Victorian Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe doubles down after calling Queen a “coloniser” in parliament

Victorian Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has doubled down in a fiery radio interview - just one day after sparking outrage by calling the Queen a “coloniser”.

Victorian Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has described the Parliament as “illegitimate” and declared Australia is a nation “built on a lie” in a fiery interview.

Senator Thorpe made headlines this week when she was forced to repeat the oath after inserting criticism of the royal family while being sworn in to parliament.

Asked to recite the oath of allegiance, she marched towards the despatch box with her fist in the air in a black power salute and then stated: “I sovereign, Lidia Thorpe, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful and I bear true allegiance to the colonising Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

“You don’t think it was disrespectful to say it? Have a debate about that. By all means, there’s no problem with that but to be there with the Black Power salute, sarcastic tone and describing the queen as a coloniser is divisive and destructive at a time where we need a unity of purpose,’’ radio host Neil Mitchell said.

Victorian Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe has described the Parliament as “illegitimate” and declared Australia is a nation “built on a lie”, just one day after calling the Queen a “coloniser” during her recital of the oath of allegiance. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

Doubling down on her public rebellion over demands that MPs swear an oath to the Queen to sit in Parliament, she said that Australians needed to know “the truth.”

“This country was invaded and this country does not have an agreement with its first peoples,’’ she said.

“Now I know that you all think that that’s so long ago and it doesn’t matter.

Senator Thorpe, a proud DjabWurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara woman, said she had no regrets.

“Truth does hurt and I urge all your listeners to look at the true history,’’ she said.

“And look at what terra nullius is because terra nullius is the word they use to invade this country. Which means that this country’s whole foundation is based on a lie. And that’s the truth.”

Neil Mitchell then interjected, saying: “Hang on. Then why the hell are you part of it, if it’s an illegitimate parliament?”

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has attacked Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe’s description of the Queen as a “coloniser”, suggesting if she doesn’t like parliament she should stop taking her $211,250 salary.

“Lidia Thorpe obviously does not take her elected position seriously,” said Ms Hanson.

“She’s filling a position she does not respect, to represent people she obviously despises, in an institution she does not recognise as being legitimate.

“What we saw this morning was a stunning exercise in hypocrisy, made worse by her happily taking $211,000 a year from taxpayers for work she clearly does not intend to do.”

Radio host Neil Mitchell accused the controversial Greens Senator of being “divisive and destructive at a time where we need a unity of purpose”. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Ms Thorpe has previously stated that the Australian parliament has no permission to be here and that her role as an Indigenous woman was to “infiltrate” the Senate.

It’s not the first time the Greens Senator has raised concerns about colonisation.

Speaking to ABC radio in June, she argued the Australian flag represents “dispossession, massacre and genocide” and accused the media of pitting her against Liberal Senator Jacinta Price.

“The colonial project came here and murdered our people. I’m sorry we’re not happy about that,” she said.

“If people are going to get a little bit upset along the way, well that’s just part of the truth telling. The truth hurts.”

In December, Senator Thorpe unreservedly apologised to Liberal Hollie Hughes after she was accused of saying “at least I keep my legs shut” during Senate debate.

Liberal Senator Ben Small told the Senate that Senator Thorpe “just made the most outrageous statement directed at senator Hughes”, something that “ranks at the top” of “disgusting statements made in this chamber”.

Senator Thorpe later told the Senate: “I just want to unreservedly take back the comments that I made earlier when interjecting, and I apologise to that Senator, Senator Hughes, wholeheartedly. That won’t happen again. So I apologise to the Senator and also the Senate.”