Extract from ABC News
Updated
Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has
again condemned the "outrageous sexism" experienced by former prime
minister Julia Gillard but has stopped short of naming current Prime
Minister Tony Abbott among those at fault.
In her book, Hard
Choices, Ms Clinton says the treatment meted out to Ms Gillard during
her time as the nation's leader by her former political opponents
"shouldn't be tolerated in any country".Speaking to the ABC's 7.30 program, Ms Clinton reiterated her strong opposition to discrimination against politicians based on gender.
"I'm referring to the way her political opponents characterised her," Ms Clinton said.
"The menu at that famous event, that was in print, about a prime minister who happened to be a woman. Some of the language that was used in debate or by the Parliament, out of the Parliament, but still in the political to-and-fro.
The speech that Prime Minister Gillard gave about misogyny was very striking to me ... I thought it was an important statement from a woman leader to make clear that this was behaviour that should not be tolerated.Hillary Clinton
"I don't have a problem with anybody - man or woman - contesting anyone's position, anyone's policy, taking a person to account, but doing so in a way that I thought depersonalised the very personal, that demeaned, just didn't seem to fit the Australia that I have come to know.
"As a woman and as someone who knows that double standards still exist, I thought it was regrettable that that was injected into Australian political debate."
In Ms Gillard's famous 2012 speech, she accused Mr Abbott - then opposition leader - of misogyny. The speech went on to receive millions of hits on video sharing website YouTube.
But Ms Clinton has stopped short of naming the current prime minister as an offender.
"I'm not going to name names ... that's really for the Australian people to judge," Ms Clinton told 7.30.
"The speech that prime minister Gillard gave about misogyny was very striking to me, because she did go chapter and verse - and again this is not about whether you approve of, voted for, or had any affinity with the positions she put forward.
"I just don't think there is a place for sexism in our politics. I think we should be purging those kinds of comments and holding ourselves to a higher standard."
Ms Clinton says the most striking aspect of Ms Gillard's speech was that she gave it.
"Often times when women are treated in a sexist way, when comments are made - whether it be about their appearance, their hair, their body, their martial status, whatever it might be - you just swallow it," she said.
"You go on, you try not to let it bother you, maybe you deflect with humour, all of which are good tactics.
"But she just went right at it, and I respected that. I thought it was an important statement from a woman leader to make clear that this was behaviour that should not be tolerated."
Ms Clinton told 7.30 the sexism she saw and experienced while campaigning against Barack Obama in 2008 for the Democratic presidential nomination was "very much part of our culture ... it just was taken for granted".
"My goodness, men come in all sizes and shapes, so do women, and it's about time we saw that for what it is - just human nature and reality," she said.
Australia, Canada must continue leadership on climate change
Ms Clinton - who is yet to rule in or out another tilt at the US presidency - says the world is in a race against time on climate change.Mr Abbott, on his recent North American tour, reaffirmed his "special relationship" with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper. Both leaders have campaigned strongly against carbon taxes.
Ms Clinton says climate change is no longer a debatable issue and she hopes Australia and Canada will not form an alliance to block global moves to curb emissions.
"In many ways, both Canada and Australia have been leaders in trying to deal with and combat climate change," she said.
"Countries like my own can create a lot of jobs, can, I believe, be the clean energy superpower of the 21st century and I assume the same is true in terms of opportunity, growth, and economic progress in Australia, Canada and elsewhere.
"I know that Australia was facing up to a lot of these issues in a large measure because, your weather patterns - the floods ... the droughts and other kinds of indicators - seem to be connected to, if not caused by changes in the climate.
"Australia is such an extraordinary natural resource. You have a treasure house of resources and ground resources that you can grow, it would be a shame to engage in short-term measures that undermine that long-term prosperity.
"I think dealing with climate change is part of any longer-term agenda to make sure the country stays strong and prosperous."
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