Melbourne, Sep 20 : Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has defrended his expletive-laden tirade at Labour’s factional bosses including three women MPs as robust conversation.

Rudd said he made no apology for the content of his conversation or the robust nature in which he expressed his views to ALP factional leaders.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith told the Nine Network that, regrettably, swearing happens from time to time, and Rudd’s outburst was no worse than any others.

The factional leaders reportedly went to see the Prime Minister in his office about a fortnight ago to object to his move to slash MPs’ printing allowances from 100,000 dollars to 75,000 dollars.

The Sunday Mail quoted a source as saying Rudd said: “I don’t care what you f---ers think.”

He then went on, singling out Senator David Feeney declaring, “You can get f---ed”, before asking, “Don’t you f---ing understand?”

Asked about the reported conversation, Rudd said in New York today morning: “I think it’s fair to say that consistent with the traditions of the Australian Labor Party, we’re given to robust conversations.”

“I made my point of view absolutely clear, that is that these entitlements needed to be cut back and I make no apology for either the content of my conversation or the robustness with which I expressed my views,” Rudd said.

Rudd is in the United States ahead of a seven-day visit for the United Nations General Assembly and Group of 20 leading nations in New York and Pittsburgh. (ANI)