As a proud Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung woman, I don't believe justice will come from Parliament alone.

Real change comes from below— on the ground with our Elders, our communities, our Sovereign power.

But while Parliament continues to make decisions that affect our lives, we need people in there fighting for us — not speaking over us or making empty promises — but listening, standing with us, and taking action.

I'm not up for election this time around – my term will continue until the next federal election in 2028. But I'm calling on our people to vote for progressive independents and minor parties who are serious about truth, justice, and self-determination.

Because Labor is failing us and the Coalition would be even worse.

Let's consider their record

Labor says they are "ambitious" for First Peoples. But that "ambition" has largely failed to produce any real progress towards genuine self-determination.

Meanwhile, the Coalition has made a series of election announcements that either perpetuate racist stereotypes or pose a direct threat of harm to our communities.

Labor's backdown on Truth, Treaty and the Rights of First Peoples

The Albanese Labor government came in promising a new era of respect for First Peoples. But after the Voice referendum failed, they walked away from Truth and Treaty. Labor's backflip has sent a message that when it's politically inconvenient, truth and justice for our people don't matter. They have a record of this.

For example, under the Rudd Labor government, Australia endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), but they have since refused to enshrine it in law here.

In 2023, Labor teamed up with the Coalition to vote down my bill to enshrine the UNDRIP into law, which would have given our people the legal framework to demand our rights. And they voted against UNDRIP again earlier this year.

This wasn't a mistake—it was a deliberate decision by Labor, in bed with the Coalition, to maintain the status quo. They will always opt for symbolic actions over meaningful change for our people.

No Action on Justice, Just More Incarceration

Labor has also refused to take real action on justice. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still the most incarcerated people on the planet. Our children are still being stolen from their families.

The government has the power to act—and they're choosing not to. They could implement the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody's recommendations. They could work with states and territories to raise the age of criminal responsibility and protect our children from incarceration. They could invest in safe, culturally strong alternatives to prisons. But instead, we see hundreds of millions spent on policing and punishment while grassroots solutions are ignored.

Under Labor's Closing the Gap framework, they are spending $205 million on policing remote communities—a decision that will only lead to police targeting our people, particularly young children. This money has no focus on healing, community empowerment, or self-determination. Instead, it will criminalise more of our people.

Prime Minister Albanese has also explicitly supported measures to increase the number of people jailed on remand. We know this will lead to more people, including our children, being detained, more risk of deaths in custody, and more families suffering.

While Labor and the Coalition fail, the crossbench supports real action. Last year, a strong group of crossbenchers united behind me to call on Labor to take action on deaths in custody and the ongoing removal of our children. The crossbench also voted for better reports on deaths, miscarriages, and incidents of self-harm in prisons. Labor alone voted against this commonsense measure.

The crossbench wants action on justice for First Peoples. Labor and the Coalition don't.

Labor Refuses to Properly Fund First Nations Legal Services

One of the most shocking failures in this last term for Labor was their refusal to properly fund First Peoples' frontline legal services. Despite an independent review recommending urgent increased funding, the government ignored the advice and offered just a fraction of what's required to make sure our people have access to help when they need it.

These legal services help our women escape violence, support our mob through the courts, help our young people, and keep our communities safe. Yet across the country, they're on the brink of collapse.

That's why I brought together 28 crossbench MPs and Senators—from the Greens, the Teals, independents like Andrew Wilkie, and Jacqui Lambie—to call on the government to act. The crossbench backed our communities. Labor didn't.

Closing the Gap Is Going Backwards

This year's Closing the Gap data, like every previous year, shows the truth. Under Labor, things are getting worse. More of our people are dying by suicide. More of our children are being removed. And more of our people are being locked up.

Only four of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are showing any real improvement. The rest are either getting worse or not changing. This framework is failing, but all Labor is offering is more of the same under Closing the Gap. They are taking no real action that would empower communities and allow genuine self-determination.

Destroying Country without Consent

Labor talks big on climate and Country, but their actions tell a different story. They're still approving new coal and gas projects, expanding the industries that are destroying Country and fueling the climate crisis.

They are doing it without our consent.

Their dismissal of our people's concerns at Middle Arm, Murujuga and Binybara, Lee Point – where they have no consent from Traditional Owners – are recent examples of their willingness to prioritise their industry mates ahead of First Peoples.

Only the crossbench is calling strongly for our sacred Country to be protected.

What Minor Parties and Independents Have Achieved for Mob.

While Labor has failed, the crossbench has been a force for change.

Minor parties and independents have consistently pushed the government to do better. Some of our major efforts include:

Pressuring the government, alongside frontline services, to successfully gain an additional $21 million in one-off funding for First Nations legal services, ensuring that more of our people receive the legal support they need;

Backing in calls for the implementation of the recommendations from the 1991 Deaths in Custody Royal Commission and the Bringing Them Home report;

Introducing legislation to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and pushing to strengthen the parliament's human rights framework;

Improving parliamentary accountability and reporting mechanisms on First Nations deaths in custody, and prison conditions;

Securing an additional $80 million for First Nations water rights and entitlements, increasing the total investment to $100 million to protect our sacred water and land;

Securing an additional $36 million for redress support services for survivors of child sexual abuse, including through culturally safe services;

And continuing to push for the establishment of a Truth-telling Commission to address historic and ongoing injustices against First Nations peoples.

Minor parties and independents have shown that they back First Peoples—not just in words, but in action. A stronger crossbench means a louder voice for our people, more pressure on the major parties, and better chances to win real change.

We Deserve Better

First Peoples have never been silent. But we've been shut out, ignored, and used by politicians who want our votes but not our leadership.

Enough is enough.

If you want to see action on justice, vote for people who will stand up in Parliament and demand it.

If you want Truth, Treaty, and real accountability, back the voices who've been fighting for them. This means not voting for either of the two major parties. When you vote, put progressive minor parties and independents ahead of Labor and the Coalition on your ballot.

Together, we can push Labor into a minority government so they will be forced to work more with outside voices.

If you want to see communities leading the solutions, not more neglect from the major parties, vote for the people who are walking with us—not over us.

Senator Lidia Thorpe is a Gunnai, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung woman and represents Victoria in the federal senate.