National Party’s Bridget McKenzie and Teal independent Zali Steggall trade misogyny barbs in heated exchange

Political misogyny — a key battleground in the 2022 election that aided the rise of the Teal independents — is back on the agenda.

An explosion of bickering has occurred between women across the political spectrum concerning the perception of their work lives being controlled by men.

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie on Friday declared the Teals were not the sole defenders against misogyny after party member Allegra Spender fired up over the issue at the National Press Club this week, saying she had a problem with the “insulting” idea “there’s someone covertly hiding behind us pulling all the strings”.

The heated debate follows revelations Ms Spender lobbied the Australian Financial Review to remove wealthy renewables campaigner Simon Holmes a Court from the “covert” section of an annual list of influential Australians.

The Nightly revealed her colleague, Goldstein MP Zoe Daniel, also lobbied for Mr Holmes a Court and has been referred to the Federal anti-corruption commission over the matter.

Mr Holmes a Court established Climate 200, a fundraising company that was the driving financial force behind the election of five teals at the 2022 Federal election — including Curtin MP Kate Chaney.

The Liberal Party admitted it had a gender issue after losing the blue ribbon seats to the group of professional women.

However the misogyny issue within Canberra goes much further back. It was famously brought to attention by former prime minister Julia Gillard during a parliamentary speech in 2012 when she accused then-opposition leader Tony Abbott and the Coalition of sexism.

Appearing alongside Teal Zali Steggall on Sky News, Senator McKenzie hit out at the idea the independents were somehow doing more for women’s rights.

“I’m also a professional woman in Parliament who stands against misogyny, and I’m a conservative. So, the fact that Zali and all her girlfriends want to make out that they are the only female parliamentarians who want to stand up for women having a voice and having you know, a positive contribution to make to our democracy really just goes to show what they’re all about,” Senator McKenzie said.

Ms Steggall stood behind Ms Spender’s comments on Friday, saying she and her colleagues “answer to our community and no one else”.

She said Climate 200 made a “very small donation” to her campaign in 2022, and that she had only spoken to Mr Holmes a Court once in three years.

“All seven MPs are independent MPs and do their own thing, but I think this narrative has evolved and it does have a sexist bias,” Ms Steggall told Sky News.

“I think ultimately all it does is ostracise the very voters that have turned to professional women to represent them, which are professional women who have had enough of misogyny and have been taken always as an assumption that there has to be someone behind them.

“I can assure you we are very feisty, very independent, and no one is pulling out strings.”

Senator McKenzie said supporting the Teal MPs was an “investment strategy” by Mr Holmes a Court, pointing out they all “100 per cent support his renewable-only position”.

She said Mr Holmes a Court was represented as the “Wizard of Oz” through the decision to place him in the “covert” section of the list.

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam also weighed in, saying it was “insulting” to suggest men were pulling the strings within the Liberal Party.

“I’m not going to comment further on this absolute nonsense because I’m focused on the priorities of Western Australians . . . cost of living, keeping crime down, a better health system, addressing a housing crisis and restoring services to our regional community,” she said.

“That’s what West Australians want to hear about.”