Lidia Thorpe resigns as Greens deputy Senate leader after revelations she dated former Rebels bikie boss Dean Martin

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has resigned from her role as the party’s deputy Senate leader after she admitted she dated ex-Rebels bikie Dean Martin while on the Joint Law Enforcement Committee.

Greens leader Adam Bandt announced she had accepted his request to resign during a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

Senator Thorpe, who will remain a Senator for Victoria, released her own statement where she conceded she had made mistakes.

“I accept that I have made mistakes and have not exercised good judgement,” she said.

“I will now reflect on this and focus on my important portfolio work, especially advocating for First Nations people.”

It comes after, the ABC has revealed two staffers for Senator Thorpe raised concerns of the relationship to the office of the Greens leader and an independent parliamentary authority.

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Senator Thorpe told the ABC she “briefly dated” Martin – the uncle of AFL player Dustin Martin – after having met through “Blak activism”.

“We remain friends and have collaborated on our shared interests advocating for the rights of First Nations peoples,” Senator Thorpe said.

At the time, Senator Thorpe was serving on the Joint Law Enforcement Committee which was undertaking an inquiry into the impact of the online illicit drug trade and receiving briefs on the involvement of organised crime.

Mr Bandt said Senator Thorpe needed to disclose to him her connection with Martin, telling reporters her “failure to do so showed a significant lack of judgement”.

“I now expect her to demonstrate better judgement going forward and in exercising her continuing portfolio responsibilities,” Mr Bandt said.

“I have spoken to Senator Thorpe, and she has told me that at no stage was there any breach of the rules regarding those committees or her work, no sharing of confidential information, and to date no-one has suggested otherwise.

“But that is not enough. It was clear that that this could be perceived as affecting her work and her failure to disclose that, at the very least, to me was an error of judgement.”

Despite her staffers’ concerns, Senator Thorpe did not reveal the relationship to the Greens leader, according to the ABC. But one of the staffers did raise the issue with Mr Bandt’s chief of staff.

Mr Bandt said he expected to have been told by his office and has “counselled” his chief of staff on the matter.

“My staff thought that the issue had been resolved. At the second thing I would say is that, ultimately, the obligation to disclose to a was Senator Thorpe’s,” he said.

“Having said all of that, this was not a good decision from my staff do not tell me about this, and I have counselled them.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in on the “concerning” reports and said Senator Thorpe’s admission that the relationship was an error an of judgement was the “least description I would put to it”.

Mr Albanese also demanded the Greens leader “explain” how much he knew about Senator Thorpe’s relationship with Martin.

“Mr Bandt has to explain what his office new and what he knew and if he wasn’t informed about these issues given his office was informed, why that is the case,” Mr Albanese said in Perth on Thursday.

Martin – who has no criminal convictions – stepped down as the Victorian chapter president of the Rebels bikie gang in 2018.

Senator Thorpe said when the pair met, Martin was “no longer involved in that world”.

“Obviously, I’m concerned about the criminal activities of outlaw motorcycle clubs in general. But when we met, Mr Martin was no longer involved with that world,” Senator Thorpe told the ABC.

Mr Bandt said he “wasn’t aware” of the relationship until the public broadcaster asked questions.