Scott Morrison says his run-in with an angry gatecrasher at a private function was “the equivalent of a pitch invasion by a Labor apparatchik”.
Adisen Wright, who identifies himself on soxjmtzywcial media as a “progressive activist” and a Young Labor member, accosted the Prime Minister at a rowing club in Penrith on Tuesday night.
Mr Wright snuck into the event and filmed himself trying to ask Mr Morrison a question before shouting “You’re a disgrace” when he could not.
He then posted the video on social media, where it was shared widely.
Speaking to reporters at a Geelong oil refinery on Wednesday, Mr Morrison turned the confrontation into an opportunity to attack Anthony Albanese and Labor.
“The Labor Party have effectively apologised for what we saw last night. It was the equivalent of a pitch invasion by a Labor apparatchik,” he said.
A reporter asked Mr Morrison if he was concerned for his safety and if he thought he might lose the election, having been heckled on three separate occasions in the past week by angry punters.
Mr Morrison was at pains to distinguish the rowing club incident from his confrontation with disability pensioner Ray Drury, 73, in a Newcastle pub last week.
“I listened very carefully to Ray, patiently and respectfully, and listened to the challenges that he was facing in his own life,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Drury angrily confronted Mr Morrison at the Edgeworth Tavern in front of reporters and TV camera crews, later saying he took the opportunity after being “ignored by everyone” regarding his concerns his pension was being unfairly cut.
Mr Morrison on Wednesday was unable to resist taking a dig at Labor, saying Mr Drury had been dealing with a “very complex set of issues” that went back to when he first wrote to Tanya Plibersek when she was the minister responsible.
He said the Opposition Leader had “set the tone” for Tuesday night’s incident with Mr Wright by spending the past three years saying it was “okay to sledge and attack”.
“I am not referring to Ray. Ray was a separate case, but as Shane Warne told his kids, manners cost nothing,” Mr Morrison said.
Mr Albanese had already condemned Mr Wright’s actions as inappropriate when talking to reporters earlier on Wednesday.
“I’ve seen footage of it and I think that gentleman – I don’t know who he was – his actions were entirely inappropriate. We need to have civil discourse,” Mr Albanese said.
He added: “there are security concerns … when people jump in circumstances whereby you don’t know where they are from” and noted he had “substantial security at the moment and there’s a reason for that”.
