South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has apologised for using the term "sloppy seconds" during a press conference, following calls from the opposition, the Greens and a gender equality advocate.
On Friday, when announcing that South Australia would host all nine matches of an AFL round next April, he said he was glad the state would hold the first iteration of the concept, rather than hosting it after NSW, which also bid for it.
"The objective was to get it here first — we wanted to be first," Mr Malinauskas said.
"I didn't want anyone else's sloppy seconds, particularly Sydney's, so now that we've got the event, we put on the best show that we can and then that sets us up for the future."
The Macquarie Dictionary defines the colloquial use of sloppy seconds as "an instance of sexual intercourse with someone shortly after that person has had intercourse with someone else".
Mr Malinauskas said he only understood the meaning of the phrase after someone in his office explained it to him after the press conference.
"When I used the term, I actually thought it was in reference to leftover seconds on a plate, in respect of food, like when someone eats a meal on a plate normally it can be categorised as sloppy by the time you've finished with it," he said on radio this morning.
Later, he addressed the comments again, this time offering an apology.
"I regret it and of course I'm apologetic," he said.
Opposition claims pattern of behaviour
Opposition Leader David Speirs said the Premier was engaging in "locker room talk that's disrespectful".
"I think sometimes we can be a bit quick to point the finger in terms of our leaders' use of language, but I'm seeing a pattern here from the Premier," he said.
Opposition spokeswoman for women Michelle Lensink said the comment was offensive.
"They are clearly sexually loaded, they are offensive and he needs to apologise for this latest round in a series of offensive remarks that he's made," she said.
"It's a pretty gross and offensive phrase to use at best; at worst it's yet another offensive slur against women and the Premier must apologise."
Ms Lensink said she was referring to allegations the Premier had called a group of Young Liberals who could not keep up with him during a parkrun "girls" in March, and comments from August that it was "a little cute" for the Liberals to suggest a donation from the CFMEU to the South Australian Labor Party be donated to a range of domestic and family violence charities.
She said it was unlikely the Premier did not understand the meaning of the phrase "sloppy seconds".
"I just don't buy that for two seconds," she said.
"The evidence is the smirk on his face.
"He clearly thought he was being pretty funny at the time.
"I think it's pretty broadly understood what this offensive terminology means.
"It's another example of the Premier using locker room talk and having that attitude and he needs to own it; he needs to grow up and he needs to apologise."
Before the Premier's apology, Greens MLC Tammy Franks said Mr Malinauskas's comments were "unacceptable".
"When you make a mistake, you say sorry and you mean it," she said.
Ms Franks and Ms Lensink said they had waited four days to speak out because they had been waiting for the premier to apologise on his own volition and after receiving complaints from constituents and seeing comments online.
Georgia Heath, a gender equality advocate, said language like Mr Malinauskas's remark had an accumulative effect on women.
"The first time you hear it, it might not seem so offensive, but when you hear it over and over and over again it does have the impact of simultaneously giving permission to continue to entrench gender norms," she said.
