Annastacia Palaszczuk and John Coates at the Olympics 2032 press conference (Image: ABC)

If Julie Bishop thinks she suffered from so-called gender deafness as a politician, then Annastacia Palaszczuk must have misogyny muteness after her very public humiliation by John Coates.

The Queensland premier appeared to be struck dumb by the sheer appalling-ness of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) president, who chose a global press conference to berate, demean and patronise her.

Despite this morning’s efforts of the News Corp Olympic toadies to justify the dinosaur’s behaviour (as opposed to the excellent takedown on him by the great Greg Baum in the Nine mastheads), Palaszczuk’s silent reaction raises questions about how much responsibility female politicians should take for their own problems. Why didn’t she speak up for herself earlier?

At the beginning of the week we saw a flurry of publicity for the new ABC show Ms Represented, purporting to expose the awful sexism encountered by female politicians in this country.

Host Annabel Crabb claimed she was “shocked” by the one experience they all shared — so-called “gender deafness”, which had been experienced by everyone from Penny Wong to Bronwyn Bishop.

Former deputy PM and a fine foreign affairs minister Bishop explained that this “happens if you’re the only woman in a room and you come up with an idea or you say something”.

So often, there’s no response. And then the next person speaks. And then the next one actually appropriates your idea. And then all the men around the table nod and say, ‘What a good idea’. And you’d be there, ‘Didn’t I say that? Did no one hear me?’

While she is absolutely correct, the fact is that just like the issue of sexual harassment earlier this year, the issue is more widespread and egregious than among a group of privileged women within the hallowed halls of Parliament House. From media to business to sport, gender deafness has always been a big problem. Women who have climbed the corporate ladder have encountered this their entire careers and even reaching the boardroom does not stop it.

So pervasive is the problem that men don’t even know they are doing it on the television.

I tweeted this week that I had encountered the problem constantly on media panels where a comment or suggestion I had made moments before had been ignored but would then be repeated by a male and the rest would all nod in agreement. Sometimes they would even congratulate the bloke who had just blatantly plagiarised my views on live TV.

(And it was not the usual outspoken right-wing media types or my Sky colleagues who were the worst offenders but the darlings of the left who continue the practice even on the ABC.)

Among the many comments underneath my Twitter post were a surprising number from teachers who had suffered the gender deafness syndrome.

Coates’ contempt for Palaszczuk was just a more blatant example of the syndrome and it is not surprising it has prompted female sports official Megan Maurice to write about it today in Guardian Australia.

The trouble is that women like Bishop are willing to speak out after they have left politics, but she experienced an acute case of misogyny muteness as the only woman in Tony Abbott’s cabinet when he made himself the minister for women.

Former PM Julia Gillard spoke out while in office thanks to her legendary Abbott misogny speech. I fear her lesson may be lost.

Palaszczuk is doing her gender no credit by sitting silently while being humiliated but then playing along with the “it was all a joke, Coatsey and I are mates — we had a drink afterwards” line.

Even more offensive, his latest spin that he was “helping” her by providing political cover.

The idea that a woman who has won three elections and runs the third largest state economy in the country needs to be aided by this bloated bully is downright offensive. She should retain some dignity and fight back by going with her original promise to watch the opening ceremony from her hotel room.

Despite Coates’ claims, none of the pollies need to be there to educate themselves for the Brisbane Olympics because one thing is certain: none of them will be in office for the 2032 Games.

I’m not so sure that the great survivor — the cockroach of sport, if you will — Coates won’t be there though.

What did you think of Coates’ comments? Should Palaszczuk have spoken up? Write to letters@crikey.com.au, and don’t forget to include your full name if you’d like to be considered for publication.