JULIA Gillard's former communications director John McTernan has done more damage than good to the Australian Labor Party.

The sharp-tongued Scot, catapulted into the Prime Minister's office in 2011 on a 457 visa, was touted as the saviour for Ms Gillard at a time when her longstanding, and extremely polite, communications director Russell Mahoney stood down.

A survivor of the British Labour infighting between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, McTernan, 54, was known in the UK for his brash tactics and love of a good red wine.

He was revered by many as a "genius" and his most notable claim to fame is perhaps being the real-life Malcolm Tucker - the aggressive, profane and feared communications director from the BBC political satire The Thick of It.

But even before the Canberra press gallery - and any Australian journalist who got in his way - had become acquainted with his particular brand of aggression, there were warnings from afar that McTernan would not be all he was cracked up to be.

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''All I can say is, god help the Australian Labor Party,'' a veteran union leader and former chairman of the Scottish Labour Party, Bob Thomson, was reported to have said at the time of his hiring.

Another British source who did not want to go on the record was reported as saying of his hire: "Oh, he can make enemies; f---, can he make enemies".

This week the ABC revealed that it had been leaked thousands of emails from within the Prime Minister's Office during McTernan's time at the helm of the communications unit.

They allegedly detail the tactics, foul language and aggressive nature of the British bomb thrower.

In one particular office-wide email sent by the chief of staff in the Prime Minister's office about desk tidiness, McTernan replied to a quip about his own office space from a junior staff member.

"C***, you will be c**ted too," he said in a reply-all.

McTernan has not returned this journalist's multiple requests for comment on the emails. Although he has taken to social media site Twitter to blast others who have commented on their release.

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"@CCHQPress Grow up. You are recycling inaccurate gossip about me (a freelance journalist) because I disagree with you on twitter," McTernan responded to one user.

It's hardly surprising to many who dealt with McTernan over the years that he would not be afraid to use such vulgar language in what was supposed to be professional communications.

I, and many of my other colleagues in the Canberra press gallery, had daily if not hourly run-ins with the short-statured Scot.

If he didn't like the tone, headline or content of your story, McTernan would go on the warpath hurling abuse over the phone, via text, in email or in any form of communication possible.

And it was personal, very personal.

On one occasion in April when leadership speculation was swirling McTernan took issue with a story of mine about former Labor elder and Kevin Rudd backer Simon Crean not ruling out he would cross the floor on a vote on superannuation changes.

McTernan believed I was verballing Mr Crean when in fact I had accurately reported what he said.

"You need to take down your piece asap," he texted.

"If (Simon) Crean has a problem with it he can call me and absolutely rule out crossing the floor," I replied.

"I have a problem with it because he ruled it out in the interview and you should have a problem with lying," McTernan responded.

On another occasion in response to an article in The Daily Telegraph in May on an interview Julia Gillard did with controversial shock-jock Kyle Sandilands, McTernan fired off an email to me defending Sandilands and berating my grasp on communications.

''It appears it falls to me to point out some basic rules of comms to you,'' McTernan wrote.

''I have no idea why you - and it appears your paper - have a vendetta against Kyle. He is a popular and talented broadcaster and is listened to by more than a million people every morning.

''His work with charity is well known but it apparently disturbs you that the Prime Minister hosted Kyle and Jackie O and kids from Bear Cottage at Kirribilli House. Well I will never apologise for arranging that.

''Perhaps one day you will know what it is like to entertain and touch the hearts of millions of people like Kyle and Jackie O do every day. And perhaps then you will reflect on the darts of the pygmies who sneer at success.''

The next month McTernan was caught out lying about trying to secure a job with Sydney radio 2GB before Ms Gillard lost her job as Labor leader.

According to 2GB radio host Ben Fordham McTernan had expressed interest in working for the station during a meeting between the pair at the State of Origin football match.

Fordham said McTernan stated during a conversation: "You might even want me to do a regular spot on your show next year if we lose the election."

But Mr McTernan responded a simple "no" in a text when asked specifically by me if he had offered his services to the radio show.

Fordham later revealed that McTernan then texted him to say: "Your tweet has gone viral, I thought what goes on Origin stays on Origin."

After he lost his job following Julia Gillard's return-knifing from Kevin Rudd earlier in the year, McTernan announced he wanted to return to journalism. It was somewhat of an irony for all those who had been berated by him that he was now championing the profession.

Word is McTernan is currently overseas.

Perhaps he's looking for the next political position he can rocket into.

One thing is for certain, McTernan will never be the silent behind-the-scenes communications director. He will always, inevitably, find a way to be part of the story.