Victoria's Upper House has voted to bring the state's energy and resources minister before a parliamentary committee investigating coal seam gas.
The opposition-dominated Legislative Council voted to bring Lily D'Ambrosio before the council's standing committee on the environment and planning committee to answer questions about the government's policies on unconventional gas.
Committee chair David Davis said the committee had asked Ms D'Ambrosio to appear previously, leading the Upper House to try again.
"It would be outrageous if (Premier) Daniel Andrews were to defy the Legislative Council and stand in the way of Minister D'Ambrosio appearing before this important inquiry, an inquiry ordered by Mr Andrews himself," Mr Davis said.
When in government, the coalition introduced a moratorium on on-shore coal seam gas exploration in Victoria until June 2020.
In response, Ms D'Ambrosio said past requests for ministers to front parliamentary inquiries have been regarded as interference with the function of executive government.
It would be "unprecedented" to compel a member of the Lower House to appear before an Upper House inquiry, she said.
"This is a blatant attempt to politicise a very important parliamentary inquiry and a serious issue that Victorians care about deeply," she said.
"Instead of playing politics, the coalition should focus its efforts on addressing the issues raised by the Victorian community - which is what this inquiry was designed to achieve."
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