Axed Victorian Labor MP Will Fowles has dodged questions after police closed an investigation into an alleged assault without pressing charges.
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The Ringwood MP returned to state parliament on Tuesday for the first time since being forced to resign from Labor's parliamentary party in August over the alleged assault of a ministerial staffer.
Mr Fowles has always maintained his innocence.
Former premier Daniel Andrews referred the allegation to Victoria Police, with the sexual crimes squad arresting and interviewing Mr Fowles in November.
Police confirmed last week its investigation had wrapped up and no charges would be laid.
"It's absolutely terrific to be back at parliament ... I look forward to a busy day and a productive week," Mr Fowles told reporters at parliament before refusing to take any questions.
The 45-year-old took his seat on the cross bench as an independent after Premier Jacinta Allan said he would not be welcomed back into Labor's ranks under her leadership.
Ms Allan defended her decision, saying all parliamentary precinct staff "deserve the right to feel safe and secure in their workplace, the right to feel respected, and go about their work in a professional way".
The coalition tried to go on the offensive in question time over the premier's position.
"If the premier believes it's not safe for the member of Ringwood to sit inside the Labor party room, how is it safe for everybody else who works at or visits parliament?" opposition mental health spokeswoman Emma Kealy said.
However, the question was ruled out of order by Speaker Maree Edwards.
Earlier, six Labor MPs boycotted the Lord's Prayer in the lower house after Pope Francis dubbed surrogacy "deplorable".
Paul Edbrooke, Mat Hilakari, Dylan Wight, Paul Mercurio, Jordan Crugnale and Michaela Settle skipped the traditional prayer, which has opened Victorian parliament for more than a century.
They entered the chamber after the Welcome to Country.
Ms Allan last month hinted the prayer's days were numbered over concerns it was not reflective of all Victorians, with cross-party discussions taking place on the issue.
The Labor government, led by Mr Andrews, made an election promise to workshop a replacement for the Lord's Prayer at the start of this term.
Mr Andrews' replacement as the member for Mulgrave in Melbourne's southeast, Eden Foster, was sworn in after her by-election win in November.
Despite the government settling the future of duck shooting over the summer, several issues continue to hang over the government.
It's yet to decide the fate of a possible supervised injecting room in Melbourne's CBD after receiving a report on drug patterns from former top cop Ken Lay more than seven months ago.
The Greens have called for the government to stop dragging its feet.
"The reality is that every day we do not have these harm reduction measures in place ... lives will be lost," Greens MP Aiv Puglielli said.
On Thursday, the premier will deliver a formal apology to care leavers on behalf of the government for historical abuse and neglect.
Australian Associated Press
