Indigenous lawmaker who blasted King Charles in Australia issues defiant response after censure

Canberra, Australia - An Indigenous lawmaker was censured by Australia's parliament Monday for heckling King Charles about the legacy of European colonialism during his October visit to Canberra.

Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception in Canberra on October 21, 2024.
Australian Senator Lidia Thorpe disrupts proceedings as Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Parliamentary reception in Canberra on October 21, 2024.  © LUKAS COCH / POOL / AFP

The censure carries no practical punishment but passed the Senate Monday with 46 votes in favor and 12 against.

During the king's visit to parliament, independent senator Lidia Thorpe screamed: "This is not your land, you are not my king," decrying what she said was a "genocide" of Indigenous Peoples by European settlers.

She also turned her back on the king as dignitaries stood for the national anthem.

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The censure motion condemned Thorpe's actions as "disruptive and disrespectful." It also said the Senate no longer regarded it "appropriate" for Thorpe to be a member of any delegation "during the life of this parliament."

A censure motion is a symbolic gesture when parliamentarians are dissatisfied with the behavior of one of their own.

Thorpe – sporting a gold chain with "Not My King" around her neck – said she didn't "give a damn" about the censure and would most likely use the document as "kindling" later in the week.

She told national broadcaster ABC she would "do it again" if the monarch returned.

"I will resist colonization in this country. I swear my allegiance to the real sovereigns of these lands: First Peoples are the real sovereigns," she said.

Senator Lidia Thorpe takes on white supremacy

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for their official departure from Sydney Airport on October 23, 2024.
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive for their official departure from Sydney Airport on October 23, 2024.  © BIANCA DE MARCHI / POOL / AFP

Green Senator Mehreen Faruqi voted against Thorpe's censure, saying the lawmaker was telling Australia's history "the way she wants to."

"White supremacy exists in this country. White supremacy exists in this building," Thorpe affirmed after her censure.

"I'm not here for friends or votes. I'm here to bring down the colony," she added.

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Australia was a British colony for more than 100 years, during which time thousands of Indigenous people were killed and entire communities displaced.

The country gained de facto independence in 1901, but has never become a fully-fledged republic. King Charles is the current head of state.

A recent poll showed about a third of Australians would like to ditch the monarchy, a third would keep it, and a third are ambivalent.

In 1999, Australians narrowly voted against removing the queen, amid a row over whether her replacement would be chosen by members of parliament, not the public.

Cover photo: LUKAS COCH / POOL / AFP

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