Jacqui Lambie says Lidia Thorpe ‘must take responsibility’ after nightclub footage

Parliament is reacting after independent senator Lidia Thorpe was filmed in an expletive-ridden incident on the weekend.

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe must “take responsibility for her actions”, according to her colleagues.

The Greens defector was captured outside a Melbourne nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning engaged in a verbal altercation with a group of men.

In the footage, which was obtained by 7News, she can be seen taunting a man about having a “small penis”. She also uses coarse language throughout the clip.

The incident follows her attempt to gatecrash a rally outside Parliament House last month, and stopping the Mardi Gras parade in Sydney.

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

Lidia Thorpe was filmed shouting profanities at a group outside a Melbourne strip club in the early hours of Sunday.

Her parliamentary colleagues are calling for her to ‘take responsibility’ for her actions.

“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.”

Senator Lambie conceded there was not much the parliament could do in terms of punishing Senator Thorpe for her repeated involvement in incidents.

Senator Jacqui Lambie said Senator Thorpe needs to ‘take responsibility’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Meanwhile, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said he was starting to “feel sorry” for Senator Thorpe.

“I think that she has to have some serious conversations with a few people about how she is conducting herself and whether it is appropriate and how she gets into that position to act like that,” he told Channel 7.

His panel mate, Environment Minister Tanya Plibserk said Senator Thorpe’s behaviour was “obviously unacceptable”.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a member of Parliament or your average person, I think that sort of behaviour in public is just not acceptable.

“As for whether the Parliament should have the ability to intervene, I think that‘s something we would have to consider very carefully.”

Barnaby Joyce said Senator Thorpe had a right to remain in parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Joyce said he did not believe Senator Thorpe should be kept out of parliament.

“I think once you are elected, you are elected. It can come with a whole range of other issues you can do within the parliament but the Australian people will kick (you) out at the next election,” he said.

Senator Thorpe is not up for re-election until 2028.

In a statement to 7 News Senator Thorpe said she did not start the exchange, but had responded to taunts and harassment leveraged against her.

She said she had not done anything wrong.

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

Senator Thorpe was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Jacqui Lambie says Lidia Thorpe ‘must take responsibility’ after nightclub footage