ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said earlier this week that he didn’t want to see the government handing out cash payments to people on welfare because he didn’t think it was the best use of money.
Today, the Coalition’s senate leader has had to eat humble pie as the government’s leadership team agreed to do just that.
As soon as Western Australia’s second-most intimidating politician after the cold-eyed Andrew Hastie heard the news, his eyes rolled back in his head.
Witnesses inside the finance department have told The Advocate that Mr Cormann then slid off the side of his chair and began writhing in pain.
“He was screaming at the top of his lungs,” said one finance department worker.
“Throwing is arms and legs about. It looks like he was on fire. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,”
“One of my coworkers took his belt off and put it between Mathias’ teeth to protect them. He was full-on having an episode.”
A doctor was called to the Canberra office where they established that Mr Cormann was not having an epileptic episode but rather one triggered simply by blind rage.
“He’s still going at it,” said the worker.
“You can go up there if you want, I’ll swipe you in,”
“I don’t know what we’re going to do? We might have to get [Andrew] Hastie up here to put him in a sleeper hold. Do you have any ideas?”
More to come.
