Canberra , Apr. 22 : In the times of a great economic slump, when Australians are struggling to make both ends meet, hundreds of thousands of dollars of Oz taxpayers money are going into Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s three-course gourmet meals on every RAAF VIP flight.

The catering overhaul was introduced last month after an angry Rudd reduced a RAAF flight attendant to tears over food provisions.

The Prime Minister later issued a public apology, but it could not save him from being named, ‘Kevin Rude’.

The cost of food for flying the PM and other ministers has significantly increased, with new rules that every RAAF flight must now carry a full in-flight meal service, including a hot dish, even on a 30-minute flight.

Rudd - who has a fondness for Vegemite on toast - has previously complained after being served sandwiches on Sydney to Canberra flights despite the plane spending barely 20 minutes in the air.

"I think it is safe to assume that the likelihood of two consecutive Prime Ministers sharing the same taste in breakfast cereal is very, very low. When the wheels go up there is always something on board to satisfy all requirements," Rudd’s spokesman said.

This change has led to a significant increase in the amount of waste generated by the squadron, as very few VIP passengers can finish a three-course meal during a short trip from Canberra to Sydney.

That has also increased costs to taxpayers of the luxury VIP air service.

The opposition is lashing out at the Prime Minister who "has his priorities wrong" ordering gourmet meals just like his wrong economic choices.

"I think the Prime Minister''s got his priorities wrong on the aeroplane as well as he has on the economy. They want to know what the Government is doing to promote jobs, they want to know why money isn''t being better and more effectively spent,'''' Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said. (ANI)