Coalition MP Michelle Landry accuses Anthony Albanese of ‘bullying’ her in parliament
Michelle Landry has accused Anthony Albanese of “bullying” in parliament, saying she left the chamber distressed and “humiliated” after the prime minister answered her question in what other Coalition MPs have called an aggressive tone.
Landry said Albanese had called her afterward and said his comments were directed at the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, while Labor sources pointed out she had been laughing during parts of the prime minister’s answer.
The Speaker of the House, Milton Dick, said he did not believe Albanese had shown “disrespectful” behaviour. But the deputy Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, said the new government was not living up to its pledge to create a “gentler” parliament, in the latest criticism from the opposition over Labor’s tactics in the chamber.
“Our female MPs and senators are treated like absolute garbage all the time by the left and we’ve had enough,” Landry said.
“I have two daughters, and if I don’t stand up against this bullying in the parliament, well, they just won’t have respect for me.”
During question time on Thursday, Landry, the member for Capricornia, said Albanese had broken a “personal guarantee” regarding funding for a road project in her electorate near Rockhampton in Queensland.
Albanese began speaking about work done on the Yeppen flood plain in the area. Dutton then appeared to interject, calling the word “Yeppoon” across the chamber. Albanese responded, more loudly than before: “Yeppoon is a different place.”
Landry was seen laughing on a video feed of the parliament.
Albanese then continued mocking Dutton, before calling out “Queenslander”.
“It says it all. I know about Queensland roads,” Albanese said to Dutton.
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Video of the exchange appears to show Albanese then turning more toward Landry as he continued his answer. Landry can be seen interjecting.
“You were in government for almost a decade and you haven’t dug a hole on the project. Environmental approvals are not finished,” he said.
“We will get this project done like we got the Yeppen flood plain done, like we got roads to Yeppoon done as well.”
The prime minister’s answer was followed by loud cheering and clapping from other Labor MPs.
Following question time, Ley said Landry had left the chamber “in tears”. She asked the Labor MP Milton Dick, the Speaker of the house, to review footage of Albanese’s answer in regards to the “appropriateness” of his tone.
Ley’s office later called a press conference featuring Landry, the Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie, and a dozen other female Coalition MPs, to demand Albanese apologise in parliament.
Landry said Albanese had called her following question time to say he didn’t mean to upset her, and he had been directing his comments at Dutton.
“He was yelling at me, he was pointing at me. I said ‘I’ve been humiliated in front of the whole parliament’,” Landry said.
“He had a yell at Peter Dutton but then he was looking at me and screaming at me.”
Other Coalition MPs sitting near Landry in the chamber said they believed Albanese was directing comments toward her. Asked if Albanese had expressly apologised, Landry said she was upset during the call and could not remember his exact words.
Anne Webster, a Nationals MP, claimed Albanese’s comments were “aggressive”.
Albanese’s office was approached for comment.
In a statement to the chamber on Thursday evening, Dick said he found no case to answer.
“I have reviewed the footage and I can confirm that the prime minister was answering the question from the member for Capricornia. During the answer, the prime minister was also directly responding to interjections from the leader of the opposition [Dutton],” he said.
“I did not see the prime minister show any disrespect to the member for Capricornia. As the footage was not on the member for Capricornia for the entire response, I did not see her leave the chamber. Of the footage of the member for Capricornia that I was able to review, she appeared engaged in the response for the prime minister.”
Landry also criticised the wider Labor caucus for cheering Albanese’s comments.
“Some of those women could have said to their colleagues ‘this is not acceptable behaviour’ but they all pile in together,” she said.
Other Coalition sources referenced a July opinion piece from Patrick Gorman, the assistant minister to the prime minister, which was headlined “Albanese government will create a kinder Australia for all”.