Australian Lawmakers Censure Senator Over King Charles Heckling

Australian legislators have formally voted to censure an Aboriginal senator who protested King Charles during his visit to Canberra last month, conveying their “profound disapproval” of her actions. Lidia Thorpe called out “you are not my King” and “this is not your land” shortly after the King delivered an address in the Great Hall of Parliament, seeking to emphasize the consequences of British colonization. The Senate’s censure, approved by a 46-12 margin, characterized Thorpe’s conduct as “disrespectful and disruptive” and indicated it should preclude her from representing the chamber as part of any delegation. A censure motion is politically symbolic yet holds no constitutional or legal authority. Soon after the Senate’s vote on Monday, Thorpe informed reporters that she was unable to exercise her right to respond in the chamber due to a flight delay. The independent senator stated, “The British Crown committed heinous crimes against the first peoples of this country… I will not be silent.” Her protest the previous month elicited immediate condemnation from across the political spectrum, as well as from some leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. However, it also received commendation from certain activists who asserted that it underscored the struggles of Australia’s original inhabitants, who experienced colonial violence and continue to confront significant disadvantages in health, prosperity, education, and life expectancy compared to non-Indigenous Australians. Thorpe is among those who have championed a treaty between Australia’s government and its first inhabitants. Unlike New Zealand and other former British colonies, a formal treaty with Indigenous peoples in Australia was never put in place. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people underscore that they never surrendered their sovereignty or land to the Crown. Notwithstanding the protest, the King was met with a warm welcome from Australian crowds during his five-day tour alongside Queen Camilla. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated in an official address, “You have shown great respect for Australians, even during times when we have debated the future of our own constitutional arrangements and the nature of our relationship with the crown. Nothing stands still.” Thorpe has a record of Indigenous activism that has, at times, captured international attention. During her swearing-in ceremony in 2022, the Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung woman referred to Queen Elizabeth II as a colonizer and was subsequently asked to retake her oath after receiving criticism. Last year, Australia definitively rejected a proposal to grant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people constitutional recognition and enable them to establish a body to advise parliament on issues affecting their communities. The referendum, known as the Voice, became embroiled in a contentious campaign, and both political sides have aimed to move forward promptly, leaving uncertainty regarding future policy. While available data suggests a majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people voted ‘Yes’, the support was not unanimous. Thorpe herself was a leading ‘No’ campaigner, having criticized the measure as tokenistic.