Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Tim Mander is out of touch and his complaints of a "major gender imbalance" on a female-strong government board are offensive.
Mr Mander, the Opposition's corrective services spokesman, used a budget estimates hearing on Thursday to ask Police Minister Mark Ryan how Queensland's new Parole Board could be considered diverse when 68 per cent of its appointees were women.
"How can you describe these appointments as diverse when there is such as major gender imbalance?" he asked.
Mr Ryan responded to the Liberal National Party MP with incredulity.
"I can't believe we're getting a question complaining about the number of women appointed to a parole board. My God, what will it come to next?" he said.
Ms Palaszczuk said she was offended by Mr Mander's remarks.
"I found his comments were simply out of touch, I found them offensive, I think most women in this state would find them offensive," she said.
"Isn't it wonderful we've got two-thirds of a board with women who were selected on merit."
Mr Mander on Friday morning apologised for his line of questioning.
"I apologise unreservedly for my line of questioning during Budget estimates yesterday," he said in a statement.
"It was never my intention to reflect poorly on the women on the Parole Board."
But Mr Mander said politicians on both sides of the aisle had made "ill-considered remarks" during the budget estimates hearings this week.
"As community leaders we should strive to do better."
The premier doubted it was a simple error of judgement, committed on the run.
"A lot of time and effort goes into preparing for estimates," she said. "He had a deliberate line of questioning.
"He had obviously sat down and written those questions. He knew exactly what he was asking."
Mr Mander had been a chief challenger for the LNP leadership just over 12 months ago when Tim Nicholls pipped him as the party's replacement for predecessor Lawrence Springborg.
