A new Australian Navy cargo ship has been officially welcomed to the fleet with a racy dance routine, which one politician compared to a "shitshow".
Scantily-clad women in berets, black shorts and skin-tight crop-tops from dancehall troupe 101 Doll Squadron twerked and gyrated in front of the AU$2 billion HMAS Supply in Sydney, ahead of its commissioning.
The bizarre scene happened on Saturday and wasn't featured at all in the Navy's official video of the event uploaded earlier in the week. But clips recorded by onlookers spread on social media on Wednesday, prompting horrified reactions.
"I thought I was watching the Super Bowl there for a split second, I will be honest with you," Senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie told 9 News. "Whoever made that call, it's an absolute shocker for goodness sake. It is not the time and place."
"Standards in the ADF, and definitely when commissioning a ship, should be a little bit higher than that," backbencher Phillip Thompson told the ABC. "We've got the CDF, we've got members of Parliament there, and the Governor-General's there, I don't think it's appropriate to be twerking."
Another Australian politician, reportedly a minister, told ABC on the condition of anonymity the Navy was meant to be a "fighting force".
"What would Horatio Nelson think of this shitshow?"
One of the songs the women danced to was Sean Paul's 'Boasty', which includes the lyrics, "Me is a bowy got money inna bank / And ready fi roll and blaze up the skank / And got the girls from Jamwon to Hong Kong / Di girl dem champion, innit?"
Some clips - including one uploaded by the Australian government's own ABC - appeared to show Chief of Defence General Angus Campbell awkwardly watching the "shitshow", but turned out to be fake.
The Navy said dignitaries such as him and Governor-General David Hurley didn't arrive until the formal part of the ceremony, wisely skipping the entertainment.
"HMAS Supply and the Royal Australian Navy are committed to working with Australians from all backgrounds in actively supporting local charities and community groups," the Navy said in a statement.
The HMAS Supply's sister ship the Stalwart is expected to be commissioned later this year.
"Their primary role is to provide logistics replenishment to naval combat units while underway at sea and to aid humanitarian and disaster relief when called upon," the Navy said.
Whether the Stalwart will be welcomed in the same style remains to be seen - perhaps smashing a bottle of champagne on the ship's bow will suffice.
