A former One Nation senator has launched legal action following a physical clash with Pauline Hanson's chief of staff inside Parliament House.

Key points: Brian Burston has accused Pauline Hanson of propositioning him numerous times

Senator Hanson denied the allegations, saying "she's not that desperate"

Senator Burston spectacularly quit One Nation after a prolonged feud with Senator Hanson last year

Brian Burston has also reported the incident to the Australian Federal Police.



Senator Hanson has denied sexual harassment claims from Senator Burston, dismissing them as "retaliation" and claiming she "can't stop laughing about it".

Images showed James Ashby and Senator Burston clashing on Wednesday night after Senator Burston levelled the claims against Senator Hanson.

Senator Burston, in a statement, said the footage did not depict the full incident and he would seek a restraining order against Mr Ashby.

The Parliament is now looking in to the incident, with Senate President Scott Ryan saying the investigation would happen "as a matter of urgency".

He told the Senate he was in ongoing discussions about the matter with House of Representatives Speaker Tony Smith.

Witness says 'the whole thing was disgraceful'

James Ashby (left) and Brian Burston clashed on Wednesday night. ( Supplied: The Australian )

Council of Small Business Organisations Australia chief executive Peter Strong witnessed the incident between Mr Ashby and Senator Burston.

He told the ABC when he walked into the Marble Hall he heard a commotion and witnessed Senator Burston throw Mr Ashby's phone away.

"When Mr Ashby started filming the senator's wife, then the senator reacted very quickly," Mr Strong said.

"It became physical. There were no punches but it was physical.

"The whole thing was disgraceful."

Mr Strong said the incident escalated when Mr Ashby followed and laughed at Senator Burston as he appeared to be leaving the building.

He said he later witnessed Senator Burston "put Mr Ashby up against the wall" before the two men disappeared from his sight.

Hanson: 'I'm not that desperate'

Senator Burston made a series of claims in The Daily Telegraph about Senator Hanson's behaviour towards him over the course of the past two decades, alleging she had acted inappropriately towards him numerous times.

It came after Senator Hanson told Parliament this week that an unnamed, married, male senator was the subject of a serious sexual harassment investigation.

Senator Burston told the Telegraph he believed Senator Hanson was talking about him, and denied the accusation.

Senator Burston told the newspaper of one incident in which he alleged Senator Hanson "rubbed her fingers up my spine" in 1998, and also claimed she had propositioned him on a number of occasions after his election to Parliament in 2016.

Senator Hanson responded to the claims on Sky News on Wednesday night.

"I can't stop laughing about it," she said.

"I'm 64 … but I tell you what, I'm not that desperate."

Senator Burston spectacularly quit One Nation last year after a prolonged feud with Senator Hanson, with a dispute over the party's position on company tax cuts appearing to be the final straw.

He joined controversial businessman Clive Palmer's renewed political venture, the United Australia Party (UAP), shortly after.

The New South Wales senator is the only representative of the UAP in Federal Parliament, and is up for re-election at the next poll.

The ABC has contacted Senator Hanson for comment.