At a press conference this afternoon, Thorpe said she wanted to represent the “grassroots black sovereign movement,” adding “it has become clear to me that I can’t do that from the Greens”. “Now I will be able to speak freely on all issues from a sovereign perspective without being constrained by… agreed party positions.”
The Voice
Thorpe has been a critic of the Government’s planned referendum to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. While Thorpe has not announced a final position on the Voice, she favours a treaty with First Nations people before a Voice. A Voice and a treaty were both recommendations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart delivered by First Nations leaders in 2017. The Government is committed to a treaty after a Voice.
Thorpe said “[Greens] MPs, members and supporters have told me they want to support the Voice. This is at odds with [my] community of activists”. The Federal Greens are expected to announce their official position on Labor’s Voice referendum this week.
