The women of Labor's so-called ''handbag hit-squad'' - frontbenchers in Julia Gillard's government - came too late to the defence of Ms Gillard against rampant sexist attacks, former minister Tanya Plibersek has confessed.

Ms Plibersek, a leading member of the 'squad' and now the opposition's foreign affairs spokeswoman, said on Wednesday some of the criticism levelled at Ms Gillard when she was prime minister had a ''genuine pornographic and violent edge to it'', and was of an intensity that Australians had never seen in public life.

Tanya Plibersek, pictured with former prime minister Julia Gillard in 2012, said: "In large part, the feminists of the hit squad arrived on the ground after the game was over. Julia Gillard, I think, felt very much alone." Credit:Andrew Meares

But Ms Plibersek said she and female colleagues like then minister Nicola Roxon had not responded earlier because they had believed it would risk drawing attention and supplying ammunition to ''the rants of nutters'' and deflect attention from serious government policy.

She now believed a much more robust response should have been employed earlier, and she and her colleagues should have ''called out'' the most virulent sexists as prominent Liberals, including Tony Abbott, began appearing in front of placards accusing Ms Gillard of being a ''witch'' and worse.