A Tasmanian minister has denied making a vomiting gesture behind an MP’s back during a parliamentary debate about integrity, saying he was removing a ‘Listerine strip’ stuck to the roof of his mouth.
Independent Clark MP Kristie Johnston was speaking during a censure motion against Premier Jeremy Rockliff when Minister Gavin Pearce, visible behind her on the livestream, put his fingers in his mouth.
Johnston was speaking about every MP’s duty to uphold high standards when the incident happened.
In a statement, Johnston called the behaviour “disrespectful and unparliamentary”.
“Minister Pearce must apologise to me, to the house and most importantly to the Tasmanian people for his offensive and inappropriate behaviour,” she said.
“I call on Minister Pearce and the premier to demonstrate how they intend to make amends.”
When parliament resumed after lunch at 2.30pm, Labor MP Ella Haddad raised the incident.
Haddad said the footage appeared to suggest “that maybe integrity or the concept of integrity or ministerial accountability literally makes him sick”.
Pearce then rose to deny the claim.
“That was not the case… and I mean this most sincerely,” he said.
Pearce said he had a throat infection and had been using Listerine strips.
“I put a couple on my tongue and [had to] move them because they stuck to the roof of my mouth,” he said.
“There was no preemptive gesture. I wasn’t looking at anybody. I simply moved it.”
He apologised for any misunderstanding.
“If that has caused offence or been misconstrued in any way then I apologise,” he said.
