PM Tony Abbott and wife Margie
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott arrives with his wife Margaret for a service at St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney July 20, 2014, remembering the 298 people, including 28 Australians, who died when the Malaysia Airlines passenger jetliner MH17 crashed over eastern Ukraine. Abbott blamed Russia on Friday for the shooting down of MH17, going further than other Western leaders in apportioning blame over the crash, demanding that Moscow answer questions about the "Russian-backed rebels" that he said were behind the disaster. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: TRANSPORT DISASTER POLITICS)

The Australian government has a taxpayer-paid relationship counselling programme that includes sex advice from no less than Prime Minister Tony Abbott. However, reports say that some Aussies are finding it hard to swallow lessons on intimacy from a man who studied how to be a priest and applies conservative Catholic standards to government policy on issues like same-sex marriage.

The lessons are done via group sessions on sex ad desire being conducted by Relationships Australia, reports the Herald Sun. The five-hour course is in response to frequent complaints from Aussie women on frequency and quality of the couple's sexual activity. As a result, their male partners are under pressure to deliver.

"Women feel far more entitled. I think the men are reacting like anyone would ... We've got more women coming in saying 'he isn't giving me enough sex.' That's standing out to us," said Grant Pearson from Relationships Australia.

The perception that Mr Abbott won't bring anything valuable to the table includes comments such as the PM would probably suggest having separate beds for couples and no sex for poor pairs. Someone compares and advice from the rightist PM as like catching your parents having sex.

Regardless of the couples' perception of the zero value of Mr Abbott's suggestions, Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews explained, quoted by Daily Telegraph, "Education and counselling programs enable couples to talk alone and clarify expectations. This can help them to build stronger relationships. The Stronger Relationships program helps couples to discuss differences about a range of issues, including finances, communication and parenting, that can undermine relationships."

But despite Mr Abbott's aversion to same-sex marriage, the course is open to gay and lesbian couples, although some critics of the course complain that most of the Catholic pre-marriage counselling sessions included in the scheme aren't suitable for gay couples. There is also a complaint that some providers require a $50 co-payment from couples while the promise is that the $200 voucher is supposed to already cover the entire course.

Below are four intimacy tips offered in the course:

1. Be positive about what you have in your relationship and let your partner know what you value about him/her and about the relationship.

2. Create opportunities for intimacy. Many times when you can be alone together in a situation where you can focus on each other and on your relationship.

3. Practice making "I" statements about how you feel. This avoids putting your partner on the spot, and may help him or her do the same.

4. After an argument look at the deeper feeling behind the anger, hurt, anxiety, or your sense of being let down.