Crossbench dilemma solved as David Van assigned his seat

A federal senator who was thrown out of the Liberal Party over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women could return to parliament for the first time since the claims were aired.

Victorian senator David Van is planning to return to the upper house pending advice about an ongoing medical condition, after seating arrangements were changed to place a buffer between him and one of his accusers, independent senator Lidia Thorpe.

David Van and Lidia Thorpe will not be obliged to sit near each other on the crossbench. Credit: Composite

“He is planning on attending parliament next week, but it will depend on medical advice,” a spokesperson for Van said.

Comment has been sought from Thorpe. The former Greens senator in June accused Van on the floor of parliament of “sexually assaulting” and harassing her, in claims he strenuously denies.

Former liberal senator Amanda Stoker then said she had been touched inappropriately by Van, while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said a third woman had also made a complaint against Van.

Dutton then announced Van would be booted from the party to sit on the crossbench.

Van has denied all allegations of inappropriate conduct, and accused Thorpe of “cowering under the umbrella of parliamentary privilege to make her claim”.

Dutton has called for Van to resign from parliament, in a stance backed by Liberal frontbenchers, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in June he would be comfortable if Van didn’t return.

Van’s continuing parliamentary presence raised further questions about where he would sit in the Senate, given his ousting from the opposition bench placed him in closer proximity to Thorpe.

Those questions appear to have been answered by the new Senate seating plan, which assigns Van a seat next to United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet.

He is now seated across an aisle from Thorpe, two rows behind her, with One Nation senators Malcolm Roberts and Pauline Hanson, and Lambie Party senators Jacqui Lambie and Tammy Tyrrell seated between the accuser and the accused.

According to a source familiar with the new arrangements, all relevant parties were consulted on the move.

Babet, one of those consulted parties, and said he was comfortable sitting next to Van. He said he would potentially even use their newfound proximity to convince Van to vote with him.

“Allegations are just allegations, this is all they are,” Babet said, adding Van was lucky to leave the Liberal Party, which he described as “a joke”.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.