Liberal whip Andrew Wall on Thursday put a motion in the Assembly claiming Mr Barr had breached parliamentary standards by the "threat", which he said warranted setting up a select committee on privileges to investigate.

The comment was made during a heated committee hearing in November last year in which Mr Barr asked Mr Hanson to "take it outside", before Mr Hanson asserted his role as committee chairman, to which Mr Barr said: "For the time being, yes".

Mr Hanson responded, asking him if the comment was a threat, to which Mr Barr responded that "it is, yes".

Mr Wall on Thursday said he, and the Opposition, believed Mr Barr's comment was a "clear cut breach of the Standing Orders" that amounted to "bullying" that may have constituted bringing the Assembly into contempt.

Mr Wall said that given Mr Barr had also confirmed his comments were a threat during the hearing, it was incumbent upon the Assembly to determine whether such language and threats were to be acceptable.

Mr Barr said he made the comment, with the addition of the words "into the other chamber", only because Mr Hanson had said repeatedly he had "pocketed" public funds, despite Mr Hanson saying he said so only as Treasurer.

But Mr Barr said he would withdraw the comment if Mr Hanson withdrew his comment, as well as saying that if it helped to resolve the matter, he would withdraw.

Greens leader Shane Ratttenbury asked Speaker Joy Burch if that constituted a withdrawal of the comment, and if so, whether a comment that had been withdrawn could actually be referred to a privileges committee.

Ms Burch sought brief advice from the Acting Clerk, but a final decision was not made this morning, with Ms Burch adjourning debate on the motion until a final decision could be made on the matter.