Lidia Thorpe banned from Melbourne strip club after wild clash

New footage captures the confrontation between the controversial senator and a group of men outside a strip club that resulted in the politician copping a lifetime ban from the venue.

Controversial independent senator Lidia Thorpe has been handed a lifetime ban from a Melbourne strip club after she unleashed a tirade of insults towards a group of mates.

Ms Thorpe was leaving Maxine’s Gentlemen’s Club about 3am on Sunday after celebrating a friends’ 50th birthday when the incident unfolded.

General manager David Ross told the Herald Sun he banned Ms Thorpe from attending the venue for life after he reviewed security footage.

“Her behaviour was just outrageous,” he said.

“It’s not what we tolerate at the club, we pride ourselves on fostering relationships with people from all genders, sexualities, religions and ethnic backgrounds.

“It’s not the sort of behaviour we want at premises.”

It’s understood Ms Thorpe and the three men were separately waiting for a taxi when the independent senator began talking loudly about Indigenous issues.

Lidia Thorpe caught shouting profanities at a group outside a Melbourne strip club.

One of the men, who wished to remain anonymous, said he told her to “shut up”.

“She started on about how we were on Aboriginal land and we shouldn’t be here,” he said.

“I said we were in Brunswick, we were just trying to leave and told her to f--- off basically.

“She was abusing me for being white, apparently I’m a racist even though I never said anything about her being Indigenous.

“I was there with two Indigenous guys.”

The man said Ms Thorpe called him a “white dog”.

“She was getting in my face, I put my hands in my pocket,” he said.

“She said ‘why do you hit me, you privileged white dog’ ... she didn’t physically touch me at all but she was close to me.

“She needs to be booted out of parliament, how can someone like that be a big influencer.”

In video footage, filmed by the man’s friend, Ms Thorpe can be seen pointing, swearing and insulting the men.

“You know what I say, to you, you know what I say to you and you …” she said.

“Small penis, small penis.”

Ms Thorpe claimed the men provoked her.

Ms Thorpe’s friend then pulled her away from the men and edged her closer to a taxi.

“All I’ve got to say to the black brothers there and anyone that we’re fighting,” she said.

“Any black man that stands with the f--- white little c--- like that, youse can all get f----- too.”

One man replied: “how the f--- does someone get in parliament like you?”

“We’ve been oppressed all our f------ life in this country and you let this little dog speak” she said.

Before Ms Thorpe left the club, she pulled out her phone and started recording the men.

“You, you are marked,” she said.

It’s believed neither party was intoxicated.

In a statement, Ms Thorpe claimed the men provoked her while she left the venue.

“It’s sad people are using whatever they can to drag me down when we’re trying to discuss important issues in this country,” she said.

But Mr Ross said she wasn’t provoked.

“She was being aggressive, when I say aggressive, not enough to be thrown out but she was certainly spreading her opinions around about white European men who were in attendance who had stolen her land,” he said.

Ms Thorpe is an independent senator. Picture: Gary Ramage

In a letter sent to Ms Thorpe on Monday, the strip club boss said she wasn’t welcomed at the club.

“After reviewing security footage and speaking with staff and security, I have to inform you that you are no longer welcome at Maxine’s Gentlemen’s Club,” he wrote.

“Please do not attempt to enter the venue in future, as being refused entry may cause further embarrassment.”

Mr Ross said he wouldn’t be reporting the incident to Victoria Police.

On Monday, Ms Thorpe’s colleagues said she must “take responsibility for her actions”.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the behaviour seen in the video was “obviously unacceptable”.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Member of Parliament or your average person, I think that sort of behaviour in public is just not acceptable,” Ms Plibersek said.

“As for whether the parliament should have an ability to intervene, I mean that’s something you’d have to consider very carefully.”

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said he was starting to “feel sorry for her”.

“She has to have some serious conversations with a few people about how ... she’s conducting herself and whether it’s appropriate, and how she gets into that position to act like that,” Mr Joyce said.

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie said if Senator Thorpe was not “in a good way” she should go and “get some counselling”.

“Quite frankly, something needs to be done.

“I would say this to Lidia: you cannot keep doing this ... you are part of the problem,” Senator Lambie said.

“Take the responsibility of your own actions and take them into your own hands.”

Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie said there was “no way of getting out of this”.

“I think that when you are out that late and you put yourself in that sort of situation, you better take responsibility for your actions,” she told Sky News.

“You are a politician, and sometimes we do muck up, but not taking any responsibility for that yourself is not very helpful.

“If you do not think you’re in a good way, go and do what the rest of us do – go and get some counselling or psychology because quite frankly, something needs to be done.

“But I would say this to Lidia: you just cannot keep doing this. A good start would be admitting you are part of the problem and the responsibility of your own actions need to be taken into your own hands.”

This is not the first time this year that Ms Thorpe has attracted controversy.

She was again involved with police after she attempted to halt Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade in late February by laying down in front of one of the floats.

Only last month, she was pulled to the ground by police and security after she attempted to intervene in a protest organised by anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen outside of Parliament House in Canberra.

And last year Ms Thorpe referred herself to the Senate’s privileges committee over allegations she failed to disclose a relationship with former Rebels bikie boss Dean Martin while sitting on the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee.

The Senator was cleared of any wrongdoing by the committee last month and Ms Thorpe later said she had not dated Martin and the pair had only kissed once at a rally on 26th of January.

“I had no idea who this person was or his background,” she told the Senate in March.

Originally published as Lidia Thorpe banned from Melbourne strip club after wild clash