A Tasmanian MP has taken the Prime Minister to task for what she called his "shameful" comments about men crying.

Independent Member for Murchison Ruth Forrest said she was disappointed that Mr Morrison had recently accused Labor's treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers of being "precious" for crying.

"I'm terribly sorry; I mispronounced the shadow Treasurer's name! That must be such an offence to him! He is so precious. This is the same shadow Treasurer who cried in Kevin Rudd's office when he was a member. We know how sensitive he is," Mr Morrison said in Parliament last week.

Ms Forrest said she believed there were too many people in positions of leadership, including the Prime Minister, "who make casual sexist comments with impunity".

"Comments such as those made by the PM show a lack of understanding and appreciation of what sexism looks like, how it feeds disrespect and reinforces stereotypical behaviour that continues to see men and boys not encouraged or supported to express emotion in a healthy way," she said.

Ms Forrest said there was much evidence of serious negative impacts on the mental wellbeing of boys and men who were discouraged from speaking up and showing emotion, "especially emotions often attributed to females, crying in public for example".

"The suicide rate for males in Australia is shockingly high and we must do all we can to encourage men and boys to feel supported to express their vulnerabilities and emotions and ask for assistance," she said.

"Behaviours and comments such as displayed by the PM act directly against this.

"We owe it to all Australians to be informed about all forms of sexism, stereotyping and disrespect for the sake of current and future generations."

Tasmanian counsellor and president of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, Dr Di Stow said men lived under the pressure of the unrelenting message: "Do not be perceived as weak, and the notion that real men don't cry".

"The Prime Minister has reinforced this stereotype by implying that the action of a man crying makes him weak, and makes him feminine - that crying should be avoided at all costs," Dr Stow said.

"With young men and adolescent boys in this country at particular risk of suicide, it is extremely harmful to mock crying as a way of expressing emotion.

"Real men and real women do cry. Their sensitivity is to be admired for their care and concern about things that really matter. What an excellent leadership quality."

The Prime Minister's office has been contacted for comment.

Lyons Labor member Brian Mitchell said he was in the chamber when Mr Morrison made his "nasty" comments

"Anyone who has ever had a school bully make fun of them would have recognised that school bully in Scott Morrison," Mr Mitchell said.

"We raise our children to behave better than this, to let our sons know that it's okay to cry and to show their feelings.

"Scott Morrison's nasty bullying behaviour has no place in a schoolyard and it has no place in the national parliament."

The Advocate Thursday 17 December, 2020