Education minister says he called Labor 'a grub' after tape of question time appears to show him using offensive term

A debate has broken out over whether Christopher Pyne called Bill Shorten a cunt in question time on Wednesday.



The alleged comment was not picked up by opposition members, staff or journalists watching at the time but a video posted on Ninemsn on Thursday morning shows Pyne saying what it interpreted as “you’re such a cunt” after an interjection by Shorten.

Pyne’s office says he said “you’re such a grub”.

The education minister was responding to a dorothy dixer about how the government is delivering better outcomes for school students and launched into an attack on Shorten: “He will have to stop being the No 1 whinger in Australia. He will have to start having solutions rather than being all complaint and no responsibility.

“If No 1 whinger in Australia were a reality TV show, there would be no point in any other contestant entering it – because if Bill Shorten entered it, he would win it! But on Thursday night the leader of the opposition has an opportunity.”

At this point manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, made a point of order over Pyne referring to Shorten as “Bill Shorten” and not the opposition leader, as is parliamentary procedure.

Pyne is then heard saying the disputed words.

The Speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, responded at the time by telling Pyne to “refer to the opposition leader by his correct title”.

A spokesman for Shorten said he did not recall being called the offensive term.