Some of the most sexist people in Australia for 2010 have featured Tony Abbot, Mark McInnes, Joe – Hockey FHM magazine and St Pauls College students. Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has taken out two Ernie Awards at the 18th annual forum which names and shames public figures for making sexist comments throughout the year. The winners are determined by how loud the 300 women who attend the event at NSW Parliament House in Sydney howl, hiss and boo the nominations. But he missed out on the top prize this year, the Gold Ernie, which went to a group of university students at St Paul’s College in Sydney for setting up a pro-rape Facebook page. The college’s “Define Statutory” group, which defined itself as “pro-rape, anti-consent”, was condemned by women’s groups, the government and police when it came to light last November.

Mr Abbott won a Political Silver Ernie award for such comments as “What the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing …”, at the awards show in Sydney on Thursday night. He was the favourite to win the political category after being nominated this year eight times. Mr Hockey was twice nominated for the political Ernie this year, including his election campaign gaffe: “(Treasurer) Wayne Swan is to surpluses, what Paris Hilton is to celibacy”.

Former David Jones CEO Mark McInnes shared this year’s Industrial Silver Ernie with mining magnate Clive Palmer. Mr McInnes was dishonoured for allegedly telling his former secretary she was “overreacting” after he casually touched her breast. Mr Palmer shared the gong for telling pregnant federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek, “you shouldn’t get too excited in your fragile condition”.

The awards provide an interesting commentary on the state of sexism and sex discrimination in Australia. Evidently, there are still widely prevailing problems relating to the existence of sexism and sex discrimination in Australia.