Australian PM Tony Abbott caught on camera downing a beer in six seconds
Struggling leader accused of trying to make himself appear more likeable
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was caught on video downing a beer in a few seconds at a Sydney pub, prompting comparisons to another drink-chugging former leader and sparking a debate on social media.
The video, reportedly recorded on Saturday night, showed the leader knocking back a glass of Victoria Bitter in about six seconds as a large crowd surrounding him yelled "scull" repeatedly.
"Scull" is a slang term for drinking a glass of beer in one go.
Abbott was "proud as punch" when he grabbed a beer and "drank from head-to-toe the entire schooner [glass], dribbling little bits on his shirt", Simon Carrodus, an Australian Rules football coach for the University of Technology, Sydney told the Australian Women's Weekly magazine. Carrodus said his club was holding an event at an eastern Sydney pub when they spotted the prime minister.
"I walked over to Tony and said 'will you come over and have a beer with the best players as part of the [club's] presentation'," he said. "He said 'absolutely no problem'."
Abbott drew parallels with Bob Hawke, who was prime minister from 1983 to 1991 and was reputedly a world champion for drinking a yard-glass of beer, about 1.7 litres, in a record time of 11 seconds. Now in his eighties, Hawke has stunned and delighted Australian cricket fans by sculling beers at several matches in recent years.