Peter Slipper has narrowly survived a vote to remove him from the parliamentary Speaker's position amid a blistering and personal debate over accusations of sexism.

Tony Abbott took the unusual step of calling for a vote to immediately sack the Speaker, following revelations he used offensive language to describe female genitalia.

The comment was revealed in a text message sent by Mr Slipper to his stood aside staffer James Ashby, that have since been tendered to the Federal Court as part of a sexual harassment case.

Mr Abbott has described the language as "vile" and has demanded Labor dump him from the role.

"This is obviously a rare and unusual step that I take at the start of Question Time today, but it is a necessary step," Mr Abbott told Parliament, in moving a motion to have Mr Slipper removed.

"This Speaker is disqualified from high office - not by the fact of the legal action currently on foot against him. But he is disqualified by the undenied, uncontradicted facts that have emerged in the course of this case.

"There are the truly gross references to female genitalia.

"I regret to speak in this way to this house, but it is necessary... to prosecute this matter - the vile anatomically specific language to which this Speaker appears to be addicted."

Sorry, this video has expired Tony Abbott demands Slipper be removed as Speaker

But Prime Minister Julia Gillard fired back with a blistering attack on Mr Abbott, accusing him of "repulsive double standards".

"I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man, I will not," she said.

"And the Government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever.

"The Leader of the Opposition says that people who hold sexist views and who are misogynists are not appropriate for high office.

"Well, I hope the Leader of the Opposition has got a piece of paper and he is writing out his resignation.

"Because if he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn't need a motion in the House of Representatives, he needs a mirror."

Ms Gillard says she was offended when Mr Abbott stood in front of placards outside of Parliament House that said "ditch the witch", and described her as someone's "bitch".

And she says that even though the language used by Mr Slipper was "offensive", she urged Parliament not to pass judgement on the stood-aside Speaker until after the court processes have run their course.

The Opposition's motion was narrowly voted down 70 votes to 69.

Mr Slipper has apologised for the text messages he sent making offensive comments about women.

He says the messages were meant to be private, and many of them occurred before he became Speaker.

But he says nothing excuses their content, and says he can understand why people - particularly women - would be offended.

The crossbench MPs were divided on the motion, with Rob Oakeshott, Tony Windsor, Craig Thomson and Adam Bandt voting with Labor, while Andrew Wilkie voted with the Coalition.

Bob Katter did not vote. He wrote a message on Twitter saying that Parliament was not a judiciary and "God help us if it becomes one".

Dredging up the past

During the parliamentary debate MPs from across the political divide dredged up past stories of questionable behaviour and accused each other of hypocrisy.

Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne referred to comments made by the former Labor member for Robertson, Belinda Neal, in 2008.

Ms Neal was forced to apologise to the then heavily pregnant Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella for saying that her baby would be "turned into a demon by evil thoughts".

"The only comment from the then Deputy Prime Minister (Julia Gillard) was, 'the Member for Robertson is a good member'," Mr Pyne told Parliament.

But Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese responded by reminding the Opposition that Mrs Mirabella had also stood in front of sexist placards at an anti-carbon tax rally both outside Parliament House and later outside his Sydney electorate office.

At the time, Mrs Mirabella described the rally as an expression of "people power", although she said the use of the word "bitch" on one protester's placard was "regretful".

Today's extraordinary debate comes amid an increasingly personal focus in national politics, which was heightened by recent comments made by Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones that Ms Gillard's late father had "died of shame" because of his daughter's political lies.

Senior Labor figures used the comments to attack Mr Abbott, accusing him of fostering a political environment that encouraged personal attacks on Ms Gillard and suggesting he had a problem with women.

In moving today's motion, Mr Abbott said every day the Prime Minister stood by the Speaker was: "another day of shame for this Parliament, another day of shame for a Government which should already have died of shame".

Ms Gillard quoted the comment back to Mr Abbott, adding: "Can I indicate to the Leader of the Opposition, the Government is not dying of shame (and) my father did not die of shame".