Controversial Green Senator Lidia Thorpe was almost banned from the Senate for calling a Liberal MP a racist over his woke ideology speech.
The fiery Parliament entrance came just hours before Senator Thorpe’s stunt in the marble foyer of Parliament House as guests gathered for the Midwinter Ball.
Senator Alex Antic took the floor Wednesday afternoon for a two-minute statement denouncing what he saw as the demise of Western civilization.
“Western culture has reached a turning point. Left activism, ostensibly based on justice, diversity and inclusion, uses its allies in the media, corporate sector and politics to ban views it disapproves of,” he said.
“Young adults have little knowledge of history, the result of a curriculum that has stripped Western history and replaced it with critical race theory and a sense of victimhood.”
Senator Thorpe decided she’d had enough and interjected, “Why do you have to be so racist?”
The chamber erupted and incumbent Deputy Senate President Deborah O’Neill urged her to stop adjourning the proceedings.
“Senator Thorpe, you’re out of order. You must limit your comment to a reasonable standard for the Senate,” she said.
The Green MP protested that “this is my job” and she would not watch Senator Antic’s antics.
The opposition insisted she retract her comment, but Senator Thorpe declined. “I’m not retiring because it’s a fact,” she said.
“With all due respect, Acting Vice President, could you please let me know what the consequences would be for me to remove my comment about someone being racist and I don’t feel safe?”
Senator Alex Antic took the floor Wednesday afternoon for a two-minute statement denouncing what he saw as the decline of Western civilization
Senator O’Neill said she did not want to give her “a platform to repeat the terms you used” and had Senator Thorpe’s microphone muted until she agreed to retract the “unparliamentary” comments.
Senator Thorpe’s colleague, Mehreen Faruqi, stood up in her defense, noting that racism was often “tossed around” in the chamber and had to be called out.
“I think people need to be aware of what they’re doing and how that affects other people when they throw racism around,” she said.
Senator O’Neill accepted Senator Faruqi’s position but said the comments have yet to be retracted.
“With all due respect, I need to be made aware where in this Parliament the word ‘racism’ is used – I need to know where it’s unparliamentary because I don’t understand it. I feel hurt…” Senator Thorpe replied before she was cut off.
“Senator Thorpe, please sit back. My understanding is that you refuse to back down and will therefore be reporting this matter to the Senate,” the acting deputy spokesman said before continuing.
Senator Thorpe decided she’d had enough and interjected, “Why do you have to be so racist?”
Senator Thorpe later retracted her comments when it was her turn to speak after being told she would be banned from the Senate for a day if she didn’t.
She then released a scathing statement, claiming the episode showed it was okay to be racist in Parliament but not to call it out.
“This House penalizes black women for calling out racism, but there are no consequences for being racist in the Senate chamber. I’m not safe in this job,” she said.
“If I hadn’t retired I could have been thrown out of the Chamber for a day and the Greens would have lost a vote.
“They cut off my mic and told me to retract my comment. How do you create a workplace where everyone is “safe and welcome to contribute”?
It is ‘unparliamentary’ to invoke racism, but not unparliamentary to be racist. Racism is a disease in this country. It’s violent and literally makes people sick.
Green Party Senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe raises her fist during her swearing-in ceremony in the Senate Chamber of Parliament Buildings
“We need an anti-racist code of conduct for MPs, which needs to be accelerated and implemented to prevent this in the first place.”
Hours later, Senator Thorpe, in blue jeans and an Aboriginal flag T-shirt, paraded through Parliament’s marble foyer, fist raised and middle fingers outstretched, yelling about “fossil fools”.
Angry that the Midwinter Ball accepted Woodside Energy as a sponsor, she joined a protest on the Houses of Parliament lawn.
Senator Thorpe later reappeared shouting, “Stop destroying the planet…criminals” as guests milled around waiting to attend the event.
