Senator Lidia Thorpe’s top headline-grabbing moments

Maverick senator Lidia Thorpe has never shied from controversy. Here’s a list of her headline-grabbing stunts over the years.

Renegade senator Lidia Thorpe has never shied from a public outburst or scuffle with police – now she’s hit global newspaper headlines after her extraordinary spray at King Charles on his Australian tour.

Thorpe was elected to Victorian parliament in 2017 following a by-election for Northcote and in 2020 was preselected to take Richard DiNatale’s spot in the Senate.

She was the first Aboriginal woman from the Greens to represent Victoria in the Upper House.

Thorpe resigned from the Greens in 2023 and became an Independent on the crossbench.

Here are her top headline-grabbing moments.

‘Happy New Year everyone’

In celebration of a fire that occurred as anti-government protesters gathered at Old Parliament House, Thorpe tweeted ‘Seems like the colonial system is burning down. Happy New Year everyone.”

Lidia Thorpe’s tweet following a fire at Old Parliament House in 2021.

Rebel relationship

In 2022 it was revealed that Thorpe had dated Rebels bikie boss Dean Martin in an undisclosed relationship while she was a sitting member of the joint parliamentary law enforcement committee, then receiving confidential briefings about outlaw motorcycle gangs and organised crime.

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe says she remains friends with Dean Martin, rebel bikie. Picture: Facebook

Thorpe said in a statement that Greens leader Adam Bandt requested Thorpe’s resignation shortly after.

“As a leader, I expect my senators and MPs, especially those in leadership positions, to exercise good judgment,” Mr Bandt said.

“At a minimum, Senator Thorpe needed to disclose to me her connection to Mr Martin, and her failure to do so showed a significant lack of judgment.”

In response, Thorpe stated she had “made mistakes and have not exercised good judgement.”

Strip club showdown

In 2023 Thorpe was captured on CCTV abusing a group of men outside Maxine’s Gentleman’s Club in Brunswick, Melbourne.

It is alleged that she referred to the group as “white dogs” and encouraged them to hit her, as well as taunting them about their penis size.

The incident attracted criticism from her peers in Canberra with Labor minister Tanya Plibersek describing the behaviour as “obviously unacceptable” and fellow Indigenous Senator Jacqui Lambie suggesting Thorpe should receive “counselling”.

Lidia Thorpe caught shouting profanities at a group outside a Melbourne strip club.

Mardi Gras meltdown

At the Mardi Gras in March 2023 Thorpe disrupted the parade by lying down in the street in front of a float – drawing the ire of the queer community, who called “get rid of her” and “get her up”.

She was removed by police at the parade organisers’ request.

Stills from a video of Senator Lidia Thorpe who laid down in front of the Australian Federal Police float during the Sydney Mardi Gras causing a short disruption to the parade.

’Embarrassing’ Royal antics

Thorpe made an impression during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit to Canberra on October 21, clashing with police as the Royals touched down in the nation’s capital.

Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe argues with a police officer while protesting in Canberra as King Charles visits Australia. Picture: NewsWire

Later she confronted the King at an official reception, and later posting a cartoon of the beheaded King.

Joining an Indigenous protest near the Australian War Memorial, Thorpe tussled with police before her ‘embarrassing’ performance at an official Parliamentary reception in the Great Hall.

Thorpe accused the King of ‘genocide’ and yelled ‘f**k the colony’ and ‘you are not our King’, before being escorted from the function.

Press and politicians branded her outburst ‘embarrassing’ and ‘disrespectful’.

Later that day Thorpe’s Instagram account shared an image from The Saturday Paper showing a cartoon of the King beheaded.

The cartoon shared by a Thorpe staff member.

She later clarified via X that her a member of her ‘staff’ had shared the content.

“Without my knowledge, one of my staff shared an image to my Instagram stories created by another account.

“I deleted it as soon as I saw. I would not intentionally share anything that could be seen to encourage violence against anyone. That’s not what I’m about.”