Nine’s Political Editor Chris Uhlmann has questioned how the Greens would respond if a conservative politician was accused of acting even “vaguely similar” to Lidia Thorpe, who faces allegations of workplace misconduct.
Government rejects bid for access to key documents over car park scandal 9news.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 9news.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Australian Parliament Resumes With Strictest Safety Measures in Place
Federal ministers have returned to Canberra after the winter break to sit in Parliament for four of the next five weeks, and the Senate leader is assuring Australians of the strict COVID-19 safety measures in place.
Simon Birmingham said “very extensive” safeguards proportionate to the risk of the Delta variant have been implemented for parliament.
The public have been banned from entering Parliament House, and many ministers have not flown in as they remain isolated in their home states.
“It will be a slimmed down parliament in terms of the number of parliamentarians attending, dramatically slimmed down in terms of the number of staff working in parliament house,” Birmingham told ABC radio.
Advertisement
An Aboriginal elder says a blast of verbal abuse from Greens senator Lidia Thorpe during a meeting at Parliament House left her physically ill, shaken and requiring medical attention.
First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria co-chair Aunty Geraldine Atkinson is seeking a formal apology from Senator Thorpe – an Indigenous senator in her first term – for her conduct during a meeting to discuss Victoria’s treaty process at Parliament House in Canberra last Tuesday.
Co-chair of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, Aunty Geraldine Atkinson.
According to a letter of complaint Ms Atkinson sent to Senate President Scott Ryan and the Greens leader Adam Bandt, Senator Thorpe began the meeting by telling Ms Atkinson they were not friends and that she did not respect her, accusing her of holding high-paid roles in organisations that did not benefit the Indigenous community.