Senior National doesn't know what universal service is, forgets core policy
A senior Nationals MP has admitted she doesn't know the meaning of universal service obligation, which promises phone services to all Australians, and couldn't remember the four key policies that prompted the Coalition split.
On the day the Liberals and its junior bush partner decided to get back together after an eight day break, Nationals chief whip Michelle Landry was quizzed on Queensland radio.
When asked whether the universal service obligation - crucial to rural and remote Australians being connected to the rest of the country for medical emergencies, livelihood and education - should be extended to mobile phones, Ms Landry stumbled.
"Would you support the universal service obligation being expanded to include mobile service?" ABC Tropical North breakfast host Rob Kidd asked her in a live interview on May 28.
"Um, what is the universal service obligation?" the federal MP for Capricornia said.
Mr Kidd: "And you're the chief whip?"
Ms Landry: "Yeah."
Mr Kidd: "You don't know?"
Ms Landry: "No."
Earlier in the interview, Ms Landry also forgot one of the four key policies her party leader and fellow Queenslander David Littleproud put forward as the reason for splitting up the Coalition just two weeks after a brutal election loss.
"What are those four issues?" Mr Kidd asked.
"Nuclear was one of them, telecommunications was another one of them, um, ah .. sorry, off the top of my head, I've just forgotten what the other two were," Ms Landry said.
"Anyway we - oh um, the regional growth fund was one and um, ah, I can't think of the fourth one off the top of my head."
Later in the interview Mr Kidd said "it's one of those things that the chief whip should know about".
Ms Landry responded: "Yeah, I know. I know. But I've been on the road and I've been talking about it quite a lot."
The policy she forgot was divestiture laws to break up the dominance of the big supermarkets.
Mr Landry was first elected to parliament in 2013 more than a decade ago.
She was re-elected at the May 3 poll with 36 per cent of the primary vote in her rural Queensland seat.
Ms Landry was contacted for comment.
A senior Nationals MP has admitted she doesn't know the meaning of universal service obligation, which promises phone services to all Australians, and couldn't remember the four key policies that prompted the Coalition split.
On the day the Liberals and its junior bush partner decided to get back together after an eight day break, Nationals chief whip Michelle Landry was quizzed on Queensland radio.
When asked whether the universal service obligation - crucial to rural and remote Australians being connected to the rest of the country for medical emergencies, livelihood and education - should be extended to mobile phones, Ms Landry stumbled.
"Would you support the universal service obligation being expanded to include mobile service?" ABC Tropical North breakfast host Rob Kidd asked her in a live interview on May 28.
"Um, what is the universal service obligation?" the federal MP for Capricornia said.
Mr Kidd: "And you're the chief whip?"
Ms Landry: "Yeah."
Mr Kidd: "You don't know?"
Ms Landry: "No."
Earlier in the interview, Ms Landry also forgot one of the four key policies her party leader and fellow Queenslander David Littleproud put forward as the reason for splitting up the Coalition just two weeks after a brutal election loss.
"What are those four issues?" Mr Kidd asked.
"Nuclear was one of them, telecommunications was another one of them, um, ah .. sorry, off the top of my head, I've just forgotten what the other two were," Ms Landry said.
"Anyway we - oh um, the regional growth fund was one and um, ah, I can't think of the fourth one off the top of my head."
Later in the interview Mr Kidd said "it's one of those things that the chief whip should know about".
Ms Landry responded: "Yeah, I know. I know. But I've been on the road and I've been talking about it quite a lot."
The policy she forgot was divestiture laws to break up the dominance of the big supermarkets.
Mr Landry was first elected to parliament in 2013 more than a decade ago.
She was re-elected at the May 3 poll with 36 per cent of the primary vote in her rural Queensland seat.
Ms Landry was contacted for comment.
A senior Nationals MP has admitted she doesn't know the meaning of universal service obligation, which promises phone services to all Australians, and couldn't remember the four key policies that prompted the Coalition split.
On the day the Liberals and its junior bush partner decided to get back together after an eight day break, Nationals chief whip Michelle Landry was quizzed on Queensland radio.
When asked whether the universal service obligation - crucial to rural and remote Australians being connected to the rest of the country for medical emergencies, livelihood and education - should be extended to mobile phones, Ms Landry stumbled.
"Would you support the universal service obligation being expanded to include mobile service?" ABC Tropical North breakfast host Rob Kidd asked her in a live interview on May 28.
"Um, what is the universal service obligation?" the federal MP for Capricornia said.
Mr Kidd: "And you're the chief whip?"
Ms Landry: "Yeah."
Mr Kidd: "You don't know?"
Ms Landry: "No."
Earlier in the interview, Ms Landry also forgot one of the four key policies her party leader and fellow Queenslander David Littleproud put forward as the reason for splitting up the Coalition just two weeks after a brutal election loss.
"What are those four issues?" Mr Kidd asked.
"Nuclear was one of them, telecommunications was another one of them, um, ah .. sorry, off the top of my head, I've just forgotten what the other two were," Ms Landry said.
"Anyway we - oh um, the regional growth fund was one and um, ah, I can't think of the fourth one off the top of my head."
Later in the interview Mr Kidd said "it's one of those things that the chief whip should know about".
Ms Landry responded: "Yeah, I know. I know. But I've been on the road and I've been talking about it quite a lot."
The policy she forgot was divestiture laws to break up the dominance of the big supermarkets.
Mr Landry was first elected to parliament in 2013 more than a decade ago.
She was re-elected at the May 3 poll with 36 per cent of the primary vote in her rural Queensland seat.
Ms Landry was contacted for comment.
A senior Nationals MP has admitted she doesn't know the meaning of universal service obligation, which promises phone services to all Australians, and couldn't remember the four key policies that prompted the Coalition split.
On the day the Liberals and its junior bush partner decided to get back together after an eight day break, Nationals chief whip Michelle Landry was quizzed on Queensland radio.
When asked whether the universal service obligation - crucial to rural and remote Australians being connected to the rest of the country for medical emergencies, livelihood and education - should be extended to mobile phones, Ms Landry stumbled.
"Would you support the universal service obligation being expanded to include mobile service?" ABC Tropical North breakfast host Rob Kidd asked her in a live interview on May 28.
"Um, what is the universal service obligation?" the federal MP for Capricornia said.
Mr Kidd: "And you're the chief whip?"
Ms Landry: "Yeah."
Mr Kidd: "You don't know?"
Ms Landry: "No."
Earlier in the interview, Ms Landry also forgot one of the four key policies her party leader and fellow Queenslander David Littleproud put forward as the reason for splitting up the Coalition just two weeks after a brutal election loss.
"What are those four issues?" Mr Kidd asked.
"Nuclear was one of them, telecommunications was another one of them, um, ah .. sorry, off the top of my head, I've just forgotten what the other two were," Ms Landry said.
"Anyway we - oh um, the regional growth fund was one and um, ah, I can't think of the fourth one off the top of my head."
Later in the interview Mr Kidd said "it's one of those things that the chief whip should know about".
Ms Landry responded: "Yeah, I know. I know. But I've been on the road and I've been talking about it quite a lot."
The policy she forgot was divestiture laws to break up the dominance of the big supermarkets.
Mr Landry was first elected to parliament in 2013 more than a decade ago.
She was re-elected at the May 3 poll with 36 per cent of the primary vote in her rural Queensland seat.
Ms Landry was contacted for comment.
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