Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has launched a scathing critique of Senator Dorinda Cox's decision to leave the Greens for the ALP, claiming Labor backbenchers hold "no real power to drive change."
On Monday, Senator Cox — a Yamatji-Noongar woman who served as the Greens' Indigenous Affairs spokesperson — resigned from the party to join Labor, leaving the Greens without a First Nations representative in Federal Parliament.
While Senator Cox said she believed she could create more impact within government, Senator Thorpe — herself a former Greens senator turned independent—rejected that reasoning, arguing greater influence can be achieved outside the major parties.
"Backbenchers in the Labor Party have no real power to drive change," she said.
"What our people need are strong, independent, Sovereign voices in parliament — voices that aren't constrained by party politics. If Senator Cox was disappointed in the Greens, I think it would have been better to stand as an independent and continue to speak truth to power, not join a party that has consistently let our people down."
Senator Thorpe, a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman, said that while she and Senator Cox "have had our differences," she acknowledged that during her time with the Greens, "she spoke out strongly against this injustice".
"But we know that once you join Labor, you're shut down. You're not allowed to cross the floor. You're not allowed to speak freely. You're expected to fall in line," she said.
"The idea that Labor can be changed from within — especially as a backbencher — is, to me, a hopeless ambition. I wish Senator Cox luck, but I won't be holding my breath."
She added: "If changing Labor from within was possible, Senator Fatima Payman wouldn't have been forced to leave the party over Labor's support for the genocide in Palestine."
View this post on Instagram
Independent senator Fatima Payman, who left Labor over their stance on Palestine last year, told ABC Afternoon Briefing she and Senator Cox "get along well". She said she hoped she didn't have to experience the "name-calling" and "smear campaign" she experienced following her departure from the party.
"The real question is, is the Labor Party ready to accept [a] different voice — voices of diversity and views into their caucus?" Senator Payman said.
"Or are they going to expect them to sing from the same hymn sheet?"
Senator Cox said her values and priorities were now better aligned with Labor, despite having previously criticised the Albanese Government for being "not interested" in Closing the Gap.
"I've worked hard to make Australia fairer and much more reconciled, but recently, I've lost some confidence in the capacity for the Greens to assist me in being able to progress this," she told reporters in Perth on Monday.
"I feel reassured with my experience, my skills and my knowledge I can continue to collaborate and build on the existing relationships with an already amazing team of Labor MPs across the country."
Senator Cox, who has pushed hard for the Greens' Truth and Justice Commission Bill, and made history as the first Indigenous woman to represent WA in the Senate, will now be required to vote in line with Labor party policy, including when it diverges from her personal views.
"They must vote with the party," Senator Thorpe said, "even when it goes against their own conscience or community."
Senator Thorpe, who has long been critical of Labor on Indigenous affairs, said the party "already has several First Nations MPs."
"Labor already knows what needs to be done to deliver justice," she said.
"Yet still, the party continues to fail our people. Adding another black face won't change that. This looks like more black cladding from a party that wants to appear committed to justice for our people without doing the work."
On Tuesday, newly appointed Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters defended the party's record, saying the Greens "remain entirely committed to strong advocacy on truth-telling, on treaties, on justice, on healing, on reparations. Our policies are still very firm for First Nations justice and we won't be changing course in that regard".
Senator Waters added that the party still had "a number of active grassroots First Nations members," but said she was "not convinced" Labor would follow through on truth-telling and treaty.
Last week, Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said she was "very much open to listening to what people have to say," when asked whether truth-telling and treaty would progress this term.
Senator Thorpe said it was "deeply disappointing" the Greens no longer have any Indigenous representation at the federal level.
I urge the Greens to listen to grassroots First Nations voices, and their members in the Blak Greens, and rebuild trust with our communities," she said.
Last month, Senator Thorpe was forced to publicly reject claims she intended to rejoin the Greens after The Australian reported she had supported the Blak Greens' push to elect Senator Mehreen Faruqi as party leader.
"Even if my daughter became the leader of the Greens, I would not join the Greens," she said at the time.
"I love being an independent. I get to decide what is best based on the Blak Sovereign Movement guiding me, and sometimes that does not sit well with the Greens, so I left with good reasons and good luck to them."
