It took a woman in cabinet to do what a male colleague wouldn't: blast the opposition leader for making apparently sexist comments.
Interestingly, the whole saga was about women doing what men supposedly expected them to do.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten kicked-off the debate when he suggested Aussie blokes relied on women to "do" and organise the childcare.
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Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann - who knows what it's like to be accused of unthinkingly making sexist comments - wasn't rushing to condemn Mr Shorten.
Senator Cormann, who once labelled the Labor leader an "economic girly man", played it down as an unfortunate remark.
"I'm sure that Bill Shorten regrets them and I expect that he will clarify his comments today," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
However, his cabinet colleague Fiona Nash was less sympathetic, labelling the statement disgraceful and appalling.
The Nationals deputy leader called on senior Labor women to denounce Mr Shorten.
"That is prehistoric language and I'm extremely surprised that Tanya Plibersek and other Labor women haven't come out and condemned Bill Shorten for making those comments," Senator Nash told reporters in Tamworth.
Labor frontbencher Penny Wong came to Mr Shorten's defence, clarifying that a disproportionate burden of caring fell on women.
Asked about Senator Nash's "prehistoric" description, Senator Wong said: "Has she talked to Barnaby Joyce lately?"
