'Racism is like a cancer': Senator Lidia Thorpe joins growing calls for royal commission
The Djab Wurrung, Gunnai, and Gunditjmara senator said a royal commission would have the power to "hold everyone to account".
Senator Lidia Thorpe likened racism to cancer during a recent speech, drawing attention to the need for a national royal commission to address its impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Northern Land Council chairman Matthew Ryan echoed her sentiments, describing racist policies in the Northern Territory as modern day slavery.
The parliamentary inquiry into racism, hate, and violence against Indigenous Australians has exposed systemic racism, with Thorpe emphasizing the necessity of truth telling. She argues that racism not only harms Aboriginal people but also impacts non-Aboriginal Australians. Thorpe warns that without addressing racism, there will be no progress on basic human rights.
Independent Northern Territory member Mark Yingiya Guyula criticized the CLP government for passing laws that he believes contribute to the slow genocide of Indigenous people and culture.
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