Lidia Thorpe hits out at slow progress on new body to punish politicians for misconduct

Independent says allegations she raised in Senate in June are yet to be dealt with by parliament’s HR body

• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

Lidia Thorpe has expressed frustration with the slow progress on a new watchdog to hold politicians accountable for bad behaviour, as the federal government prepares plans for a workplace body with the power to punish parliamentarians for misconduct.

The independent parliamentary standards commission, a key recommendation for fixing the culture in Parliament House, will be given the power to investigate and sanction MPs and senators and is expected to be up and running later this year if it gains multipartisan support.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup