PM calls for Mal Brough to be disendorsed over crude menu

Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey has fired back over claims he saw a menu, reportedly from a Liberal Party fundraising dinner, which likened the food being served to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's body.

Joe Hockey says he does not recall seeing the menu and said the Prime Minister is not in a position to judge.

"She pretty much called me [and my colleagues] misogynist pigs," Mr Hockey told reporters a short time ago.

"No sanctimonious lectures from [Prime Minister Gillard] who called me a fat man in Parliament."

The Prime Minister wants the Opposition Leader to disendorse Queensland Liberal National Party candidate Mal Brough.

Tony Abbott has condemned the function menu that contained derogatory references to Ms Julia Gillard.

The Prime Minister accused the Liberal Party of having a lack of respect for women, and said "we see a pattern of behaviour that doesn't go away."

"Mr Abbott's solution ... is not to show any leadership. I mean, he's effectively stood by Mr Brough," Ms Gillard said.

"This is what they're like, the real risk for Australia is if Tony Abbott was ever Prime Minister it wouldn't be a question of what is on a fundraising menu, we would see this lack of respect for women littered through his government decisions."

A photo of the menu from the fundraiser has been circulating on social media, with Twitter users claiming Mr Hockey attended the dinner.

The menu offers 'Kevin Rudd's a goose fois gras', which is accompanied by the claim, "We were going to serve the Swan fois gras this evening, thought it lost when we put it to a vote."

The next dish allegedly served was the 'Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail', described as "Small breasts, huge thighs' and further offensive language.

Asked if he would apologise, Mr Abbott said "I condemn it".

"We should always be bigger and better than that," he told reporters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.

"Whether it's a tacky scatological menu at the front of a Liberal party event, whether it's squalid jokes told at a union conference dinner with ministers present - whatever it is - I think we should be better than that.

"It should be appalling to every Australian's best self as we go into this election."
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey earlier denied ever seeing the menu menu amid reports he had attended the dinner.

"I don't recall ever seeing any such menu. It is offensive and inappropriate whenever it was put out and it is now", he tweeted.

LNP candidate and former Howard government minister Mal Brough has confirmed the menu comes from a fundraiser held for him in March.

He said he never saw or condoned the menu, but apologised for the "deeply offensive and sexist" joke, the ABC reports.

Mr Brough is the candidate for the Sunshine Coast seat of Fisher, and has been involved in several controversies surrounding his long-running battle with the sitting Independent MP and former Speaker, Peter Slipper.

The incident has drawn parallels to a 2012 Sydney University Liberal Club dinner in which broadcaster Alan Jones said Ms Gillard's father had 'died of shame'.

At the same dinner, a signed chaff bag was put up for auction, following controversial comments from Mr Jones that the PM and then Greens Leader Bob Brown should be dumped at sea.

The incident cost Mr Jones's highly rated breakfast radio show several high profile sponsors, and the event's organiser, Simon Berger, his position as an executive at Woolworths.

The incident comes after Ms Gillard yesterday re-ignited Australia's gender wars, saying if the coalition is elected 'men in blue ties' will shut women out of public debate, and use abortion as a political issue.

The PM made the comments at the launch of the 'Women for Gillard' fundraising drive.

"It's a decision about whether once again we will banish women's voices from the core of our nation's political life," Ms Gillard said.

"I invite you to imagine it: a prime minister - a man with a blue tie who goes on holidays to be replaced by a man in a blue tie.

"A treasurer who delivers a budget wearing a blue tie, to be supported by a finance minister, another man in a blue tie.

"Women once again, banished from the centre of Australia's political life."

Deputy Opposition Leader Julia Bishop says the decision to re-introduce abortion to Australia’s political debate is unwelcome.

Ms Bishop called the comments a "crude political ploy from a desperate PM leading a bitterly divided party" and demanded an apology from Ms Gillard.

"She's clearly trying to distract attention from her own self-inflicted political woes," she told the ABC.

"I think Australians deserve better than this from the top leadership in the country."

Labor party backbenchers and Kevin Rudd supporters Stephen Jones and Ed Husic have also expressed surprise at Ms Gillard’s comments.

"I'm not convinced of the wisdom of kicking this into a political debate," Mr Jones said yesterday.

"I think the 2013 election should be faced up around the big policy issues, as important as that one is."