Dai Le, Vietnamese refugee MP for Fowler, is slammed on Twitter by Paul Bongiorno

A Covid-obsessed left-wing political commentator has ripped into newly elected independent MP Dai Le for the traditional Vietnamese dress with an Australian flag imprint that she wore in her maiden speech.

While the response to Ms Le’s fashion statement was largely positive, former Channel 10 political editor Paul Bongiorno blasted her dress and parts of her maiden speech ‘simply appalling’ on Tuesday.

‘Independent Dai Le mars a gut wrenching First Speech of refugee survival by wearing an Australian flag and like end (sic) lock downs to Communist suppression. Simply appalling,’ he tweeted.

His views, however, were quickly countered by Twitter users coming to Ms Le’s defence.

‘Wearing her traditional ao dai and giving respect to our country for taking her family in and offering them a new life, is a display of respect. It was an amazing maiden speech,’ said one twitter user.

‘The only thing appalling here is your attitude towards this country and those that love it,’ said another.

Veteran political journalist Paul Bongiorno (pictured) slammed the Independent MP on Twitter saying her first speech had been ‘marred’ by her fashion 

Speaking to Radio 3AW morning presenter Neil Mitchell, Ms Le shrugged away criticism saying the dress paid homage to her heritage and her love for Australia.

‘I’m a proud Australian of Vietnamese heritage and I thought it was such a momentous occasion for me to speak on behalf of my community that I wanted to share how proud I am as an Australian,’ she said.

‘There are people who are attacking me, it’s a Vietnamese traditional dress in an Australian flag and I’m sure we’ve seen the Australian flag in many things and many forms and I wanted to share my story.’

When asked whether she believed wearing the dress had been disrespectful, Ms Le stood by her decision.

 He took the swipe at the newly elected MP on social media

‘I don’t think it’s disrespectful, as a matter of fact it’s the opposite, it’s actually paying respect to Australia,’ she said.

‘I just wore it in the house, the people’s house, I don’t think I did anything out of disrespect at all.’

Ms Le described the flag as representing a second lease on life for her family after they were forced to flee Vietnam during the Fall of Saigon in April 1975.

Ms Le (pictured) disputed the criticism saying her decision represented her love for Australia

‘For me Australia means so much it’s about… it’s my home,’ she said.

During her speech on Monday, Ms Le recounted the harrowing journey she and her family had taken while travelling to Australia.

‘I remember running with my mother and two younger sisters, scrambling to make our way on to a boat and pushing through the cries and screams of women and children. I had no idea what was happening,’ she said. 

The member for Fowler wore the dress during her maiden speech in which she spoke of the harrowing journey she and her family took as they fled Vietnam

‘All I can recall are the cries, the panic, the chaos and one moment on the boat when I turned around to look back at my birth country to try to comprehend what was happening and just saw big, black smoke in the distance.

‘I remember the moment I thought we would die when a big storm hit our boat.’

Ms Le made history at the May election when she beat Labor candidate, former senator Kristina Keneally, and won the southwest Sydney seat of Fowler.

Ms Le received a standing ovation and the admiration of her peers after her rousing speech at parliament on Monday 

Fowler had previously been a safe Labor seat and had been held for 12 years by Labor MP Chris Hayes on a significant margin until his retirement in 2022.

After her rousing maiden speech a huge crowd in the gallery gave her a standing ovation, including many of Vietnamese heritage in traditional dress, and chanted her name. 

A long line of MPs including Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese formed to congratulate her.