Deputy Speaker Anna Burke says parliamentary standards are probably the lowest they have been in her 14 years in politics.

Ms Burke is standing in for Speaker Peter Slipper and says the mood in the House of Representatives chamber over the past few weeks has been incredibly intense.

"The personal vitriol that I think you're hearing, I don't think I've heard over those 14 years ... that ferocity that's gone on for the last three weeks I've been in the chair," she said.

Ms Burke says the poor behaviour has also been reflected in her constituency.

"That level of intensity and civility from constituents has gone up, the nastiness in emails, the tone of them is certainly there," she said.

"If I said to somebody some of the stuff constituents write to me, you know, 'This woman's terrible, she's unkind and demeaning, how dare she' ... I cop it day in, day out."

Former Democrats leader Natasha Stott-Despoja has told ABC News Breakfast she cannot recall the level of nastiness reaching current levels before.

"I've been out of Parliament for almost four years now and I can't remember comparable scenes. I was in almost 13 years," she said.

"Even visiting recently, I was shocked by the venom of some of the discussions in the place. Really sad I think."

'Bruising place'

Reflecting on his 21 years in Parliament, retiring Labor Senator Nick Sherry says while many hold a dim view of politicians' at the moment, politics is still a noble profession.

"I believe and I still believe this very strongly despite all that is going on," he said.

"All that I've seen [is] that every person who is elected to this Parliament, whatever their shade, colour, political complexion, Labor, Liberal, Green whatever come to this place wanting to make it a better world and a better country. They all come with that and our level of contribution, the degree of contribution will vary."

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 5 minutes 38 seconds 5 m Labor Senator reflects on tough road of politics Download 2.6 MB

He says Federal Parliament has always been a particularly bruising place, especially over the last couple of months with attacks on sidelined Labor MP Craig Thomson.

"That is part of politics in Australia," he said.

"I have to say that the focus on Craig Thomson has been the most intense I think I have ever seen of any public figure, not just in politics but any public figure in recent Australian history.

"But having said that, I think there will always be a level of rough and tumble to politics in federal politics and the community I think does vary in its attitude to that."

Meanwhile, former Howard government foreign minister Alexander Downer says the level of negativity is being overstated.

"I do think former politicians tend to look back and think of better times," he said.

"Having been a cabinet minister and ... being grilled in Question Time over the years, the House of Representatives has always been a very robust place and there have been times when it has become extremely bitter.

"I think Julia Gillard makes a fundamental mistake by concentrating as Prime Minister so much on the Opposition.

"Ultimately she is the boss of the place and she has to set a different tone, and it's important she thinks about that."

Ms Stott-Despoja said both leaders had a role to play in ensuring there is a degree of "civility" and "dignity".

"Some of us went through some really difficult times ... but I defy many commentators or any former politician or even the public to come up with a time when they think it was quite as nasty as this," she said.