News Limited columnist Piers Akerman has breathed new life into outrage over Prime Minister Julia Gillard being forced to defend the sexuality her partner, Tim Mathieson, by suggesting rumours about Mr Mathieson had been doing the rounds of the Canberra press gallery since 2010.

''A lot of people in the Canberra gallery have been saying the same thing [as Perth radio host Howard Sattler],'' Akerman said on the ABC Insiders program to the evident shock of co-panellists.

Insiders host Barrie Cassidy immediately denounced Akerman’s comment, saying: ‘‘You’ve just done precisely what Howard Sattler did and passed on rumours and that’s just as pathetic, quite frankly.’’

Akerman initially denied passing on baseless rumours. ''I passed on the same question that people said initially when she moved in. And nobody took it any further and that’s why I'm saying [Sattler] was wrong, Barrie,'' he said.