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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has formally requested Federal Police investigation of Independent Senator Lydia Thorpe over controversial statements made at a pro-Palestinian protest, escalating tensions over parliamentary conduct and workplace safety in the national legislature.
Hanson posted a letter to Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw on social media platform X, declaring she is āsick to death of no one taking action against Senator Thorpe for her vile behaviour,ā according to a television news report.
The One Nation leaderās letter claims she is āsickened by weak politicians and the continual inaction who pretend Senator Thorpeās comments have no bearing on the Australian public,ā the broadcast stated.
āIf the Albanese government will not put a stop to Senator Thorpeās actions, we are depending on authorities like the federal police to take action,ā Hanson wrote, according to the report.
Chief Opposition Whip Aaron Violi characterized Thorpeās latest statements as āclassic Lydia thought, not helpful, doesnāt actually address any of the real challenges that weāve been sent to Canberra to solve.ā
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Workplace Safety Concerns
Violi expressed particular concern about the broader implications of Thorpeās remarks for Parliament House staff and operations.
āItās not just MPs and senators and our staff,ā Violi said in a television interview. āThere are a lot of staff that work in the kitchens and the gyms and other areas that wouldnāt want to hear this. Itās their workplace, completely inappropriate.ā
The Chief Opposition Whip said Thorpe later claimed her statements were not meant to be taken literally, but warned against dismissing potentially threatening language from elected officials.
āThe risk is that someone does take that literally, and we canāt have that,ā Violi said. āWe have to be very careful as elected officials in understanding that our words have power.ā
Thorpe defended her remarks by suggesting they should not be interpreted as literal threats, according to Violiās account of her response.
Call for Law Enforcement Assessment
When asked whether he supported Federal Police involvement, Violi declined to direct law enforcement operations while acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations.
āOn the face of it, it does look that a threat has been made and ultimately thatās a decision for the AFP,ā Violi said. āIām not in the habit of directing or asking whether itās Victoria Police here in Victoria or the AFP to how they should conduct their operations.ā
Violi said he trusts law enforcement agencies āto act in our best interest and keep the community safeā and would defer to the AFPās judgment on appropriate action.
However, he emphasized that elected officials should face the same standards as ordinary citizens regarding threatening statements.
āThat is a serious threat,ā Violi said. āIf a member of the public had made that, we wouldnāt accept it. So there should be the same rule for everyone in the community, whether youāre an elected official or not.ā
Condemnation From Opposition
Violi described Thorpeās behavior as ācompletely outrageous and unacceptable, calling for violence, concerning to see.ā
āSheās been condemned, and she should be condemned,ā Violi said.
The controversy represents the latest in a series of incidents involving Thorpe, who has repeatedly generated controversy since entering the Senate. The independent senator has previously disrupted parliamentary proceedings and made inflammatory statements on various issues.
The specific content of Thorpeās remarks at the pro-Palestinian protest was not detailed in available reports, though the reaction from political figures and the One Nation leaderās decision to involve federal law enforcement suggests the statements crossed conventional boundaries of political discourse.
Parliamentary Conduct Questions
The incident raises questions about standards of conduct for federal parliamentarians and the mechanisms available to address behavior that colleagues consider threatening or inappropriate.
While senators and members of parliament enjoy certain privileges and immunities related to parliamentary speech, those protections do not extend to all public statements made outside the chamber.
The matter now rests with the Australian Federal Police, which must determine whether Thorpeās statements warrant investigation under relevant criminal statutes or whether they constitute protected political expression.
Hansonās letter represents an unusual step of one senator formally requesting police investigation of another, highlighting the fractious nature of current parliamentary relations and disagreements over acceptable bounds of political rhetoric.
Neither the Prime Ministerās office nor the government have issued public statements on the matter, despite Hansonās criticism of what she characterized as government inaction.
The Australian Federal Police declined to comment on whether they received Hansonās letter or any plans to investigate, consistent with standard practice of not confirming or denying investigations.
Thorpe did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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