Notable Australian Political Public and Social Media Incidents

This article details several notable public and social media incidents involving Australian politicians.

Angus Taylor

In 2019, Angus Taylor MP commented "Fantastic. Well done. Great move Angus." on one of his own social media posts.

"Fantastic. Well done. Great move Angus."

Although the comment was removed, the phrase subsequently became associated with Mr. Taylor.

Bob Katter

During discussions prior to the 2017 plebiscite on same-sex marriage, Bob Katter made a specific claim.

"Because in the meantime, every three months a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in north Queensland."

This claim was later found to be incorrect by an ABC fact-checking unit. Katter later described his public speaking style as sometimes becoming "garbled" due to an abundance of information.

Pauline Hanson

In 1997, a video featuring Pauline Hanson, then an independent member for Oxley, emerged where she stated:

"Fellow Australians, if you are seeing me now, it means I have been murdered."

Hanson had claimed to receive death threats following her controversial 1996 maiden speech. Fellow One Nation founder David Oldfield released the video, characterizing it as a publicity stunt. Hanson later stated Oldfield had betrayed her by releasing it.

Julia Gillard's Misogyny Speech

In 2012, then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered a speech in response to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, stating:

"I will not be lectured on misogyny by this man."

This speech followed repeated instances of misogyny and sexism directed towards her and became widely circulated and recognized.

Craig Emerson's 'Whyalla Wipe-out' Song

In July 2012, then-Labor trade minister Craig Emerson sang a modified version of the song "Horror Movie" by Skyhooks during an ABC interview.

"No Whyalla wipe-out there on my TV,"

He sang this in response to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's comments that the city of Whyalla would be negatively impacted by Labor's carbon tax.

Scott Morrison's Hawaii Holiday

During the 2019 Australian bushfire season, former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison took a family holiday to Hawaii without public announcement.

Following the deaths of two volunteer firefighters, Morrison stated from Hawaii, "I don't hold a hose, mate, and I don't sit in a control room," indicating his intention to return to Australia.

Kevin Rudd's Leaked Video

A leaked video showed former prime minister Kevin Rudd, while serving as foreign minister, expressing frustration during an attempt to record a video message in Mandarin.

Tony Abbott's Raw Onion Incident

In 2015, Tony Abbott was observed biting into an unpeeled raw onion in Tasmania. This incident became a notable public moment and was referenced online when he announced his departure from politics.

Bill Shorten and the Democracy Sausage

During the 2016 federal election, Labor leader Bill Shorten was observed taking his first bite from a "democracy sausage" (a barbecued sausage in bread served at polling places) from the middle. This unconventional eating method generated numerous online comments and contributed to "democracy sausage" being named Australia's word of 2016.