Victorian Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has quit the Greens and moved to the crossbench over a split on the Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum, complicating the Senate arithmetic for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
A leading critic of the proposed Indigenous consultative body, Senator Thorpe had been pushing for other elements of the Uluru Statement from the Heart to be implemented first, including a truth-telling process and a treaty with Indigenous communities.
The party’s former First Nations spokeswoman, Senator Thorpe appeared isolated within the Greens before the decision. Greens MPs including leader Adam Bandt were preparing to announce support the Voice proposal as soon as this week, but Senator Thorpe was opposed.
Announcing her decision after a meeting of MPs on Monday, Senator Thorpe said she would vote with the Greens on climate legislation, but declared herself a leader of the “Black sovereign movement”.
She has called on Labor to immediately implement recommendations from the landmark Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Bringing Them Home report on the Stolen Generations legacy.
A DjabWurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara woman, Senator Thorpe said advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice had become impossible inside the Greens.
“Now I will be able to speak freely,” she said.
“Greens MPs, members and supporters have told me they want to support the Voice. This is at odds with the community of activists who are saying treaty before Voice.
Leaving a press conference at Parliament House without taking questions, she said she was not announcing her final position on the Voice yet.
“I want to continue my negotiations with the government. First Nations sovereignty is crucial but so is saving lives today.
“I’ve spent my entire life fighting for justice, to defend our sovereignty, to save black lives. This is my goal.
“My strength and convictions come from a lifetime of activism from my ancestors and from my matriarchs, who continue to say to me every day, keep infiltrating, keep your integrity and keep the fire burning.”
Mr Bandt said he was “truly sorry” to see Senator Thorpe quit the party, saying she left with enormous respect. He offered to take portfolio responsibility for the Voice, allowing her to remain as First Nations spokesperson.
“I wish she had made a different decision, but I understand the reasons that she has given for that decision.”
Mr Bandt said the Greens remained central to 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,” he said.
‘I want long-term reform’, says PM
The decision complicates negotiations for Labor in the Senate. Senator Thorpe joins ACT independent David Pocock and Tasmanian Jacqui Lambie as key crossbench votes needed to pass legislation.
It also means non-government senators have a majority in the chamber for disallowance motions, potentially putting at risk some Labor regulation.
In December, lower house MP Andrew Gee quit the Nationals over the party’s opposition to the Voice. The former minister said he would advocate for a Yes vote in the referendum due before the end of the year.
Earlier, the prime minister used the opening of parliament for 2023 to urge support for the referendum.
“We need to get the detail right and there would be a process, as well as that parliamentary debate about the legislation, and I’d want to get as much agreement as possible,” Anthony Albanese said.
“I want this to be a long-term reform to benefit Indigenous Australians, to help close the gap.“
A Newspoll, published in The Australian on Monday, showed 56 per cent of respondents supported the Voice proposal, with 37 per cent opposed.