Scott Morrison says he was disappointed by the actions of a Liberal senator who was accused of making growling sounds towards independent senator Jacqui Lambie.
Labor and Greens MPs called out an unnamed coalition senator in Question Time on Tuesday accusing them of growling and making dog noises towards Senator Lambie.
Liberal senator David Van later owned up to the interjection but denied the characterisation of the sounds.
The prime minister said he expected all parliamentarians to uphold the standards of parliament when asked about the incident on Wednesday.
"I expect that of my team and I was very, very disappointed about that," he told reporters.
But Mr Morrison then took aim at Labor for interjections across the chamber after a fiery Question Time in the lower house on Tuesday where Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Defence Minister Peter Dutton went toe-to-toe.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young, who was the first person to call out Senator Van's interjections in the chamber, said the apology was a step in the right direction.
"But the problem is that this behaviour persists and it's normalised," she told the ABC.
"This is just one example of the toxic engagement that happens on the floor of the parliament and in the corridors and in the offices.
"It's not acceptable, it can't be going on. People need to use their heads a bit better, consider their behaviour and take responsibility."
