‘Genocide’: Lidia Thorpe storms parliament after ban

Rogue senator Lidia Thorpe has barged into the Senate a day after she was suspended over her wild stoush with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

Rogue senator Lidia Thorpe barged into a viewing area of the Senate to yell pro-Palestine chants a day after she was suspended from the chamber for throwing papers at One Nation leader Pauline Hanson before storming out flipping her middle finger.

Ms Thorpe entered the press gallery section of the Senate, which is restricted for media only, and yelled down to her colleagues on Thursday morning just hours after she vowed to continue disrupting parliament.

Ms Thorpe first silently raised her fist, and then yelled, “Free, free Palestine. From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” before leaving the chamber.

Senator Lidia Thorpe outside Parliament House lawn on Thursday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In an address to First Nations Elders and community members affected by genocide gathered on the Parliament lawn on Thursday morning, Senator Thorpe said: “I wear those disciplinary colonial actions like a badge of honour”.

“My Senate spot belongs to my people and I won’t stop until we get justice and I will not allow any racist, convicted ones or not, to tell me or any other black or brown person in that place that we don’t belong,” she said.

Senator Lidia Thorpe joins First Nations Elders and community members affected by genocide across the world on the Parliament House lawn. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“Pauline Hanson has no legitimacy at all for being here.

“We’re coming for her backyard ... unless she starts paying the rent.”

Standing barefoot on the lawn, she said: “We want our land back, we want our babies back, and we do want the King to just f**k off”.

At a press conference afterwards, Ms Thorpe said it was the “best day off I’ve ever had”.

She also showed little pity towards the government losing a procedural motion by one vote earlier on Thursday morning.

“They certainly got wedged by suspending me while I’m out, you know, enjoying the sunshine and good company. They’re losing out on passing legislation,” Ms Thorpe said. “Poor fool them.”

She was also asked about reports Pauline Hanson may launch defamation action against Senator Thorpe for describing her as a “convicted racist” during a television interview.

“Senator Hanson was taken to court by Senator Faruqi and was found to be racist towards Senator Faruqi, so I’m not sure what she would be suing me for or taking me to court for, I guess I’ll have to wait and see what that’s about,” Ms Thorpe said.

“That’s what I’m referring to, and I don’t understand why that’s defaming anybody.”

Earlier, Ms Thorpe could be heard yelling “genocide” outside the Senate as members inside debated whether her private members’ bill would be tabled.

Senate President Sue Lines responded by asking staff to “shut the doors please”.

‘NAUGHTY LITTLE BLACK GIRL’: THORPE ERUPTS

Ms Thorpe said she had no regrets about her stoush with Ms Hanson, saying she “would do it again”.

The incident on Wednesday morning followed a bitter row sparked by Ms Hanson questioning the eligibility of independent Senator Fatima Payman to sit in parliament due to her citizenship status.

It ended with Labor and the Coalition joining forces to suspend Ms Thorpe from the Senate until the end of Thursday — the final day of sitting for 2024.

Senator Lidia Thorpe at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Thorpe said on Thursday morning Ms Hanson’s pursuit against Ms Payman, who has been unable to rescind her Afghan citizenship due to the Taliban government ignoring her request to do so, was an “act of racism”.

“She constantly is, across the floor, spewing racism and disgusting violence towards us and anybody else who is not white,” Ms Thorpe told ABC TV.

“I am not one to stand or sit silent and allow this to happen. I would do it again.”

Ms Thorpe pledged to “continue to disrupt” until racism is “taken seriously”.

Senator Lidia Thorpe says she has no regrets about the incident. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“This suspension actually allows me to hang out with the people and go protest on the lawns, and it makes it very difficult for the government to pass legislation because they needed my vote,” she said.

“I hope they have a good day in the Senate and they may not be able to pass the legislation that needs to be passed today because they suspended me from participating, and they suspended me for standing up to a racist.”

She said there was a double standard over accepted behaviour in the Senate.

