Queensland’s shadow minister for women shouted “close your legs” at her Labor opponent during a wild outburst in parliament.
Shannon Fentiman, Minister for Women, Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services, was speaking in Queensland state parliament on Wednesday when Mudgeeraba member Ros Bates made the crude comment.
‘Close your legs!’ Ms Bates shouted, causing Ms Fentiman to stop talking and look visibly shocked.
His political colleagues groaned in displeasure before Bates was asked to withdraw his comment.
He quickly stood up and said he had withdrawn the comment, but has since received heavy criticism.
Shannon Fentiman (pictured) was told to “close her legs” during parliament on Wednesday and looked visibly shocked by the comment.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles called the comment “disgraceful”.
“No woman should be treated like this in a workplace, or anywhere else,” she wrote on X.
Fentiman shared a clip of the outburst on her X account and explained that she had been talking about women’s health and maternity services at the time.
In response to the backlash, Bates shared a lengthy statement on her own social media and, surprisingly, demanded to receive an apology from Fentiman.
He claimed the comment was not about the Health Minister but about “Queensland’s alarming maternity crisis”.
Ros Bates was asked to withdraw the comment during parliament on Wednesday.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles called the comment “disgraceful”
“We have had women giving birth on the side of the road in Queensland due to the closure of maternity services in regional areas and this is what we are demanding the Health Minister respond to today,” she said.
Bates went on to say that Fentiman was “aware” that she had been a victim of domestic violence.
“For her to mischaracterize my words for her own political gain and attempt to portray me as a misogynist is deeply offensive,” she continued.
In response to the backlash, Bates shared a lengthy statement on her own social media and, shockingly, demanded to receive an apology from Fentiman.
‘As Minister for Health and Minister for Women, Shannon Fentiman should be ashamed of herself.
“I demand that the Minister of Health apologizes and admits that she deliberately misrepresented Parliament.”
X users were not impressed by his statement, with one saying it was a “pathetic explanation.”
“Inappropriate and unprofessional in any case,” said another.
‘If this is true, why did you remove the comment?’ one wrote.
“It’s not enough,” said one X user.
“The truth does matter and we all heard what you said, no matter what garbage you’re putting out there,” another commented.
The shadow minister has received heavy criticism online for her outburst.
