A lady has been charged with assault, according to the police.
Senator Lidia Thorpe disclosed that she had to miss over a third of the sitting days of parliament this year because of injuries she got in what was allegedly an incident outside the MCG.
This morning, the independent senator addressed concerns about her attendance record in parliament by revealing that she had missed work due to the alleged assault.
This year, Thorpe has made it to 222 of 493 divisions and 28 of 44 sitting days. A public event earlier this year was the scene of an assault, the independent senator stated.
Spinal surgery and the insertion of a plate were necessary procedures after I suffered severe nerve and spinal cord injuries to my neck.
This is the reason why the nape of my neck is scarred.
After my injuries and while I was recovering from surgery, my doctor told me not to travel, so I missed out on parliament.
“My doctor told me to take time off work.”
The incident is still under investigation by the police, according to Thorpe, who would have preferred to keep it private.
This afternoon, authorities verified that the alleged attack was reported immediately and that a lady was apprehended many months later.
“Investigators allege that a woman assaulted another woman outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground after an AFL match about 10.30pm,” according to a police report.
On May 26, police at Melbourne East received a report about the incident.
The incident resulted in minor injuries to the woman.
“Police arrested a 27-year-old Preston woman in Preston on 25 July.”
Two counts of carelessly causing injury and three counts of unlawful assault were filed against the lady, who was released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Earlier this month, a neo-Nazi was caught on camera threatening Thorpe and burning an Aboriginal flag.
She went on to say that she is fully dedicated to her role in the Senate and does not take her obligations lightly.
“When I haven’t been present in parliament, I have still been engaged with and following the legislative agenda, and ensuring that my voting positions are reflected in the vote outcome through pairing arrangements,” according to her.
This week, Thorpe has been in the spotlight due to her protests during King Charles’s Monday visit to Parliament House and the subsequent misunderstanding surrounding her oath of allegiance.
In an interview with ABC earlier this week, she implied that she had purposefully used the word “hairs” instead of “heirs” when she took the oath to serve in the Senate, implying that she had meant to do so.
Her original statement was misunderstood, but she later clarified it to Sky News, saying that her “English grammar isn’t as good as others” and correcting herself after reading the card.
Because of her oath statement, Thorpe is under fire and may face consequences.
Every member of Australia’s parliament must take an oath of loyalty before they may sit down to do their jobs.
Simon Birmingham, leader of the Senate opposition, wrote to Senate President Sue Lines yesterday, requesting that she investigate Thorpe’s eligibility.
