72 Shares 0



72

0







Senator Michaelia Cash has come under fire for comparing the three years spent backpacking across the Middle East to the struggles faced by the less-fortunate.

Ms Cash made the comment on ABC's Kitchen Cabinet, after journalist Annabel Crabb asked whether people who are fortunate can understand issues faced by those in society who are poorer.

'I mean, there will always be some who are lucky enough to have wealthy parents, but, you know, the majority of people I know, they started with nothing and they worked really, really hard to make something of themselves,' the Employment Minister said.

'I started with nothing. When I backpacked for three years, I practically had nothing.

'So, you know, I think that you can empathise, and as a policymaker, that's why it's so important to go out and talk to people, get out of the Canberra bubble, get back to your home state, get out to the shopping centres, talk to people, because when you're talking to people, you begin to better understand the issues that they face.'

Ms Cash explained she visited Israel, Egypt and Turkey during her travels after finishing university.

Viewers were quick to react to the comment online, with some taking aim at the Senator for sounding like she did not understand the issues faced by those who are worse-off.

'You cannot compare a backpacker holiday to being deprived at all,' one person tweeted.

'Loved Michaelia Cash telling us she understands what it's like to be poor because she "backpacked around Europe for three years", lol,' another wrote.

'Lol Senator Cash saying that she was poor when she was younger (while being financially able to go backpacking for three years),' one viewer said.

'Michaelia Cash spent three years backpacking, not privileged at all,' another added.

But others gave the Employment Minister more glowing reviews for her appearance, with one suggesting it showed she should be prime minister in the future.

'How great was Senator Cash? Not a fan but what a funster!' Iain Dawson tweeted.

'Michaelia Cash for PM - what a treasure!' John Blackman added. The Senator also discussed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's upbringing in the interview, saying he is 'a Prime Minister who started with nothing, who, through hard work and taking risks made something of himself and, in fact, has gone on to be very successful'. When asked by Crabb about whether she is a feminist, Ms Cash said: 'if feminism is a fundamental belief in gender equality, then I would hope all Australians are feminists'. Ms Cash's father, George, is a former West Australian politician and President of the West Australian Legislative Council.

/DailyMail