NSW Speaker Shelley Hancock has infuriated Labor politicians with claim Upton questions are sexist

NSW parliamentary Speaker Shelley Hancock accused Labor of going after Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton because she was a woman in parliament yesterday.

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NSW parliamentary Speaker Shelley Hancock accused Labor of going after Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton because she was a woman in parliament yesterday.

Ms Hancock drew howls of protest from Labor MPs yesterday and complaints of offence from Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley after she said that a sustained Labor attack on the embattled Attorney-General was because of her sex.

First female speaker, Shelley Hancock, accused Labor of going after Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton because she was a woman.

“It’s all about women, isn’t it,” Ms Hancock said at one point.

She also said: “Just trying to get a scalp, especially a woman’s one, a female scalp.”

Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley said: “You are saying we are pursuing the Attorney-General because she’s a woman and I’m offended by that.”

NSW Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley says he was offended by the Speaker’s claims. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Labor frontbencher Jodi McKay, who asked one of the questions of Ms Upton yesterday said: “When she walks into the chamber she is the Attorney-General and she must answer the questions about her shareholdings and whether she made those disclosures to the Premier and Cabinet. This has nothing to do with gender and it’s offensive to suggest otherwise.”

Five Opposition MPs, including three women, were kicked out of a raucous Question Time by Ms Hancock yesterday.

Member for Strathfield Jodi McKay told Ms Hancock that gender had nothing to do with the line of questioning and it was offensive to suggest otherwise. Picture: Adam Yip

Ms Upton has come under fire by not answering questions in parliament concerning her failure to declare to cabinet her $50,000 worth of shares in Real Energy at a time deregulating gas prices was being discussed.

She again avoided answering questions on the matter yesterday, instead attacking Labor as “hollow hypocrites”.

The Daily Telegraph has also revealed Ms Upton, the member for Vaucluse, has gone through seven drivers in two years as a minister and eight electorate staff in four years as an MP.

She dismissed drivers because she did not think they were up to scratch and is now driven by a private contractor, not a driver from the government pool.

Ms Upton has come under fire by not answering questions in parliament concerning her failure to declare to cabinet her $50,000 worth of shares in Real Energy at a time deregulating gas prices was being discussed.