Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has used parliamentary privilege to outline allegations of sexual assault within Parliament's walls, and detailed inappropriate behaviour on more than one occasion.
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Senator Thorpe first alleged on Wednesday that Senator David Van had "harassed" and "sexually assaulted" her, before withdrawing it later that evening. Senator Van has rejected the allegations, but Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the senator will no longer sit in the Liberal party room after they were made.
Wiping away tears, Senator Thorpe addressed the Senate on Thursday. She did not name any individuals, but told the Senate she had experienced sexual commentary, inappropriate propositions from powerful men and inappropriate touching in Parliament.
"One man followed me and cornered me in a stairwell and most of this was witnessed by staff and fellow Members of Parliament," she told Parliament.
"No-one witnessed what happened in the stairwell as there were no cameras in stairwells.
"I know there are others that have experienced similar things and have not come forward in the interest of their careers and fear they would be presented to the world by the media in the same way that I have been today."
She told the chamber that the President of the Senate, Sue Lines, had asked her to withdraw and she was doing so in order to "comply with parliamentary standing orders".
"Yesterday I made remarks in relation to another senator, I then had to withdraw them because the rules of the Senate do not allow you to speak about someone's character, only about something they have said," Senator Thorpe told Parliament.
Senator Thorpe's statement on Thursday did not name anyone and was attended by members of her former party, the Greens, as well as Pauline Hanson and Liberals including Simon Birmingham, Anne Ruston, Matt Canavan and Andrew McLachlan.
She told the Parliament she had been afraid to leave her office alone after the incident and thanked the Greens for their support during this time.
"To me, it was sexual assault," Senator Thorpe told Parliament in her statement, and said that the "government at the time recognised it as such".
FROM THE ARCHIVE: Greens senator speaks out about 'brazen' harassment
Senator Thorpe said she spoke to the President of the Senate at the time about it, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins as well as senior leaders in the Liberal Party.
"I was assured that the prime minister was informed, at the time I was convinced that the government believed me," she said.
"The actions in immediately moving the person's office reassured me that they understood the seriousness of what I experienced."
'I ... stand in support': Waters
Greens leader in the Senate Larissa Waters later told Parliament that Senator Thorpe's statement reflected what she had disclosed to the party's leadership two years ago.
"I would like to stand in support of Senator Thorpe, following her statement made in the Senate earlier today," Senator Waters said.
"I commend her for speaking out about these issues, and I commend and stand in awe of the strength and courage of all survivors of sexual harassment, abuse and assault.
"Senator Thorpe's statement today reflects what she disclosed to the Greens leadership two years ago. She was greatly distressed. We backed her and supported her and sought solutions alongside her through discussions with the Senate president at the time, the Liberal Senate leadership and the prime minister's office."
'This is my choice': Thorpe
Senator Thorpe said she would not pursue legal action against the member of parliament, who she did not name.
"I did not make the incident public at the time because it was during the time Brittany Higgins had made her experience in this building public. I did not want to have anything taken away from it her experience and her bravery in coming forward," she told Parliament.
"I will not go to the police; this is my choice.
"But I will continue to speak out against the abuse and harassment that happens in this building. That is my choice. I want to focus on making this place safe for everyone."
She called on the government to immediately increase the number of security guards and cameras in Parliament House, and to consult the women who work there on the measures that should be taken.
In March 2021, Senator Thorpe told The Canberra Times she had been harassed by four parliamentarians - two senators and two MPs - since she entered parliament in September. She did not identify these men.
Dutton responds
Mr Dutton addressed the media following the personal statement from Senator Thorpe.
"Since the airing of Senator Thorpe's allegation yesterday, further allegations in relation to Senator Van have been brought to my attention overnight and this morning," Mr Dutton said.
"As such, I met with Senator Van this morning. And a short time ago I advised Senator Van of my decision that he should no longer sit in the Liberal Party partyroom.
"At the outset, I want to make clear, very clear that I'm not making any judgement on the veracity of the allegations, or any individual's guilt or innocence."
Senator Van made a statement in the Senate, calling Senator Thorpe's concerns "concocted", "irrational" and "false". He accused her of "cowering under the umbrella of parliamentary privilege". Senator Thorpe was not present.
"Nothing that she has alleged about me is truthful," Senator Van said.
"No such exchange occurred between us. There is no interaction that could conceivably resemble what she described today," Senator Van told Parliament on Thursday.
"Making false allegations in the Senate today is disgraceful and brings the Senate into disrepute.
"I do not wish this matter to stay in the Liberal Party that I fought so hard for, so I accept that I will no longer be sitting in the party room."
Mr Dutton said an independent process by the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service will now begin.
He also said he wasn't aware of the allegation that Senator Van had moved office, but had "conducted inquiries in relation to that matter overnight".
"I've been advised the action at the time that was taken was to the satisfaction of both Senator Thorpe, and the Greens Senate leadership team," he said.
Van wants investigation
Senator Van said he would cooperate with any investigation.
"There should be and must be an investigation into these outrageous claims, so they can be proved to be false," he said.
"I will fully cooperate with investigators and answer any questions that they may have of me and Senator Thorpe should do the same.
"I'll answer any questions put to me by my own party as well."
Senator Van, a fellow Victorian representative, has furiously denied Senator Thorpe's allegations in the Senate, in a statement and on radio.
"I can assure you and your listeners that I've never touched her, as I said, I think possibly the only time I've ever touched Senator Thorpe was shaking her hand after her maiden speech, which we all do," he told Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday morning.
Allegations made, then withdrawn
Senator Thorpe on Wednesday made allegations that Senator Van harassed and sexually assaulted her in Parliament, while Senator Van was speaking about the landmark Set the Standard report into abuse and harassment in Parliament. Senator Van immediately denied the allegations.
"I relay that I'm feeling really uncomfortable when a perpetrator is speaking about violence," the independent senator said.
Senator Thorpe was asked by the Senate's Deputy President Andrew McLachlan to withdraw the comment.
She responded: "I can't."
"Because this person harassed me, sexually assaulted me and the prime minister had to remove him from his office and to have him talking about this today is an absolute disgrace, on the whole party," she told Parliament.
Immediately after the initial allegations, Senator Van rejected them.
"I utterly reject that statement, that disgusting statement, outright," Senator Van said in the Senate.
"It is just a lie and I reject it," Senator Van said before he withdrew the word "lie".
"It's just not true."
Speaking to 2GB radio on Thursday morning, Senator Van responded to Senator Thorpe's allegation in Parliament that the "prime minister had to remove him from his office".
He denied the allegations and said he did move office in 2021.
"To put this on record, she made [an] allegation to our leadership through her leadership that I was following her into the chamber which made her feel uncomfortable," he told 2GB radio.
"That was just the way that we all file into the chamber when there are divisions.
"And at times, I'd be in front of her, at times I'd be behind her, but at no time did I harass her, touch her, I barely even said hello. You know, I'm sure I said hello at some point.
"And so the leadership offered me another office and so I moved."
Miriam Webber
I report on the public service and politics for the Canberra Times. Reach me at miriam.webber@canberratimes.com.au
I report on the public service and politics for the Canberra Times. Reach me at miriam.webber@canberratimes.com.au
Karen Barlow
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
