Premier Roger Cook calls on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to apologise over live export joke ‘clanger’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese needs to apologise to WA farmers over a “clanger” of a joke about killing the live export industry, according to Premier Roger Cook. Outrage grew after Mr Albanese told an agricultural event that the Government had made sure the live export industry was “dead” Mr Cook said on Thursday that Mr Albanese needed to apologise and clarify his position, saying the comments “rubbed salt” into farmers’ wounds “I wasn’t quite sure what he was trying to say in relation to that but it seemed to be moving towards the issue around live animal export,” the Premier said. “The Prime Minister should take the opportunity to apologise and clarify the Commonwealth’s position. “WA farmers are wounded as a result of the Government’s decision and this could have rubbed salt into those wounds. “So I want the Prime Minister to apologise, to clarify and obviously we look forward to continuing to work with them to assist WA farmers. “We want to help our farmers as part of this transition.” Mr Cook said he had not spoken to the Prime Minister about the joke. “The Prime Minister will be hearing loud and clear from the community that joke was a clanger,” he said. “We’ve all had jokes that have fallen flat, me included, but this joke, which would particularly have touched a raw nerve in Western Australia, as farmers are coping with the Commonwealth’s decision to end live sheep export.” The furore arose after Mr Albanese addressed the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Awards at Parliament House on Tuesday night and went off-script. Near the end of his speech, he said it was his second event of the evening after dining earlier with Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto. “One of the things that we talked about was agriculture, the importance of that we have in this country of not just providing food security for us but we are the envy of the world for the natural assets that we have, for the space that we have, which is why, when we had dinner — beautiful Australian beef, not the live export, we made sure it was dead,” Mr Albanese said. In a recording of the speech given to The West Australian, a smattering of nervous laughs can be heard following the “joke” before the Prime Minister pauses. Mr Albanese then continued: “Um, but it was, and those industries are so important for that relationship with Indonesia.” A Government spokeswoman refused to be drawn on Mr Cook’s call for an apology, and reissued comment given on Wednesday. “The PM was reinforcing the importance of the Australian beef industry. Exports of beef to Indonesia hit a record high in 2022-23,” she said. “The Government fulfilled an election promise on the live sheep export ban and has offered an adjustment package. We will continue to discuss this with the industry and the WA Government.” Speaking on Perth radio on Thursday, Government minister Matt Keogh defended the Prime Minister. “He was in front of beef producers. In particular, he was talking about the dinner they’d just had, which was clearly very nice, as it would be, because good Australian beef is very nice and that’s what he was talking about,” Mr Keogh said. “There were some — I’m not saying it was the world’s best joke, but clearly people in the room thought it was funny. “I don’t think he was trying to poke that bear. I think he was trying to make a point about the dinner they’d just been served.”