British Health Secretary Matt Hancock has defended a plan to hand a senior trade role to former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott despite concerns about his attitude towards women and homosexuality.
Questioned on Sky News, the Health Secretary said on Thursday he did not believe that Mr Abbott was homophobic or misogynistic, and, when pressed, said "He's also an expert in trade."
Mr Abbott is in talks to become joint president of the relaunched Board of Trade but critics have raised numerous concerns, including over his belief that coronavirus restrictions should be lifted.
He has previously said that he feels "a bit threatened" by homosexuality, opposed same-sex marriage, and was accused of misogyny by fellow former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard.
Mr Hancock, wearing an NHS badge with the LGBTQ rainbow flag, was pressed over the suitability of Mr Abbott, who led his nation from 2013 until he was ousted by his own party in 2015.
"I bow to nobody in my support for everybody to love who they love, whoever that is," he said.
"But we need to have the best experts in the world working in their field and the former prime minister of Australia has a huge amount of experience."
When pressed about allegations of homophobia and misogyny Mr Hancock replied "I don't think that's true".
When reporter Kay Burley said "He's a homophobe and he's a misogynist", Mr Hancock replied, "He's also an expert in trade."
International trade minister Greg Hands said no appointments had been confirmed but he welcomed Mr Abbott in his willingness to "help this country out".
Opposition MPs were highly critical of the defence, with shadow minister Peter Kyle saying ministers "don't even pretend not to embrace bigots anymore".
Labour MP Marie Rimmer added: "Surely there's trade experts who aren't homophobic and misogynists? Britain deserves better than Tony Abbott representing us on the world stage."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Abbott's coronavirus views were "deeply offensive and wrong" and he was not fit to be a trade envoy.
"But Tony Abbott, before these comments, is a misogynist, he's a sexist, he's a climate change denier," she told Sky News.
"Trade, in many respects, should reflect our values - there should be ethics attached to any country's trading profile."
But Mr Abbott's sister, Sydney councillor Christine Forster, came to her brother's defence on Friday, saying he would be an "outstanding" trade envoy based on his track record as prime minister.
She said it was "nothing short of dishonesty" to call Mr Abbott a homophobe and misogynist "for the purposes of scoring cheap political points".
"As a woman who has always been part of his life and who came out to him as gay in my early 40s, I know incontrovertibly that Tony is neither of those things," Ms Forster said in a statement.
"In reality he is a man of great conviction and intellect: an unabashed conservative but with great compassion, respect for others. and an indelible sense of doing what is right."
