Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has called on the opposition Liberal party to drop candidate Mal Brough, after an offensive menu from a political fundraiser in March emerged.
The menu included a fried quail main course that was named in Gillard's honour, and an offensive description of the dish to be served.
Brough is a candidate for the Queensland seat of Fisher.
Yesterday the restaurant owner insisted the paper wasn't actually used on the night, but messages from some restaurant staff indicate a difference of opinion on that.
The Australian Prime Minister told journalists in Perth yesterday, "Well I mean this is Tony Abbott’s Liberals, this is what they’re like and I think that the real risk for Australia is if Mr Abbott was ever Prime Minister it wouldn’t be a question of what‘s on fundraising menus, we would see this lack of respect for women littered throughout all of his government policies and documents."
She said the menu indicated a pattern of behaviour on the part of Tony Abbott's liberals, "Mr Abbott personally has gone and stood next to signs that describe me in a sexist way.
We’ve had the Young Liberals hosting a function where jokes were cracked about the death of my father and now we have Mr Brough and Mr Hockey at a function with this grossly sexist and offensive menu on display. Join the dots."
She's described as 'convenient' the insistences from at least 2 of the politicians present that they simply did not see the text on the menu. She's also accused the opposition party of only reacting to the menu's contents after the media made it public.
She added that condemning the candidate's party wasn't a strong enough reaction instead she said Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott should drop him from the ticket, "Mr Brough should be dis-endorsed. That’s what should happen here."
Above, a grainy picture of the menu in question which reads, "Julia Gillard kentucky Fried Quail - Small Breasts, Huge Thighs & A Big Red Box".
Surprisingly, much of the reaction in Australia to the news has been negative - but it is Gillard who has become the target of that negativity in a marked different approach to other international reaction.
Julia Gillard needs to stop trying to turn men who don't vote for her into a sexiest! It's not exceptionable! #auspol twitter.com/clementine_for…
— Clementine Ford (@clementine_ford) June 13, 2013
Watch: Barrie Cassidy discusses his "very strong" view that Julia Gillard won't lead Labor to election #Insiders abc.net.au/insiders/conte…
— Insiders ABC (@InsidersABC) June 9, 2013
Even 'menu-gate' hasn't saved Julia Gillard's sexism speech from bombing on Twitter shar.es/xnaCl via @sharethis
— Juliette (@Lorrainejuliet) June 13, 2013
RT @financialreview: Leading businesswomen criticise @juliagillard saying the gender debate is in "a negative spiral" afr.com/p/national/bus…
— Jason Murphy (@jasemurphy) June 13, 2013
Julia Gillard has a turbulent relationship with the leader of the opposition, Tony Abbott. She's previously taken issue with his views on womens' role in politics and society, giving this explosive speech in Australia's parliament last year, in which she labelled Abbott a misogynist:
