Derryn Hinch, the so-called ‘human headline’ whose mouth landed him in trouble during his long broadcasting career, says he cringed when he heard Perth shock jock Howard Sattler’s controversial interview with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
“This is just low-life stuff and Howard is being a coward on this,” the now Channel Seven commentator said on Friday.
“This was low life and it diminished the office of prime minister.”
Sattler has been suspended from the airwaves by his employers Fairfax Media after an interview with Gillard in which he asked if her partner Tim Mathieson was gay.
Sattler later apologised to those who thought he had gone too far.
“I thought the prime minister showed a lot of class, a lot of style,” Hinch said.
“She should have leaned across the desk and slapped his face.”
The question demeaned journalism and no responsible journalist would have touched it with a barge pole, Hinch said.
Gillard told reporters in Adelaide today she was concerned such questioning could have a chilling effect on women and girls becoming public figures.
“I don’t want to see a message like that sent to young girls,” Gillard said.
“I want young girls and women to be able to feel like they can be included in public life and not have to face questioning like the questioning I faced yesterday.”
Her comments followed those of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick who said many women faced similar demeaning and sexist questioning.
“The fact is that from the PM down, so many women in public office, whatever side of politics they come from or women at senior business level, I think there is – there is still a significant demeaning attitude, sexist questions, invasive questioning,” she told ABC Television.
“It’s got to stop because we want women in public office.”
Sydney radio talkback host Ray Hadley said he would never ask about anyone’s sexuality.
“Of all the things … I could ask her, that would be the last thing I would choose to ask the prime minister,” he told ABC radio.
“The sexuality of anyone, be it her partner or anyone else is no one’s business.”
He said no Australian Prime Minister had ever been subject to the same type of attacks as Gillard.
Victorian Liberal Premier Denis Napthine said Ms Gillard’s treatment had been “disgusting, appalling and totally inappropriate”.
