Senate debates

Monday, 20 March 2023

Statements by Senators

Indigenous genocide

1:54 pm

Photo of Lidia ThorpeLidia Thorpe (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the genocide this country is guilty of over the last 200 years and also the fact that in 2023 this country continues to commit genocide. The Labor government allows genocide to continue in this country, given that we still have 22,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who have been stolen out of their homes and put with other communities. According to the United Nations definition on genocide, the Labor government continues the Liberal-National government's regime of genocide against First Nations people in this country.

We see Labor governments around this country perpetrating violence, particularly against our young people. Particularly in Queensland, they're locking young people up against their free will, putting young people into adult prisons and locking up young people who have low-grade offences or no offences at all. It is an absolutely disgusting and shameful act that all of you should be appalled by, but, unfortunately, it's just another eye-roll, because you won't act and you won't stop the continued genocide that the lucky country called Oz continues to commit.

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