'Racism stops with me': Lidia Thorpe defends actions following Senate suspension
Outspoken Senator Lidia Thorpe will miss the final day of parliament in Canberra after she was suspended over another fiery outburst.
The independent Senator lashed out following a clash between Pauline Hanson and fellow independent Senator Fatima Payman, with the One Nation leader questioning the Afghani-born senator's citizenship and eligibility to sit in federal parliament.
After that exchange, Thorpe tore up paper and threw it at Hanson, before putting her middle finger up as she exited the room.
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Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe (right) throws papers towards One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson (left) after a division in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 27 November 2024. Alex Ellinghausen
READ MORE: Lidia Thorpe suspended from parliament after row with Pauline Hanson
But Thorpe has defended her actions, telling Today she doesn't regret what she did and will always stand up against and call out racism in parliament.
"It's been a horrible week and when you're subjected to racism, which I have been since I was a kid, I stand up against it - and that's what I did," she said.
"You can't be racist these days and that is what is creating the hate and harm in this country - we are better than that and we all have a responsibility to stamp racism out."
Thorpe noted Hanson's controversial burqa stunt in 2017 and claimed the One Nation leader regularly baits and taunts her.
But after also making international headlines for her vocal protest against the British Royal visit last month, the government and Coalition have teamed up to suspend Thorpe from the chamber for "repeated bad behaviour", meaning she will miss critical votes, including on migration and the much-hyped social media ban.
Thorpe said Hanson has got away with too much racism in parliament, noting her controversial burqa stunt in 2017. Today
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe storms out of Senate. AAP/Composite
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However, Thorpe said she will continue to stand by her actions and said she would do it all again.
"I'm not going to sit silent and allow racism to occur in front of me, I would do what I did for Senator Payman for anybody out there on the street and I will continue to do that," she said.
"Racism stops with me and we need to look at what the Human Rights Commission have come out with this week, I urge everybody to have a look at that - we are a better country than to be racist, we need to bring this nation together and the only way we can do that is to stop people from being racist."
Hear Today's full chat with Lidia Thorpe in the video above
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