Lidia Thorpe intends to ‘speak freely’ on Indigenous sovereignty following Greens resignation — as it happened

Lambie welcomes Thorpe to the crossbench 7h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 4:36am

By Jessica Riga

Key Event

Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie has welcomed Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe to the crossbench, saying the move “takes guts.”

“Every time the crossbench grows, it’s a good thing. Representation gets more representation,” she adds.

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Where is each party at in terms of the Voice to Parliament? 7h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 4:24am

By Jessica Riga

Key Event

The Liberals and Greens are both actively weighing up their positions, with both parties expected to arrive at a final position over the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, the Nationals have already declared their opposition.

Debate over the Voice dominated political discussion over the summer break, with the Opposition demanding more detail on the proposed model for a Voice to Parliament.

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, is “hopeful” both the Liberals and Greens will come on board.

Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

“I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t,” she told political reporter Tom Lowrey.

“This is about two things. It’s about giving Aboriginal people a voice in matters that affect us, and it’s also about lifting up the whole country.

“Those that don’t come on board are holding the country back.”

Asked if having the Liberals campaigning against the Voice would damage the campaign, she said the Liberals would only damage themselves by taking such a position.

“I think it would be more damaging for the Liberal Party to campaign against the Voice, quite frankly,” she said.

Bandt poses climate question during QT 7h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 4:10am

By Jessica Riga

This is one of the first times we’ve heard from Adam Bandt during Question Time today.

The Greens leader asks the Minister for Resources why Labor is opening new coal and gas mines under its safeguard mechanism.

Resources Minister Madeleine King says “projects will only go forward if they stack up environmentally, socially and economically.”

Greens to hold party room meeting tonight 8h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 3:58am

By Jessica Riga

Key Event

The federal Greens are yet to formally commit to supporting the Voice in a referendum.

But party leader Adam Bandt said he would not pre-empt the outcome of further meetings on the issue, including a party room meeting this evening.

Greens leader Adam Bandt.(ABC News: Matt Roberts) We’re halfway through Question Time 8h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 3:38am

By Jessica Riga

… and the Indigenous Voice to Parliament is yet to be mentioned.

There is still time though!

So far Question Time has debated over energy prices, inflation, the cost of living crisis, national security and the housing crisis.

Albanese and Dutton pay respect to Jim Molan 8h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 3:16am

By Jessica Riga

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton have used the first 15 minutes of Question Time to pay their respects to Liberal senator and retired major general Jim Molan.

Senator Molan died of cancer on January 17 at the age of 72.

Watch Adam Bandt’s reaction to Lidia Thorpe’s resignation 8h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 3:06am

By Jessica Riga

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 2 minutes 30 seconds2m 30s ‘Truly sad to see Lidia Thorpe leave the Greens’: Adam Bandt

Greens leader Adam Bandt has addressed Lidia Thorpe’s resignation from the party, saying he understands her decision, but the party will remain central to balance of power.

Question Time is moments away 8h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 3:00am

By Jessica Riga

And it’s the first one of the year!

There will be plenty to get through, so stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.

Bandt pressed again on if Thorpe was sidelined 8h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:59am

By Jessica Riga

Bandt: I’ve just made it clear that I tried very hard to get Senator Thorpe to stay. I wanted her to stay, I felt that there was a place for her in the party. She’s obviously to a different view. I’m sad about that, but that’s what she’s decided.

And that’s where the Greens leader ends today’s press conference.

Was Lidia Thorpe pushed out of the Greens? 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:58am

By Jessica Riga

Reporters are trying to get their questions in and this was one just thrown at the Greens leader.

Bandt: Look, I’m not going to go into discussions about the time when Senator Thorpe has been with the Greens. I’ll leave it up to her to speak for herself. She gave that commitment, and I’m grateful for it.

Bandt on Thorpe’s portfolio position 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:57am

By Jessica Riga

Reporter: Could you have stopped events today of self-eviction if you’d done, as some of your colleagues believe, removed her from that portfolio position?

