,1,It was always going to be a risky strategy. The Coalition spent the week pursuing Finance Minister Katy Gallagher – who admitted being given a heads-up days before Brittany Higgins went public with her rape allegation. The aim was to uncover a secret Labor plot to politically damage the Morrison Government. Instead – the debate took a sharp turn - when the little-known Liberal Senator David Van joined the attack. It was too much to bear for one Senator sitting in the chamber at the time. Lidia Thorpe rounded on Senator Van – accusing him of sexual harassment and assault.
Soon other women came forward with their own complaints about his behaviour. Senator Van denies the allegations – but Peter Dutton promptly kicked him out of the party room – and now wants him out of parliament altogether. David Speers interviews Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie about the week in parliament, the Coalition’s questions to Gallagher in the senate and what she knew of the Van allegations. Patricia Karvelas, Anna Henderson and Katina Curtis discuss the issues of the week. Mike Bowers talks the week in pictures with Dan Ilic.
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