The Belgium-born Mathias Cormann sounds like Arnold Schwarzenegger and recently he's been playing up to that fact. But on Saturday's Sky News panel program he took it one step further by calling Opposition Leader Bill Shorten "a girly man".
Watch the vine here.
The "girly man" line comes from a 2004 Republic convention speech.
But if you think about it, it's kinda ridiculous. Labor's Senator Penny Wong immediately condemned the insult.
Others including Greens Senator Larissa Waters thought it was not on.
"Economic girly man" says Mathias Cormann. Using gender as a derogatory term is so offensive. The 1950s called & they want their govt back!
And those who had daughters said it was an insult to all girls.
@harvey_eliza @MathiasCormann no, the use of the term "girly" is derogative and as parents of young daughters know, it isn't funny.
The Sunday News Corp newspapers mocked up a truly terrifying photoshop of "Cormann The Barbarian".
And with controversy about the comments spreading Mr Cormann's office issued this statement to The Guardian's Daniel Hurst.
Cormann: "not in any way intended as a reflection on girls; it is entirely intended as a reflection on Bill Shorten"
