Independent MP Zali Steggall has accused David Littleproud of “threatening” her, after the leader of the Nationals told her to “be careful” during Question Time.
The House of Representatives was in a state of chaos after Steggall, independent member for Warringah, alleged a guest in the public gallery “flipped the bird” and looked to Littleproud in support.
Steggall described the gallery guest as “a gentleman in jeans, black T-shirt, overweight and bald”. Her descriptor sparked outrage from the Opposition: members of the Coalition began yelling, and the House was called to order.
Steggall explained her description of the gallery guest is for the purpose of identifying them from video footage.
As Coalition members continued to interject during Steggall’s explanation, she turned her attention to the leader of the Nationals: “Are you threatening me? Leader of the Nationals, are you threatening me? Mr Speaker, the Leader of the Nationals thinks it’s appropriate to threaten me.”
The threat that Steggall was referring to came from Littleproud, who told Steggall, she claiimed, that she “should be careful” as she was explaining her description of the gallery guest.
“I do take offence to the threat that was made to me by the Leader of the Nationals that I should be careful. That is not appropriate conduct in this chamber,” Steggall said.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley rose on a point of order, calling Steggall’s “body shaming remark” against the gallery guest member “disgraceful”. She called for the “pejorative” description to be withdrawn “immediately”. Steggall refused to withdraw her descriptor for the purposes of identifying the gallery guest in video footage.
The man who attended Question Time yesterday and allegedly made the rude gesture to the House appeared to be part of the group strongly opposing the ban on live sheep exports from Australia.
While Steggall claimed Littleproud – who attended the anti-ban demonstration outside Parliament House on Tuesday – had signed the man and the rest of the group in to the chamber, Littleproud told the ABC on Tuesday he had only signed in one gallery guest: his party’s candidate for the seat of Bullwinkel, Mia Davies.
Speaking to the ABC, Littleproud said Steggall was “looking for attention”, and raising the issue was “more about attention rather than actual due process”.
Last month, Steggall joined other teal independent MPs to call out “misogynistic” behaviour in Question Time. Their statement came after statistics found Coalition MPs have been ejected from Parliament almost 200 times since May 2022, with some MPs entering the double digits of being removed.
In making the statement, independent MP for North Sydney Kylea Tink said the ongoing behaviour in Parliament indicates that the Coalition “still has a woman problem.”
“I’ve become used to this type of condescending, unprofessional, and often misogynistic behaviour from several male MPs from the Liberal and National parties,” she shared in a statement this morning.
“It’s not just me – many people, often women, face this sort of behaviour in Parliament – the likes of which would not be accepted in any other workplace. It’s clear the Coalition still has a woman problem, and I doubt Peter Dutton has the backbone to call it out.”