Senator Lidia Thorpe has firmly defended her actions after she was suspended for tearing up a motion by Pauline Hanson in the Senate and giving fellow senators the middle finger. This incident followed a heated exchange where Payman, an Afghan-born senator, accused Hanson of racism. Thorpe, leaving the chamber, called Hanson ‘disgusting’ and raised her middle finger. ‘What Senator Hanson did to Senator Payman was disgusting racism, questioning her legitimacy in this place,’ Thorpe told ABC News. ‘I would do it again.’ Thorpe expressed her frustration over the response to racism in parliament and lamented being labeled as the ‘naughty little Blak girl’. She emphasized that while white individuals often escape consequences for their racist remarks, those who call it out face punishment. Government Senate leader Penny Wong highlighted that Thorpe had made multiple inappropriate comments and stated that all Australians deserve a safe workspace, condemning Thorpe’s behavior. The motion to suspend Thorpe passed with 45 votes to 11, with the Greens Party opposing it in support of their former colleague. In response, Thorpe criticized the government for failing to address racism adequately, asserting that hate speech by Hanson should not be tolerated. She argued that the need for an inquiry into racism in parliament is urgent. The Senate has referred this issue to an internal committee for review. Thorpe’s suspension will bar her from advancing a private member’s bill on genocide, which aims to restrict the attorney-general’s ability to halt prosecutions of genocide or war crimes. She called the timing of her suspension suspicious, especially since it coincided with the bill’s vote. On Thursday, Thorpe made headlines again by entering the Senate press gallery chanting ‘free Palestine’ before exiting the chamber. Protests supporting her bill are anticipated at parliament, where Thorpe vows to be present, asserting that her suspension is an attempt to silence her fight against racism.
