Claims by NSW parliament Speaker Shelley Hancock that Labor MPs were drunk during question time have been dismissed as a "defensive concoction" by the opposition which says the MP is unfit for the position.
Ms Hancock, the Liberal member for South Coast, has accused Labor members of being drunk in the chamber last week.
During a boisterous and unruly question time on Thursday, Ms Hancock called opposition MPs "blockheads," another "an idiot" and told some to "go back to the bar," prompting Labor MP Jodi McKay to accuse Ms Hancock of bringing parliament into disrepute.
Ms Hancock on Monday doubled down in her assessment of the opposition accusing many of MPs of being drunk on the job.
"I am really concerned about the effect of alcohol on many members," Ms Hancock told the ABC.
"I suspect, and many people have said to me, that they're smelling alcohol on members when they come into question time."
Deputy Opposition leader Michael Daley on Tuesday labelled Ms Hancock's attack "outrageous".
"She's completely overreacted and overreached," Mr Daley told reporters in Sydney.
He called for the Speaker to apologise and said if she didn't she should consider stepping down.
"This leads us to the inescapable conclusion that Shelley Hancock is unfit to be the Speaker of the NSW parliament," he said.
"If the Speaker doesn't want to apologise to members of the NSW parliament today then I think she should take a break."
Mr Daley said Ms Hancock's accusations were unfounded and pointed out she'd ejected 263 opposition MPs since the last election and not one government member.
He said he'd spoken to all five opposition MPs who were ejected from the chamber on Thursday and they denied having consumed alcohol.
However, Adam Crouch, who occasionally fills in as Speaker, backed Ms Hancock.
"I have in the past experienced members coming into the chamber from the opposition who appear to have been drunk and abusive," Mr Crouch told AAP.
"I have been verbally abused - it's unacceptable and unparliamentary."
Ms Hancock, who was elected in 2003, has been the Legislative Assembly's Speaker since 2011.
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