Liberal senator David Van has been dumped from the party room following sexual assault allegations made by independent senator Lidia Thorpe.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he had told the Liberal senator earlier on Thursday he was no longer welcome in the party room.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Lidia Thorpe has withdrawn claims that a Liberal senator sexually assaulted her
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Dutton said further allegations had been made against Senator Van since Senator Thorpe’s original claims were aired.
“I want to make clear, very clear that I’m not making any judgment on the veracity of the allegations or any individual’s guilt or innocence,” Dutton said.
The announcement followed a speech by Senator Thorpe to the upper house on Thursday in which she detailed allegations of sexual assault by a Liberal senator.
On Wednesday, she had under parliamentary privilege accused Senator Van of harassment and sexual assault.
Senator Van has rejected the claims.
While not naming Senator Van in her speech on Thursday, Senator Thorpe said she was followed and then cornered in a stairwell by a senator at Parliament House, before she was “aggressively propositioned and inappropriately touched”.
“There are different understandings of what amounts to sexual assault … to me, it was sexual assault,” she told parliament.
“I was afraid to walk out of the office door.
“I would open the door slightly and check the coast was clear before stepping out.
“It was to the degree that I had to be accompanied by someone whenever I walked inside this building.”
Senator Thorpe said she would not pursue legal action over the incident or go to the police with the claims.
“This is my choice, but I will continue to speak out against the abuse and harassment that happens in this building,” she said.
“I want to focus on making this place safe for everyone, and at this moment, it is not a safe place for women.”
The independent senator said the incident was not isolated and there were other people in parliament who had inappropriately touched her.
She said she was assured former prime minister Scott Morrison was informed of the incident after Senator Van moved offices.
“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,” Senator Thorpe said.
Senator Van told parliament on Thursday that Senator Thorpe’s allegations were “concocted from beginning to end”.
“Nothing that she has alleged of me is truthful. No such exchange occurred between us,” he said.
“There is no interaction that could conceivably resemble what she described today.
“Making false allegations in the Senate today is disgraceful and brings the Senate into disrepute.”
He said had accepted he would no longer sit in the Liberal party room.
“I do not wish this matter to stay in the Liberal Party that I fought so hard for,” he said.
Senator Van said an investigation into Senator Thorpe’s claims was warranted and he was willing to cooperate with it.
“Senator Thorpe should do the same.”
Senator Thorpe made the initial accusations of Senator Van on Wednesday while he was making a speech accusing the Labor Party of unethical behaviour in its handling of the Brittany Higgins sexual assault allegations.
Senator Van said he had accepted an offer made by then-Senate president Scott Ryan in 2021 to move to an office further away from Senator Thorpe.
He had done so in the wake of a claim – which he rejected – that his proximity to her office made her feel “uncomfortable”.
“(I) agreed to protect myself against her irrational concerns and ensure the effective and smooth running of the parliament.”
Senate President Sue Lines is due to make a statement on the matter later on Thursday.