The Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, has apologised after calling the US vice-president, JD Vance, a “knob” at a pre-election event in Perth.

At the West Australian’s Leadership Matters event on Tuesday morning, at which Cook was the guest speaker, a journalist asked the premier to finish the sentence: “JD Vance is a …” Cook replied: “Knob.”

Cook then said: “You’ve got to have one unprofessional moment, don’t you? That was it.”

His description won him laughs and a round of applause from the audience.

  • @Bwoj
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    117 minutes ago

    Yes, that’s an cheap shot and an insult to knobs everywhere.

  • @Treczoks
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    96 hours ago

    Never apologize for saying the truth.

  • @Thrillhouse
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    951 day ago

    I don’t see that there’s anything to apologize for here.

    • @School_Lunch
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      321 day ago

      Same with the oval office. They were saying zelensky was disrespectful. When? I watched the whole thing and was insanely impressed by his restraint. Everyone who does even the smallest favor for Vance should harass him about being thankful. His behavior was absolutely disgusting.

      • Nougat
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        171 day ago

        Zelenskyy should have busted out with “Maybe we can come to an agreement if I fake some ‘evidence’ against someone you don’t like?”

        • @nogooduser
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          121 hours ago

          And did you see how he was dressed!? So disrespectful!

          (/s)

    • @[email protected]
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      131 day ago

      Not one bit. That language was way too soft.

      Australia, I know y’all can throw better and harsher insults. Please bring it.

    • @[email protected]
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      221 hours ago

      In the article it was pretty much a non-apology made when journalists pressed him on it later.

        • @[email protected]
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          221 hours ago

          I have never understood why Americans can only do tribal choices never can politics be about policy, never about effective plans, it’s only putting down the other party so yours bob up, and you can never discuss any issues without knowing first what label the other have so you can agree / disagree with exactly everything without even thinking about what they said or if you agree with it

  • @[email protected]
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    821 hours ago

    For context, this guy is the current state premier, similar to a US state governor I guess.

    He is from our Labor party which is centre-left. In the last election the Labor party won 53 out of 59 seats. His party had overwhelming support at that time.

    Of course the pendulum will swing back to the right at the upcoming election on Saturday, but I don’t think it will swing far enough for the conservatives to form government.

    • @HeyThisIsntTheYMCA
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      212 hours ago

      Alexa, How long do immigrants need to live in Oz before they can vote

      • @[email protected]
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        9 hours ago

        Yeah ok so there’s a bit of a back story that I couldn’t be bothered explaining before.

        During Covid our premier at that time was from the same centre-left labor party, Mark McGowan. We had an initial 2 week lock down, but thereafter we didn’t have any significant covid infections at all for 18 months or so (I think).

        Our premier, McGowan just kept the borders closed and we all just went about our lives with no restrictions. The federal government gave everyone heaps of money (because people in other states actually needed it) and the economy just went nuts. Everyone could afford all the new fancy things. No one could go on overseas holidays so everyone spent all their money at local bars and restaurants and it was just an epic love fest of fun times and good things. I don’t recall the numbers exactly but I think something like 90% of people had 2x vaccinations by the time the borders eventually opened.

        Our federal government and other state premiers gave our state premier a lot of shit because keeping the border closed made them look like idiots and it wasn’t great for the Australian economy. Our PM at that time (centre right) made a comment about how it was time for Western Australians to come out of our cave, which ultimately cost him the next federal election. Anyhow, by the time of the last state election Western Australian’s were lovingly referring to McGowan as “state daddy” because it was nice to have a rep telling everyone else to fuck off because we’re safe in our space thanks very much.

        That’s why the Labor party won that last election 3 years ago with a bonkers majority. I will always vote Labor but even I can acknowledge that having such a huge majority doesn’t really support a healthy democracy.

        Anyhow, McGowan resigned on good terms and stepped aside for our current Premier. He’s not state daddy but he’s cut from the same cloth IMO.

        • @pHr34kY
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          19 hours ago

          TBH by the 6th lockdown in Melbourne, we were jealous of how you guys had effective border control. Scomo ruined the rest of the place. We could have grounded all passenger flights and had that as a single restriction and been fine.

  • @[email protected]
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    22 hours ago

    Fucking why? Decorum went out the window when the Great Orange Retard (in every offensive sense of the word) got “elected” and began his massive conflict of interest existence on Day 0.

    Fuck it, just kill them. Pull a “Designated Survivor”.

  • Lit
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    171 day ago

    He is sorry that Vance is a knob.

  • RejZoR
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    111 day ago

    He apologized for not calling him massive knob.

  • @[email protected]
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    91 day ago

    I’m sorry I called you a knob, that’s an insult to knobs. You’re actually much, much worse.