Another gaffe on the campaign trail, Opposition leader Tony Abbott says one of the best traits of candidate Fiona Scott is her sex appeal. Courtesy: Sky News, Agenda.

Labor Members of Parliament have been told by campaign headquarters not to engage in any criticism of Tony Abbott's "sex appeal" comments, with one source saying Labor strategists were wary of repeating Julia Gillard's misogyny attack on the Opposition Leader.

On the campaign trail in western Sydney today Mr Abbott said one of his key candidates has a "bit of sex appeal" when asked to list her key traits.

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At an event in Penrith in the Opposition Leader was asked to compare Fiona Scott to Jackie Kelly who won the seat of Lindsay for the Liberal Party in 1996.

"They are young, they are feisty," Mr Abbott said.

"I think I could probably say they both have a bit of sex appeal and are just very, very connected to the local community."

But Health Minister Tanya Plibersek admitted she would not like to hear similar comments from Kevin Rudd.

"I think people can their own minds up about those sorts of comments," she told Channel Seven.

"I wouldn't especially like it if it was my leader describing me that way.

Labor frontbencher Kim Carr said Mr Abbott was stuck in the 1950s.

"He's pathetic, he really is pathetic," he told ABC radio.

"Sometimes we should think Tony Abbott really hasn't crawled out of the 1950s."

Labor MP Deb O'Neill said late on Tuesday night she was "completely appalled" by Mr Abbott's comments.

She said his words demeaned Ms Scott to a mere sex symbol and Mr Abbott was "unfit to be prime minister".

"Mr Abbott's comments follow a long pattern of ignorance towards the substantive role that women play in our community," Ms O'Neill said.

"Belittling his own candidate as merely a sex symbol is completely unacceptable, and should not have a place in modern Australian politics.

"The fact that Mr Abbott continues to hold such dated views about women, and continues to make these inappropriate comments, makes him totally unfit to be prime minister."

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The candidate at the centre of the comments, Ms Scott is contesting the seat of Lindsay which is held by Labor's David Bradbury by a margin of 1.13 per cent.

Mr Abbott's remarks, delivered with a chuckle, was met with embarrassed laughter from Ms Scott and reporters.

He said she "can be every bit as good" as Ms Kelly.

Labor member for Lindsay and Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury appeared to not want to weigh in to the controversy.

"Tony Abbott can answer for his comments about his own candidates," Mr Bradbury told News Corp Australia.

"Our community deserves a local Member of Parliament that has the experience to get results for our area and that's what I offer the people of Lindsay."

Mr Abbott later described his comments as "a bit exuberant".

Speaking from Brisbane, Mr Abbott said: "Fiona and I have been mates for a long time".

"It's obvious that Fiona is a smart,savvy hard working candidate who knows the electorate inside out and I am really proud to be associated with her," he said.

"I was a bit exuberant today but we are all working incredibly hard to get her elected and to change the government."

Mr Abbott however wouldn't say if he would use the same terminology to describe a male candidate.

The blunder comes just a day after his suppository gaffe went global.

During a speech to members of the Liberal Party, the man who could be Australia's next PM said that no one is the "suppository of all wisdom".

He had meant to say "repository", meaning a store, not the medicine that is inserted and then dissolves inside the body.

The embarrassing error was picked up by media overseas, with newspapers in the UK and the ABC and CNN networks in the USA all giving it a run.

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