A Victorian Labor backbencher has apologised for acting "inappropriately" when he gave the finger to an opposition member in parliament.
Roma Britnell and colleagues asked lower house speaker Colin Brooks to review footage from the chamber on Thursday, claiming Labor MP Hong Lim flipped the bird at her during question time.
Ms Britnell said Mr Lim later yelled and pointed his finger at her in a parliament elevator.
The Labor MP issued a statement admitting he did "act inappropriately in the chamber".
"And for that I apologise," he said.
"I can also confirm that I had a verbal disagreement with the Member for South West Coast. We were both involved in this robust discussion."
Before the apology, Ms Britnell told reporters Mr Lim had attacked her because she asked for his behaviour in the chamber be reviewed.
"I was just shocked at the way he was attacking me - he was yelling at me, he was screaming at me, he was putting his finger in my face, he was pushing himself forward towards me," she said.
"I was locked in the lift, I was actually really shaken."
Ms Britnell said Mr Lim accused her of picking on him "for being a Chinaman and an old man" after she said she was disappointed by what he did in the chamber.
In his statement, the Labor MP said he had often been the victim of racism and ridicule.
"That includes making fun of my accent and the way I pronounce certain words," he said.
Ms Britnell said her previous interaction with Mr Lim had been limited to when she thanked him for a Christmas card received during her first year in parliament.
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