The Abbott government has taken a shot at Tanya Plibersek, saying the deputy Labor leader wants Australian combat aircraft to drop food hampers not bombs on Syria.
"And guess who will end up feasting on them - a terrorist picnic," Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told parliament on Tuesday.
By making the suggestion, Ms Plibersek had broken ranks with her leader and the bipartisan approach of the government and opposition, she said.
Last week Ms Plibersek said Australia should be providing substantially more humanitarian aid to Syria.
Australia's $12 million for relieving Syria's humanitarian crisis was woefully inadequate, she said.
Ms Bishop said Iraq was militarily, politically and strategically a complex theatre of war.
"If the deputy leader of the opposition thinks that Daesh can be defeated by food not force, let's hope that she never has anything to do with the planning of strategy in this country," she said.
Ms Plibersek defended her comments shortly afterwards, telling parliament she fully supported the campaign against Islamic State.
But Australia should be doing whatever it could to support victims of the group, she said.
"To say this is calling for food drops to Daesh is a pathetic lie," she told the lower house.
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