Scott Morrison has claimed most families have three types of milk in the fridge after coming under fire for not knowing the cost of everyday items.
One of his closest allies suggested the Prime Minister’s wife Jenny would have been better placed to answer questions about the price of bread and mil
It comes after a bruising appearance at the National Press Club on Tuesday when the Prime Minister was unable to list how much essential groceries – such as bread, petrol and RATs – cost.
But cabinet colleague and close friend Stuart Robert insists if Scott Morrison’s wife Jenny had been with him, she would have been able to “rattle off” the answer.
“From the Prime Minister‘s point of view, if he’d sat there and Jen was with him, she’d be able to rattle off all the prices of all the things they buy,” Mr Robert told ABC RN.
“I'm sure they have that conversation, often as all families do. My wife and I certainly do.”
He also claimed Mr Morrison had not lost touch with voters because he travels a lot.
“The Prime Minister is well and truly in touch because he travels regularly. And that's the beauty of getting out and about,” he said.
But his defence of the Prime Minister has fallen flat, with the opposition ridiculing the Employment Minister as a “goose”.
“The prize goose thinks buying this stuff is ladies work,” Labor frontbencher Stephen Jones said.
Other Twitter users questioned if the line would have been better placed in the satire news site the Betoota Advocate.
Former prime minister John Howard, who Mr Morrison considers a mentor, used to be asked the same question.
Mr Howard would carry with him a piece of paper that outlined the running costs of bread, milk and other household staplesxjmtzyw.
At the moment, a loaf of bread costs about $4, a litre of non-premium fuel costs about $1.80, and a rapid antigen test costs about $17.
On Breakfast Television this morning, Mr Morrison sought to address the criticism that followed his headland speech.
“It was a pretty robust and torrid time at the Press Club. And I must admit I didn’t hear the (part of the) question about RATs,” he told Sunrise.
“(RATs) about $15 to $20.
“For the record, it depends which type of bread. I mean, how many different types of bread have people got at their homes these days? Milk? I mean, not all kinds of milk come from a cow anymore.
“It’s one of those things they do at the Press Club to make a bit of a headline.”
