Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is under fire after criticising a reporter's dress sense at a press conference yesterday.
Speaking at an announcement about the government's planned paid parental leave scheme, Mr Rudd appeared to take exception to a question by Fairfax Radio's Latika Bourke about why his leadership was "in crisis".
Instead of answering the question, Mr Rudd responded with a pointed barb about Ms Bourke's outfit.
Ms Bourke was wearing a grey fedora, tie, white shirt and black pants.
''Well, that's a point of language which you have used and used which is dramatically consistent with the dress which you have chosen today," Mr Rudd said.
"It's a great tie, it's a nice hat, I like it a lot,'' he hastily added.
Ms Bourke refused to discuss Rudd’s attack when contacted by ninemsn today, saying only that she had "no comment" on the incident.
Eva Cox from the Women's Electoral Lobby described Mr Rudd's remarks as "sexist".
"It diminishes the importance of the question... it's obviously an attempt to put her down," Ms Cox told the Daily Telegraph.
Ms Bourke is no stranger to fashion controversy.
Back in 2007, Ms Bourke was involved in a verbal stoush with a group of Muslim men outside a Sydney mosque.
Ms Bourke, who was wearing a modest long coat and gloves at the time, expressed her outrage after being called "a mutt" and told to "cover up".
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