Liz Truss has repeatedly dismissed questions over Tony Abbott's attitudes towards women and LGBT people, after news emerged that the former Australian Prime Minister is in line for a top UK trade job.
The International Trade secretary praised Mr Abbott as a "principled politician" and said concerns over his views and record on social issues are "irrelevant" to his possible role on the UK's board of trade.
Mr Abbott could be made joint president of the revamped body, with responsibilities including boosting exports and investment in the UK, "to deliver economic growth and prosperity," the Sun reported this week.
Mr Abbott, who served as Liberal Prime Minister from 2013-2015, opposed same-sex marriage before it was legalised and hit out at "moral bullying" from supporters of equal marriage in 2017.
And he was criticised in 2012 for wondering years earlier "if men are by physiology or temperament more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command,” leading to Labour Prime Minister Julia Gillard calling on him to resign as leader of the opposition.
But Ms Truss, who is also the minister for women and equalities, defended Mr Abbott in an interview with ITV.
Asked whether she thought someone "who is widely viewed as sexist, homophobic and a climate change denier should be representing Britain around the world", she said: “He's a former Prime Minister of Australia he's done a excellent job on trade. And of course we're working very closely with the Australians on striking a new trade deal."
Asked again whether she was happy as minister for women and equalities to be working with someone "seen as a sexist by former leaders of Australia", she responded: “I'm not going to spend my time talking about comments other people have made in the past."
The interviewer once again raised her ministerial profile, to which she responded: “I’m a minister for women and equalities in Britain, and my focus is making sure that women, men, LGBT people, people of all ethnicities, have equal opportunities in this country.”
She went on: “This is an irrelevant question because we have not yet announced the board of trade.”
Ms Truss' opposite number hit out this week after news of the possible appointment emerged.
Labour's Emily Thornberry called him a "man addicted to picking fights”, and labelled the former PM “confrontational, aggressive, thin-skinned and nasty" in a piece for the i newspaper.
She added: “We know the Government has a big problem on trade. They don’t have the deals in place to fill the void that is looming at the end of the Brexit transition period. They’re still scrambling just to extend beyond December the deals we’ve already got with countries like Canada and Japan.
"But if Tony Abbott is the best answer Boris Johnson can come up with to that problem, we’re in even more trouble than we think.”
