Senator David Van was expelled from the Liberal party room by opposition leader Peter Dutton after being dissatisfied with his response to sexual assault claims.
In an interview with Sky News Australia’s Erin Molan on Friday, Mr. Dutton provided more specifics regarding the reasons behind Senator Van’s ejection from the party room.
After independent senator Lidia Thorpe and former LNP senator Amanda Stoker made accusations against Senator Van, he was compelled to join the opposition benches.
Mr. Dutton said Molan, “I reached a decision after speaking with him and after hearing a number of claims that I put to him.
His responses didn’t satisfy me, so I decided he should be barred from the Liberal Party party room.
“I believe that Senator Van’s resignation from the Senate is the next step. That, in my opinion, is in everyone’s best interests, and I hope it can happen soon.
Outside of his public calls, Mr. Dutton has not yet directly informed Senator Van that he should quit.
Senator Van was informed by the Liberal leader that he was no longer permitted to sit in the party room, and the two have not spoken since.
Since telling him about my decision to bar him from the Liberal Party party room, I haven’t spoken with him, Mr. Dutton claimed.
“Obviously, you’ve seen the former senator Amanda Stoker’s statement regarding her accusations, and there are other legitimate accusations of sexual assault of a serious sort that I’ve seen.
“Therefore, I come to the conclusion. Senator Van, a member of the cross-benches, will now have to decide what to do, but in my opinion, he should retire.
In response to claims of sexual assault, Mr. Dutton said it was his responsibility as leader to act swiftly. He also expressed the hope that his actions would send a “very clear message” to his colleagues and other lawmakers.
Parliament, he continued, is a “very important workplace” since it establishes standards for the nation.
“However, it genuinely pains me that there are… two or three thousand individuals or something along those lines at Parliament House during a sitting week. Ninety-nine percent of people in all political parties are decent people, according to Mr. Dutton.
“The issue is that these kinds of incidents have tarnished and discredited us all, and I believe that’s why it’s critical that we step fast and take action to address them as best we can under the circumstances.
And I hope that sends a very clear message to my coworkers, to others in Parliament House, as well as into other workplaces across the nation because “there are many workplaces, many parts of society, where somehow people believe they can sexually assault a young woman or a young man and it’s completely and totally unacceptable.”
Additionally, Mr. Dutton was questioned about whether Senator Van had received the proper treatment when the initial charges were made against him.
“In relation to the suggestion Senator Van had to move his office and relocate away from Senator Thorpe, I wasn’t aware of any of that at the time,” he claimed.
“However, I looked into it, and from the information I was given, I could tell that Senator Thorpe and the Australian Greens Senate leadership team were pleased with the conclusion.
“So it seems to me that that was handled appropriately,” she said, “and as is often the case, people who make a complaint about being harassed or sexually assaulted don’t want their name in the media or they don’t want to go to the police, although in some circumstances they do.
Prior to Ms. Stoker’s charges on Thursday, Senator Thorpe had made sexual harassment claims against Senator Van in the Senate.
Ms. Stoker stated in a statement that she had intended to maintain the confidentiality of the situation but that it was “no longer tenable”.
In November 2020, a Queensland barrister claimed that Senator Van had “inappropriately touched” her in a Parliament House office.
He accomplished this by twice squeezing my bum. It was not coincidental, given its nature and frequency, according to her statement.
At a meeting the next day, Ms. Stoker claimed she had “raised the matter with Senator Van” and told him it was “unacceptable, and that it was not to be repeated.”
Her statement stated that “he apologized and promised he wouldn’t do it again.”
On Friday morning earlier, Mr. Dutton acknowledged a third accusation against Mr. Van in addition to those made by Senator Thorpe and Ms. Stoker.
Senator Van has refuted the accusations, telling SkyNews.com.au that he is astounded that his “good reputation” could be so seriously harmed without following the correct legal procedures.
In a statement, he added, “I am completely devastated by the events of the last few days and stunned that my good reputation can be so wantonly destroyed without due process or accountability.”
“I will wholeheartedly support any procedure Mr. Dutton suggests to settle these disputes as soon and fairly as feasible.
“While I recognize that there is considerable public interest in the allegations, I will not be making any further public statements on them until a thorough investigation of these claims has been completed.”
