Lidia Thorpe has been sensationally suspended from the Senate after a stunt against Pauline Hanson.

It was a final act of defiance from Senator Lidia Thorpe to round off a year that also featured an expletive filled rant at the King of England.

After telling One Nation’s Pauline Hanson she was “a convicted racist”, Senator Thorpe marched out of the chamber.

But before she did Senator Thorpe resorted to the international sign language of flipping the bird, her final act captured by veteran photographer Mick Tsikas.

Senator Thorpe has been suspended from the Senate for the “disorderly conduct”.

It followed chaotic scenes, where Senator Thorpe appeared to throw papers in the chamber.

Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong then moved that Senator Thorpe be suspended on Thursday, the final sitting day of the year.

However, her clash with One Nation’s Pauline Hanson was the reason for the Senate suspension, which was backed by Labor and the Coalition.

Only the Greens opposed the suspension which was also backed by Senator Hanson and independents Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock.

The Senate president said she wrote to Thorpe at 4.30pm today, offering her a chance to attend the Senate to explain herself or apologise.

However, Senator Lines indicated that Senator Thorpe chose not to attend the disciplinary meeting.

In extraordinary scenes, the blow-up emerged after Senator Hanson sought to table documents she alleged went to the eligibility of Labor-turned-independent senator Fatima Payman to sit in the Senate.

Her accusation that Senator Payman was potentially in breach of Section 44 of the constitution prompted the following exchange.

“Senator Hanson has worn the burqa in this place, maybe it’s time that she pack her burqa, and go to Afghanistan, and talk to the Taliban about this,” Ms Payman said.

Ms Payman then accused Ms Hanson under parliamentary privilege of “racism”, before withdrawing the remarks.

“You’re not just vindictive, mean, nasty – you bring disgrace to the human race,” she said.

When Ms Hanson stood up to demand that the comments be withdrawn, Senator Thorpe then yelled across the chamber: “You’re a convicted racist!”

She was responding in part to Ms Hanson’s claim that Ms Payman’s documentation was “not good enough, it would not be good enough for anyone else here in this place”.

Ms Payman has held Australian citizenship since 2005. In addition, she still holds citizienship of Afghanistan, despite having attempted to renounce it in 2021.

As the Australian embassy did not have any formal communication set up with the Taliban-led Afghan government, it was determined Ms Payman had taken all reasonable steps required to renounce her foreign citizenship.

Ms Hanson has made multiple attempts to question Ms Payman’s citizenship, including writing to the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.

Ms Hanson, for her part, is not backing down.

“If she’d been elected in 2016 instead of 2022, she would have been referred to the High Court like all the others,” she argued.

“If she’d been elected as a conservative in 2022, I suspect she’d be referred right away.

“Try as they might, however, they can’t wish this matter away. I’m not the only one in parliament questioning the surprising lack of documents in Payman’s disclosure supporting her claim she took reasonable steps to renounce her Afghan citizenship.”

/www.news.com.au/national/politics/disgrace-to-the-human-race-senator-unleashes-...

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has congratulated dual Olympian track sprinter Kimia Yousofi, now based in Australia, on her selection in the Afghanistan Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
https://www.olympics.com.au/news/australian-based-afghan-athlete-kimia-yousofi-s...

Daves2017 wrote on Nov 27^th, 2024 at 8:22pm:


That's how it works in any other job, unless there is a specific clause in the employment contract that says employees can be suspended without pay.

But generally speaking, employers can't suspend employees without pay.

When will she start representing all Victorians, not only those with aboriginal heritage?

greggerypeccary wrote on Nov 28^th, 2024 at 11:19am:


That alone should disqualify her from sitting in the Senate.

Frank wrote on Nov 28^th, 2024 at 2:19pm:


I'd certainly rather she wasn't in parliament, however, the Constitution doesn't deal with what people think.

She can think she's a Martian, or a Cocker Spaniel, but it still wouldn't matter - if she's an actual Australian citizen that's all that counts.

I'm not happy with that - I'd like to see her gone, but that's just the way it is.