Today, Liberal Senator Alex Antic used his two minute statement to complain about the “threat” of critical race theory and “victimhood.” Senator Lidia Thorpe called these comments racist. Senator James McGrath called for Senator Thorpe to withdraw her comments. 

Senator Thorpe refused, saying that she was simply stating a fact. Senator Mehreen Faruqi asked why those calling out racism were asked to withdraw, yet there are no consequences for being racist.

The following lines are attributable to Senator Lidia Thorpe:

PointsBet Australian brand ambassador Shaquille O'Neal has met with Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss their proposal for a Voice to Parliament.

This comes as Minister Burney met with the Joint Council on Closing Gap last week. The latest data from the Productivity Commission indicates that that the rates of suicide, incarceration and children in out-of-home care have risen for First Nations people.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has failed to save the Murujuga songlines, in allowing the Perdaman fertiliser plant to continue development on the Burrup Peninsula despite Traditional Owners' application for World Heritage listing of the site.

The following lines are attributable to Gunnai Gunditjmara DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe, the Greens spokesperson for First Nations:

“This is a clear violation of free, prior and informed consent as it is defined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP).

Following the death of a man at Port Phillip Prison on Wednesday, the family have asked the media to respect their privacy as they process their grief.

The following lines are attributable to Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe:

“These are real people's lives which have just been torn apart, again, by this system. The grief, the pain and the loss is overwhelming. The family demand respect and privacy as they process their grief.” 

The Greens party room has formally backed Greens Leader Adam Bandt and Senator Lidia Thorpe to negotiate with the Government over their proposed referendum on a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.

“The government has said they’re prepared to discuss their plan for a Voice, and I’ve got the full support of my party to begin negotiations,” Senator Thorpe said.

Following the Albanese Government's announcement at the Garma Festival, Greens First Nations spokesperson, Gunnai, Gunditjmara and DjabWurrung Senator Lidia Thorpe, has announced that she will seek discussions with the government about their proposal for a Voice, with the aim of seeing other areas critical to First Nations justice also progressed.

Quotes attributable to Senator Lidia Thorpe:

New data from the Productivity Commission reveals that this country is still failing to hit more than two-thirds of the Closing the Gap targets. Suicide, adult incarceration, First Nations children in out of home care and developmental milestones are among the targets that are not on track.

“If the Albanese Government has any backbone, they will implement all of the recommendations from the Bringing them Home report and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.”

Community Legal Centres across the country are in crisis, forced to turn away thousands of people in desperate need of legal assistance, after more than a decade of Coalition cuts. 

The Greens are today calling on the new Labor government to urgently distribute the funds they promised the sector in the election to meet immediate needs. 

We need the urgent rollout of Labor’s election promises. This can’t wait months and months because every day it’s delayed means hundreds more people being denied the most basic justice. 

Yesterday, the Western Australian Governement pardoned and apologised to the Yamatji family of a baby who was brutally murdered in 2013. After domestic violence left Tamica Mullaley naked and bleeding in a Broome street, police were called and she was arrested.

Police left baby Mullaley’s 10-month-old baby, Charlie, at the crime scene. The man who assaulted Mullaley returned to the scene and kidnapped the child. Police were told several times that he had threatened to kill the baby, but took nine hours to act on the information.

The Australian Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, has announced the party’s updated portfolio allocation for the upcoming 47th Parliament, ahead of the first sittings in July.

Presented to yesterday evening’s Party Room, the new allocation gives newly elected MPs and Senators the power to progress the issues they were elected to advance, while recognising the years of experience behind the Greens existing portfolio holders.