The Northern Territory attorney general has apologised for telling a Labor member during question time that he felt like slapping her, saying it was a “metaphor”.
However his apology was dismissed as “hollow” by female members of the opposition and crossbench, who joined forces to call for his resignation on Thursday afternoon.
John Elferink compared his choice of words to figurative language used by other politicians who refer to “attacking the opposition” and media headlines that say a person “lashed out”.
During heated debate in late sittings on Wednesday, Elferink referred to Labor member Natasha Fyles and said: “I am really tempted to give her a slap right now, figuratively speaking.”
He initially refused to apologise, and said the issue was a Labor beat-up. But when parliament opened on Thursday Elferink had changed his mind.
“What I said was a figurative turn of phrase, however [it was] on reflection unwise and for that I unreservedly apologise,” Elferink told the house.
“I’m not proud of the comment I made yesterday. It was never intended in any fashion or in any way to be seen as any form of physical threat. I say quite proudly and quite openly in this house now that I have never lifted a hand in anger ever to any woman at any time.
“But even the language needs to be revisited. And it’s the language I used yesterday, which I now, upon reflection, can only say sorry for.”
Elferink then compared his comments to other forms of figurative speech heard in parliament – none directed at individuals – such as “attacking the opposition” and in the media.
“The media themselves use language like this all the time – Mr X lashed out, the government launched an assault, the opposition attacked government – these are metaphorical phrases and they are all of course phrases that suggest violence,” he said.
“But nevertheless we as parliamentarians need to be better than that, and we often aren’t.”
Elferink said he “often pleads to the house for better standards” and expected as much of himself, but his comments were made in error and he had a duty to apologise.
“I do live by the philosophy that when I am wrong I have to promptly admit it, and on this occasion I am wrong.”
Elferink had earlier on Thursday cancelled a radio appearance and then fronted media to say the issue was a beat-up, and his comments were a “metaphor”. He refused at the time to withdraw the comments or apologise, AAP reported.
“If you can’t use metaphors then this is political correctness gone wrong,” he said.
When asked if he regretted making the comment, Elferink said: “I regret giving the Labor party the opportunity to twist this around.”
Deputy chief minister Willem Westra van Holthe said he didn’t hear the comment and that the context needed to be taken into account.
He said “certainly sometimes passions get a little heated” during debates.
“They’re not words I would utter while in parliament,” Westra van Holthe said.
The female members of the opposition and crossbench held a joint press conference on Thursday afternoon to call for Elferink’s resignation from cabinet.
“When a perpetrator says sorry it doesn’t erase their actions,” a visibly emotional Fyles said.
“That was my workplace and I was bullied, and I was threatened with a violent act. It was not acceptable. John Elferink needs to resign and if he does not resign then chief minister Adam Giles needs to sack him.”
She acknowledged that parliaments were often scenes of strong language but Wednesday’s incident was “a step too far.”
Labor MLA Lynne Walker described his actions towards both her and Fyles as “physically aggressive, verbally abusive, and [using] threatening language.”
She labeled his apology “hollow and disingenuous” and noted he made no comment about his treatment of her.
Alison Anderson, a CLP-turned-independent MP, said the incident was an opportunity to discuss the issue of all types of abuse and violence in the Northern Territory. She pointed to racist and vulgar slurs which had been directed at her and fellow Indigenous colleague Larissa Lee in parliament, and called for increased attention on the behaviour.
Robyn Lambley said Elferink’s behaviour was an example of the kind of bullying behaviour which prompted her to quit the Country Liberal party.
Lambley said the two female CLP MPs had been invited to the press conference but it had been at very short notice and she had not heard back from them. Purick confirmed she supported the statement but could not attend the press conference.
The Northern Territory has the highest rate of domestic violence in the country, and earlier this week a supreme court judge took an unprecedented step to allow media to broadcast the sentencing of a man convicted of reckless manslaughter after he bashed his wife. She later died of her injuries.
Elferink was in August appointed an ambassador for White Ribbon, a male-led movement aiming to end men’s violence against women. When accepting the position, Elferink said “I encourage all men to pledge that they will never commit, ignore, or remain silent about men’s violence against women.”
Elferink reiterated his apology during debate on a censure motion which delayed question time on Thursday afternoon. He said the statements made by his colleagues “cut deep”.
The treasurer, David Tollner, stood in support of Elferink, and said he was the politically incorrect MP who said the wrong thing all the time, not the attorney general.
He said he wouldn’t have apologised, and would have instead told Walker and Fyles to “toughen up, princess”.
The censure motion was defeated 12-12.
Wednesday evening’s debate was over proposed new police powers allowing warrantless searches of cars in particular areas to crack down on methamphetamine trafficking.
The Country Liberal party (CLP) government had wanted to rush through the legislation this week but was blocked by Labor and the independents.
Speaker of the house, Kezia Purick, this week told Guardian Australia she did not believe there was an urgency for the legislation “because police are working assiduously every day.”
She called for safeguards to ensure naive but innocent people did not get unfairly caught up in the searches.
“If it is so urgent, recall parliament next week,” she said. “Recall it for two days and have a full and proper debate.”
The government lost its majority of the unicameral parliament in July, after a run of controversies and resignations by CLP members including four women.
Walker also accused Elferink of “bullying” behaviour after he also thumped his desk, threw his glasses, and shouted at her during Thursday’s debate.
Elferink told the ABC in response Walker had demonstrated “thundering stupidity” in blocking the bill until the November sittings.
Purick, who was also the most recent MP to resign from the CLP, opened parliament on Thursday with a statement on Elferink’s comments.
“Some of the behaviour and performance in this parliament was less than parliamentary, less than satisfactory,” she said.
