Atlassian co-founder wasn't about to let this politician 'troll' him on TV
You know what they say: Talk sh*t, get proverbially hit.
Co-founder and co-CEO of Australian startup Atlassian had to issue a Twitter-blow to the nation's immigration minister on Wednesday night, after the politician started running his mouth off.
"Wow...did I just get trolled by a govt minister as being un-Australian?" tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes wrote on Twitter after reading about the comments. And thus began a casual take down.
On TV program Today, hosts interviewed politician Peter Dutton to discuss the axing (and eventual replacement) of Australia's 457 program, which allowed skilled migrants to temporarily live and work in Australia.
"Do you know of Mike Cannon-Brookes?" the host asked. "I think he is the co-founder of Atlassian. His tech company is bigger than Qantas. He said to The Australian that 457 Visas were essential for Australia and any move to make bridging the talent gap more difficult would be bad for the country."
The minister responded, "Well let's have a look at what work they’re doing in the local market. How many young Australians are they employing? Are they going into schools looking for young kids to come and work in jobs? Are they employing mature aged workers who have found themselves out of a job elsewhere? Let's have a look at the details."
Cannon-Brookes was bemused, if frustrated.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Yep, his quotes were old and entirely irrelevant to the dismantling of the visa program. But because he's up there with Elon Musk when it comes to Twitter shade (that's why they love some banter), Cannon-Brookes didn't stop there. Oh no.
He responded directly to Dutton's questioning, listing just what they've done for the country's workforce as well as taking aiming at the arguably Trump-esque, nationalistic rhetoric the government used to announce the changes.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
And just for some additional LOLs, Cannon Brookes also shared a couple of bits of choice Twitter commentary. One from a guy know how to hit a politician right where it hurts -- in the offshore immigration detention facilities. And, one from a guy who found work at Atlassian, while he was still in school.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
In conclusion, never stop tweeting, Mike Cannon-Brookes. Never stop tweeting.
Jerico Mandybur is the editor of Mashable Australia. Previously, she worked as a digital editor at SBS, Oyster Mag, MTV and ASOS. Tweet her at @jerico_m.
