Greens senator Lidia Thorpe allegedly told Liberal ‘at least I keep my legs shut’ in parliament

A Greens senator allegedly left another female politician in tears after telling her ‘at least I keep my legs shut’ during a debate in parliament.

Lidia Thorpe was accused of making the ‘disgusting’ comment towards Liberal senator Hollie Hughes on the floor of the Upper House about 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Liberal senator Ben Small interrupted proceedings to claim he clearly heard Ms Thorpe’s insult, with the 48-year-old then offering a retraction in the senate chamber.

Ms Thorpe though did not confirm the nature of her comment.

‘Senator Thorpe just made the most outrageous statement directed at Senator Hughes, which you probably didn’t hear,’ Mr Small said.

‘But in the scheme of disgusting statements made in this chamber that surely ranks at the top of them.’ 

Attorney-General Amanda Stoker’s Assistant Minister also alleged she heard Ms Thorpe direct the jibe at Ms Hughes, news.com.au reported.

Senator Small later alleged he clearly heard Ms Thorpe say ‘at least I keep my legs shut’.

‘I did very clearly hear Senator Thorpe heckle “at least I kept my legs shut”,’ he said.

‘That’s when I leapt to my feet to raise a point of order.’ 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Thorpe – who has not yet responded to the exact claims – for comment.

The allegation came just two days after Ms Thorpe was kicked out of parliament after she stripped off in the middle of a debate and shouted: ‘Black lives don’t matter in Beetaloo’.

Ms Thorpe, 48, was protesting against $50 million in grants for new gas projects in the Northern Territory when she suddenly whipped off her jacket and scarf on Monday. 

Her outburst came during a debate when she slammed Labor for not supporting the Greens against the drilling project in the NT’s Beetaloo Basin. 

She revealed a white t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan Black Lives Don’t Matter in the Beetaloo, a play on the Black Lives Matter campaign in the USA.

‘Both Labor and the Liberals need to stop listening to the oil and gas companies that purchase you and your vote,’ she raged. ‘Listen to the people.’  

‘You’re being given given an opportunity to do the right thing, so do it now. Don’t wait. Black lives don’t matter in the Beetaloo unless you do the right thing.’

She added: ‘If you really care, you would listen to the traditional owners who don’t want their country fracked, and protect sacred sites and the environment.

‘Vote like black lives depend on it because they do.’

After the Victoria senator repeatedly chanted ‘Black lives don’t matter in the Beetaloo – it’s shameful…shame!’ she was ejected from the chamber for ‘wearing a slogan’. 

Earlier, the debate heard gas drilling could add 13 per cent each year to Australia’s carbon emissions, but the move to block the grants failed when Labour abstained.  

The NT government has given Australian oil and gas company Empire Energy the green light to explore the viability of gas projects in the basin. 

Nationals senator Matt Canavan said Australia needed more secure oil and gas supplies to become self-sufficient.

Europe had ‘become slaves to Moscow’ and needed to beg Russia to supply enough gas after shutting down its own gas projects, he said.

‘We do not want to be beholden to dictatorial authoritarian regimes which is what happens when you do not develop your own energy resources,’ Senator Canavan added.

No Labor senator spoke on the motion to block the grants but the opposition has previously backed exploration in the basin.

More to come