There’s a leak in parliament! Stormy weather stops MPs during question time as rain
There’s a leak in parliament! Stormy weather stops MPs during question time as rain starts seeping through the roof of the House of Representatives chamber
- Australian MPs were forced to deal with a leak at parliament house
- Speaker Bronwyn Bishop called for a mop and bucket
- The nation’s capital was pelted with rain, hail and lightning as a severe thunderstorm passed through Wednesday afternoon
Damaging leaks are the bread and butter of political reporting, but a leak of a different kind has got parliament aflutter.
A thunderstorm over Canberra has exposed a leak in the ceiling of the House of Representatives chamber.
Speaker Bronwyn Bishop ordered a bucket and mop.
‘I notice that our roof is leaking,’ she said.
‘I realise leaking is a common problem for political parties. We may need a bucket.’
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An attendant looks up as he attempts to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the House of Representatives during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra
A number of politicians found it quite comical as an attendant tried to clean up the water which was leaking from the roof
Treasurer Joe Hockey used it to attack Labor, saying it exposed the dire state of infrastructure left by the previous government.
The incident came just after Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce declared his support for more dams.
The Canberra Times reported the nation’s capital was pelted with rain, hail, lightning and thunder as a severe thunderstorm passed through on Wednesday afternoon.
You’ve missed a spot. Politicians give direction to an attendant who is cleaning up water from a leaking roof at parliament house
An attendant looks up as he attemps to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the House of Representatives during Question Time
It’s believed there were wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres and hour.
The ACT State Emergency Service said it received a total of 25 calls for help since 2pm following the wet weather.
ACTSES and ACT Fire & Rescue responded to leaking roofs, as well as damaged trees and branches across a widespread area of Canberra.