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Leigh Sales Slaps Down Malcolm Turnbull On 7.30 Report

'I Ask The Questions': Leigh Sales Slaps Down Malcolm Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared on the ABC's 7.30 Report on Monday night, looking to crow about his newly-minted innovation platform -- but if he thought he would have it all his way on the TV, he didn't count on host Leigh Sales.

Turnbull looked comfortable as he spent several minutes talking up the new policy, which aims to support the startup sector with hopes of sparking an "ideas boom", but the interview took a more combative tone as Sales brought up the government's controversial broadband internet policy, criticised as outdated by many.

"Why then do you continue to back a broadband network that relies on a decrepit copper network?" Sales asked.

Turnbull responded: "But that is, with great respect that is just completely wrong... It is remarkable, it doesn't matter how many facts are presented by the company on this issue, we still get the same assertions."

Sales cut off the rest of his answer, saying she wanted to "whip through a few other things".

"You've lost interest in innovation, have you?" Turnbull said sarcastically. "Aunty ABC loses interest in innovation."

Sales replied that "I wish we had unlimited time," before going into several questions on embattled MP Mal Brough and his involvement in the Peter Slipper affair. Turnbull again quipped that "Again, I'm sorry you've lost interest in innovation."

It was then that Sales began dropping what will become some all-time #Auspol burns.

"There's lots of issues, we can walk and chew gum at the same time?" she said.

"If every guest on the program came on and they only got to talk about what they wanted to talk about it would be a very different program."

Turnbull attempted to get back on the front foot with "let me ask you this question, how interested do you think--" before Sales showed who the boss really was.

"I ask the questions on this program," she announced.

If you missed it, here's video of the soon-to-be immortal moment, courtesy of ABC News' excellent Vine account:

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