Prime Minister Scott Morrison accidentally knocked over a child during a football match while campaigning.
Morrison visited the Devonport Strikers football club, which is in the Tasmanian electorate of Braddon, on Wednesday.
Just a few days ago, the Prime Minister frankly admitted that he is “a bit of a bulldozer”.
Although he argued this has been an important trait in recent years for a political leader, especially with global factors, from the rise of China to the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting Australia so strongly.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison accidentally runs over a child during a visit to the Devonport Strikers football club, in the electorate of Braddon, on May 18, 2022.
The Prime Minister was touring the Devonport Strikers football ground as he pledged $3.5 million for a new stand along with improvements to the pitch and lighting.
He was able to see the funny side after the confrontation and told the parents that maybe he could help with the construction work.
“I think when that grandstand collapses, I heard it might need an excavator to take it down, so I might be able to help with that,” he said.
The on-field collision echoes the attack on a young player’s shoulder by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2015 during a touch rugby match.
The then mayor of London had taken to the field, also in formal shoes and a tie, for an impromptu match while in Japan for a business visit and later posed for photographs with the uninjured boy.
Former 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame said she hoped the young man who received the accidental entry was not affected.
“As much as I like to take the mickey out of politicians, I can’t help but feel sorry for the young man who was just knocked to the ground,” he said.
“While his image is reappropriated for jokes and images of his downfall are replayed across the country, he’s probably too young to fully understand it all.”
“I hope he is doing well and has lots of love and support around him.”
On Wednesday night, ABC journalist Patricia Karvelas retweeted a post from the prime minister, who told his followers that “young Luca was a good athlete” and that the young man was in “good shape” after speaking with his mother. Ali about his well-being.
Morrison recently vowed to change his “bulldozer” methods and improve his ability to “listen to Australians”, adding that he has what it takes to continue leading the nation beyond Saturday’s election.
The prime minister called his 2019 election victory a miracle, but opinion polls suggest he will need a second miracle to remain in power.
Three years ago he attributed the narrow victory to “calm Australians” backing the Liberal-National coalition’s economic and national security record.
The young footballer appeared to be a fan of football star Cristiano Ronaldo wearing a replica of his shirt (pictured).
But some of those calm Australians have become cranky Australians.
Interest rates are rising for the first time in almost 12 years, inflation is at a record 5.1 percent and wages are not keeping up.
While political leaders talk about cutting energy bills and making housing more affordable, that’s not the real-world experience of grumpy Australians in the fringe seats of the outer suburbs.
In the pre-election budget and throughout the election campaign, Morrison has tried to sweep those in the “grumpy” category back into the “quiet” column with promises of cheaper fuel, cash payments and cuts to the tax rate. rent.
But if polls are to be believed, it appears the marketing skills of the former Tourism Australia chief, who was behind the controversial “Where the hell are you?” campaign – have not been enough to stop the exodus of coalition support to the Labor Party.
The boy appeared to ignore the crash, although it took Morrison a little longer to get to his feet (pictured).
One week before election day, this 54-year-old father of two children considered it necessary to define himself as a “bulldozer.” His approach, which he describes, would already be known to most voters.
Having had a successful period as state director of the New South Wales Liberal Party, he was elected in 2007 to the New South Wales seat of Cook.
After the defeat of the Labor government in 2013, he rose to prominence by leading Operation Sovereign Borders as then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s Immigration Minister.
During a nine-month stint as Social Services Minister, Morrison was forced to sell the Abbott government’s deeply unpopular 2014 budget, which was laced with a cocktail of deep welfare cuts.
However, he was more pragmatic in the role of treasurer, backtracking on a number of unpopular government policies, including an increase in Medicare taxes, changes to retirement pensions and tax cuts for big businesses.
The Prime Minister took to the field in his formal shoes and tie to kick the soccer ball impromptu (pictured after the trip)
Labor has profited greatly from public perceptions of Mr Morrison’s tendency to say one thing and do another.
Even members of his own team have questioned his integrity, with outgoing NSW Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells describing him during a parliamentary debate as “unfit for office”.
The Prime Minister spent much of the last term dealing with the consequences of Covid-19.
When Melbourne’s first coronavirus case was confirmed in January 2020, it was already mired in disaster, dealing with criticism over its handling of a bushfire season response that became the subject of a royal commission.
In September 2020, the economic impact of the pandemic became clear as Australia entered recession for the first time in almost 30 years. But it has since recovered thanks to billions of dollars in government support.
Both Mr Morrison and the boy were uninjured and high-fived after the accidental collision (pictured).
Looking ahead to 2021, Morrison’s shares began to fall and he reshuffled his cabinet focusing on women’s safety and economic security, seen as a weak point of his government and a counterattack to media attention on evil. treatment of women in politics.
His foreign policy credentials took a hit when he announced he was abandoning a $90 billion contract with France to build submarines and would instead partner with the United States and the United Kingdom for nuclear-powered vessels.
And there was a further blow when the Solomon Islands announced a security agreement with China, and the Labor Party accused the prime minister of taking his eye off the region.
Time will tell if voters have put the brakes on the bulldozer.