Questions have been raised over the Prime Minister's swearing on national television last night, with commentators claiming a deliberate political stunt.
Speaking on the pre-recorded Sunday Night program, the prime minister used the word "shitstorm" when talking about the Government's $42 billion stimulus plan.
"People are going to run a huge scare campaign about government debt and government borrowing … people have to understand that because there's going to be the usual political shitstorm, sorry, political storm over that," Rudd said in the segment that aired last night.
It's not the first time the Queenslander has used coarse language in an official capacity — he used "shit" during a speech to Australian troops in Afghanistan late last year.
Political commentators have criticised the apparent slip-up, saying it was premeditated in an effort to appeal to the average Australian.
"He says it here when he thinks he's talking to the mob," right-ring columnist Andrew Bolt told the TODAY show.
"He's done it before of course; he's got form when he is needing to show his everyman kind of thing.
"I think it's purely calculated and I think a lot of people see through that."
Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle echoed Bolt's comments.
"I don't think he dropped it, I think it was a carefully scripted attempt to make himself appear human … one of the lads," Councillor Doyle, a Liberal Party member, told Sky News.
But Labor senator Mark Arbib said Mr Rudd was just getting emotional over job losses.
"I think it was just something that came out in the moment," Senator Arbib said.
Mr Rudd's personal wealth has come under fire from Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, himself a multi-millionaire, describing the Labor leader as the richest prime minister Australia has ever had.
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