Labor has accused Prime Minister Tony Abbott for playing politics with the anniversary of the D-Day landings by talking about the commemoration in the same breath as the carbon and mining taxes.
In his weekly video message to the nation, Mr Abbott discusses his impending visit to France for the 70th anniversary of the landings before making a seguing into his further travels to the US and Canada and the government’s commitment to repealing the taxes.
“Following the D-Day commemorations, I will be travelling to Canada and the United States – and will be joined by Australian business leaders,” he says.
“My message to overseas investors is that Australia is open for business … and we are making investment more attractive by scrapping the carbon tax and the mining tax …”
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong accused Mr Abbott of playing politics.
“Abbott’s D-Day message marks a new low,” she tweeted.
Fellow Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh agreed.
“It’s something you would have hoped Tony Abbott was above,” he told Sky News on Monday.
Labor MP Jim Chalmers pointed to last year’s World Economic Forum, saying the prime minister appeared to talk down Australia’s economy.
“He has form, of course, when it comes to using international occasions to make domestic political points,” he told reporters in Canberra.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Mr Abbott’s trip was for a number of reasons and it would be inappropriate for him to hold press conferences canvassing each issue.
“He gave one statement (about) all the various aspects of his visit and I think that’s appropriate,” she told reporters.
Mr Abbott ends off his statement by linking Australia’s relationship to France, Canada and the US and the D-Day commemorations.
“We stood together at D-Day, we trade every day and we have always shared a commitment to democracy, to enterprise and to people’s right to be free,” he said.
