Sticky end to federal MP's bunker shot

A federal MP has been suspended from parliament after spilling oil on the floor of a chamber during a speech attacking the cruise liner industry's pollution record.

Queensland Liberal National Party MP Andrew Laming raised the issue in parliament's Federation Chamber on Tuesday night.

"This stuff should not be burned where people live," he said, holding a small bottle of the highly flammable bunker fuel.

"This stuff is revolting."

The MP ignored a call by the acting Speaker to stop using props - a breach of parliamentary standing orders.

"I insist on the cruise ship industry to clean up their act and burn the clean stuff like they do in the rest of the world," Mr Laming said.

To emphasise his point, he poured out the thick black fuel into his hands and rubbed them together, in the process spilling it on a desk and the floor.

When he sat down, Mr Laming was seen to be laughing at the incident.

On Wednesday, Speaker Bronwyn Bishop told parliament the action had been disorderly and dangerous and she "named" the MP.

Mr Laming told parliament: "I do apologise."

But his apology did not prevent him being suspended from parliament for 24 hours.

Minutes later, an unrepentant Mr Laming put out a media statement saying the oil should be banned.

"If Australian families have to breathe it, I don't back down bringing it to parliament to make the point," he said.

"With other developed nations banning it in ports, it's long overdue to do the same thing in Australia."

Opposition manager of business Tony Burke asked the Speaker to investigate the media statement, as it showed Mr Laming was not backing down on the actions for which he apologised.

A Fire brigade spokesman said crews went to Parliament House on Tuesday night but they had been responding to a separate incident involving a fire alarm going off.