Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese has made news in the US for plagiarising lines from a Hollywood film about the US President.
Mr Albanese used a few lines from the film The American President starring Michael Douglas in a public attack on Opposition leader Tony Abbott at the National Press Club yesterday.
NBC's Nightly News aired footage of Albanese's address alongside a scene of Douglas delivering the same lines in the 1995 film.
NBC anchor Brian Williams commented that the movie's speech is "a favourite of political junkies".
Albanese tweeted last night: ''D'oh! Stuff up (for the record, that comes from another great American, Homer Simpson).''
The frontbencher was also mocked by shadow treasurer Joe Hockey, who said he deserves to be embarrassed for borrowing the lines.
"The sin of Anthony Albanese is that he's always the first to criticise someone who engages in that sort of behaviour," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney today.
"I think the hypocrisy speaks for itself.
"What's more concerning is that he didn't write the speech himself ... that it wasn't his own words and he pretended that it was."
Immigration minister Chris Bowen defended his Labor colleague, saying Mr Albanese was "man enough" to admit his error.
"Anthony has admitted there was a mistake," he said.
Mr Hockey joked he would use a line from the Tom Cruise flick Top Gun if he was to borrow a classic movie line.
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