'Demeaning' remarks put Lambie under fire

The 43-year-old senator was interviewed on a Hobart radio show yesterday morning where she revealed she looks for ``a lot of cash and a package between their legs'' when it comes to male suitors.

Radio hosts Kim and Dave, of Heart 107.3, offered to help Senator Lambie, who said she had been single for 11 years, find a partner in a Bachelorette-style call-out.

``They don't even need to speak,'' Senator Lambie told the hosts.

Jamie, a 22-year-old caller, rang in to express interest in courting Senator Lambie and was asked whether he had ``plenty of cash'' and was ``well hung''.

Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks said the comments were ``demeaning'' and any comments based purely on a person's gender were ``not appropriate''.

``Discrimination law is about encouraging all of us to treat each other with respect,'' Ms Banks said.

Ms Banks said the comments were ``unfortunate'' and should be taken seriously.

By mid-afternoon Senator Lambie's interview had gone viral and she released a statement saying: ``I apologise to any radio listeners who may be offended by my comments on Kim and Dave's show.

``A lot of people laughed - including the tradie I was talking to - some people may have got offended,'' she said.

Social media was flooded with comments that if Senator Lambie was male, she would be called on to resign. 

``It is equally inappropriate in the sense that men deserve to be treated with respect and not to be objectified just as women should be treated with respect,'' Ms Banks said.

``It doesn't make it OK to turn the table on it,'' she said.

Feminist commentator Eva Cox said ``Jacqui is Jacqui'', and she was not prepared to stick the boot in.

``She's not the sort of person you expect great finesse and politeness from,'' Ms Cox said.

``I think men can take care of themselves when we talk about their private parts,'' she said.

``Maybe it will encourage them to be less frank about their own comments.''

Senator Lambie also told the radio show that a ``whipper snipper'' would be needed on her under-arms and bikini line.

``If you expect her to be a person of great taste, well it's not her,'' Ms Cox said.