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A shouted heckle of "cross your legs" amid a loud and fiery debate over pregnant mothers being diverted to hospitals further away has sparked controversy in Queensland.
The aftermath has seen an opposition MP referred to the Ethics Committee as she reportedly considers legal action over the sharing of a video of the incident.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman was addressing parliament yesterday when the LNP heckled her about what to tell the expecting mothers.
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Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates made the "cross your legs" remark straight after.
A government video of the moment — captioned incorrectly with "close" instead of "cross" — quickly went viral on social media and gained about 1 million views.
After the error was corrected, Fentiman said she was insulted and encouraged social media users to share the clip.
"Whether it's cross or close your legs, it's still abhorrent, completely insulting, so if you have liked, commented or shared the video please do so again," she said in a video posted to X.
Bates said her and her office were inundated with abuse as a result and argued the video, which didn't include the context of the debate, was misleading.
She called on Fentiman to take it down.
"I now ask that the incitement of these threats stop, and plead with the Health Minister to take down her misleading and deceitful videos," she said in parliament today.
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Those allegations were fiercely rejected by Fentiman.
"The member for Mudgeeraba has made very strong allegations that I have incited threats of violence against her," she said in parliament today.
"I reject that, I find it personally offensive and I ask the member to withdraw."
Bates stood up, said she was a "victim", and refused to withdraw her allegation.
MPs from both sides backed their respective colleagues.
"It's a pretty disgusting thing to throw at a woman in the chamber, and I think if you look at it in the context of all the awful things Ros Bates has said about Shannon Fentiman – they are unfair," Premier Steven Miles said.
The Coalition accused the minister of encouraging cyber bullying.
"The health minister is being disgraceful, and the way it's been handled is disgraceful," former LNP leader Tim Nicholls said.
9News Queensland political editor Tim Arvier said Bates was considering legal action against Fentiman over the video unless it was taken down.
Speaker Curtis Pitt referred Bates to the Ethics committee for failing to comply with a long-standing political convention that a member withdraws comments another member finds offensive.
Fentiman had taken offence to the comments her opposite number made accusing her of encouraging the social media pile-on
The health minister's office made no comment about whether it would take down the video.
