And more on Senator Lidia Thorpe, who has again responded to criticism of her disruption of the King’s parliamentary welcome ceremony, calling it “just another day in the colony”, as she claims her protest was a success because the “whole world is talking about it”.
“I’m used to that treatment. You know. I am the black sheep of the family,” she said on Nine’s Today of the criticism she received from other Indigenous Australians.
Thorpe agreed with host Karl Stevanovic’s assessment that it “took a little bit of her soul” to swear allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II.
“I had to go through a process with my family prior to doing that because swearing allegiance to someone else from another country whose ancestors have done a lot of damage to my ancestors, I think is completely inappropriate.”
Stefanovic then asked why she did it, to which she said that her people “need a loud and proud black voice out there”.
“I have a senate seat for the next 3½ years, and I’ll be using that to get justice for my people.”
The former Greens senator again rebuked calls for her to resign, claiming “no one can kick [her] out”.
“I’m about truth-telling. I’m loud, proud, black. Get used to it and listen to what I have to say,” Thorpe said.
Thorpe said she wanted to deliver the message that 24,000 Indigenous children had been taken from their families this year, and the high suicide rates among First Nations people.
“So we have to end this injustice against First Nations peoples. We need a treaty so that we can come together as a nation. I think we need to grow up as a nation and get rid of him and have our own head of state.”
