Independent senator Lidia Thorpe charges racism in treatment of her claims

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is dealing with at least two internal Liberal party complaints against Liberal senator David Van, which led to Mr Dutton removing him from the Liberal partyroom and sending him to the crossbench.

The Liberal leader is now calling for Senator Van to resign from Parliament, saying the claims against him are credible and moving on would be in "everyone's best interests".

Former LNP senator Amanda Stoker came forward with allegations of Senator Van squeezing her bottom twice in 2020 at a social gathering in a parliamentary office, calling it "unprofessional and uninvited". Mr Dutton revealed further allegations from an unnamed person had also been raised with him and he has taken that allegation to Senator Van.

The Victorian has jetted back to Melbourne and has released a statement that he is "shattered" and "stunned" that his "good reputation can be so wantonly savaged without due process or accountability."

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Senator Thorpe, who had withdrawn the allegation of sexual assault but has pressed on with allegations of inappropriate behaviour, has continued her assessment that Parliament House is not a safe workplace for women and claimed there has been racism in how she, an Indigenous woman, has been treated.

"It's been horrible. I became the perpetrator. I became the person that was demonised for speaking truth. And I had a media pile-on that day," she told ABC RN Breakfast.

"It wasn't until a white woman stood up and said, 'Yeah, this happened to me, too', that the media took notice, and I think is a great example of the media landscape in this country. And that is systemic racism.

"I was not believed. I was questioned. I was absolutely demonised that day by everybody. And you wonder why women don't speak out? Do you wonder why we are silenced? It's because of that kind of behaviour."

Senator Van, who has engaged lawyers over the allegations, released a statement on Friday morning.

"I am utterly shattered by the events of the past days and stunned that my good reputation can be so wantonly savaged without due process or accountability," he said.

"I will fully cooperate with whatever process Mr Dutton proposes to determine these matters as quickly and fairly as possible.

"While I understand the public interest is high, I will not be making any more public statements on the allegations until a proper examination of these claims is concluded."

The opposition leader said he had to remove Senator Van from the partyroom while the complaints were investigated. The allegations have been referred to the independent workplace complaints mechanism, the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service, which was set up in the wake of the landmark Set the Standard review by Kate Jenkins.

"I made a decision yesterday based on all of the information that was available to me ... that's a decision I don't regret at all," Mr Dutton told Channel Nine.

"I believe it is in the best interests of the Liberal Party and that's what I have acted upon and I don't want Senator Van sitting in our party room. I have made that clear."