Seven members of the Coalition, including the frontbenchers Angus Taylor, Andrew Hastie, Dan Tehan and Ted O’Brien, have apologised for leaving parliament after the speaker had ordered doors to be closed.
During the incident on Tuesday some MPs forced their way through a door during a parliamentary vote, hurting an attendant.
On Wednesday the speaker, Milton Dick, told the House of Representatives he was “disgusted” by the behaviour of MPs who “physically pushed their way past the attendant to get out of the chamber” during a vote on Tuesday afternoon.
Dick said he would write to MPs reminding them to “treat this chamber and parliamentary staff with respect”, citing other unspecified incidents – an apparent reference to demands for the Labor MP Sam Rae to apologise to the Liberal MP Angie Bell for an interjection.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, also put a focus on parliamentary standards on Wednesday morning by accusing the Coalition of a “filibuster” during debate on the climate safeguard bill, which caused the Senate to sit until 4.14am.
Albanese said the Coalition “like having a look at what some politics in another jurisdiction does … in their ideology and sometimes in their practice as well” – likely a reference to the use of filibusters in the US Senate.
As the lower house resumed at 9am on Wednesday, Dick addressed what he called a “very serious and grave incident which occurred during a division yesterday afternoon”.
Dick said that “after the bells had been rung, I ordered that the doors be locked”.
During votes in parliament, MPs pass to the left or right of the speaker to register their votes. MPs may abstain by leaving the chamber, which at times causes a rush to exit.
“After I gave this order, I’m aware that a number of members exited the chamber while one of the attendants was attempting to close and lock the door to the opposition lobby as directed,” Dick said.
“After the speaker orders the doors to be locked no member may enter or leave the chamber until after the division. It does not matter whether the doors have been able to be fully closed.”
Dick said: “The most serious aspect of this incident is that members physically pushed their way past the attendant to get out of the chamber, resulting in them getting hit in the doorframe and hurting their arm.
“I’m particularly disgusted by this behaviour and I will not tolerate it. For a staff member to be treated in this way when they’re simply doing their job is disrespectful and a very serious matter.”
Dick said “no staff member should be hurt in the course of doing their work” and no member’s time “is worth more than staff member’s safety”.
He said he would write to MPs about this and other incidents, an apparent reference to Rae who apologised for a disorderly interjection while Bell spoke in parliament on Monday.
Rae has denied that his interjection about his own children in childcare included a reference to Bell, who alleges the interjection amounted to a “slur” on her family.
After question time, Dick added that he had asked for a review and an “urgent risk assessment”.
The Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, queried if that review would include an incident on Thursday.
Although Dutton did not specify the incident in the house, Guardian Australia understands it relates to two Labor frontbenchers who allegedly pushed their way into the chamber to vote after the speaker asked for the doors to be closed.
Earlier, Tehan, the shadow immigration minister, O’Brien, the shadow climate and energy minister, Taylor, the shadow treasurer, and Hastie, the shadow defence minister, spoke on indulgence to apologise to the house.
They were joined by the Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie and the Nationals Llew O’Brien and Sam Birrell.
Tehan said: “I left the house as you were saying ‘close the doors’ and I apologise for my conduct.”
Taylor said: “I apologise to the House, speaker, for leaving the House after your directions were given.”
Hastie said: “I also apologise unreservedly to you and the house for attempting to leave after the doors were to be locked. I particularly regret any issues with the staff member involved and apologise to her unreservedly.”
