'Why are you so unpopular with the Australian public?' Bill Shorten cops a blunt question from young audience member during VERY awkward Q&A
- An audience member caught Bill Shorten off guard with blunt question on Q&A
- The young man asked Mr Shorten why he was so unpopular with voters
- Mr Shorten managed to laugh the question off and Monday's program continued
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has laughed off a brutally blunt question from an audience member during an appearance on Q&A on Monday.
'Mr Shorten, you've been Opposition Leader through Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison, but you have consistently lagged behind these men in preferred PM polls,' the young audience member named John said.
'Can you give a frank and candid answer as to why you have proved to be so unpopular with the Australian public?'
There was a short pause as Mr Shorten, and the rest of the audience, registered the extremely blunt question.
'Good evening to you too, John. Thanks,' Mr Shorten said.
His reply earned a laugh from the audience, after which the Labor Leader recovered with an answer - or rather, a deflection.
'Let's face it, this country needs change,' Mr Shorten replied.
Opposition leader Bill Shorten has laughed off a low blow from an audience member during an appearance on Q&A on Monday - users on social media criticised the question
'Mr Shorten, you've been Opposition Leader through Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison, but you have consistently lagged behind these men in preferred PM polls,' the young audience member named John said
'They said when I was the Opposition Leader against Abbott that he was unbeatable. I remember the headlines. Tony Abbott was going to be there for three terms. I outlasted him.
'And Malcolm Turnbull, he's probably watching this from New York, isn't he?'
This gained another laugh from the audience.
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'Australians are over the disunity. And whatever you think about the individual numbers, the best test to be PM in this country is to be an Opposition leader.'
'And I wouldn't swap any of the last 2,032 days and the unkind headlines and all the rest that the Government has thrown at me.'
It was the second time in 24 hours that Shorten had been challenged on live television about his lack of popularity.
Another user on social media said the question was valid
On Monday morning's Sunrise program, host David Koch put the Opposition Leader on the back foot when he started his interview by asking, 'Why do people not like you?'
After an awkward pause Shorten replied, 'I do not accept that people don't like me or my policies ... I'm not going to comment on polls.'
Koch then shot back, 'It seems as though the more people see you, the more they don't like you.'
The most recent opinion polls have done the Labor leader no favours, with a Newspoll released on Sunday night showing his approval rating dropping four points to 35 per cent, compared to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on 44 per cent.
Shorten's slide comes just under two weeks out from the May 18 federal election, which was widely thought to be an easy win for Labor when the poll was called on April 10.
