A Labor MP has apologised after being caught on camera raising his middle finger during Question Time in Victorian Parliament.
It was the last sitting before the May budget and tensions were already high over the Opposition's attacks on Premier Daniel Andrews and his involvement in the election rorts scandal.
But midway through the session, Opposition MPs became angry, accusing Labor MP Hong Lim of "raising his middle finger" at them, which Liberal MP Roma Britnell found "grossly offensive".
Liberal MP Dee Ryall raised the incident with Speaker Colin Brooks calling it inappropriate and disgraceful.
Mr Brooks reviewed the footage and agreed Mr Lim did make the gesture, but because his head was down at the time it was not clear if it was directed at any individual.
Mr Lim made a brief apology to the Parliament late in the afternoon, admitting his transgression.
"I did act inappropriately in the chamber today and for that I apologise," he said on Thursday.
"In my 67 years of life, I have often been a victim of racism. I have also been the target of ridicule.
"That includes making fun of my accent and the way I pronounce certain words. It hurts me deeply."
Screaming match
Later, Ms Britnell was involved in an incident with Mr Lim in an elevator at Parliament when she said he began to yell at her.
She said the incident left her physically shaken.
"All I had said to him was 'Gee I was really disappointed by what you did in the chamber today'. I was shocked and he just lurched into an absolute screaming match at me," she said on Thursday.
"There were people everywhere that heard it."
The wife of Liberal MP David Southwick, Hayley Southwick, was waiting for the lift with her daughter.
She said she heard yelling as the lift approached and when the doors opened, witnessed the altercation.
"It took a long time for the lift to come and we could hear as it was coming down a lot of yelling coming from the lift," she said.
"When the doors opened we saw Roma being physically approached with a finger.
"[It was] just really threatening towards her with really loud yelling and my daughter was really disturbed and quite afraid and we weren't quite sure what to do.
"At that point Roma very calmly, she was very distressed, said that I'm going to speak to the Speaker, the doors closed."
Mr Lim confirmed he had a verbal disagreement with Ms Britnell and said they were both involved in a "robust discussion".
