"It is merely a joke book and maybe it's not a very good joke book,"he told ABC radio on Friday.
On Thursday,Fairfax Media revealed the messy preselection stoush in which supporters of Ms Bird had claimed the book,He's an Arsehole Anyway - How to Deal with Being Dumped According to the Arseholes Themselves, was"misogynistic".
They also said a member of Bill Shorten's former union should not be trying to roll a senior member of the opposition frontbench to kickstart a career in politics.
He's an Arsehole Anyway includes advice that women should"start thinking outside the kitchen".
Mr Zelinsky and co-author Elliot Capner write that they are qualified to help women to"think rationally"again after break-ups because they have"dumped girls. A lot of them."