Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has vowed to fight back against David Leyonhjelm's sexist "slut-shaming" after firing off a legal letter to the independent upper house MP.
Senator Hanson-Young says she has a responsibility to call out Senator Leyonhjelm after he refused to apologise for the comments directed at her.
The NSW Liberal Democratic Party senator told his female counterpart to "stop shagging men" during a debate in federal parliament last week and on Sunday alluded further to her private life during an interview on Sky News.
"He's slut-shaming me," Senator Hanson-Young told ABC radio on Tuesday.
"Women right around this country know it, decent men know it, and I'm not prepared to sit here and be intimated and bullied."
Senator Hanson-Young has called on Senator Leyonhjelm to apologise and resign and is also taking legal advice from Kennedys reputational risk lawyer Rebekah Giles about a possible defamation action.
Ms Giles has already sent letters to Senator Leyonhjelm, broadcaster Sky News and Melbourne radio station 3AW.
An emotional Senator Hanson-Young said Senator Leyonhjelm's comments were hurtful, suggested she was sexually promiscuous and were made because he was losing a political debate in parliament over women's safety.
"I'd had enough of men in that place using sexism, sexist slurs and sexual innuendo as part of their intimidation and bullying on the floor of the parliament," she said on Tuesday.
"I've got an 11-year-old daughter and boy, I hope the world is a better place by the time she enters the workforce."
Senator Leyonhjelm has doubled down, refusing to apologise and doing a series of media interviews reaffirming his stance.
He told the ABC on Monday night he was on solid ground because Senator Hanson- Young had asserted in parliament all men were "rapists" and challenged her to "bring it on".
"I am opposed to misandry, I am opposed to misogyny and I am entitled to call out double standards," Senator Leyonhjelm said.
Asked on Nine Network if she believed all men are rapists, Senator Hanson-Young said "no, I do not but I do believe that David Leyonhjelm is unfit to be in the Australian parliament".
The senator also denies making any such comment in the parliament.
Meanwhile, Sky News has apologised for broadcasting and strap-lining what it has described as Senator Leyonhjelm's "appalling" remarks during the interview on Sunday.
It has also suspended a female producer.
But Senator Hanson-Young said the producer shouldn't pay the price for the actions of the senator and program hosts Rowan Dean and Ross Cameron.
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