Storm over MP's 'pussy-whipped' remark

WA Liberal MP Don Randall has accused the mining industry of allowing itself to be "pussy-whipped" by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in comments that have been described as grossly sexist by some of his colleagues.

Mr Randall made the comments during a Friends of Mining lunch at Parliament House on Wednesday which was attended by about 50 coalition MPs and senators.

After hearing from the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Simon Bennison and Cazaly Resources executive Clive Jones, Mr Randall rose to berate the industry for being too nice to Resources Minister Martin Ferguson and lacking fight against the Federal Government over its mining tax.

"The problem is that the mining industry is being pussy-whipped by Julia Gillard," Mr Randall, the member for Canning, told guests, according to witnesses.

One Liberal said the choice of language was disgraceful.

Another said Mr Randall's comment was particularly ill-advised, given Labor's recent accusations of entrenched misogyny within the coalition.

Among those attending were Nationals leader Warren Truss, Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop, frontbenchers Bronwyn Bishop, Ian Macfarlane, Kevin Andrews and dozens of back-benchers, including chief organiser of the lunch, WA Liberal MP Barry Haase.

Mr Randall said that if his comments had offended any of his colleagues, none had raised it with him.

"It was a tongue-in-cheek type comment. I'm not denying it. It's a term that's often used and I use it as well," he said.

Ms Bishop, the most senior female Liberal in Federal Parliament, said she was not offended by Mr Randall's remark.

"I took it that he was talking about males who cower in the face of dominant women," she said.

"He didn't say it in a way that I found offensive, he said it in the context that the Government was known for its retribution and the miners appeared too scared to take them on again.

"If people were offended by it, they should have asked Don Randall what he meant by it."

Three weeks ago, Liberal senator David Bushby was accused of being sexist when he "meowed" at Finance Minister Penny Wong during a Senate inquiry.

Mr Randall received national attention in 1998 when he said Democrats leader-turned-Labor MP Cheryl Kernot had the "morals of an alley cat on heat".