Van today said “he’d rather have been accused of murder than this”.
“How someone can make an allegation like that against another person that is completely unfounded – I’ve been in shock.
“People who have seen the video can see how shocked I was at the time, it’s just awful, it’s just terrible for me and my family.”
Asked by Fordham if there was any truth whatsoever to the allegations, Van said “utterly no”.
”I think the only time I’ve ever even touched her would’ve been shaking her hand after her maiden speech,” Van said.
“No, no. I have not harassed her in any shape or form.
“It’s utterly disgusting that she would say those words and I’m kind of upset that you would even raise those.”
If Thorpe held any genuine belief “that anything happened”, Van said he would “encourage her to take it to the police and let the courts decide”.
Van admitted that he did move offices back in 2021 after Thorpe made complaints about his conduct in parliament.
”She had made allegations to our leadership through her leadership that I was following her into the chamber, which made her feel uncomfortable, but that was just the way that we all file into the chamber when there are divisions,” Van said.
“At times I’d be in front of her, at times I’d be behind her, but at no time did I harass her.
“So, the leadership offered me another office and so I moved.”
Van said the offer was made by former Liberal Party Senate Scott Ryan.
“If I’m sounding a bit shaky this morning, it’s because I haven’t slept much last night,” Van said.
“I’d feel less bad if she had have accused me of murder than this.”
Van was speaking in the Senate yesterday about the handling of Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, when Thorpe began interjecting, calling out “perpetrator” and “you can talk”.
As Senate deputy president Andrew McLachlan repeatedly asked Thorpe to stop, the independent senator rose on a point of order.
“I’m feeling really uncomfortable when a perpetrator is speaking about violence,” she said, using parliamentary privilege.
After being asked by McLachlan to withdraw the “inappropriate” comment, Thorpe continued.
“I can’t because this person harassed me, sexually assaulted me and the prime minister had to remove him from his office.
“And to have him talking about this today is an absolute disgrace, on the whole party.”
Thorpe later withdrew her remarks at the request of the deputy president.
“In order to comply with the parliamentary standing orders, I withdraw those remarks. For the information of the Senate, I will make a statement on the matter tomorrow,” she said.
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