‘Old boofhead’: Albo fires up

The opposition picked up where it left off on Monday, attacking the government over the rising cost of living.

Mr Albanese clashed with Mr Dutton for kicking off proceedings by asking about Labor’s promise to slash power prices by $275.

“He was supposed to be nice Peter,” he told question time.

“But he can’t survive till five past two without resorting to the old Boofhead.”

The opposition claims the government broke an election promise by not yet acting on the price cut pledge, despite the proposal’s 2025 deadline.

The PM’s zinger didn’t scare Mr Dutton into silence, with the Opposition Leader slinging insults back at Mr Albanese (“show us your glass jaw. Stop crying”) as Labor backbenchers cried out for the opposition leader to “smile”.

Mr Albanese has a long history of referring to Mr Dutton as a “boofhead”.

As opposition leader in 2021, a video of Mr Albanese telling the then-defence minister to “sit down boofhead” sparked memes, with some going as far to print the moment on T-shirts.

The government used the hour to spruik the next phase of the AUKUS deal and to hit out at the Greens for continuing to withhold its vote on the safeguards mechanism.

Mr Albanese wasn’t the only MP making wisecracks as if they were headlining the Canberra comedy festival – which coincidentally overlaps this parliamentary sitting fortnight.

Before question time even began, Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton joked Lara Bingle had been recruited to ask Peter Dutton “where the bloody hell are you”, referring to his absence from Sydney amid the NSW election campaign.

Later on, Deputy liberal Leader Sussan Ley, potentially trying to recreate a moment on the election campaign where Mr Albanese was unable to recall the cash rate, threw the Prime Minister a curveball.

“Can the Prime Minister advise the house of the following: what the interest rate was 10 months ago, compared to today, how much the average household electricity bill was 10 months ago, compared to today. And, what the rate of inflation was, 10 months ago, compared to today,” she asked.

“I almost feel like channelling the Member for Melbourne at this point in time,” Mr Albanese jeered, referring to Adam Bandt’s now infamous “Google it mate” slapdown.

“Because, the childishness of those opposite just show day after day their incapacity to be a genuine alternative government for the country.

“Because, the fact is, the fact is – that inflation is a global phenomenon, that has led to an increase in costs.”

Ms Ley, unhappy the Prime Minister was dancing around providing the figures, was quick to raise a point of order.

“I know numbers aren’t the Prime Minister’s strong suit,” she started before her mic was cut off.

Speaker Milton Dick swiftly punted her for the stunt, which he ruled was an “abuse of standing orders in a most grievous way”.

Ms Ley wasn’t the only MP kicked out on Tuesday. An interjection from colleague Michael Sukkar also put him in the sin bin.

Later, manager of opposition business Paul Fletcher was in the firing line after he requested the Speaker ask Mr Albanese to stop calling the Coalition the “no-alition”.

“The waa-mbulance raced up there,” Mr Albanese sneered back, to a big response from the backbenches.

But the joke really is on the taxpayer, who ultimately funds this hour of power.