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Australian Prime Minister mocked for using 'meaningless' slogan from comedy show Veep

'Continuity and change'

Matt Payton
Thursday 24 March 2016 08:21 EDT
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Australia's Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull speaking to the media at Parliament House in Canberra
Australia's Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull speaking to the media at Parliament House in Canberra (EPA)

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Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been ridiculed for using a 'meaningless' phrase used as a campaign slogan from the US political satire comedy show, Veep.

Responding to accusations he will fight the upcoming election on his predecessor Tony Abbott's record, Mr Turnbull said in an ABC interview: "As you go from one Liberal prime minister to another, you have continuity and you have change."

This is uncannily similar to the slogan "Continuity and change" for Veep's title character's presidential campaign.

Unintentionally channeling Veep's Selina Meyer (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) for a second time, the Liberal Prime Minister repeated this phrase in another interview on ABC radio the next day: "The bottom line is there is continuity and there is change."

Mr Turnbull then used the phrase four times in less than two minutes during an interview on 3AW, reports Buzzfeed.

Reacting to this comic development, Ms Dreyfus said: "I am dumbstruck."

Fictional US Vice President Selina Meyer during a campaign debate
Fictional US Vice President Selina Meyer during a campaign debate (© Home Box Office)

One of the show's writer, Simon Blackwell tweeted: "In S4 of Veep we came up with the most meaningless election slogan we could think of. Now adopted by Australian PM."

Here are some more Twitter reactions:

Malcolm Turnbull has been mockingly linked with House of Cards after the show tweeted him Frank Underwood tongue-in-cheek support.

Turnbull responded by declaring the only similarity between him and Underwood was their use of rowing machines.

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