Scott Morrison has downplayed the frosty exchanges he had with angry locals at a pub on Wednesday.
An elderly man confronted the Prime Minister at the Edgeworth Tavern in Lake Macquarie on the Central Coast.
In an exchange captured on video and shared widely on social media, the man demanded Mr Morrison “listen to me for a change” before asking about immigration and pension issues.
Mr Morrison said the man’s case was “complicated”.
“He was very upset about a complicated case involving iCare and immigration issues. It was also involving income definitions under the pension regimen,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday.
“He had a lot of complications with those cases.
“And my staff met with him also after I carefully and respectfully listened to what he had to say.
“I can understand that he was very upset … And I was keen to understand what he was saying to me and I believe we have.”
Mr Morrison said overall, he had otherwise received a “very welcome reception”.
The man also accosted Mr Morrison over his lack of a federal integrity commission, demanding he “better f***ing do something” and that he was “sick of your bulls**t”.
At the same pub, Mr Morrison was asked to take a selfie with a woman called Chantelle.
As Mr Morrison looked towards the camera, she told him: “Congratulations on being the worst prime minister we’ve ever had.”
Mr Morrison was asked if he was prepared to have more encounters like those on Wednesday night over the course of the election.
“We are out thexjmtzywre meeting with people and talking to people about our plans going forward,” he said.
