Lidia Thorpe reacts to extraordinary Senate suspension

Sen. Lidia Thorpe claims the Senate punished her for speaking out against racism after she was extraordinarily suspended from the House for the rest of the session year.

The former Greens senator tore up a motion from Senator Pauline Hanson and threw it at her after the One Nation leader attempted to question Senator Fatima Payman’s eligibility to sit in Parliament.

This caused an uproar after Senator Payman accused Senator Hanson of being racist before being forced to retract his comments.

On Wednesday evening, the Government, Opposition, One Nation and MPs David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie and Ralph Babet voted together to suspend Senator Thorpe from the House until the end of Thursday evening, the last sitting day of the year.

In interviews with the ABC and Channel Nine, Senator Thorpe said she wished they had paid more attention to racism in the House.

“They’re quick to punish the black woman here all the time for speaking out, but I’m responding to racism, and that’s what they need to focus on,” Senator Thorpe said.

“It’s been a horrible week, and when you experience racism… I stand up to it. I tore up a piece of paper,” she said.

“Senator Hanson is a ‘convicted’ racist, she wore a burqa in the House, she regularly harasses me with racial taunts.”

Last week, Senator Hanson went on trial for defaming Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi over a tweet in which she told him to “fuck off Pakistan”.

Senator Hanson said Wednesday she will appeal the court’s ruling that she committed a “racist attack” against Senator Faruqi.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the Senate was forced to take a stand against Senator Thorpe after his unparliamentary behavior escalated into “aggressive” physical disruption.

“I think if people saw what happened yesterday, they would not tolerate it in their workplace,” Senator Gallagher said.

“No one liked what happened yesterday. Senator Hanson, whether you agree with her or not, should not be aggressively approached in the House with paper thrown in her face.”

Senator Thorpe said the incident was proof that his joint efforts with Senator Faruqi to launch an open inquiry into racism in Parliament was necessary.

She said there are double standards when it comes to accepted behavior in the Senate.

“We’re the ones who are the naughty little black girls. And it’s okay if you want to call me that and call me disruptive, but I’m not going to stand here and be silent when people of color are attacked by racism,” she said. said.

Senator Hanson said in a statement that the institution of Parliament had not been respected.

“When you have the extraordinary privilege of representing Australians in Parliament, you don’t destroy our country. You don’t destroy its institutions. You don’t destroy its people,” she said.

The Senate voted Monday to refer an investigation into racism to an internal commission.