Lidia Thorpe resigns as Greens’ Senate deputy leader over undisclosed relationship with former bikie boss

Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has resigned as the party’s deputy leader in the Senate following revelations she was in an undisclosed relationship with the former president of a bikie gang while sitting on a parliamentary committee on law enforcement. The ABC reported on Thursday that Senator Thorpe’s staffers were concerned about the risk of a perceived conflict of interest from her dating ex-president of the Rebels in Victoria, Dean Martin. The law enforcement committee she was sitting on at the time was receiving confidential briefings about bikie gangs and organised crime.

Upon learning of the relationship, staff reportedly urged the senator to disclose the relationship to Greens leader Adam Bandt.

Speaking on Thursday, Mr Bandt said he was not aware of the matters until the media raised them. “I have since looked into those matters. I have asked Senator Thorpe for her resignation as deputy leader in the Senate and I have received a resignation,” he said. “At a minimum, Senator Thorpe needed to disclose to me her connection to Mr Martin and her failure to do so showed a significant lack of judgement.

“Senator Thorpe says she understands this, so I now expect her to demonstrate better judgement going forward and in exercising her continuing portfolio responsibilities.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt. Source: AAP

He said that he had confidence in Senator Thorpe as a senator, but that the “significant error of judgement” meant he had to request her to step down from the party’s leadership team.

Senator Thorpe: ‘I have not exercised good judgement’

In a separate statement, Senator Thorpe said she had offered Mr Bandt her resignation as the party’s deputy leader in the Senate. “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.” Mr Bandt said Senator Thorpe had informed him that at no stage was there “any breach of rules” regarding the committees or her work. He said there had been no disclosures of information – and “to date, no one has suggested otherwise”. “If those facts change, then of course I will consider further action … but that is what I have been told at the moment. “I have, separately, reached out to the AFP [Australian Federal Police] to seek a meeting with them to see if they have any concerns with respect to disclosure of information, but to be clear, at the moment, the facts that I have – no one is suggesting that happened.”

Mr Bandt said Senator Thorpe has not held the justice portfolio since the May federal election.

‘Concerning revelations,’ Anthony Albanese says

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the revelations about Senator Thorpe’s relationship were concerning. “Australians are entitled to believe that the oversight processes over the legal system will be maintained in a way that ensures integrity and ensures that any information which is given there is kept in a confidential basis,” he said on Thursday. “I note that Senator Thorpe has said that this is an error of judgment – that is the least description that I would put to it.” The prime minister has called on the Greens leader to explain what he and his office knew and when about the undisclosed relationship. The ABC reported that one of Senator Thorpe’s staff reported concerns to the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service – an independent authority established to review serious incidents in parliamentary workplaces.

With AAP.