid of the pandemic.
‘Is it, is it my job to shout down the phone at a state premier while you’re trying to manage a pandemic?
‘No, I don’t think that’s a smart idea when we’re all trying to work together and get through the pandemic.’
He added: ‘This is what Labor does, they don’t have a plan for government.’
A Labor spokesman said: ‘We make no apologies for highlighting the Prime Minister’s record because Australians know Scott Morrison has a problem with taking responsibility.
‘It’s a fact that Scott Morrison failed Australians when it came to quarantine, the vaccine rollout and ordering enough RATs.
‘Scott Morrison is more interested in spinning a story to make himself look good than taking responsibility for his failures that have cost Australians throughout this pandemic.’
Labor’s advert is remarkably similar to a TikTok video uploaded in February featuring Mr Morrison repeatedly saying ‘that’s not my job.’
