2022-11-25
With an expanded party room, the balance of power in the Senate, and a higher representation of First Nations people in the Australian parliament than ever before, I am excited to get to work and make our policies reality.
By Senator Lidia Thorpe
The beginning of this year in politics was largely characterised by the election campaign. Victorians got used to life after lockdowns again and it was great to get out and hear what people care most about and what their hopes for the future are. I had so missed being amongst community, in person.
We took strong First Nations policies to the election: first and foremost Truth, Treaty, Voice, with our plan to establish a Truth and Justice Commission and kick off the Treaty making process. We also developed a Caring for Country and Protecting Sacred Sites plan, and an extensive plan for Justice for all. We called for investment in First Nations health and the implementation of a national Stolen Generations Compensation Scheme.
The election was a massive success and I would like to thank all Greens supporters in Victoria and beyond for their support. I am grateful to represent you for the next six years in the Senate and warmly welcome our new Greens MPs! With an expanded party room and the balance of power in the Senate, and a higher representation of First Nations people in the Australian parliament than ever before, I am excited to get to work and make our policies reality.
Once the 47th Parliament kicked off, all Members of Parliament needed to swear allegiance to the Crown. So I pointed out my status as a Sovereign myself, and swore allegiance to the ‘colonising Queen’, sparking a debate, not just in Australia but in many other colonised countries, about our ties to an Empire with a history of dispossession and oppression.
With the Queen’s death shortly after, and at a time when we were mourning the passing of our Elders Uncle Archie Roach and Uncle Jack Charles amongst others in our community, our calls to abolish the monarchy just grew louder. This is a time for us to rethink who we want to be as a nation, to Treaty with the First Nations of this country, to become a republic and have an Australian head of state. An amazing journey lies ahead of us, and I invite you to join us on this journey for peace and Treaty.
First Nations
Treaty is our future and the unfinished business this country needs to finally tackle. Support for Treaty and the opportunities to make it a reality are bigger than ever and so my main focus in this term is to push the government to finally make it happen, as there cannot be First Nations justice without Treaty.
The other core principle for First Nations justice is to ensure our rights as First Peoples as outlined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This is why I have, this year, introduced a Bill to make sure that this country’s laws and practices aligned with UNDRIP and initiated an inquiry into what it would actually mean to respect First Nations rights in this way.
Together with our WA Blak Senator Dorinda Cox, we reintroduced the important inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children to help bring some peace and hopefully justice for those families, and ensure systemic processes are changed accordingly.
I have been engaging in productive negotiations with the Labor government on their proposal for a First Nations Voice to parliament to ensure that First Nations justice is being pursued beyond the proposed referendum and through some actual immediate change on the ground.
This is why Adam Bandt and I are asking for real progress on Truth and Treaty at the same time as the Voice is being progressed, as well as enacting UNDRIP and finally implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Bringing them Home reports, taking much overdue action to reduce incarceration and deaths in custody and put end end to our increasing rates of children being taken away.
I have continuously called out the injustices towards First Nations people being held in immigration detention or with visa insecurity upon their release, calling for immediate residency rights and changes to the Australian Citizenship Act. In question time and through my speeches, I have also brought to light some of the continuing colonial injustices and systemic racism in this country and will continue to stand up to the system to create change.
I stood with communities trying to protect Country and cultural heritage and will continue to stand up for the implementation of the recommendations by the Juukan inquiry, and particularly for free, prior and informed consent as the basis for First Nations self-determination.
The Republic
Following the election, I no longer hold the portfolio of Justice but will nevertheless continue my work for justice and First Nations justice in particular. I am, however, excited about taking on our new portfolio of the Republic. Given the renewed calls for a Republic following the death of Queen Elisabeth II, I look forward to exploring with you what this country could look like in the future, and build a strong campaign for a Republic, built on the foundations of Treaty.
Sport
Throughout this year, as many reports of racism in sports came to light, I have been calling on the AFL and NRL to undertake cultural awareness training, tackle the racism and sexism in their ranks, and to create safe and inclusive workplaces.
Concussion in sport is a serious issue, given the many shocking accounts we have been hearing about players suffering or dying after head injuries, such as concussions. I’ve been working closely with stakeholders and am developing instruments within parliament to further investigate the matter and find ways to ensure our sports can be enjoyed now and in the future by all players, including children and community sports.
Thank you
I know this year has not always been easy, and that we had to field many attacks from conservative Australia and the media. This is part of the journey of telling the truth and I thank you for standing with me!
Throughout all my work this year I have worked closely with so many stakeholders, communities and individuals and I would like to thank you for all your insights, support and guidance and for all that you do through standing up and creating a better future! I look forward to continuing this journey together.