Prime Minister Scott Morrison said comments over his choice of headgear in North West Queensland last week were disrespectful to local businesspeople doing it tough after the floods.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
When in Cloncurry he wore an uncontroversial Cloncurry Shire Council baseball bap but after heading to Julia Creek he changed it for a Pratt Cattle Transport cap.
The company belongs to Tim Pratt, a Julia Creek businessman who spoke to the Prime Minister about his concerns when he came to town.
However the name on the cap was picked up by some in the media as an error.
These included former ABC The Drum and Crikey.com.au editor Jonathan Green who said on Twitter "Scomo advance team not all that flash on hat selection".
The PM was unperturbed by the sledging by journalists and others.
"When I visited & saw some of the devastation in Cloncurry & Julia Creek, I met many people suffering serious losses," Mr Morrison said on Twitter.
"A local small business owner who runs a trucking company and stands to lose everything gave me his hat. It’s the family name for a family business. I was proud to wear it. The comments about the hat and the name are highly disrespectful to what they're going through."
Mr Morrison said many families had lost nearly everything in the floods but their resilience was moving and inspiring.
"I wore that hat for them," he said.
"We'll do everything we can to help them rebuild & regroup. We won’t be deterred by a tweet or two."
READ ALSO: Birdsville cut off as Diamantina River rises
While you are here subscribe to our weekly email to your inbox at 6am each Friday