‘I shouldn’t have done it, Karl’: Tony Abbott admits yesterday’s wink was a mistake

TONY Abbott has apologised to Australia for that controversial movement of his eyelid yesterday. And now ‘Gloria’ has spoken out.

HE SHOULDN’T have done it.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Channel Nine this morning that his mid-interview wink to an ABC radio host when a phone sex hotline worker called in yesterday was a mistake.

“Look, I was looking at Jon Faine, he was smiling at me and I winked back at him,” Mr Abbott explained to Today Show presenter Karl Stefanovic.

“I shouldn’t have done it, Karl.”

Mr Abbott batted his left eye at 774 talkback host Jon Faine when caller Gloria, 67, said she had to work on a sex hotline to make ends meet.

“I should’ve been more focused on the caller and more focused on the interview,” Mr Abbott continued.

The PM said it is important to engage with people who want to talk to him.

“I was attempting to do that. I was momentarily distracted by the interviewer.”

“Mistakes are always regrettable Karl, and I will do my best, having made a mistake yesterday to make none today.”

Jon Faine on #winkgate "He did seem very nervous and I don't know why. He's the Prime Minister, he's been in public life for ages" #auspol

— Jennifer Rajca (@jrajca) May 21, 2014

Sub-type: comment CAPTION: Jon Faine on #winkgate "He did seem very nervous and I don't know why. He's the Prime Minister, he's been in public life for ages" #auspol— Jennifer Rajca (@jrajca) May 21, 2014

Winking is clearly part of Mr Abbott’s facial movement repertoire. Picture: News Corp Australia

Gloria, the pensioner who sparked Mr Abbott’s wink, described it as “sleazy, slimy” and said the controversy didn’t improve her call rate last night.

“I only got one call and it only lasted for four minutes,” she told ABC Melbourne this morning.

“[At] 50 cents a minute I made two bucks last night.”

The woman insisted she is “real”, but admitted ‘Gloria’ is not her real name.

“He’s pretty silly, because if he hadn’t done that I’m sure what I said would have been forgotten by now,” she added, labelling the Prime Minister “a stupid man” and the coverage “overwhelming”.

TITLE: NN-Abbott-Gender

“I’ve been seething for weeks about Abbott and Hockey and yesterday was a real opportunity to vent - which I didn’t think I’d ever get.”

Mr Faine admitted he raised his eyebrows, but said it was Mr Abbott who appeared nervous during the interview.

“Whether it was a sort of private school boy snicker at the mere mention of the word ‘sex’ or ... a Benny Hill moment, everyone who watches it will make up their own mind,” he told ABC TV this morning.

“I do think it has got way out of all proportion.”

Picture: Mike Keating

The PM’s spokesman yesterday said he winked merely to reassure Mr Faine that he was happy to take the call.

But that didn’t fly with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who described him as a “total creep”.

“Rather than taking seriously her concerns of poverty and illness he gave a wink and a smirk, and all I have to say to the Prime Minister on this is what a creep. What a total creep,” she said.

HuffPo on Abbott's wink: pic.twitter.com/UB1T7CyTfN

— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) May 21, 2014

Sub-type: comment CAPTION: HuffPo on Abbott's wink: pic.twitter.com/UB1T7CyTfN & mdash; Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) May 21, 2014

"I've actually lost respect for him..." @sophiemonk on Tony Abbott's #wink

— 2DayFM Breakfast (@2dayFMbreakfast) May 21, 2014

Sub-type: comment CAPTION: "I've actually lost respect for him ..." @sophiemonk on Tony Abbott's #wink & mdash; 2DayFM Breakfast (@2dayFMbreakfast) May 21, 2014

The Australian this morning said Mr Abbott’s critics had gone “berserk over his every move — even a wink to a radio host”.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop defended the Prime Minister, who she said she spoke to following yesterday’s interview.

“He said that he was on radio. Jon Faine raised an eyebrow like ‘do you want to continue with this call’, something like that, and the Prime Minister winked back at him to say ‘it’s ok mate’,” Ms Bishop told ABC radio.

“Now he couldn’t speak because he was on radio.”

The Minister said she did not find anything sexist about the action.

“I think people are far too quick to judge others through this prism of everything being about misogyny or sexism,” she said.“Tony Abbott treats me with respect.”

“Believe me, I’ve worked in some sexist environments and this isn’t one of them.”

The interview was not so pleasant. Picture: Mike Keating

Gloria was one of many angry callers who confronted Mr Abbott when he hit the airwaves yesterday, beginning by asking him whether he’d like his mother or grandmother to be in her situation.

“I’m a 67-year-old pensioner. Three chronic incurable medical conditions, two life threatening. I just survive on around $400 a fortnight after I pay my rent,” she told him.

“I work on an adult sex line to make ends meet,” the woman, who said she was from Warburton, added.

“Now that’s the only way I can do it.”

She asked him what she should “cut out” to save money.

“Food, electricity, firewood, Christmas, birthday presents to my grandchildren or should we all just die and get out of your way?”

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young branded Mr Abbott’s wink “creepy”. Picture: Sarah Matray

The Prime Minister responded by saying he “absolutely” understood she was doing it tough and insisted she would still pocket carbon tax compensation even when it is axed.

Bill Shorten said Mr Abbott’s wink showed how “out of touch” he is.

“I am sure that the Prime Minister’s minders would have had a collective forehead slapping moment. Said ‘oh my goodness Tony’s at it again’,” the Opposition Leader told reporters in Melbourne.

“I don’t know what was going through his mind then.”

Mr Abbott also batted away questions this morning about whether he will still be leader at the next election — more than two years away.

“I expect the Australian people are sick of governments that change their leaders midterm,” he said.

Originally published as ‘I shouldn’t have done it, Karl’: Tony Abbott admits yesterday’s wink was a mistake