Last week,Opposition Leader Peter Dutton kicked the Victorian senator out of the Liberal party room afterallegations of sexual harassment were made against Van by independent Lidia Thorpe under parliamentary privilege. Van has strenuously denied those claims.
Those allegations were followed by former Liberal National Party senator Amanda Stoker coming forward to claimVan had squeezed her bottom.
Dutton said he was also aware of a third complaint against Van from a woman,who has not come forward,and said Van should “resign from the parliament sooner[rather] than later and seek the help that he needs”.
That call to quit was backed by senior Liberals including Simon Birmingham,Marise Payne,Anne Ruston and Michaelia Cash.
Vanresigned from the Liberal Party on Saturday citing a “wholesale disregard for due process and natural justice in relation to allegations made against me” and denied all allegations against him.
He confirmed on Sunday “I won’t be in parliament this week”.