July 1, 2012 - Melbourne
New South Wales' top politician, Kristina Keneally has been left "hurt and distressed" after she was compared to Kim Kardashian in a newspaper, her husband has revealed.
Ben Keneally made an official complaint to the Australian Press Council after 'The Australian Financial Review's' 'Rear Window' column by Joe Aston referred to his wife as "reality TV premier Kristina "Kim Kardashian" Keneally in March.
The jibe had been originally made by the now Premier Barry O'Farrell in parliament a month earlier, when he declared that the "Government by Kim Kardashian is over."
According to Keneally's complaint, comparing his wife to the reality star, who found fame after making a sex tape made her upset because of Kardashian's "negative reputation."
However, the APC disagreed and had rejected Keneally's complaint on Thursday.
Moreover, it wasn't the first time that an O'Farrell's gag had appeared in the paper's column.
But according to Keneally's complaint, the columnist went too far on the fourth occasion.
Aston "had not merely reported O'Farrell's comment, but had endorsed it," News.com.au quoted Keneally as saying.
He also said that the reference was "deliberately offensive and hostile to women in politics".
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Aston insisted that his column was "satirical" and poked fun at politicians from all parties.
"Firstly, in the item where I referred to Keneally as Kim Kardashian, I referred to Liberal Minister Brad Hazzard as a buffoon," Aston said.
"I have also called John Howard 'a rodent' and Tony Abbott 'the Mad Monk'. Everyone gets a ribbing," he added.
Keneally said he was happy with the process taken by the APC but not with the result. He said Mr Aston had "crossed a line," despite the comment appearing in a satirical column.
ANI
