The Senate has stripped Pauline Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby of his parliamentary pass and banned him from entering the building following an altercation with a senator.
Mr Ashby became involved in a scuffle with Brian Burston inside Parliament House, leaving the senator with an injured hand.
Senator Burston has launched legal action against Mr Ashby, including seeking a restraining order, and reported the incident to the Australian Federal Police.
Senator Burston quit One Nation last year after a prolonged feud with Senator Hanson.
Senate President Scott Ryan announced the ban late on Thursday afternoon, having announced an investigation into the matter earlier in the day.
The announcement prompted Senator Burston to confirm blood that had appeared on Senator Hanson’s office door earlier in the day was his.
Mr Ashby said he “accepted the decision” of the President of the Senate and had surrendered his pass.
“All I ask is that the President does do a thorough investigation into the claims that have been made against senators out there about their behaviour towards women in the workplace,” he told the ABC as he arrived at Brisbane airport.
“What I would ask is that the President does give a fair hearing to all sides.
“At this present moment, I haven’t had my hearing. And I’m sure he will give that.”
Mr Ashby and Senator Burston had been attending a function at Parliament House prior to their dispute in the foyer of the building.
Footage of the incident emerged, but Senator Burston said it failed to depict the full incident.
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Senator Hanson accused parliamentary officials of double standards, suggesting Senator Burston should face similar disciplinary action.
“Because he’s a senator … I think there are rules for one, and totally different for everyone else,” she said after leaving Canberra.
“But that’s up to the Parliament to decide.”
It came after a bitter war of words had broken out between Senator Hanson and Senator Burston.
Earlier in the week, Senator Hanson, speaking in the Parliament, said an unnamed, married, male senator was the subject of a serious sexual harassment investigation.
Senator Burston told News Corp that he believed she was talking about him and strenuously denied the accusations.
He then accused Senator Hanson of sexual harrasement, which she dismissed as “retaliation” and said she “can’t stop laughing about it”.
Council of Small Business Organisations Australia chief executive Peter Strong witnessed the incident between Mr Ashby and Senator Burston and described it as “disgraceful”.
Crossbench senator Cory Bernardi praised Senator Ryan for stripping Mr Ashby of his parliamentary access.
“It is a special privilege and for any chief of staff, or any staff member, to accost a senator in the manner in which is alleged there is only one appropriate course of action,” he said.
Senator Bernardi said he hoped the ban would remain in place “for a very long time”.abcnews