Bandt: Look, I have made my position clear. I stand by what I’ve done and what I’ve said on the record. And I’ve made it clear that I don’t intend — Lidia Thorpe has said that she doesn’t intend to comment any further about her time in the Greens. And I will continue to adopt the same approach. And in response to your suggestion in particular, I just made it very clear today that the approach that I put to Senator Thorpe was that she would remain our spokesperson, but that I would take on all responsibilities with respect to the question of the Voice referendum if she ended up voting a different way.

Reporter: Do you believe that Senator Thorpe has acted with propriety during her time as a Greens senator?

Bandt: I just made it clear that Senator Thorpe leaves the Greens with our respect and she’s made an enormous contribution to the Greens’ party room during this time. Now, Senator Thorpe is no longer a member of the Greens, and I don’t intend to make any further comment about her time with us.

Bandt questioned on silence 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:55am

By Jessica Riga

Reporter: Senator Thorpe’s run a campaign of opposition against the Voice for months. The party’s position, as you just said then, was to support all elements of the Uluru Statement. You’ve been silent while this has happened. Why?

Bandt: I don’t accept that characterisation. I think you can go back and look at what I’ve said. I stand by everything that I’ve said, and what I’ve said just now — the Greens’ positions and discussions that we’re having with the government in terms of that case.

Senator Thorpe has also said in her statement that she doesn’t intend to comment on anything about her time with the Greens. I respect that. And beyond what I’ve said today, I’m going to adopt the same.

Are the Greens any clearer on their stance on the Voice? 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:53am

By Jessica Riga

Reporter: Have you decided your position on the Voice after the weekend, and now that Senator Thorpe has left the party, making her position clearer?

Bandt: The Greens want to see progress on all elements of the Statement from the Heart on truth, treaty and voice. We’ve been in discussions with the government for some months now about ensuring that we see that progress.

Last week, we spent a couple of days discussing this very important matter, and we’ve got further meetings scheduled — including one this evening — while parliament is sitting. I’m not going to pre-empt what my colleagues will decide. We still have our processes to work through. But we’re taking it seriously and we’re talking about it while parliament’s sitting.

Bandt is now taking questions 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:52am

By Jessica Riga

Reporter: From your perspective, were there any constraints that the Greens put on Lidia Thorpe’s advocacy for black sovereignty?

Adam Bandt: I said to Lidia that I felt that she could continue to advocate for Black sovereignty from within the Greens. She’s obviously come to a different view, and she’s made her position clear on that.

‘I wish she had made a different decision, but I understand the reasons,’ Bandt says 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:51am

By Jessica Riga

“She’s obviously decided to adopt a different course,” Greens leader Adam Bandt continues.

“I wish she had made a different decision, but I understand the reasons that she has given for that decision.

“I thank her for her commitment to continue to vote with the Greens on climate in the Senate.

“I expect, too, that — and I hope — that given that there is a large area of overlap from a policy perspective, that we’ll continue to work closely during the remainder of this parliamentary term.

“Fundamentally, more broadly, in terms of the Senate, the situation remains now still more or less the same in the Senate. The Greens are central in the balance of power in the Senate.

“Any time that the opposition doesn’t agree with the government, the government will still need the support of the Greens to get legislation through.

“There might be instances now where the government has to perhaps secure one additional vote, but that already happens at the moment, as you know. So, fundamentally, the Greens remain central to balance of power in the Senate.”

Thorpe ‘still has a place in the Greens’, Bandt says 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:50am

By Jessica Riga

“I made it clear to Senator Thorpe that she still had a place in the Greens and that I wish she had continued in the Greens,” he says.

“Including as the party’s First Nations spokesperson, that she had the right to, of course, under our Constitution, vote differently on the question of Voice and, if she came to a different position on the question of Voice, that I would take over responsibility for being the party spokesperson on Voice so that she would be free to speak her mind,.”

Bandt ‘truly sad’ to see Thorpe leave Greens 9h agoMon 6 Feb 2023 at 2:48am

By Jessica Riga

Key Event

Greens leader Adam Bandt speaks on Lidia Thorpe’s resignation.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

“I’m truly sad to see her leave the Greens,” party leader Adam Bandt says.

“Senator Thorpe leaves the Greens with an enormous amount of respect. She is a fighter for her people. She has helped put treaty, raising the age of criminal responsibility on the parliamentary agenda.”