Looking back on the day Tony Abbott became the first federal minister to be ejected from the Australian Parliament in 40 years

House of Representatives Hansard 21 June 2000:

Mr ABBOTT—I am confident that the Job Network member in this case has acted quite properly, as has Centrelink. I agreed with the member for Dickson to keep the job seeker’s name and address confidential, and I have done so.

Mr Beazley—Sit him down.

Mr SPEAKER—Leader of the Opposition!

Mr ABBOTT—I have done exactly what I promised. You are a sanctimonious windbag.

Mr SPEAKER—The minister will resume his seat.

Mr ABBOTT—You are—

Mr SPEAKER—Minister!....

-the Minister for Employment Services will excuse himself from the House.

Mr Abbott—I was just going to join my friend.

Mr SPEAKER—Minister!

The member for Warringah then withdrew from the chamber.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Mr SPEAKER—I beg your pardon, the member for Grayndler! The member for Grayndler will apologise.

Mr Albanese—I apologise, Mr Speaker.

Mr Latham—On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Just for clarification, have you suspended the minister under a standing order in your ruling?

Mr SPEAKER—I have indeed.

Mr Latham—Thank you.

Jack the Insider The Australian 25 June 2013:

Abbott did not excuse himself from the House directly. Enraged, the former Oxford boxing blue veered ominously towards the Opposition benches.

For a man who has been involved in the odd stink, albeit on the fields of sporting contest, it did look awful or at least potentially so. But Abbott didn’t get far. He presumably thought better of engaging in a physical confrontation with his political opponents and left the chamber under escort.

Tony Abbott had become the first Minister to be punted from the parliament in forty years.

Alan Ramsey The Sydney Morning Herald 24 June 2000:

House of Representatives Hansard 24 May 2012:

Mr ALBANESE (Grayndler—Leader of the House and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) (15:10): We are not going to take lectures about parliamentary behaviour from this Leader of the Opposition, who is the only member of parliament to ever be thrown out of parliament for physically confronting a Vietnam vet with no legs, for marching across the chamber when he was out of control, to Graham Edwards. The Leader of the Opposition is not able to control his temper. He does not have the temperament to be the Prime Minister of this nation. He does not have the character to be Prime Minister of this nation.