Poll finds 91 per cent disapprove of Lidia Thorpe’s clash with King Charles
A new survey has found even supporters of the failed Voice to Parliament disapprove of Lidia Thorpe’s clash with King Charles. See survey results, have your say.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Exclusive: Lidia Thorpe’s clash with King Charles has gone down like a lead balloon, with a survey finding even supporters of the failed Voice to Parliament disapprove of the firebrand senator’s latest stunt.
Exclusive polling has found 91 per cent of respondents disapprove of Ms Thorpe interrupting the monarch’s speech to accuse him of genocide on Monday.
And about eight out of 10 of those who objected to Ms Thorpe’s heckling King Charles voted yes in the Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023.
About 83 per cent of ALP voters, 98 per cent of Coalition voters and 80 per cent of voters planning to cast a ballot for either the Greens or an independent at the next election rebuked the confrontation.
News Corp head of research James Taylor said respondents in the poll of about 988 readers overwhelmingly disapproved of Ms Thorpe’s confrontation with King Charles.
“Overwhelmingly people of all shapes and stripes strongly disapprove of her [Ms Thorpe] actions,” he said.
“That’s across gender. That’s across voting for the Voice. Even 80 per cent of Greens voters disapprove.
“It’s widespread condemnation. With a lot of the reactions people said she was happy to accept salary but was being hypocritical, juvenile, idiotic, self serving, embarrassing … those were the common things.”
On Monday Ms Thorpe interrupted King Charles as he finished a speech at Parliament House in Canberra by yelling “this is not your country” and accusing the monarch of genocide.
“Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people,” yelled Ms Thorpe, who is a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman.
“You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want a treaty in this country. You are a genocidalist.”
After Ms Thorpe was escorted by parliamentary security from the hall, she yelled “f**k the colony”.
Readers also found Senator Thorpe’s conduct embarrassing, disgraceful and disrespectful, according to responses to open survey questions on NewsCorp’s Pulse of Australia platform.
“Inappropriate – she is willing to accept a salary from the very system she opposes,” said one response.
Another said “She [Ms Thorpe] is silly. Charles is our King, but he has no power over our politics.”
A third said “I think her concerns are valid, but it was the wrong time and place to raise them – it was like being rude to a guest in your home.”
Ms Thorpe became the first Indigenous woman as a Victorian MP for the Greens in 2017 but lost her seat in 2018 before being becoming a federal senator for the minor party in 2020.
She quit the Greens after the minor party backed the Voice to Parliament, something Senator Thorpe and her supporters opposed in favour of a treaty process with Aboriginal communities. Thorpe was approached for comment.
Share your thoughts on topics that matter through our Pulse of Australia panel. Click here to join now.
Originally published as Poll finds 91 per cent disapprove of Lidia Thorpe’s clash with King Charles
Join the conversation
Owe owe owe! How to brace for a stressful spending season
The coming summer looms financially as the toughest time many have experienced, so here’s how to prepare rather than perish.
Read more
Teal MP distances herself from ‘covertly powerful’ Holmes a Court
Allegra Spender’s swipe is likely to ignite speculation over whether she might join forces with a future Liberal minority government in the event of a hung federal parliament.
Read more