"Fake Tradie" is the Real Deal

[icyfroth]

Real Tradie Andrew MacRae says he is going to enjoy his five minutes of fame and ignore the “keyboard warriors” who have mocked the election ad he stars in.

Speaking from his Lane Cove home, the 50-year-old told the Daily Telegraph his friends and family had been worried for his well-being after unions launched a vicious social media campaign against the Liberal Party’s TV ad.

But he tried to put the #FakeTradie row to bed once and for all by proclaiming: “I am the real deal.”

Mr MacRae hit the limelight as the star of the Liberal Party’s prime time commercial featuring him in a high-vis vest on a building site, alleging that the opposition has declared war on banks, mining and blue-collar workers.

‘Bill Shorten even wants to go to war with me. Someone who just wants to get ahead through an investment property. I reckon we should just stick it through, and stick with the current mob for a while,’ he says in the 30-second ad.

The ad was quickly ridiculed on social media yesterday with some accusing the government of hiring an actor, questioning the tradie’s expensive-looking watch, the layout of his building site and even the ceramic cup he was holding..

It quickly became a leading topic on social media with #faketradie trending on Twitter. A twitter account @FakeTradie was even created, pouring further scorn on the advertisement.

Next it was the unions to have their fun with #faketradie, producing their own ad criticising Malcolm Turnbull before the government stepped in to confirm the star of the ad was actually a real tradie.

Mr MacRae said critics were “foolish” and “crazy to push a lie”.

“My friends have been really concerned for my well being but I am not an actor and I am freaked out by all of this. 

“I do property maintenance and one of my clients was an advertising agency and they got me involved.”

Mr MacRae said he has never been a member of the Liberal party and laughed off suggestions his clothes were too clean in the commercial.

“The whole this is crazy, I’m a tradie and I work all over Sydney.”

Mr MacRae is a metalworker by trade but is also involved in the real estate industry.

“My mates think this is the funniest thing,” he said.

“I’m not going to let it get to me, I’ll just enjoy my five minutes of fame and get on being the real tradie.”

http://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/fake-tradie-andrew-macrae-tracked-down-to-north-sho...

It appears the ALP not nothing to it's credit other than trying to discredit the LNP!

Sad indictment for a party wishing to gain the trust of Aussie voters!

[givemeaspell]

this is the worst advertisement going around on TV atm, and there are alot of them!  Lane Cove, give me a spell,even if he is a real tradie I don't believe he is a true representation.  If this ad is trying to convert ALP voters to the Libs then someone should lose their job in advertising, perhaps they can become a tradie buy a house in Lane Cove and a nice rolex & gold bracelet, goes nice with the hi vis!

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@esayaf wrote:
Does anyone from Lane Cove vote Labor? Or for any other party than the Liberals

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[chameleon54]

I was a tradie for a number of years. It was during the housing boom. I didnt have a Rolex or a gold bracelet, but I did own five rental houses. I,m a farmer now and most of the rental houses have gone.

How do you make a small fortune from farming. ????    Start with a big fortune and keep farming till its all gone 

[lind9650]

Golly gosh!

I wear a ROLEX, have had it for over 40 years. It is even engraved; "Made in Geneva"

My stepson, who was in the Navy then, bought it for me in Singapore for $18,-

I also have some gold jewellery. Nobody knows that it is just gold plate.

Apearances can be very deceiving. I never judge a person by what they are wearing.

Erica

[esayaf]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that 27% of the voting population are swinging voters.
So we pay millions of dollars to influence people that obviously have no idea of the real issues in any election.
Whether campaign ads are funded from party donations or directly via taxpayers dollars. We the consumers have paid to then have our intelligence insulted regularly by people that might say anything for a dollar.
I live by the old rule of believing half of what you see and none of what you hear.
I would love to think that my vote did count but it doesn't. This electorate is Liberal and has been for nearly thirty years.

[lloydslights]

$18???    The trader saw the boat entering the harbour and promptly put up his prices.

Back to the tradie living in Lane Cove?  A four-year apprenticeship, work really hard, make sacrifices, get the wife to haul the kids to bad paying clients to get paid, "sorry no money left, here have my gold bracelet and Rolex in lieu"; move to  Lane Cove to be closer to where homeowners pay big money to have a  tradesman on call.  

DEB

[davidc4430]

it makes no difference to me if the guy is a real tradie or a fake.

hes making a statement in support of a major party, doesnt matter weather its liberal or labor. hes reading a script and being paid by the party.

the only way the guy can have any credibility is if hes paying for the ad out of his own pocket to tell "HIS" story.

not have a message in small print and read super fast saying its a paid ad for whatever party, after its finished.