Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was accused of using outdated slang to win over voters yesterday, after repeatedly demanding a “fair shake of the sauce bottle, mate.”
He used the phrase three times in a short interview with Sky News on Tuesday, each time accompanied by a self-conscious grin.
“We’ve appointed the first woman as governor-general of the Commonwealth of Australia — fair shake of the sauce bottle, mate,” Rudd said, when grilled about whether his government had done enough to promote women.
Opposition frontbencher Tony Abbott said Rudd was “desperate” to shake off his nerdy image and connect with the Australian people — but was using language that was at least 30 years out of date.
“He’s doing it in ways that don’t sound authentic and that’s a big problem,” Abbott said.
It is not the first time Rudd — who was criticized for using impenetrable bureaucratic jargon after his election 18 months ago — has resorted to the language of the common people to make a point.
In March, he said the global financial crisis meant his government was facing a political “shit storm,” before immediately rephrasing and apologizing to viewers.
Last year, Rudd said he had to “drive the porcelain bus,” or vomit, after catching a stomach bug that he blamed on eating “a dodgy dagwood dog” — a kind of hot dog.
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