TWO ABC broadcasters have called Julia Gillard a "whore" and accused boyfriend Tim Mathieson of being gay in blistering Twitter attacks as the Prime Minister prepared to open the ALP national conference today.

One of the brutal tweets was deleted after complaints to the ABC.

The attacks underlined the heat being generated by Labor's debate this weekend on same sex marriage.

Triple J broadcaster, Paul Verhoeven, retweeted the suggestion that someone put the illegal amphetamine "meths" into the ALP's drinking water to turn the conference into a "a wild sex game".

He also wrote "boo you whore" about the Prime Minister but later deleted it, claiming it was merely a reference to to a popular movie.

The Triple J presenter said the tweet had been taken down "because the ABC were copping complaints from people who clearly haven't seen Mean Girls," he said in a later tweet.

An ABC spokeswoman told News Limited: "Paul Verhoeven has been asked to delete his tweet as it is not in accordance with the ABC social media policy."

Another Triple J identity and musician Brendan Maclean tweeted: "Just because you don't want to marry your gay boyfriend doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to marry mine."

The ABC is unlikely to discipline the men because they are contributors - not on staff - and were using private Twitter accounts.

Mr Maclean defended his comments on Twitter, saying: "note my bio disclaimer sweetheart".

"My Twitter has nothing to do with tax dollar." he said

The Labor Party will tomorrow debate same sex marriage with the left demanding the party platform endorse it and the Prime Minister calling for a conscience vote in Parliament.

Today Ms Gillard opened the conference pledging a year of jobs, growth and fairness but made no direct mention of gay marriage.



She told the 400 delegates to the ALP's 46th confence that there was a deep belief in sharing the benefits of hard work.

"This is the Labor way. This is the Australian way," Ms Gillard told delegates.

"We follow it simply because we are us."

That line was not exactly an oratorical high point for the Prime Minister but set the theme of economic growth shared through such mesas as the proposed disability issuance scheme.