Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has expressed remorse after he used a homophobic slur whereas attacking the Prime Minister’s response to China at a international coverage occasion.
Mr Dutton on Thursday was requested for his ideas on Chinese naval ships having performed live-fire drills in waters off the Australian coast final month.
Speaking at The Lowy Institute in Sydney, he mentioned the dwell drills have been a “show of force” earlier than turning his consideration to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“It was the weakest, most limp-wrist response you could see from a leader, and frankly, none of his leaders, Liberal or Labor, would have provided the response that the prime minister did,” Mr Dutton mentioned.
The time period ‘limp-wristed’ is outlined within the Cambridge dictionary as “an extremely offensive word used to describe a man whose behaviour is thought to be typical of a gay person”.
A spokesperson for Mr Dutton later expressed remorse over the usage of the time period.
“It was a phrase that shouldn’t have been used, and no offence was intended from Mr Dutton,” the spokesperson mentioned, in response to The Australian.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned she was unsurprised by Mr Dutton’s feedback, telling the ABC: “This is a bloke who opposed marriage equality, it’s an unsurprising use of language from him.”
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