Lidia Thorpe, an Australian senator, was told to cover up her “inappropriate” T-shirt during a contentious discussion over indigenous rights in Parliament.
The discussion took place on Monday during a vote in the upper chamber to establish the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, a federal advisory body made up of members from indigenous groups.
In a passionate address, Thorpe said that the suggestion was equivalent to “appeasing the white guilt” and that indigenous people should take their place in Parliament. She was sporting a gray T-shirt that was printed with the slang term “gammin” in bold white letters.
The dress, according to Senate President Sue Lines, was improper. “I invite you to go cover your T-shirt with a jacket. Slogans are prohibited within the chamber, Lines informed Thorpe. Later, she gave the same instructions again because “any slogans that I can read are improper.
Thorpe put on a black jacket in response. From the Senate floor, she declared, “Gammin, as we know, is bogus, pretend, and a joke.
The chamber ultimately approved the Indigenous Voice measure. A referendum on the plan will be held at some point this year.
