Lidia Thorpe ‘not going anywhere’ as Adam Bandt backs ‘incredible fighter’

Lidia Thorpe has vowed to remain in the Senate despite facing an investigation over failing to disclose her relationship with former Rebels bikie leader Dean Martin.

Lidia Thorpe, has rejected suggestions she had breached confidences of the law enforcement committee by passing on confidential information. Picture: Twitter

Lidia Thorpe says she is not “going anywhere”, vowing to remain in the Senate despite facing an investigation by a parliamentary committee over failing to disclose her relationship with former Rebels bikie leader Dean Martin.

Her declaration came as Greens leader Adam Bandt endorsed her as an “incredible fighter” and revealed an independent review was under way into her office as well as a wider parliamentary workplace review into the Greens’ procedures.

The Senate on Tuesday accepted Senator Thorpe’s self-­referral to the standing com­mittee of privileges, over her relationship with Mr Martin while she was sitting on a joint parliamentary law enforcement committee.

At the time, law enforcement committee members were receiving briefings and confidential documents on the Australian Federal Police strategy to monitor outlaw motorcycle gangs as part of an inquiry into the online trading of illicit drugs.

Mr Martin, who stepped down from the Rebels leadership in 2018 and has not been convicted of a crime, is the brother of late exiled Rebels leader Shane Martin, whose son is AFL star Dustin Martin.

Senator Thorpe on Tuesday rejected suggestions she had breached confidences of the law enforcement committee by passing on confidential information from AFP briefings to Mr Martin.

She accepted she should have disclosed her relationship with Mr Martin to both Mr Bandt and the committee, and said their “brief” romance was based on their interest in advocating for Indigenous Australians.

“All confidential information I received … was treated in confidence,” she said. “I strongly reject any suggestion I would do anything other than comply with the committee’s requirements. I note: nobody has offered any evidence to the contrary.

“I’m not going anywhere, especially while we don’t have a treaty in this country, which I will continue to fight for.

“Having now given this explanation to the Senate, I turn my attention to important portfolio work, especially fighting for first nations justice.”

Mr Bandt said Senator Thorpe should have informed him about her relationship with Mr Martin while she was sitting on the committee, but she had given him complete assurances that all information she received was treated in confidence.

The Greens leader asked her to resign as the party’s deputy Senate leader but is allowing her to lead the party on Indigenous affairs, including on its position on a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament.

In a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Mr Bandt said he first became aware of the matter after he was contacted by the media, and only found out later that his chief of staff was aware of the allegations but chose not to inform him.

Mr Bandt said he should have been told at the time, and his chief of staff “did not meet the expectations of staff in such matters. I have counselled my chief of staff.

“They’ve been a very good and competent chief of staff who makes many good decisions. The failure to inform me of this matter was not one of them,” he said.