Updated
Labor backbencher Steve Gibbons has been forced to backtrack after calling deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop a "narcissistic bimbo".
Mr Gibbons, who is not recontesting his Victorian seat at the next election, took to Twitter this morning to attack Ms Bishop and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.
"Libs are led by a gutless douchebag and a narcissistic bimbo who aren't fit to be MPs let alone PM and Deputy. Both should be sacked," he said on the social networking website.
Mr Gibbons later tweeted that he was "just stating the obvious".
His use of language comes less than two months after Prime Minister Julia Gillard launched a blistering attack on Mr Abbott, accusing him of sexism and misogyny.
Labor frontbencher Jenny Macklin described the backbencher's language as "inappropriate".
"Nobody should use that language about other members of parliament," she told Sky News.
Mr Gibbons subsequently tried to backtrack from his comments, saying on Twitter: "Apologies to those offended by my use of the word Bimbo. I'll replace that word with "Fool"."
He then reposted his original comment with the slight variation, although he has since deleted all references to it.
Nearly two hours are posting the original comment, Mr Gibbons tweeted: "To all of those offended by my Tweet posts this morning - I unreservedly apologise."
It is not the first time Mr Gibbons has sparked controversy over his use of language of Twitter.
In February, he described Kevin Rudd as a "psychopath with a giant ego" for wanting to challenge for the leadership after being "comprehensively rejected" by his caucus colleagues.
Tensions within Federal Parliament for the last sitting week of the year are high, amid the Coalition's dogged pursuit of Ms Gillard over claims involving her work history.
During her time as a lawyer at Slater & Gordon in the early 1990s, Ms Gillard provided legal advice for the establishment of the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) Workplace Reform Association, saying she believed it would be used for legitimate purposes.
Instead, it was used as a slush fund by her then boyfriend, former AWU official Bruce Wilson, although he last night denied receiving any financial benefit from it.
Ms Gillard has consistently denied suggestions of wrongdoing, arguing that she was acting on the instructions of her clients and did not knowingly benefit from any alleged fraud.
But Ms Bishop, who has been running the Coalition's attack, insists Ms Gillard still has questions to answer, and has vowed to continue to pursue the matter in Parliament.
However Labor says it is Ms Bishop who has questions to answer over her dealings with self-confessed fraudster and former union official Ralph Blewitt, who was also involved in the slush fund.
The Deputy Liberal Leader told journalists yesterday that she had spoken to Mr Blewitt once as part of her search for documents relating to Ms Gillard's work history, and that the meeting took place in Melbourne on Friday.
But Fairfax newspapers have today reported that was also a phone conversation between the pair earlier last week, prompting Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese to launch a fresh attack.
"This says a lot about her judgment and a lot about her honesty," he told ABC News 24.
"If that is true - and Julie Bishop's got to clarify exactly what the situation is - she's yet to say exactly who was at the meeting in full."
Ms Bishop's office has been contacted for comment.
Topics: government-and-politics, federal-government, alp, australia
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