Tony Abbott chastises Michaela Cash for Shorten comments

Michaelia Cash has been slammed by former prime minister Tony Abbott for her parliamentary outburst. | WATCH

Tony Abbott has called on Michaelia Cash to apologise for threatening to name “every young woman” working in Bill Shorten’s office who had been subject to rumours, calling her extraordinary comments a “brain snap”.

Mr Abbott said there had been too much “cheap smear” from the ALP and the Liberal Party but it was particularly bad when it came from Senator Cash given ministers were “supposed to operate to higher standards”.

“We had no less a person than the Prime Minister go out to the courtyard the other day and pontificate about higher standards,’’ he told 2GB. “I have got to say it was a pretty bad lapse from the minister”.

... the Minister responsible for women threatens to spread unsubstantiated rumours about other women. https://t.co/4iSdFasIDU

— Stephen Jones MP (@StephenJonesMP) February 28, 2018

A spokeswoman for Senator Cash said the Jobs and Innovation Minister, did not intend to apologise for the comments, which she withdrew, after being criticised by Labor’s Penny Wong.

Senator Cash, a former Minister for Women, was representing the Minister for Women in the Senate estimates hearing.

After being questioned by Labor’s Doug Cameron about whether her new chief of staff came from another Liberal office, Senator Cash responded: “if you want to start discussing staff matter be very, very careful because I’m happy to sit here and name every young woman in Mr Shorten’s office, over which rumours in this place abound. If you want to go down that path today, I will do it.”

.@SenatorCash used a Senate hearing to attack young women working in politics. Her comments undermine the professionalism of the many competent, intelligent, hardworking young women who work on all sides of politics. The comments are disgraceful + sexist - she should apologise.

— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) February 28, 2018

When Senator Cameron interjected that her comments were nonsense, she said: “Do you want to start naming them? Do you want to start naming them for Mr Shorten to come out and deny any of the rumours that have been circulating in this building now for many, many years?”

Senator Wong joined the hearing, accusing Senator Cash of outrageous slurs that had impugned the character of staff working in Mr Shorten’s office.

She said the comments were disgraceful, sexist and should not be allowed to stand.

Senator Wong said the matter would be dealt with on the floor of the Senate unless she withdrew the comments.

Senator Cash initially sought to defend her comments before saying that if anyone was offended, she would withdraw the comments.

Deputy Opposition leader Tanya Plibersek demanded Senator Cash apologise, accusing her of using the hearing to attack young women working in politics.

“Her comments undermine the professionalism of the many competent, intelligent, hardworking young women who work on all sides of politics,’’ she said. “The comments are disgraceful — sexist — she should apologise.’’

She said Malcolm Turnbull should prevail upon Senator Cash to apologise for the comments which she called ghastly, sexist and a 1950s style throwback.

“Senator Cash used the protection of Senate Estimates to launch a disgraceful attack on the young women working in this building,” Ms Plibersek said in parliament. “It was an unprovoked attack from a minister under pressure.

“Today the Minister for Jobs attacked young women doing their jobs. Today, the Minister representing the Minister for women smeared young women.”