Senator Lidia Thorpe has reaffirmed her stance after a heated incident in the Senate where she ripped up a motion from Pauline Hanson and gestured at fellow senators. The confrontation arose after Senator Payman, born in Afghanistan, accused Hanson of racism, leading Thorpe to label Hanson’s actions as ‘disgusting.’ Thorpe expressed her commitment to fighting racism, stating, ‘I would do it again.’ Following the incident, Thorpe was suspended for the rest of the sitting week. She criticized parliament’s approach to racism and highlighted the disparity in how minorities are treated compared to their white counterparts, referring to the term ‘naughty little Blak girl’ used against her. Government Senate leader Penny Wong condemned Thorpe’s behavior, stating that all Australians deserve a safe workplace. The motion to suspend Thorpe passed with a vote of 45 to 11, with the Greens Party opposing it in support of their former colleague. Thorpe challenged the government to take a stronger stance against racism, specifically calling out Hanson for her past actions. She emphasized the necessity of an inquiry into racism within parliament, arguing that if parliament cannot address racism internally, it cannot expect to tackle it nationwide. As her suspension coincided with a crucial vote on her proposed bill regarding genocide, Thorpe expressed concern over the timing. Despite her suspension, she plans to participate in upcoming protests supporting her legislation. Thorpe concluded that her fight against racism would continue until it is taken seriously by the government.
