Scott Morrison's campaign ambushed by 'the most offensive' stunt
A man dressed as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un crashed Scott Morrison's campaign event on Friday in what was described by one of the PM's staff as "the most offensive thing ever seen on a campaign trail."
Videos of the stunt have been shared online and show the man - sporting a haircut identical to that of the North Korean dictator - being swarmed by reporters as he introduces himself as "the Supreme Leader".
Queensland anti-China activist turned senate candidate Drew Pavlou admitted to Yahoo News Australia that he was behind the stunt, which saw his friend - known only as Howard X - storm the press conference in battleground seat of Chisholm, Melbourne.
Upon entering the manufacturing business where the press conference was held, Howard X – dressed in a black suit with glasses – launched a tirade about Liberal candidate Gladys Liu.
"I’m here to support Gladys Liu. She supports Xi Jinping and now she supports the North Korean regime," Howard X said to reporters.
"Thank you all for coming to support this great, great candidate for the area. If you want the communist party to be in control of Australia, vote Liberal."
Mr Pavlou told Yahoo that the pair will continue in their efforts to point out Gladys Liu's "defence of a brutal dictatorship."
"We're just pointing out that Gladys has defended (Chinese President) Xi Jinping, the dictator, and she wouldn't call him a dictator, she said that he is an elected chairman," he said.
Mr Pavlou admitted the stunt is "one of the best things we’ve ever managed."
Yahoo News Australia understands the prime minister had left the area moments before the stunt.
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PM's shock admission ahead of election
Earlier, during a press conference at the campaign stop, Mr Morrison admitted he can be "a bit of a bulldozer" and conceded his leadership style will need to change if he's elected for another term.
In an extraordinary mea culpa, the PM told voters he would change.
His leadership has seen the country through a series of emergencies including bushfires, floods, and the Covid-19 pandemic, which hasn't allowed him to shift into "other gears," he said.
"Over the last three years and particularly the last two, what Australians have needed from me going through this pandemic has been strength and resilience.
"Now, I admit that hasn't enabled Australians to see a lot of other gears in the way I work. And I know Australians know that I can be a bit of a bulldozer when it comes to some issues and I suspect you guys know that too.
"As we go into this next period on the other side of this election, I know there are things that are going to have to change with the way I do things. Because we are moving into a different time.
"We’re moving into a time of opportunity and working from the strong platform of strength that we’ve built and saved in our economy in these last three years."
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