Australia’s “first bloke” has landed himself in hot water over comments that men wanting to get their prostates checked should seek out small, female Asian doctors to perform the examination.
Tim Mathieson, the long-term partner of Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, made the comments at a
reception for the West Indies cricket team at the prime minister’s official residence, with Gillard standing right behind him.
One commentator observed that her face “performed a remarkable transition — jolly, carefree smile to impenetrable stone on the turn of a phrase”.
Gillard became famous around the world last October for her fiery attack on sexism and misogyny in a speech to parliament directed at the country’s conservative opposition leader, Tony Abbott.
Guardian News Service