Australian farmer Kate McBride has emerged an internet hero after delivering some epic side-eye and a cool ballast in response to a political squabbling over the drought on national television.
It came after David Littleproud, the federal Water Resources Minister and Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon started arguing on ABC's Q&A program on Monday night, after an emotional question from an audience member on the impact of Australia's drought on rural kids.
Host Hamish MacDonald cut through the exchange, deferring to McBride.
"We talked about whether politicians had turned this into a political stoush instead of solving the problem. What’s your reaction to the exchange you’ve just seen?" McDonald asked.
McBride did not hold back, delivering a personal rebuke to both politicians. Her fiercely unimpressed face was truly meme-worthy.
"Yes we can see it right now (the squabbling). The question that was asked was what is the future for the kids, and that’s my question too, as well as a young farmer. I’m 21 years old where’s my future in all this?" she asked pointedly.
Source: Getty Images
She then spoke eloquently on the devastating personal impact of the drought in the lives of her community.
"I talked to people just this week telling me they are taking their kids out of boarding school – that’s destroying their future. But then also they get dragged back to a property where they can’t even see a future for themselves.
"What are we doing for these kids? They are not being allowed to be in the cities, and they come home, there’s nothing for them there. How are we helping these kids?"
According to her bio on Q&A's website, McBride is a fifth-generation grazier brought up on Tolarno Station, a 500,000-acre sheep property located along the Lower Darling river.
She is a Healthy River Ambassador, working for better water management within the Murray Darling Basin and the youngest-ever member of the Western Local Land Services board
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