Turnbull sorry for adviser's attack on NBN blogger

LIBERAL frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull has expressed regret over "vulgar anglo-saxon" language, after his senior policy adviser told an NBN blogger to "get f ... ".

Malcolm Turnbull said on Twitter he regretted policy adviser Stephen Ellis' bad language.

LIBERAL frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull has expressed regret over "vulgar anglo-saxon" language, after his senior policy adviser told a critical NBN blogger to "get f****d".

Mr Turnbull's policy adviser, Stephen Ellis, delivered the spray to technology blogger Steve Jenkin, who has been critical of the opposition's National Broadband Network policy.

In the published emails, Mr Ellis told Mr Jenkin he normally marked his emails as "junk" when he received them.

"Nobody challenges your numbers because nobody takes your psychotic rantings seriously," Mr Ellis wrote.

"Given what you write is a delusional fantasy that exists only in your own mind, you can get f*cked. Have a nice life."

After inquiries by News Corp Australia, Mr Turnbull took to Twitter to respond.

"Regret my staffer's lapse into vulgar anglo-saxon in an email to a blogger," he said.

"Charm remediation has been administered and equanimity restored."

Mr Turnbull has been dubbed "the man who invented the internet in Australia'' by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, in reference to his background with internet provider OzEmail.

But he has enjoyed a testy relationship with members of the online blogging community over the Coalition's cheaper NBN policy with slower speeds, including a face-off with them at the launch of the policy earlier this year.

Mr Jenkin yesterday said he had tried to ask similar questions about the policy earlier this year and it "ended badly then".

"These are questions they don't want asked," he said.

"I thought the email ill-advised, not just uncivil."

###