"If anybody knocks on your door that has an Irish accent, automatically ask them to leave."
Yes, this is a statement from an actual government minister in 2017.
Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz has angered the Irish community Down Under after warning her compatriots to turn anyone with an Irish accent away in the event that they call to an Australian home.
The statement, broadcast on 9 News Melbourne, came during a segment in which home owner Thelma described how she was conned out of thousands of dollars by men who offered to fix her roof.
The segment's reporter described how men with Irish accents are "a common feature of a lot of these scams" before leading into the deeply prejudiced comment from Kairouz.
This beggars belief.
