CANBERRA, Australia — On Monday, Australian senators took the step of formally censuring an Indigenous senator, Lidia Thorpe, who had directed a vehement outburst at King Charles III during a recent reception at Parliament House. This incident occurred during the king’s first visit to Australia in over a decade, and the censure serves as a public statement of disapproval from her fellow lawmakers regarding her behavior. The motion to censure Thorpe passed with a vote tally of 46 to 12.
Senate leader Penny Wong remarked that Thorpe’s remarks seemed intended to “incite outrage and grievance,” suggesting that such actions are part of a broader international trend that Australia should avoid. During his visit to Canberra and Sydney, King Charles delivered a speech, which prompted Thorpe’s expletive-laden protest. She was escorted out by security after shouting, “You are not our king. You are not sovereign.” Thorpe further accused the monarchy of committing genocide against Indigenous people and demanded, “Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us: our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people.”
After the censure was imposed, Thorpe affirmed her willingness to repeat her outburst if King Charles were to return. “If the colonizing king were to come to my country again, our country, then I’ll do it again,” she declared to the media. She emphasized her commitment to resisting colonization and acknowledged the First Peoples as the true sovereigns of the land, stating, “You don’t have some random king rock up and say he’s sovereign.”
Senator Mehreen Faruqi, who belongs to the minor party Greens, voiced her opposition to the censure motion. She highlighted the pervasive issue of white privilege within the Parliament, arguing that the debate itself was a reflection of systemic problems. “That’s why we are here today, debating a Black senator being censured for telling the truth of the British crown’s genocide on First Nations people,” she stated.
The vote occurred before Thorpe could join in person, as she was arriving on a flight from Melbourne. She expressed disappointment that government senators did not delay the vote for her arrival. Indigenous Australians represent less than 4% of the nationwide population and are considered to be the most marginalized ethnic group in Australia.