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Tony Abbott under fire for awkward encounter with former PM Julia Gillard
He stared blankly while awkwardly waiting to greet his former arch nemesis
Awkward exchange occurred at the unveiling of Ms Gillard's portrait in Canberra
The former prime minister was slammed on social media for strange interaction

By Kylie Stevens For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 06:02 EDT, 24 October 2018 | Updated: 06:44 EDT, 24 October 2018

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Tony Abbott has been ridiculed on social media after television crews captured an awkward encounter with fellow former prime minister Julia Gillard.

It's been five years since the once fierce political rivals last traded a war of words across federal parliament, but the unspoken tension between them was evident at an unveiling in Canberra on Wednesday.

The pair were at federal parliament to celebrate the unveiling of a portrait of Ms Gillard, where Mr Abbott attracted attention and took awkward to another level.

A blank stare from former prime minister Tony Abbott while waiting to greet former arch nemesis Julia Gillard took awkward to a new level

In front of a packed gallery of politicians from both sides of the chamber, the backbencher stared blankly as he was awkwardly left waiting in the background to greet his former arch nemesis while Ms Gillard happily chatted to parliament cleaners.

Social media went into the meltdown following the strange encounter.

'He takes awkward to Olympic gold medal level,' one person tweeted.

Another added: 'Awkward. Kind like the dinosaurs must have felt when they looked up and saw a huge meteor about to crash into the earth plunging them into extinction.'

Another asked whether it was a joke by the robotics department at Australian National University.

There were also comparisons to Mr Abbott's blank stare at a Channel Seven reporter in 2011 when confronted about his 's**t happens' comment delivered with a shrug of the shoulders when discussing the circumstances surrounding the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan.

The awkward encounter between the pair (pictured) occurred at the unveiling of a portrait of Ms Gillard in Canberra on Wednesday

It's been five years since the former political rivals (pictured) last traded a war of words across federal parliament

Mr Abbott and Ms Gillard eventually came face to face, where they momentarily put their bitterness aside to shake hands and smile for the cameras.

Ms Gillard even gave Mr Abbott a shout out in her speech.

'There are too many here to acknowledge by name but I would like to acknowledge former prime minister Tony Abbott for joining us and future prime minister Bill Shorten,' she said.