On Sunday, The Sunday Telegraph published a story claiming the Turnbull government costed a budget policy which would cut pensions. Obviously it was seized upon by Labor.
Turnbull's Priorities: - A new $50 per fortnight cut to pensioners. - A $50 billion handout to big business. Hope… https://t.co/mEiScqyanv
Turnbull fired up on Twitter over the story, with not one, but four tweets.
A report today that the government is cutting the aged pension is false and we outright reject it.
He assured aged pensioners the measure would NOT be in the budget.
I can assure all aged pensioners the measure reported will NOT be in the Budget.
Then had a go at the journalist Annika Smethurst who wrote the report.
We assured the journalist too, but she insisted on writing the story.
Then finished with a dig at Bill Shorten.
And sadly, I can also assure you that you can always rely on Bill Shorten to lie.
People thought the new strategy was very familiar.
@TurnbullMalcolm Oh dear. Someone has advised Malcolm to get Trumpy with his tweets. Won't end well.
VERY familiar.
@TurnbullMalcolm Trump-like tweets!?Thought you were better than that.
It might have something to do with the fact Turnbull hired a new, more aggressive social media adviser last month.
@TurnbullMalcolm did @billshortenmp tap your phone too?... #auspol
But Sky News political journalist Samantha Maiden then posted the leaked documents online, proving the original story was correct.
PM "outright rejects" reports he's cutting the aged pension. These documents confirm the government did cost it tho… https://t.co/YUgmW7b0G7
Social services minister Christian Porter released a statement, suggesting the idea was put forward by the department but immediately rejected by the government.
"Such a proposal would not be fair to pensioners and any such measure will NOT be in the budget," Porter said.
So as Donald Trump would say...
@TurnbullMalcolm @political_alert Sad!