“We’re the ones that are the naughty little black girl again and that’s OK if you want to call me that and call me disruptive but I will not stand there, or sit there and be silent when people of colour are being attacked with racism.

A stoush erupted in the Senate between Pauline Hanson, Lidia Thorpe and Fatima Payman. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe walks out after throwing papers at One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: AAP

Labor senate leader Penny Wong moved the motion on Wednesday evening, saying there had been “multiple instances” of Ms Thorpe making “inappropriate, sometimes abusive” comments toward other senators and “then disrupting proceedings by refusing to withdraw”.

Ms Wong said despite attempts to work with Ms Thorpe, she had “increasingly” engaged in poor behaviour.

“This fortnight alone, the Senator has been censured by the Senate, sworn in the chamber, repeatedly made offensive gestures when leaving the chamber, and made comments resulting in First Nation senators from across this chamber feeling culturally unsafe,” she said.

Ms Wong said ordinarily the suspension would only be for the remainder of the day, but given the “gravity” of Ms Thorpe’s actions it was appropriate the Senator be banned from the chamber until the end of sitting on Thursday.

Labor Senator Penny Wong moved the motion to suspend Lidia Thorpe. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The incident on Wednesday morning began when Ms Hanson attempted to table documents in the Senate questioning Ms Payman’s eligibility to be in parliament due to her technical dual citizenship.

Ms Payman gained Australian citizenship in 2005 after coming with her family as a refugee. She attempted to renounce her Afghan citizenship in 2021, but was unsuccessful due to the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham condemned the Greens for voting against the suspension motion. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

In response Ms Payman, who quit the Labor Party and moved to the crossbench earlier this year, told Ms Hanson “you’re not just vindictive, mean, nasty. You bring disgrace to the human race”.

Ms Thorpe backed Ms Payman, calling Ms Hanson a “convicted racist” as she appeared to throw papers before storming out of the chamber giving the middle finger.

Tensions had been building in the Senate for days after Ms Thorpe, who has been increasingly interjecting in the chamber since she was censured over her behaviour last month toward King Charles III, offended other Indigenous senators by calling them “native police”.

She was later forced to withdraw the remark, which had implied these senators supported government policies that harmed First Australian people.

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has been suspended from the Senate until the end of Thursday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Speaking after the suspension motion passed, Liberal senate leader Simon Birmingham welcomed the drawing of a “line in the sand” after Ms Thorpe’s “pattern of escalating and disrespectful behaviour”.

Mr Birmingham said Ms Thorpe’s actions had created a workplace environment for parliament staff and security where they felt “at least uncomfortable and potentially worse”.

He also criticised the Greens for voting against Ms Thorpe’s suspension, accusing the minor party of displaying a “shameful double standard”.

Greens senate leader Larissa Waters said while she did not condone Ms Thorpe’s actions, the minor party did not believe “denying her an entire day of an ability to exercise her vote” was “appropriate”

Ms Waters said the Greens did not want to see Ms Thorpe’s actions repeated, but added a “number” of Senators had also been made to “feel unsafe due to the conduct of Senator Hanson”.

Senator Fatima Payman accused Pauline Hanson of racism. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Ms Hanson thanked her colleagues for supporting the suspension motion and those who asked if she was okay in the wake of the incident.

“We have a right to work and feel safe in our environment and not feel intimidated or threatened,” she said.

She earlier vowed to continue prosecuting Ms Payman over her citizenship eligibility, despite the majority of parliament believing there’s no case to answer.

In response, Ms Payman told Ms Hanson she was “not just vindictive, mean, nasty — you bring disgrace to the human race”.

“I kept on giving you the benefit of the doubt, Senator Hanson, despite your repetitive attempts to be racist to anyone who does not look like you,” Ms Payman said.

Ms Thorpe backed in Ms Payman, lashing Ms Hanson’s vendetta as “violent and disgusting – its bold-faced racism at its most vile”.

“We wouldn’t accept racism like this in any other workplace, and we shouldn’t accept it in parliament,” Ms Thorpe said.