Sydney: Australian opposition leader Tony Abbott backpedalled on Friday after derogatory comments about the clothes and appearance of Julia Gillard, the country`s first female Prime Minister.
The furore began when well-known Australian feminist Germaine Greer told ABC television that Gillard wore unflattering jackets and had a "big arse".
"Every time she turns round, you`ve got that strange horizontal crease, which means they`re cut too narrow in the hips," Greer said.
"You`ve got a big arse, Julia. Just get on with it."
While meeting the public at a community forum yesterday the issue came up and Abbott responded: "I know, I know, I know. Germaine Greer was right on that subject."
Today he said he regretted the remark after it was widely played on television.
"It was an off-the-cuff remark responding to an observation of a member of the public and I shouldn`t have said it and I regret it," he said.
Gillard is Australia`s first female leader and her boyfriend Tim Mathieson has previously hit out at people "bullying" her.
"Being a woman, I think she`s gets targeted quite a bit by the big boys in town," he said at the time.
"Bullying women just doesn`t work for me... calling females names does not get you anywhere," he added. (AFP)
PTI
