Culture

This Incredible 12-Year-Old Kid Appointed Himself Prime Minister This Week

"I'm a fucking rebel, I know."

by Meg Watson  13 April 2016

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Taking note of an extreme state of political instability in Australian politics, a 12-year-old boy named Orley Fenelon has this week up and declared himself Prime Minster. Ousting Malcolm Turnbull after just six months in office, the overachieving Brisbane schoolkid held a brief but prosperous reign over the nation before being edited out of Wikipedia and probably copping a fierce talking to off his mum.

The Wikipedia edit was first put up on Sunday, April 10 before being noticed by Canberra Times reporter Tom McIlroy the following day. And, though this has since led to Orley’s contribution being deleted, it also means the relics of his rule are finally being given the attention they deserve.

Orley seemed to come to the decision to become Prime Minister on social media. Though he hasn’t posted much since joining Twitter last year, he has shown a continued engagement in politics articulately denouncing xenophobia and racism and regularly live-tweeting current affairs shows like Q&A and The Verdict. 

It was seemingly this dissatisfaction that led him to go one step further on Instagram. In a post this Sunday, Orley wrote “I’ve just Googled, like, four times, about what the requirements are to run for Prime Minister, so, fuck it”. This was accompanied by an original (pretty great) green and gold design for a new Australian flag and the soon-to-be iconic slogan “#OrleyforPM2017”.

Moments later, he documented himself being sworn in as Prime Minister with a shot of the computer screen. Alongside this sat his iconic first words on the job: “I’m a fucking rebel, I know. #fuckthemoderators #OrleyforPM2017”.

Despite his short reign, this can-do attitude and his unconventional ascension to power has led to Orley receiving much attention in the press. Speaking to journalists at the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday the former PM advocated a broader need for change in federal politics and implored young people to have their voices heard.

“If young people started to actually be a force to be reckoned with then politicians wouldn’t be so focused on pleasing the traditional interests that obviously don’t really serve a place in today’s society,” said the 12-YEAR-OLD. “Obviously with the whole same-sex marriage thing — the most recent polls are like 72 per cent in favour and yet the LNP, they’re mostly catering to an older generation that would be less likely to support that. If young people became an actually larger demographic of more politically engaged people then the politicians would kind of be forced to be more representative.”

When asked what his proudest achievement in office was, Orley replied “probably the few seconds I was on Wikipedia”.

Support for Orley continues to swell as his message spreads. According to his Instagram, he had another interview with Channel 10 this morning. “[I] had to change clothes ’cause the school is terrified of being known for anything hahaha,” he wrote.

Malcolm Turnbull is yet to comment on his humiliating defeat or when exactly he’ll be stepping aside.