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Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he "doesn't concern himself with trivia" and was unaware at the time that the French ambassador Stephen Brady's partner of 32 years, Peter Stephens, was asked to wait in the car rather than greet him at a Paris airport.
Mr Abbott confirmed Mr Stephens was asked to stay in the car but blamed it on a junior official.
The Prime Minister described Mr Brady as a distinguished public servant and a friend.
Fairfax Media revealed on Tuesday that Mr Stephens, the partner of Australia's ambassador to France, Mr Brady, was asked by the Prime Minister's travelling party to wait in the car while waiting to greet Mr Abbott's plane in Paris.
Mr Brady refused the instruction and subsequently offered his resignation, which was rejected.
"I have a lot of time for Steven Brady. I appointed him our ambassador to Paris, I have known him for many years. He's a very distinguished public servant. A very distinguished public servant. I'd even say he's a friend of mine," he said.
Mr Abbott said he did not know Mr Stephens had been asked to stay in the car because "I'm the Prime Minister and I don't normally concern myself with trivia".
"My understanding is there was some issue at the level of junior officials and I don't concern myself with these things. All I want to say is that he's a fine servant of Australia, a really fine servant of Australia. He's a friend of mine, always has been and as far as I'm concerned always will be."
On Tuesday night, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten called on Mr Abbott to explain what happened and, if necessary, apologise.
Liberal frontbencher Alan Tudge leapt to the defence of Mr Abbott on Wednesday, labelling the report "disgraceful" and saying that the usual protocol required that if a Prime Minister was travelling with his or her spouse, then the ambassador would be accompanied by his or her spouse.
In this instance, Mr Abbott had been travelling without wife Margie and so "in that instance the usual protocol in my understanding is that the ambassador would therefore greet the Prime Minister by his or herself".
