Ms Kirner was addressing a Christmas function hosted by the Laverton Community Association last Wednesday night.

Labor councillor Michael Raffoul was elected unopposed as mayor on December 3.

Cr Tony Briffa, an independent, was elected to a second term as deputy after ALP councillor Luba Grigorovitch failed to gain majority support.

Ms Kirner defended her right to get involved in council politics.

"I'm an elector and I've always stood up," she said.

"It's the responsibility of all citizens to participate in ensuring we have the best council possible. Council and senior positions ought to be balanced in terms of equity.

"We do need more women on council and to elect more women to senior positions."

She said it "beggared the imagination" that the council invited her to speak at a women's forum in October and then failed to elect a woman to a senior position on the council.

As reported last week, Cr Briffa said council positions should be based on merit, not sex.

"As Joan Kirner hasn't been in Parliament for over 16 years and is a private citizen and resident of Hobsons Bay, she is able to express her opinions about the council just as Victorians expressed their opinions about her as premier and the decisions she made, such as selling the State Bank of Victoria," he said.

"I am nonetheless disappointed that she used the Laverton Community Association to make politically motivated comments. The Laverton Community Association is not an extension of Labor's Emily's List; it's a non-political community group that aims to create vibrancy and opportunity in Laverton.

"In terms of women in politics, please, let us not forget the four federal and state MPs representing Hobsons Bay. Three are women, including the Prime Minister and health minister.

"Thankfully, no one is suggesting we should replace one of them with a man to enforce strict gender balance."

Cr Raffoul said he was more interested in getting on with priorities in the community than "he said, she said".

Cr Grigorovitch declined to comment.

As reported last week, Cr Grigorovitch said noone should ever get a position because of a person's sex, but she could have contributed a lot to the council's leadership team.