Adam Bandt says Greens are ‘anti- racist party’ after Lidia Thorpe’s claim

Adam Bandt is yet to receive a formal complaint from Lidia Thorpe after she accused her former party of racism, a claim he has rejected.

Greens leader Adam Bandt said he was yet to hear anything from Lidia Thorpe or her lawyers about a racism claim but rejected her accusation the party had a problem.

Senator Thorpe on Sunday confirmed she had received advice there were “enough grounds for a case” to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission over racism she says she experienced while a member of the Greens.

The Victorian senator quit the minor party earlier this year to sit as an independent.

She said she had “experienced racism all my life in every workplace, and the Greens were no different”.

“I want racism stamped out … It’s called institutional racism,” she said.

“It’s the foundation of these institutions that are racist, that allow racism to occur. I think we all need to look at ourselves within and eradicate that and make our workplaces safer.”

Lidia Thorpe quit the Greens earlier this year to sit as an independent. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

On Tuesday, Mr Bandt said he had heard what Senator Thorpe had said but was not aware of the detail of the complaint.

Downplaying Senator Thorpe’s claims, he said the party was “anti-racist” and “anti-hate” and was committed to stamping out racism.

“The Greens are an anti-racist party. The Greens are an anti-hate party,” he told ABC Radio.

“The Greens have taken steps to call out racism where it occurs and to stamp it out … whenever it occurs directly but also institutional practices. It’s been something we have led the charge on in this parliament, and our MPs will continue to fight and stamp out racism where it occurs.”

He said as the Greens had not received a complaint, he couldn’t comment on the claims.

Last week during senate estimates, Senator Thorpe accused her former colleague Sarah Hanson-Young of failing to stand up to racism in the party directed towards the DjabWurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara woman.

Senator Hanson-Young has denied the accusations.

Greens leader Adam Bandt says he’s not been made aware of the detail of Senator Thorpe’s complaint. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Pressed as to whether there is racism in the party, Mr Bandt said the party took steps to fight racism “wherever it occurs”.

“Now, what Senator Thorpe was referring to is highlighting the practice of institutional racism, something that we’ve seen, for example, Stan Grant draw attention to over the period of time,” he said.

“What is clear, I think, and what we learned from the First Nations MPs in our party, including Senator Thorpe when she was in the party, is that First Nations MPs, MPs of colour, face discrimination and barriers that other MPs don’t, and that is something that we all have a job across parties across the parliament to learn how to do better.”

Mr Bandt said SINCE he had become leader, the party had “taken steps” to address institutional racism and look at what it means for First Nations MPs and MPs of colour to face it.

Originally published as Adam Bandt says Greens are ‘anti- racist party’ after Lidia Thorpe’s claim