Nationals backbencher John Cobb, who was recently in Afghanistan on a defence visit, told The Age the troops were full of stories of a Prime Ministerial temper tantrum.

"Basically, he couldn't hook his hairdryer up and he chucked a temper tantrum or something," Mr Cobb said yesterday.

"If it's true, it's amazing that you'd have a tantrum over your make-up when people are doing serious things over there."

But the Prime Minister's spokesman fired a rocket back in response, accusing Mr Cobb of peddling fictions created by a Liberal Party "dirt unit".

Mr Cobb's claims were "laughable, ridiculous and untrue", Mr Rudd's spokesman said.

"If Mr Turnbull wants to practise gutter politics he should have the spine to use his own name, not the good name of our troops."