It’s a scene the school students and teachers touring the halls of Parliament would have recognised immediately.

An afternoon playground dust-up, except between two federal senators – Liberal Ian Macdonald and the Greens’ Nick McKim.

The pair clashed during Senate Estimates on Thursday when the committee chair Senator Macdonald tried to kick the Tasmanian out of the hearing.

“Now, Senator McKim, will you please leave. I will not be calling on you to ask any questions henceforth,” Senator Macdonald said.

Senator McKim’s response was blunt: “You can’t make me leave, mate. I’m not going. What are you going to do about it?”

Held a few times a year, estimates hearings give politicians the chance to grill public servants from each of the government departments about the budget and their work more generally. They often run late into the night and tempers regularly flare.

Thursday’s row was the culmination of days of bickering between Senators Macdonald and McKim and Labor’s Penny Wong and Murray Watt.

The chair’s attempt to expel Senator McKim from the room drew a furious response from the Greens Senator.

“You are a tyrant and a dictator,” he said.

Watch the row below

Senator McKim refused to leave and moved dissent from Senator Macdonald’s ruling, sparking a private discussion between the committee members.

When they emerged from the private meeting, Senator McKim’s refusal to leave was vindicated.

“I’ve been advised by the clerk that I do not have power to evict anyone or to prevent anyone from asking questions,” Senator Macdonald told the hearing.

Earlier, he had slammed Senator McKim for “constantly interjecting”.

“No wonder they threw you out of the Tasmanian parliament,” he said.

At another point in the day, Senator Macdonald had also suspended the hearing for five minutes so Senators Watt and Wong could think about their “manners”.

The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee heard evidence from authorities including the Australian Federal Police, Human Rights Commission, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and ASIO on Thursday.

Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs, whose term ends in a few weeks, made her final appearance at Senate estimates.

Asked to confirm it was the last time she would front Senate hearings, she replied: “I certainly hope so.”

Professor Triggs was forced to defend comments that she would not have faced the same level of criticism if she were a man.

Senator Derryn Hinch asked the commissioner if she was being “a bit hyperbolic”, likening her comments to US president Donald Trump’s claim that he had been treated worse than any other politician in history.

“I’m not sure it’s a very flattering association,” she replied.

Professor Triggs said “evidence is mounting of growing attacks on women in public positions”.

“I say this with great sorrow … The last few years have seen a serious regression.

“I’ve ridden the crest of a wave of opportunity in education and work, and I’ve always benefited.

“But it’s fair to say … that sadly there has been clear evidence that women in senior positions and women in the media are being attacked.”