Aus Labor tries the rich prick attack

News.com.au reports:

MALCOLM Turnbull yesterday acknowledged he and wife Lucy had been lucky and were wealthier than most Australians who worked harder than them.

But the Prime Minister, one of the richest members of Parliament, made no apologies for his wealth: “We’ve worked hard, we’ve paid our taxes, we’ve given back.”

Mr Turnbull was responding to Labor attacks on his investments in funds based in the Cayman Islands, a tactic that has highlighted how well-off the Prime Minister has become.

He returned the attack, accusing Labor of taking Parliament down the “the avenue of the politics of envy”.

The Turnbull are estimated to be worth $200 million. Labor thinks this is a bad thing!

“I don’t believe my wealth, or frankly most people’s wealth, is entirely a function of hard work,” Mr Turnbull said.

“Of course hard work is important but, you know, there are taxi drivers that work harder than I ever have and they don’t have much money.

“There are cleaners that worked harder than I ever have or you ever have and they don’t have much money.

“This country is built upon hard work, people having a go and enterprise.

“Some of us will be more successful than others, some of us are fortunate in the turn of business, some of us are fortunate in the intellect we inherit from our parents.”

Nice way to put it.

The Guardian reports:

The prime minister said he and his wife, Lucy, had been very fortunate in their lives and had “more wealth than most Australians”, but they had sought to give back to the community and had not dodged their tax obligations.

And he invited Labor MPs who were asking pointed questions about his investments to “go round wearing a sandwich board saying, ‘Malcolm Turnbull’s got a lot of money’,” because most people already knew that to be the case.

NZ Labour spent years trying much the same, thinking most NZers did not realise Key was wealthy!

“Well, it is a very sad day that the Labor party, which could be talking today about the economy, could be asking about growth, could be proposing some new ideas on innovation or enterprise, spends most of today’s question time and most of yesterday’s question time on just another shabby smear campaign – just another wander down the avenue of the politics of envy, just another smear,” Turnbull said on Thursday.

Good quote.