Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has denounced the way federal Liberal Julie Bishop was treated after she announced she was quitting politics, claiming reactions focused on her shoes and nails.
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Ms Bishop announced she would quit politics earlier this month, following similar decisions by Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer, Human Services Minister Michael Keenan and Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion to leave at the election due in May.
Ms Palaszczuk said Ms Bishop spent 21 years in Parliament, six as foreign minister, was chair of the United Nations security council and was deputy leader of the Liberal Party.
"But how was her resignation treated? It was said 'sometimes the simple addition of killer high heels and a fresh manicure can make waving through the madness just that little bit easier'," she said.
"Or perhaps the Prime Minister [Scott Morrison], in responding to her announcement, said his successor will have 'big shoes to fill, but we all know Julie had the best shoes in Parliament'.
"Let me say to each and every one of you here today, it's not the shoes that you stand in, it is what you as an individual stand for."
Ms Palaszczuk was speaking at a UN Women International Women's Day breakfast in Brisbane on Wednesday morning.
She said it was important to get more women into politics in Australia.
"You can't be what you can't see, which makes having women leaders in the community, in business and in politics so very important," she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said Australia was ranked 20th in terms of the proportion of women in political life in 2001, compared with 193 countries.
"We slipped to 40th in 2014, and last year we were 50th - that's not progress, in fact, that's going backwards," she said.
"I believe the best person should get the job regardless of gender but the disproportionate number of men in leadership roles shows that women are not getting a fair go.
"There is no excuse for not having 50 per cent of women in every single level of government across Australia."
It comes after the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service recorded its highest intake fo female recruit firefighters this week.
More than one in three of the recruits, or 11 out of 32, were women.
Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said it was fantastic to see women recruits coming through.
"These women passed exactly the same exams as the other recruits and they are powerful - both physically and mentally," he said.
In Queensland, there are 100 female firefighters.
Mr Crawford said one of the reasons for the gender divide in the fire service was because current employees were not leaving.
"Most of our firefighters across Australia don't leave until they actually retire in their 60s," he said.
"Which actually shows what a brilliant career it really is that you can join in your 20s and you're still there 40 years later."
