Peta Credlin hits out at 'insider gossip' in first public appearance since leadership spill

Former prime minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff Peta Credlin has hit out at "insider gossip" from people who supposedly felt intimidated by her, saying they don't deserve their jobs.

Ms Credlin made her first public appearance since the Liberals' leadership coup last night on a panel at the Australian Women's Weekly Women of the Future awards.

She said the past week has been tough, especially for her family.

But she remained determined not to "kick" the party or new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull "on my way out".

"I think that's undignified," Ms Credlin said.

She had some choice words for those who said she contributed to Mr Abbott's downfall, refusing to be "defined by insider gossip from unnamed sources where no one has the guts to put their name to it".

"If you're a cabinet minister or a journalist and you're intimidated by the chief of staff of the prime minister, maybe you don't deserve your job," she said, earning a scattering of applause from the audience.

Ms Credlin hosed down speculation she would run for politics, but said she was looking forward to the next chapter and would take some time to "breathe".

"I am not going to run for politics, it's been said about me for 16 years," she said.

"I want to move on with my life and do something where I get my own voice."

The past 10 years have been tough as a senior woman, Ms Credlin said, as she named confidence as a major hurdle facing young women.

"And we don't really admit that it's tough because we like to be strong and resilient, and we think if we admit to some of the challenges we're lesser than someone else around the table," she told the crowd.

There are two ways - "overt and covert" - that women are put off their guard in business and politics, Ms Credlin said.

The covert is "groups of men" going for dinner at the end of the day and not thinking to ask anyone else, or walking into a room and "being made to feel where your place is at the table".

Ms Credlin also opened up about her three-year battle with IVF.