Trans-Tasman trouble: Australian PM Scott Morrison given middle finger during speech

An attendee at the Clare Garden Festival was not happy to see Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
An attendee at the Clare Garden Festival was not happy to see Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo credit: Instagram - @justadelaidethings; AAP

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison endured a poor reception during a speech in South Australia, with a member of the crowd pulling the finger at him. 

On Sunday Morrison attended the Clare Garden Festival and addressed the crowd. During his speech, a man wandered up and pulled the finger directly in front of the politicians face.

Video of the altercation was posted to the popular Instagram account Just Adelaide Things.

Morrison ignored the gesture and continued speaking as the man wandered away.

It's been a rough weekend for the Prime Minister who was also booed at a football game on Friday

Morrison was met with the unfavourable response at the West Coast Eagles game against Collingwood in Perth on Friday night when he appeared on the big screen during the second quarter. 

It's physical evidence of his plummeting popularity after his Government's handling of a string of sex abuse allegations which prompted a nationwide rally for women's justice.

According to News.com.au, voters' satisfaction with Morrison's performance dropped seven points within two weeks in late March from 62 percent to 55 percent.

Last month he made a further blunder, describing Australia's minister for woman Marise Payne as the "Prime Minister for women". 

He was later asked by a journalist why he's not fit to be the "women's Prime Minister".

"Aren't you the women's Prime Minister? Are you not fit to do the job of Prime Minister?"

Morrison said he had been misunderstood.

"What I’m trying to bring together is a team of ministers and Marise Payne as minister for women can bring all that together as a leader of that portfolio team," he said. 

Senior figure in Australia's Labor Party Tanya Plibersek later said the comment showed it was obvious Morrison has failed to understand the issue.

"Scott Morrison said blokes don't always get it right. I'm waiting for the time that he does actually get it right," she said according to News.com.au. 

"What a nonsense proposition that we have a government that is half for men and half for women."