Senator Lidia Thorpe has used parliamentary privilege to accuse an opposition MP of harassment and sexual assault.
Senator David Van was speaking in the Senate chamber on Wednesday afternoon about the safety of women and the behaviour of Labor MPs over the handling of Brittany Higgins rape allegations when the independent Victorian senator repeatedly interrupted.
Repeatedly asked to stop interjecting by Senate deputy president Andrew McLachlan, Senator Thorpe continued.
“I’m feeling really uncomfortable when a perpetrator is speaking about violence,” she said.
Mr McLachlan then asked for the former Greens senator to withdraw the statement.
Senator Thorpe replied: “I can’t because this person harassed me, sexually assaulted me and the PM had to remove him from his office.
“And to have him talking about this today is an absolute disgrace, on the whole party.”
Upon resuming his speech Senator Van said: “I utterly reject that disgusting statement outright. It’s just not true.”
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Senator Van released a separate statement on Wednesday evening.
“Senator Thorpe made unfounded and completely untrue allegations against me that I immediately and unequivocally denied and continue to deny,” it read.
“These outrageous and reprehensible comments were made by Senator Thorpe using parliamentary privilege in the most malicious and despicable way.
The speaker referred the matter to the Senate president Sue Lines.
The Guardian reports that former prime minister Scott Morrison doesn’t remember any such allegation from Senator Thorpe nor being involved in Senator Van moving offices.
“Mr Morrison has no recollection of Lidia Thorpe ever making such an allegation to him personally or of any involvement in Senator Van moving offices,” the statement read.
Former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, appearing on ABC TV’s Afternoon Briefing, advised Senator Thorpe to take the matter to a solicitor and the police.
