Australia’s parliament on Monday censured independent senator Lidia Thorpe after she publicly heckled King Charles III during his October visit to Canberra, reigniting a fierce debate about the monarchy’s role in modern Australia and the colonial legacy of European settlement.
The Senate motion condemning Thorpe’s behavior passed with a majority of 46 votes in favor and 12 against. While the censure carries no practical consequences, it serves as a symbolic rebuke of her actions, which were labeled “disruptive and disrespectful” by her parliamentary colleagues.
Thorpe, however, remained defiant. “I don’t give a damn about the censure,” she declared in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Wearing a gold chain with the words Not My King prominently displayed, she vowed to continue resisting colonization and the monarchy’s presence in Australian governance.
During King Charles III’s visit to Australia’s parliament in October, Thorpe interrupted the ceremonial proceedings by shouting: “This is not your land, you are not my king,” a direct challenge to the British monarch’s role as Australia’s head of state. As dignitaries stood for the national anthem, she turned her back on the king, a gesture that many saw as a deliberate affront to the traditions of the parliamentary occasion.
Thorpe’s outburst was not an isolated incident but part of her broader activism against colonial structures in Australia. She accused European settlers of perpetuating a “genocide” against Indigenous Australians, a term that resonates deeply with Indigenous communities who continue to grapple with the devastating impacts of colonization, including land dispossession, cultural erasure, and systemic inequality.
The censure motion passed by the Senate condemned Thorpe’s actions and declared that it was no longer “appropriate” for her to represent the parliament in any official capacity for the remainder of its term.
While the censure motion was widely supported in parliament, it also revealed significant divisions within Australian society and political leadership.
Lawmakers who supported the censure argued that Thorpe’s actions crossed a line of decorum and respect expected in parliamentary proceedings. “While free speech is an important principle, there is a time and place for everything,” said one senator during the debate. “This was neither the time nor the place for such a display.”
Critics of Thorpe’s conduct emphasized the importance of upholding traditions and maintaining diplomatic relations, particularly during the visit of a foreign head of state. They argued that her actions embarrassed the parliament and detracted from broader discussions about Indigenous issues.
On the other hand, Green Senator Mehreen Faruqi defended Thorpe, stating that she was simply expressing a perspective rooted in historical truth. “Thorpe is telling Australia’s history the way she wants to,” Faruqi said. “We should not punish people for speaking uncomfortable truths about our past.”
Outside parliament, opinions were similarly split. Some Australians praised Thorpe for her bravery in challenging the monarchy’s role and speaking out about the ongoing struggles of Indigenous communities. Others criticized her for overshadowing the broader political discourse and using provocative tactics that they deemed counterproductive.
Thorpe’s heckling of King Charles is not her first act of protest against the monarchy. In 2022, during her swearing-in as a senator, she raised her right fist in a Black Power salute and hesitated before reluctantly pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, who was then the head of state.
These symbolic acts of defiance have cemented Thorpe’s reputation as a polarizing figure in Australian politics. While her detractors accuse her of being divisive and attention-seeking, her supporters see her as a fearless advocate for the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples.
Thorpe has made it clear that her allegiance lies with Australia’s First Nations peoples, whom she refers to as the “real sovereigns” of the land. “I will resist colonization in this country,” she said after the censure vote. “My allegiance is to the First Peoples.”
Thorpe’s comments about colonization and genocide have reignited discussions about the darker chapters of Australia’s history.
Australia was colonized by Britain in 1788, beginning more than a century of violent displacement and dispossession of Indigenous peoples. Thousands of Aboriginal Australians were killed in conflicts with settlers, and entire communities were uprooted from their ancestral lands. Policies such as the forced removal of Indigenous children, now known as the Stolen Generations, left scars that continue to affect Indigenous communities today.
Despite these injustices, Australia has yet to fully reconcile with its colonial past. Efforts to enshrine Indigenous voices in governance and decision-making, such as the failed Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023, underscore the ongoing challenges of achieving meaningful progress.
Thorpe’s actions have also sparked renewed debate about Australia’s ties to the British monarchy. King Charles III serves as the country’s head of state, a role that many Australians view as an outdated relic of colonialism.
Australia gained de facto independence from Britain in 1901, but it has never severed its constitutional ties to the monarchy. A 1999 referendum on becoming a republic failed narrowly, largely due to disagreements over how a new head of state would be chosen.
In recent years, public support for a republic has remained lukewarm. A recent poll found that Australians are evenly divided on the issue: roughly one-third favor maintaining the monarchy, one-third support becoming a republic, and one-third are undecided. The king’s visit earlier this year did little to shift these opinions, with many Australians expressing indifference to the institution’s future.
Thorpe’s outspoken criticism of the monarchy has brought the issue back into the spotlight, though it remains a political non-starter. Her protests challenge Australians to confront uncomfortable questions about their history, identity, and the nation’s future.
The censure of Senator Lidia Thorpe is unlikely to have immediate political consequences, but it underscores the growing tensions in Australia’s reckoning with its colonial past and its relationship with the monarchy. Thorpe herself has dismissed the censure as irrelevant, even suggesting that she might burn the document as a form of protest.
For some, her actions represent a necessary wake-up call to address historical injustices and Indigenous sovereignty. For others, they are a distraction from practical solutions to the challenges facing Indigenous communities.
