WORLD> Newsmaker
Rudd's F-word tirade is 'robust'
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-21 08:49

Rudd's F-word tirade is 'robust'Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday said he would not apologize for using swearwords in front of his colleagues, arguing Australian politics had a long tradition of "robust" language.

Rudd was commenting after News Limited newspapers reported he turned the air blue when a group of politicians from his Labor Party confronted him about curbing their electoral allowances earlier this month at a private meeting.

Related readings:
Rudd's F-word tirade is 'robust' Rudd's dilemma: Football or G20
Rudd's F-word tirade is 'robust' Polls strong for Rudd in critical week
Rudd's F-word tirade is 'robust' Australia PM Rudd faces toughest week
Rudd's F-word tirade is 'robust' PM Rudd fine with nerdy reputation
"I don't care what you f****** think!" the center-left leader reportedly told them, before singling one out and telling him: "You can get f***ed ... don't you f***ing understand?"

Rudd did not deny swearing. "It's fair to say, consistent with the traditions of the Australian Labor Party, we're given to robust conversations," he told reporters in the US. "I make no apology for either the content of my conversation or the robustness with which I expressed my views."