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

The writing is on the wall. We are seeing a wave of First Peoples around the world rising up to dismantle colonial institutions that inflict harm on people and the planet. We will no longer accept the lies of the major parties, who routinely team up to pass harmful laws, undermine transparency and block justice. We will pursue our own justice independently. We won't be complicit in their racist agenda that is just more of the same—no change; no justice—and it's making the major parties nervous. That's why they're pushing for reforms that will make it harder for Independents to get elected to parliament. They want to keep out Independents like me and others who dare to call them out on their lies. At election time, Labor will present candidates, stating, 'The only way to make change is from within the major parties,' but don't be fooled. If they're elected, the party powerbrokers will keep them in line and force them to vote against what is right. Think about the complete lack of action on the genocide in Palestine or justice for First Peoples.

Labor will tell you that a minority government will be a disaster, but that's a lie too. This government is a disaster and has done more harm to First Peoples—even though they've got First Peoples within their ranks, that makes no difference at all. We need a minority government to get real outcomes and real justice, not the tokenistic native police kind. We need crossbenchers who will vastly improve policies, give power back to community and force Labor to listen and to take action.