A Labor MP has apologised after he asked whether Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had “decorations including flowers” at a recent budget event given she is “probably the only female in the list of Australian foreign ministers”.

South Australian Labor senator Alex Gallacher made the gaffe during a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday as quizzed DFAT staff for details of an event held in Ms Bishop’s office.

“Given that the 38th Foreign Minister is probably the only female in the list of Australian foreign ministers, were there decorations, including flowers?” Senator Gallacher asked.

Liberal Senator Zed Seselja quickly fired back: “Why’s that relevant: because it was a female foreign minister?”

Senator Seselja later added: “I’m not really sure what the relevance was of Senator Gallacher’s question just then, that because it’s a female foreign minister, we have to know about decorations and flowers.”

“I would’ve thought if a Coalition senator had asked that perhaps Senator [Penny] Wong would be up in arms right now.”

Senator Wong responded: “Seriously? I’m supposed to comment on everything now? Gender or race? Give me a break.”

Following the lunch break, Senator Gallacher said he apologised if anyone took offence.

“Before lunch there was imputations taken from a line of questioning that I put in respect to the foreign minister which were clearly not my intention,” he said.

“There’s no intention in anyway shape or form to … align motives aligning to the sex or otherwise of the foreign minister.”

Senator Wong later said that “Foreign Minister’s gender is irrelevant to her performance as minister”.

“But if Coalition Senators are so outraged at such language, I look forward to them taking action against Senator Ian MacDonald who last week referred to me as a ‘precious petal’ and told me to ‘get out of the kitchen’.”

See the exchange below

In response to Senator Gallacher’s comments, a spokesperson for the Foreign Minister said: “This might come as a shock to Labor Senator Gallacher but Australia’s first female Foreign Minister spends her time focusing on serious issues of Australia’s national security and other important matters of state.”

During the hearing, Senator Gallacher was trying to determine whether taxpayers’ money had been spent on a budget event held in Ms Bishop’s office.

Ms Bishop hosted a star-studded budget drinks on budget night in May, The Australian reported.

After DFAT Secretary Frances Adamson confirmed the department had not been involved, Senator Gallacher proceeded to ask Senator Seselja to take on notice questions about the event.

Before the gaffe, he had asked who had set up the room for the event, whether food was served and if a caterer had been engaged, and the type of wine that was served and for a list of attendees.

The exchange occurred as DFAT staff fronted a Senate estimates hearing, which gives politicians the chance to grill public servants about their department’s activities.