PM scores on laughs but not timing
MALCOLM Turnbull’s joke impression of Donald Trump was a brilliant performance but a bad call, Laurie Oakes has said while launching a fresh attack on Canberra’s “off-the-record” event.
The veteran political reporter, who published excerpts of the Prime Minister’s speech on Thursday, said Mr Turnbull would be regretting his decision to send up “the leader of our closest ally” yesterday.
“It was a very funny speech, a brilliant performance by Malcolm Turnbull, and was it well judged? I don’t think so,” Mr Oakes (pictured) told the Nine Network yesterday.
“Turnbull is right saying the speech was sending himself up but it was also sending up the leader of our closest ally and he obviously would be regretting that, I think.”
The US President has yet to respond to Mr Turnbull’s impression of him at the Parliament House press gallery’s Mid Winter Ball, but Mr Oakes said Mr Trump was unlikely to find the send up very funny.
Oakes also took to social media yesterday to clarify the audio did not come from either Bill Shorten or the Prime Minister’s own office after Finance Minister Mathias Cormann yesterday implied the Opposition Leader was behind the leak.
Senator Cormann’s allegation was “rubbish”, he said.
Mr Oakes also ruled out suggestions the material was leaked from the Prime Minister’s staff to boost his image.