Australian senator alleges assault in parliament house; calls for safer workplace

Smoke haze hangs around Parliament House in Canberra, Australia January 12, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy/File photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian senator on Thursday said she was followed, aggressively propositioned and inappropriately touched by another senator in parliament house, and called on the government to make the building safer for women.

In a tearful address in parliament, independent senator Lidia Thorpe said she has decided not to pursue legal action or make a police complaint on the matter, and did not identify any person responsible for the conduct in her speech.