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Lydia Thorpe sensationally accused a liberal politician of racism and vowed not to tolerate it being “racial smear in her workplace”.
The allegations of racism came after the disturbing independent politician was interrupted as he was being given recognition to the country.
Liberal Senator Holly Hughes was singled out by the official transcript muttering “How many times did that happen today?” after the acknowledgment has occurred.
The commentary was too faint to be heard on the playback clip, but it was picked up on the official transcript and clearly heard by Mrs. Thorpe, who was speaking at the other end of the room about the impact of climate change and colonialism.
He. She It elicited an immediate response from Thorpe, who pointed at Hughes and asked the room, “Is that racism?”
Can I just call out the racism in this room right now, please? Acting Vice President, I invite her.
Firebrand Senator Lydia Thorpe has accused a liberal politician of racism and has vowed not to tolerate it being “racial smear in her workplace.”
Mrs Hughes immediately asked Thorpe to withdraw the comments, which she refused.
“I’m at work,” said Ms. Thorpe, “and I don’t need racists to be racist to me while reading my speech.”
“Can you ensure that I am not targeted for racism while I am trying to do my job, please?”
Hughes responded immediately, jumping to her feet and pointing at Thorpe for saying it was inappropriate to “refer to anyone in this place as a racist”.
I will ask her to withdraw. This is totally inappropriate, and I wouldn’t point anything out to me, let alone.
“I would just like to point out that the constant reference to Australians born here of a different heritage and being referred to as colonials is not helpful in any way.”
Thorpe doubled down on her criticism of Ms Hughes, demanding Hansard’s review – or a copy – and vowing not to withdraw her comments “until you understand I’ve just been racially defamed”.
Mrs Hughes responded immediately, jumping to her feet and pointing at Thorpe for saying it was inappropriate to “refer to anyone in this place as a racist”.
Thorpe was debating the Safeguards Amendment Bill and was praising the Greens – her former party – for the concessions they had won from Labor on coal and gas mining.
She said: “Last week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sounded an ultimatum on the climate crisis. This crisis began more than 250 years ago in this country, with colonialism. Climate change and its root causes cannot be separated from colonialism.
This land is our mother and we are killing it. Every time a new coal pit is dug, you get injured. With each new fracturing well shoved into her veins, she bleeds.
Senator Thorpe noted that First Nations peoples have been affected “first and worst by the impacts of climate change,” yet they have not benefited from the industry.
“These are industries that have generated trillions of dollars in stolen wealth, all at the cost of polluting and killing our lands, waters, and skies,” she said.
We are in a climate crisis, though I would like to remind you all that the majority of First Nations peoples have been in crisis every day since colonization, being driven from our land and forced to step back and watch the colonial enterprise destroy our lands and waters in pursuit of fossil fuel extraction. This is why there can be no climate justice without First Nations justice.
Greens leader Adam Bandt announced today that his party has struck a deal with Labor over its climate policy for the federal election.
While she supports the Greens and Labor’s attempts to cut emissions, she has been in dialogue with the government to take the bill a step further “to ensure that First Nations people are not left behind”.
She is calling on the government to allow First Nations people to be at the forefront of projects on their lands, along with investing in training these communities.
“I will continue to work with the government and hope to gain their support for this amendment,” she said.
“I look forward to continuing to work with government and others in this parliament to ensure First Nations justice remains at the heart of climate action in this country.”
The protection mechanism, launched by the coalition government but being overhauled by Labor, would apply to the country’s 215 largest emitters and force them to reduce their emissions by 4.9 per cent each year.
Last night the Senate was debating amendments to the bill days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Green Party leader Adam Bandit reached an agreement.
Pandt’s deal means Energy Secretary Chris Bowen’s protection mechanism will now be able to pass through the Senate, after weeks of Labor claiming the Greens could vote against the proposal, as they did with Kevin Rudd’s emissions scheme in 2009.
Prior to the deal, Bandt and his party had expressed concerns that the government’s plan could make the climate crisis worse, and the party’s junior founder, Bob Brown, criticized the policy.
The policy would require the country’s 215 largest carbon dioxide emitters to cut pollution by 5 percent annually through 2030 and would place a “hard cap” on emissions.
Pandt said the bill would include a “pollution trigger” that would require the climate change minister, now Mr Bowen, to test the impact of new or expanded polluting projects on state cap and net carbon budgets.
He said the amendments he got would ensure the gas and coal industries get a “big hit” going forward.
Mr Bandt said: “There will now be, in legislation, a hard cap on the actual emissions the protection sector can emit.
This puts an end to the expansion of coal and gas in this country. In fact, the limit should decrease over time.
There will be, by law for the first time in this country, a limit on how much pollution these companies, including coal and gas companies, can pollute.
“I want to say to all those who despair about the future in our climate crisis and those who worry about their lives, their children or their grandchildren’s, you must have a spring in your step today because we have shown that it is possible to take on coal and gas companies and win.
On Monday, traditional Aboriginal owners from the Petalu Basin region told Daily Mail Australia they were “grateful” for the decision.
Beetaloo is located 400 kilometers south of Darwin and contains enough shale gas to power Australia for up to 200 years.
On Monday, traditional Aboriginal owners from the Petalu Basin region told Daily Mail Australia they were ‘grateful’ for the decision (pictured: Nordalinge Aboriginal Foundation members including Jonny Wilson and Samuel Sande)
Our country is in the hands of these big gas companies and I feel so grateful that we may one day not have to fight to protect our land, our sacred sites, our culture and our waters.
No one has seen the jobs and economic benefits fracking companies have been promising for so long, and we don’t think they will ever come.
We want to live in peace in our country and keep it safe for our children and grandchildren.
“The future lies in the power of the sun, not the digging in earnest country and destroying the waters and everything that depends on them.”
Samuel Janama Sande, a senior and vice president of the Nordalinge Aboriginal Foundation, said the community was “happy to hear about new laws that may mean gas companies have to work harder to get their projects done.”
“Fracture will damage our country, song lines, dreams and water,” he said.
“We need to protect the environment and the life of birds and animals and keep them safe for future generations and I hope we can continue to take our grandchildren, swim in water basins and drink clean water.”
“Our country is in the hands of these big gas companies and I feel very grateful that we may one day not have to fight to protect our land, our sacred sites, our culture and our waters,” said Johnnie Wilson.
Lydia Thorpe has called Sen. Holly Hughes a racist for boycotting state recognition