Lidia Thorpe’s pledge to Queen Elizabeth raises fresh questions over her oath of allegiance

Lidia Thorpe has revealed a bizarre act of dissent that has raised fresh questions over her oath of allegiance.

Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe has revealed she swore an allegiance to the “Queen’s hairs” when she was sworn into parliament in a bizarre act of dissent that has raised fresh questions over her oath of allegiance.

In a defiant performance on the national broadcaster, Senator Thorpe was unrepentant over her outburst during King Charles’ visit to Canberra.

She said King Charles III, who she called “Charlie” was “not the King of this country” and suggested the royal family, from a historical perspective, were “murdering thieves”.

“The colonial system is all about shutting Blak women down in this country. They have got a very good track record of that,” she said.

“I can tell you now there are Elders, grassroots Aboriginal people across this country and Torres Strait Islander people who are just so proud (of her protest),” Senator Thorpe said.

“They say that it has lit a fire back in their belly and they want to join the resistance. I have been contacted by Elders who have said, particularly a Ngunnawal Elder who said, ‘I wished you had told me you were going to do that because I would have walked right beside you’”.

Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has raised concerns this week that her outburst may have involved renouncing her sworn parliamentary affirmation to be faithful and bear true allegiance to the monarch.

“Did you renounce that in the comments you delivered in the Great Hall?,” host Greg Jennett asked.

In response, Senator Thorpe revealed she never had in the first place.

“And I swore allegiance to the Queen’s hairs, if you listen close enough,” she said.

Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe has revealed she swore an allegiance to the ‘Queen’s hairs’ when she was sworn into parliament in a bizarre act of dissent.

Her comments have raised fresh questions over her oath of allegiance.

“It was her hairs, not her heirs that I was giving my allegiance to and now that they are no longer here, I don’t know where that stands.

“I’m not giving up my job, I’m not resigning. I am not an expert on colonial laws. The only experience I have had with colonial laws is the violence of them and the violence of pledging

allegiance to the oppressor is absolutely out of date and absolutely a disgusting thing to make someone do.

“This country wants to swear allegiance to a king from another country whose ancestors have been responsible for massacres, so many massacres in this country, killing our children and women. Why would I, with my hand on my heart, kneel to an oppressor? A murdering thief.

Senator Thorpe said the truth was that she didn’t like “the colony.”

Not amused.

“I don’t like the King and what he represents and I don’t like the fact that I have got to swear to an oppressor to do my job, to get justice for my people,‘’ she said.

“I am there for one reason and one reason only and it is not to make friends, it is not to get re-elected, it is to get justice for my people and I think what is happening here is that we are being sidetracked to look over here rather than what I was saying, and what I was saying is we want what that King has that is ours and we want him to return it in good faith. If you want to talk about niceties, give us back what you stole. It is quite simple.”

Senator Thorpe said that Blak women “are missing and murdered, right across this country.”

“The media don’t talk about that. It is not a priority for this government and I am a Blak woman so of course, the parliament and its racist ways will try to shut me down for speaking truth,‘’ she said.

“It has been happening for over 200 years. If they try to shut me down, I’ve got international exposure, I’ve got international allies and I will keep them briefed on this parliament and any other senator or politician that wants to shut me down.”

Senator Thorpe said she was not in the practice of swearing an allegiance to “her oppressor” to do her job.

“I’m sorry, Charlie, but you can’t come here and think you can say a few nice words about our people while you still have stolen goods,‘’ she said.

“You are in receipt of stolen goods, which makes you complicit in theft. We are talking about stolen wealth. We are talking about our remains.

“He is not sovereign to this country. We are sovereign and to be sovereign you have to be from this land, of this land. He is not that.”

Senator Thorpe said she was not in the practice of swearing an allegiance to ‘her oppressor’ to do her job.

National Senator Bridget McKenzie said that Senator Thorpe had questions to answer.

“Senator Thorpe, I think, is the only parliamentarian that I’ve ever known to disavow their oath of allegiance to our sovereign and their heirs and successors according to law,” Senator McKenzie said on ABC radio.

“So if it was happening in a court of law where you breached your oath, that’s contempt, that’s perjury, that’s a criminal offence,” Senator McKenzie said.

“And so I think there are some legitimate questions to be asked about this and what is the consequence of Senator Thorpe’s action from a constitutional perspective.”

But Monash University constitutional law professor Luke Beck disagreed.

“Engaging in protest activity is not grounds for disqualification. Advocating for a republic is not a ground for disqualification.“

Originally published as Lidia Thorpe’s pledge to Queen Elizabeth raises fresh questions over her oath of allegiance