Blame game erupts over Gillard's knitting pic stitch up
The office of Prime Minister Julia Gillard has blamed Australian Women’s Weekly for “stitching up” the PM after the negative reaction to the photograph showing her perched in a rocking chair, knitting a kangaroo.
The PM said she felt "absurd"
The Prime Minister herself was reported to have told her staffers she felt “absurd” in the pose.
Chief PR spin doctor , communications director, John McTernan, said responsibility for the picture came from Women’s Weekly.
“The concept of the photo shoot was not dictated by the Prime Minister's office," he said.
"The Women's Weekly arranged the photo shoot, including requesting the Prime Minister knit and that her dog, Reuben, attend."
However, leaked emails show the PM’s staff and advisers conjuring up the details of the photo opportunity.
"The PM has decided to knit a toy kangaroo for Kate Middleton -- it's super cute!" a leaked email from a Prime Ministerial staffer said.
Women’s Weekly associate editor Caroline Overington said McTernan‘s claim that the magazine bore responsibility for the pose was "absolutely false."
A further leaked email from the PM‘s office said: "As I mentioned the PM is putting together a knitting care package for Kate Middleton, who is due in mid-July, and I was thinking this would make a great story for the magazine.”
It added: “I'm picturing a story that includes the patterns for the items the PM will knit so your readers can knit their own royal blanket or something similar."
Overington said: “It was absolutely their idea and she had a team of advisers and stylists with her,"
"There was one moment where a shadow of concern crossed her face and she said, 'This seems slightly absurd'."
Overington said Gillard brought her own make-up artist, stylist and three suitcases of clothing to the shoot.