Senator Lidia Thorpe has revealed she was brutally assaulted at the MCG earlier this year causing a major spinal injury, forcing her to miss a third of parliamentary sitting days. 

Thorpe made the admission after The Australian inquired about her absences, revealing that she had attended only 45 per cent of parliamentary votes this year. 

‘Earlier this year I was assaulted at the MCG. I sustained serious nerve and spinal injuries in my neck, which required spinal surgery and a plate to be inserted in the back of my neck,’ she said. 

‘There’s a scar on the front of my neck from this. I was ordered by the doctor not to travel and could not attend parliament. My doctor told me to take time off work. There is currently a police investigation under way. 

‘It’s unfortunate that I have been pushed to disclose this to defend myself, when I would have preferred to keep this private, but that’s just another day in the colony for you.’ 

Her absenteeism from Parliament was even worse last year, when she attended only 38 out of 66 sitting days. 

Senator Thorpe explained that the Australian Federal Police (ad advised her to stay home for parts of the year due to ‘serious far-right threats’ against her. 

She explained this was because the  Australian Federal Police advised her to stay home for periods of last year because of ‘serious far-right threats’.

‘Delays to the security review and plan from parliament and the AFP meant I wasn’t able to safely travel to parliament for several months,’ Senator Thorpe said. 

Senator Lidia Thorpe has revealed she was brutally assaulted at the MCG earlier this year causing a major spinal injury