Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Today I want to talk about the practice of swearing allegiance, which persists throughout so-called Commonwealth countries. When we join the parliament in this country, we are required to swear allegiance to the British Crown or so-called King. Our job is to serve the people here, yet we're asked to be accountable not to the people here but to the colonising King on the other side of the world. As First Peoples, this requirement is like kneeling to the oppressor—a continuation of the colonial practices and oppression in this country and across the world. Just a few days ago, it was reported that new members of a Canadian town council refused to take an oath for King Charles, in protest of Britain's history with First Peoples in Canada. This brought the council to a standstill, even though the new members are completely committed to serving the people that they're elected by.

Politicians in this place are not committed to and don't swear allegiance to the people in this country. What a farce! Politicians should be committed to working for the people here, be guided by the people here and have allegiance to the people here, rather than to someone on the other side of the world. We need to grow up as a nation—to cut the apron strings, stop swearing allegiance to a foreign colonial power and have a head of state that's from here that we can all call our own. Every politician in this place swears allegiance to a foreign power rather than to the people who live in this country. Grow up, Aus, and let's get rid of this worn-out King coloniser.