POSSIBLE LANGUAGE WARNING. Education Minister Christopher Pyne makes a comment towards Opposition Leader Bill Shorten - but what exactly did he say?

EDUCATION Minister Christopher Pyne has denied dropping the C-bomb in parliament yesterday.

Video footage from Question Time shows Mr Pyne insulting the Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten. The clip has been circulating on social media, with some people suggesting Mr Pyne said: “You’re such a c**t.”

The minister’s office has told news.com.au Mr Pyne actually said: “You’re such a grub.”

“He said grub,” Mr Pyne’s media spokesman said. “He knows what he said, and he said grub.”

Mr Pyne’s comment drew weak laughter from other politicians in the chamber, including Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and he was asked to withdraw it by Speaker Bronwyn Bishop.

“The Minister will refer to people by their correct name,” the Speaker said.

“I will, Madame Speaker. I withdraw,” Mr Pyne responded.

Mr Pyne’s media spokesman hesitated when news.com.au asked whether he thought “grub” was an appropriate term for a minister to use in the parliament.

“Well, you know,” he said. “The parliament is a place where there is robust discussion.

“The parliament is able to determine these things by itself.”

In fact, the parliament has an inconsistent record when it comes to the term “grub”. Back in 2006, Julia Gillard was thrown out of the chamber for aiming a rather pointed insult at then-Health Minister Tony Abbott.

“I move that that snivelling grub over there be not further heard,” Ms Gillard said. She was then asked to withdraw the statement.

“If I have offended grubs, I withdraw unconditionally,” she said in response, before being ejected for 24 hours.

Just the week before, Mr Abbott had called Labor MP Kelvin Thomson a “snivelling grub” without any punishment.

News.com.au has contacted Speaker Bronwyn Bishop, Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for comment.