NSW Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell made a humiliating gaffe when he posted what appeared to be a private message on social media network, Twitter.
The tweet, which O'Farrell himself billed as 'deeply off the record', was directed to Fairfax Radio journalist Latika Bourke. In it, O'Farrell calls new Prime Minister Julia Gillard a "ranga" – a reference to her red hair.
The message, which has since been deleted, reads: "deeply off the record – I think the timetable & struggle to get candidates reflects internal poll – pre & post the ranga".
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One of Mr O'Farrell's followers saved the tweet before it was deleted, and the message has since flooded the social networking site, and sparked the hashtag #deeplyofftherecord.
Many Twitter users have questioned why the NSW Opposition Leader would share the information with Ms Bourke. Others have warned of the dangers of mistaking a tweet reply, which is public, with a direct message, which is private.
Mr O'Farrell has nearly 3,500 followers on Twitter, and has posted over 3,100 messages.
