NEWS Limited chairman and chief executive John Hartigan has described comments by the Prime Minister about News Limited as an affront and a "slur on the professionalism of our people".

Prime Minister Julia Gillard told reporters today that News Limited in Australia has "hard questions to answer" in the wake of the massive media upheaval around its related company News Corp in Britain.



“I do believe that Australians watching all of that happening overseas with News Corp are looking at News Limited here and are wanting to see News Limited answer some hard questions,” Mr Gillard said.

The Prime Minister, who is considering support for a Greens demand for an inquiry into the Australian media, made the claim three times in the same press conference but did not elaborate on what the "hard questions" were.



"Looking at all these events in the United Kingdom, I think Australians have been disturbed by them," the Prime Minister told reporters.



"I think they've been disturbed to see the reports in the UK and the kinds of things that have been happening with telephone hacking and the like.



"And I think that does mean that Australians here look at News Limited and they've probably got some hard questions that they want answered."



And Ms Gillard soon after said: "I do believe Australians watching all that happening overseas with News Corp are looking at News Limited here and, you know, wanting to see News Limited answer some hard questions."



News Limited owns news.com.au and major newspapers including the national daily The Australian and The Daily Telegraph in Sydney, both of which have been accused by Government ministers of biased political coverage.



Mr Hartigan responded this afternoon, saying: “The Prime Minister’s comments seek to draw a link between News Corporation operations in the UK and those here in Australia.



"The comments were unjustified and regrettable.



“There is absolutely no connection between events in the UK and our business in Australia.



“There is no evidence that similar behaviour has occurred at News in Australia.



“We have answered every question put to us on this issue openly. If the Prime Minister has more questions we would be happy to respond.



“No one is more appalled or is more concerned about what has happened in the UK than we are.



"It is an affront to everyone at News in Australia and a slur on the professionalism of our people, especially our journalists.”



There have never been allegations against News Limited outlets which were in any way similar to the telephone hacking charges which shut down London's News of the World and which last night saw News International chief executive Rupert Murdoch grilled by a British parliamentary committee.



The Prime Minister said she would not give a running commentary on Mr Murdoch's testimony but condemned the attack on him with a shaving foam pie as grossly objectionable.



"I'm certainly not making up any conclusions; quite the reverse," she said of News Limited.



"All I'm saying is when there's been a major discussion overseas, when people have seen telephone hacked into, when people have seen people grieving, had to deal with all of this, then I do think that causes them to ask some questions here in our country, some questions about News Limited here.



"And obviously News Limited has got a responsibility to ask those questions when they're asked."



She said it was natural for Australians to be interested "when we see a big thing happen overseas".



"It causes us to reflect on circumstances in our own nation, so I'm saying no more and no less than that," she said.



"When we see big things happen overseas we've then had them influence our national conversation, what we're talking about. I anticipate that will continue to happen here."