Combet urges a stop to the name-calling

14 Oct 2012, 12:52 pm   -   Source: AAP
Federal minister Greg Combet says people want politicians to stop the name-calling. (AAP)

Federal minister Greg Combet says people want politicians to stop the name-calling. (AAP)

People outside politics would prefer politicians to get off the name-calling, federal minister Greg Combet says.

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Federal minister Greg Combet says Australians want politicians to stop the name-calling and get on with the job of government.

His comments follow a tumultuous week in federal politics in which Prime Minister Julia Gillard branded Opposition Leader Tony Abbott sexist and a misogynist.

Ms Gillard was in turn called a hypocrite for backing former Speaker Peter Slipper after the opposition demanded he be sacked for sending offensive text messages referring to female genitalia.

"It's been a pretty robust week alright," Mr Combet told ABC television on Sunday.

"But I think it's important for us to get back onto the public policy issues that people are more interested in."

People outside politics would "prefer politicians to get off name-calling and get on with the business of government", he said.

Asked whether he thought Mr Abbott was a misogynist, Mr Combet said: "He's a very aggressive, arrogant sort of fellow and he likes to lead a lynch mob."

Opposition frontbencher Sophie Mirabella said the government had "totally over-egged" the sexism tag.

"Julia Gillard and the whole Labor Party voted to defend the indefensible," she told Sky News on Sunday.

"Even Peter Slipper knew his position was untenable and Julia Gillard will wear that hypocrisy around her neck."

Meanwhile, Australian Greens leader Christine Milne accused Labor senator David Feeney of sexism.

Senator Feeney recently tweeted a series of pictures that feature the same image of Senator Milne with the caption, "the different emotional states of Senator Christine Milne".

Senator Milne said there was a "huge sexist element" in the tweets.

"If you're going to call it out, you have to call out sexism on all sides, regardless of who's responsible and that includes David Feeney for the government," she told Sky News on Sunday.

Senior government minister Tanya Plibersek said Ms Gillard's speech in the parliament followed years of sexist language and behaviour from Mr Abbott.

"Eventually this stuff builds up and every woman who has experienced this sort of behaviour and language in a workplace, eventually you call people on it," she told Network Ten on Sunday.

"That's what that speech was about."

Ms Plibersek said she didn't leave a union function in Canberra on Wednesday where a comedian made an offensive joke about Mr Abbott and his chief-of-staff Peta Credlin.

Several senior government frontbenchers including Ms Plibersek and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan stayed at the dinner after the comment.

"I didn't walk out, but I did ring two of the union leaders the following day to tell them it was highly inappropriate," Ms Plibersek said.

Labor had called on Liberal MPs who were at the recent Alan Jones dinner to condemn comments made by the Sydney radio broadcaster about the prime minister's late father.

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