‘I’m not looking to be re-elected’: Thorpe vows to keep up activism

Maverick Indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe does not care if her stunts end her parliamentary career and declared people must “get used to truth-telling” as she doubled down on her decision to interrupt the royal visit by yelling at King Charles on Monday.

As Thorpe’s possum-skin protest generated international headlines, Liberal politicians have ditched moves to censure the renegade senator in the chamber as they fear she would “wear it as a badge of honour”.

The royals’ visit to Parliament House was overshadowed when Thorpe strode through the Great Hall after the King’s speech to tell him she did not accept his sovereignty and accused him of shared responsibility for genocide.

“You are not our king. You are not sovereign,” Thorpe called out.

“You committed genocide against our people. Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us – our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty. We want treaty.”

Images of Thorpe appeared on the front pages of the London Telegraph, The Guardian and The Daily Express. The incident also made news on the BBC, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Thorpe told ABC Radio National on Tuesday that she wanted the world to know the plight of First Nations people and believed it was the King’s responsibility to apologise for the actions of his ancestors.

“I’ve written to the King a number of times. He’s ignored me every time I wanted to have a respectful conversation and meeting about the plight of our people … so I did that for my people, I did that for my grandmother, and I wanted the world to know that we need a treaty here,” she said.

Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a parliamentary reception.Credit: Getty Images

When Thorpe was sworn in for the 47th parliament in 2022, she described Queen Elizabeth II as a coloniser and was forced to repeat the oath under duress.

“I’m in this job for another 3½ years, and I’m not looking to be re-elected. I’m looking to get justice for my people,” Thorpe said on Tuesday.

Thorpe’s actions prompted senior members of the Liberal Party to consider a censure motion in the chamber as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the independent senator should resign.

“I think there’s a very strong argument for somebody who doesn’t believe in the system, but is willing to take a quarter-of-a-million dollars a year from the system, to resign in principle,” Dutton told Seven’s Sunrise on Tuesday.

Coalition Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said Thorpe had embarrassed Indigenous Australians on the world stage.

“She actually puts people off,” she said. “That conduct was embarrassing, immature and unbecoming of somebody who is supposed to be a political leader.”

Several Liberals confirmed to this masthead they were considering a censure motion against Thorpe when parliament next sits in November.

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, who was standing next to Thorpe in the Great Hall, said she was appalled by the independent’s disruption.

“Being an elected representative comes with a great responsibility to maintain the dignity and respect of the parliament,” she said. “I would support a censure motion in the Senate.”

Liberal MP Garth Hamilton, who sits in the lower house, also confirmed party discussions over whether to censure Thorpe.

On Tuesday, Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson and Coalition Senate leader Simon Birmingham both warned censuring Thorpe would give her more airtime.

“I think she would probably wear it as a badge of honour,” Paterson told 2GB’s Ray Hadley.

Under the Senate rules, a wayward senator could be censured for poor conduct, even if the incidents unfolded outside the chamber.

A censure registers the Senate’s disapproval but carries no practical consequence.

Thorpe declined to comment on the prospect of a censure motion.

Federal politicians across the spectrum, including Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie, condemned Thorpe’s actions on Tuesday morning.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott, one of the guests at the reception, expressed his dismay at the protest while Australian Monarchist League chairman Philip Benwell said Thorpe should step down with immediate effect.

“Her childish demonstration has done nothing to diminish the gratitude and pride that millions of Australians have for our country, its history, its peoples and its sound system of governance. In fact, it has likely only strengthened these feelings,” he said.

Former Labor senator, Olympian and republican Nova Peris, a descendant of the Gija people, said Thorpe’s behaviour did not reflect all of Aboriginal Australia.

“As the first Aboriginal woman in parliament, I’m deeply disappointed by her actions,” Peris posted to Instagram.

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