Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has come out and apologised for the “disgusting” comment directed at Liberal representative Hollie Hughes.
The senator was accused of saying “at least I keep my legs shut” during a recent Senate debate.
The apology and subsequent withdrawal of the comment came on Wednesday evening rounding out a crazy two weeks in parliament.
Assistant attorney general, Amanda Stoker and Liberal senator Ben Small have told sources that they heard the interjected comment “at least I keep my legs shut”, uttered by Thorpe.
Senator Small reportedly informed the senate during the debate that he had heard Thorpe make “the most outrageous comment directed at senator Hughes.”
A comment that “ranks at the top” of “disgusting statements made in this chamber.”
The comment was met with a response from Thorpe saying, “I’m happy to retract, Mr president. I just got a view of something over there that disturbed me. But I’m happy to retract.”
The Senate often sees robust debate and I am often an active participant. But at all times we focus on policy and what we think is the right thing to do with regards to legislation. We should not bring peoples family into the debate as a form of slur.@ljayes#auspol pic.twitter.com/jE5YF14PjL
— Senator Hollie Hughes (@hollieahughes) December 2, 2021
The evening progressed and a further statement and apology was made by Thorpe to the Senate.
“I just want to unreservedly take back the comments that I made earlier when interjecting, and I apologise to that senator, senator Hughes, wholeheartedly. That won’t happen again. So I apologise to the senator and also the Senate.”
Thorpe reportedly spoke out on Thursday, saying she thought the comment was a reference to her child with autism.
“Had I kept my legs shut [then] I wouldn’t have a child with autism”.
This was followed by Thorpe denying the hypothesised interpretation, stating “I thoroughly reject any suggestion that I directly or indirectly referenced senator Hughes’ family,”
The incident came just one day after Liberal senator, David Van was accused by two senators of making animal noises directed at Jacqui Lambie.
Van owned up to “verbal interjection” but denied that these included animal noises or growling. He told News.com that he may have been misheard as making dog noises because of his mask…
How convenient.
Lambie told The Today Show that she did not hear the noises but was grateful that senators Sarah Hanson-Young and Penny Wong called it out.
Look at this bun fight started by that twit, Hollie Hughes, denies she heard David Van growling like a dog while Lambie was speaking- when 3 other women heard it
David Van also hops onto the 'I didn't do nuthin' bandwagon with a possible litigious threat
I hate these twats pic.twitter.com/GmwYIFmqis
— ShiannonCorcoran💉💉 (@ShiannonC) November 30, 2021
Perhaps a team bonding excursion like an escape room or axe throwing would be helpful as the Australian Senate is currently acting like a bunch of school kids and honestly, that’s pretty harsh to say about school kids.
Lambie went on to comment about the disgraceful behaviour taking place in parliament at the moment.
“We are supposed to be … leaders [and] this is what’s going on up here. Quite frankly, I find it quite shameful.”
