Bernie Ecclestone lashes out at MP for calling his daughter 'billionaire bogan'

Sydney, Mar 15 (ANI): Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has called for MP Kelvin Thomson's sacking after the politician verbally bashed his daughter Tamara in a Parliament speech and tagged her as a "billionaire bogan".

Ecclestone said that federal Labor MP Thomson's comments had been "stupid" although he questioned what he had meant by "bogan".

"I didn't know what that means, does he speak English?" Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as asking on radio station 3AW.

After being informed that being called a bogan implied his eldest daughter Tamara had no class, Ecclestone suggested the slur was more suited to Thomson.

"Who was the half-wit who said these things ... he should be fired because he's a bit of an idiot, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking [about]. You're not a communist state there are you?" he queried.

"She does a lot more work for charity than Mr-whatever-his-name has, believe you me, and given a lot more money to charity."

Thomson, in a speech to Federal Parliament this week, said Victorian taxpayers were bankrolling Ms Ecclestone's ostentatious lifestyle, which is documented in a reality television programme called Billion Dollar Girl.

The show features Tamara at her multi-million dollar London home, which includes an elevator for her Ferrari, motorised shoe racks for her 200 pairs, a private bowling alley complete with customised bowling balls, a crystal bath worth over 1.5 million dollars, an in-house nightclub; and a spa and wardrobe for her five pampered pooches.

"One thing I am absolutely sure of, there are better ways to spend $50 million, year in and year out, than bankrolling Bernie's billionaire bogan," Thomson said in Parliament.

Thomson has refused to back away from his comments and insisted that Tamara was fair-game given her public profile.

"She's not some Greta Garbo saying 'I want to be left alone'," he said on Sunrise.

"If you watch the documentary you'll see that she is a willing, indeed enthusiastic participant in charting this extravagant and self-indulgent lifestyle so it's not surprising when people comment on it."

But Bernie maintained he and his children's money had been legitimately earned and could be spent on whatever they desired.

"Any money my children have got they didn't steal, any money I've made I didn't steal, that's where they've got money from and they can spend it in any way they want," he said.

Bernie said that he considered Australia to be a country that supported entrepreneurs and questioned whether Thomson had "communist tendencies" before dismissing his importance.

"He's a person of little if any consequence and we shouldn't be bothered with him," he added. (ANI)