The federal opposition has refused to apologise for likening senior government frontbencher Penny Wong to executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Opposition water spokesman Greg Hunt sparked the controversy when he compared the water minister's handling of the water crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin to Saddam's regime.
"Penny Wong and prime minister (Kevin) Rudd are set to join Saddam Hussein and the Baathists of Baghdad," Mr Hunt told ABC Television.
Mr Hunt was comparing Saddam's destruction of ecologically significant wetlands when he ruled Iraq to the Australian government's treatment of the wetlands at the mouth of the parched Murray-Darling.
Senator Wong hit back at Mr Hunt over the Saddam slur.
"The critical situation we are facing in the lower lakes now is the culmination of 12 years of neglect, blame-shifting and inaction by the previous government - in which Greg Hunt was parliamentary secretary for environment," she said.
Treasurer Wayne Swan leapt to his colleague's defence.
"Look, I find those comments deeply, deeply offensive and really very ill-suited to anyone who would aspire to high office in Australia," Mr Swan told Macquarie Regional Radio.
"I think Greg Hunt should, frankly, apologise for those offensive remarks."
Mr Swan said it was a bit rich for the Liberals to make such remarks when they had run the country for almost 12 years and "didn't do anything to address problems in the Murray-Darling Basin".
Agriculture Minister Tony Burke joined the criticism of the Saddam comparison.
"I find it very hard to believe that someone would make a comment as stupid as that," Mr Burke said.
But Mr Hunt was unrepentant.
He said the reference to the Iraqi dictator provided an important historical context.
"I make no apologies for focusing on a national environmental emergency declaration," he told Sky News.
"This is a unique moment in Australia's environmental history where we are about to lose one of the world's great wetlands."
Authorities are considering walling off the lower lakes at the mouth of the Murray-Darling and flooding them with seawater.
Water levels in the freshwater lakes are so low they are turning to acid. Letting ocean water in would stop the acidification.
But critics of the seawater plan, including the federal opposition, want the government to buy more water from upstream irrigators to save the lower lakes.
The government has embarked on a $3.1 billion buy-back of water licences, but it has been accused of buying cheap, unreliable water licences which will make little difference.
Senator Wong this week said there was not enough water in the Murray-Darling for viable management of the lower lakes, a remark which indicates she could press ahead with the seawater plan.
A final decision has not yet been made.
