Senator accused of "disgusting statement"
Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has been accused of telling Liberal Senator Hollies Hughes “at least I keep my legs shut” during a debate in parliament.
Senator Thorpe made the interjection during Question Time on Wednesday, while NDIS Minister Linda Reynolds was answering a question about International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Though parliamentary microphones failed to capture the comment, Amanda Stoker, a trained lawyer and Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General, said she had clearly heard what was interjected.
“I can tell you what I heard with my own ears. She said, ‘At least I keep my legs shut’,” Senator Stoker told news.com.au.
Liberal Senator Ben Small said he also heard the comment clearly and addressed it in parliament.
“Senator Thorpe just made the most outrageous statement directed at Senator Hughes, which you probably didn’t hear,” he told parliament shortly before 7.30pm that night.
“But in the scheme of disgusting statements made in this chamber that surely ranks at the top of them.”
Senator Thorpe responded by retracting the comment.
“I am happy to retract. I just got a view of something over there that disturbs me, but I’m happy to retract,” she said.
Outside of parliament, Senator Small told news.com.au that he had clearly heard Senator Thorpe’s remarks.
“I did very clearly hear Senator Thorpe heckle ‘at least I keep my legs shut’,” he said.
Senator Thorpe brought up the recent deaths of two Indigenous women in custody during Wednesday's debate. Image: @senatorthorpe (Instagram)
The heckle appears to have come after Senator Hughes heckled Senator Thorpe, saying she had “dismissed people with a disability” by redirecting the debate towards the recent deaths of two Indigenous women in custody.
“Really classy,” Senator Hughes said.
The latest incident comes a day after Liberal Senator David Van apologised for making an interjection while independent senator Jacqui Lambie spoke, after several senators described his interjection as a growl.
He made an “unreserved apology” but denied he was making an animal noise. He did concede that he had interjected while Senator Lambie was speaking, which was not appropriate.
“I was just interjecting with a gruff voice and I think with the mask and everything, in all the noise that was going on, it was that,” Senator Van said.
“It was in no way an animal noise or meant to be disrespectful to (her) in any sort of gendered way.”
Image: Getty Images