Nationals leader Matt Canavan rages at $6 Tim Tams, ignores One Nation
Matt Canavan used a major speech to attack a $6 pack of Tim Tams – but stayed silent on the One Nation threat polls say conservatives cannot ignore.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan spent more time on TimTams than a surging One Nation in a major address to the party faithful on Saturday.
The senator name-dropped the chocolate-coated Aussie favourite a whopping seven times during a call to arms speech as he addressed at the Queensland LNP state conference, bemoaning the $6 price tag they carry in some shops.
But he did not make a single mention of Pauline Hanson’s party – despite recent polls showing the mounting threat it poses to conservative rivals.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Instead, Senator Canavan leveled all of his broadsides towards at the governing Labor Party and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – as well as at the price of the confectionary treats.
“I thought it would be a good to bring you a small gift to show my appreciation, so I went and bought a pack of TimTams yesterday for you all,” he said.
“My thanks to you all, you know, a pack of TimTams for all you’ve done for me, this cost a lot.
“This at Woolworths yesterday was six bucks. Six bucks for nine biscuits.
“If you go to Walmart in Canada, guess how much TimTams are? They’re $3.98 Canadian, that’s $4.08 Aussie.
“We have ended up in a situation where an Aussie staple, an Australian good, is 50 per cent more expensive here than in Canada. How did that happen?
“I mean, in the words of the Simpsons, did we lose a war?”
Senator Canavan went on to mention TimTams four further times before closing out his speech – but the threat of One Nation did not once pass his lips.
However, while Senator Hanson’s party did not get a mention, a number of themes from her recent National Press Club of Australia speech did get an airing – including criticism of net-zero targets and views on migration.
He went on to hit out at rising fuel costs, slamming the global drive for cleaner energy as “net zero madness.”
“We had some of the lowest power prices in the world, things were good, investment was good, business was good, and no people’s power bills are up just in the last four years, around $1000 bucks to the average-sized family in this country,” he added.
“It is costing Australians because we are getting this so wrong.
“... I’ve just outlined there’s three things I’m focused on as leader, practical things that I want to achieve for our country.
“One, use our resources to achieve everything; two, lower taxes’ and three, fewer migrants as well. That’s it.
“That’s what we need to do to restore our country, restore Australia’s prosperity.”
Giving one final mention to the Arnott’s snack, he said: “All I want, I want to restore prosperity and I want people to be able to sit back on their Sunday afternoons and be carefree about their future.
“Maybe enjoy a TimTam without worrying how much that costs, maybe sit back and watch their football, enjoy their kids playing, that’s all I want for our country.”
Originally published as Nationals leader Matt Canavan rages at $6 Tim Tams, ignores One Nation
