Advertisement

Former Tasmanian premier Lara Giddings believes sexism 'reflected in political arena'

Former Tasmanian Labor premier Lara Giddings has used a radio forum to suggest she is treated differently in State Parliament because of her sex.

Ms Giddings, who is now the shadow attorney-general, said she believed sexism was still "reflected in the political arena".

She told 936 ABC Hobart that during a speech on Thursday, Liberal MPs deliberately talked over the top of her.

"I know they do it because they think this will get under her skin, this will get her, we'll just ignore her, we'll show how silly she is and we'll just really put her down," Ms Giddings said.

"I don't see them do that to the males in the Labor Party. It's just me.

"So is it because it's Lara Giddings or is it because I'm a woman?

"Now, I don't really know the answer to that."

But State Government Minister for Women, Jacquie Petrusma, said Ms Giddings was not being truthful.

"It is just plain wrong and it is insulting," she said.

"We have appointed the first woman speaker, the first woman governor and unlike the previous Labor governments we have a dedicated Minister for Women."

Ms Giddings also used the radio forum to call for serious debate about gender quotas in board appointments.

She said the Labor Party's quotas for pre-selection had worked well.

But Ms Giddings said she did not believe board appointments were made on merit.

"This idea that it's based on merit alone, if it was merit alone you would have 50/50 already," she said.

"It's not about merit, it's about a whole lot of other issues that come in and stop women's progression."