Kylea Tink calls out overly aggressive and personalised MP behaviour

The member for North Sydney on Thursday made a plea to Speaker Milton Dick to address parliamentary behaviour straight after yet another rowdy question time in which multiple MPs were ejected. It led to him issuing a direct call to all MPs to change their ways, one of several such statements this year to "do better".

It also took place after crossbench MPs combined, but failed due to both major party numbers, to amend standing orders to ensure better parliamentary accountability in question time by simply ordering that, "an answer must directly answer the question".

In front of a full chamber of Parliament, Ms Tink said she felt compelled to raise the issue of standards after experiencing behaviour on Wednesday, including "condescending and offensive language".

"As a member of this Parliament, someone working here in this place I do not feel proud of the way my workplace was represented yesterday," she told Parliament

"And quite frankly, I did not feel safe.

"I thought long and hard about asking this of you today because I'm mindful that in speaking out, I might inflame rather than tame the situation."

Ms Tink was particularly referring to specific behaviour on Wednesday, but did not name any names.

"Yesterday's behaviour left me feeling like my senses had been assaulted by what I experience is excessive and unconstructive noise and aggression being thrown around the room," she said.

"Mr Speaker, sadly this is not the first time I have experienced that sensation during question time in this chamber."

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There was dissent motion in Wednesday's question time against a ruling by the Speaker about whether Transport Minister Catherine King was being relevant to the question asked of her. Ms Tink did not support the Coalition.

"Once the dissenting motion was made by the opposition I believe the tone of the debate was overly aggressive and personalised, with numerous examples of condescending and offensive language, designed to I believe intimidate others within the chamber," the independent MP said.

"In any other professional environment this sort of behaviour would be completely unacceptable."

She then highlighted an unnamed male opposition MP who she said yelled aggressively at her and others on the crossbench.

"He aggressively challenged my voting decision, referring to my testimony I had provided two nights earlier to a procedural committee into standing orders during which I'd expressed a desire to see questions answered more directly," Ms Tink said.

"His tone was hostile and his body language was aggressive.

"And to the best of my recollections his words were, 'Where were you today, then? You say you want clear answers, that was your chance and where were you' ... he was shaking his head and looking at me in the way I found to be aggressive and honestly quite confronting."

Mr Dick, in response to Ms Tink, agreed "such behaviour does not reflect well on the House, or any of us" and urged all members present to reflect: "We must do better."

"By any measure this has been a combative week in the chamber. Such behaviour does not reflect well on the house, or any of us," he told Parliament.

"It's expected that parliamentary debate will expose differences of opinion. We have to find ways of engaging in debate that also maintains respectful behaviour.

"We are simply not meeting the standards, we should be meeting. This requires change."

Mr Dick reminded the MPs they had just passed legislation that day to establish a permanent Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) to deal with serious incidents or misconduct to "help us build safer and a more respectful parliamentary workplace".

"The legislation is just words and pieces of paper unless the house and all of us, unless we all act differently," the Speaker said.

"I hope this means something to all of us. We must do better."

Earlier this year, Coalition frontbenchers had to apologise after a female parliamentary staff member was injured as they rushed to exit the lower house chamber for a division.