Lidia Thorpe 60 Minutes interview with Karl Stefanovic
Lidia Thorpe has likened herself to a “black Judge Judy” in a revealing interview with Karl Stefanovic, who she says is “not bad for a white man.”
The controversial senator, in the voluminous 60 Minutes interview, defended her headline-grabbing approach to politics, claiming she had been “misunderstood” by large segments of the population.
The Greens’ breakout also dropped the bombshell that she will retire from politics after her term ends in 2028 because she doesn’t want to become an “old crusty politician.”
‘There’s no nonsense** with me, what you see is what you get. I’m not perfect, I’m not a career politician, I’m not there to be a big contender,” she told Stefanovic.
But she admitted she enjoyed her role as Canberra’s commander in chief.
Senator Thorpe told Stefanovic he was “not bad for a white man” as they talked while riding e-scooters
‘You know what I like? Senate Estimates, because I feel like Black Judge Judy when I ask those questions there, I’m just sitting there like, ‘Yeah, come on, what questions am I going to ask you today,'” Senator Thorpe said.
Still, she disagreed with how she is viewed by many in the country.
“I’m not that angry, crazy black woman who hates white people — it’s just not who I am,” she said.
“Since I was a kid I’ve been scolded so much that after a while it’s just water off a duck’s back.”
Senator Thorpe even told Stefanovic that he “wasn’t bad for a white guy” as they talked to each other while riding e-scooters.
During the interview, Senator Thorpe talked about her upbringing, including how she dropped out of school at age 14, became pregnant at age 17, and suffered domestic violence.
Senator Thorpe said ‘I’m not those angry crazy black women who hate white people – it’s just not who I am’
“I suppose I was used to violence from my first relationships, and it happened so many times that I kept getting over it,” she said.
She also said her decision to file for bankruptcy in 2013, as a single mother of three after leaving a toxic marriage, was the “best decision” she’s ever made.
Senator Thorpe admitted that fighting spirit “diluted her message” for some people.
“So I think I’ve been misunderstood,” she said.
“It comes straight from my heart, straight from my soul. There’s got to be some anger here or you’ll get complacent and complicit.”
Stefanovic also asked about her recent use of parliamentary privilege to accuse Senator David Van of sexual harassment and Senator Thorpe said there are others like him working in parliament.
Lidia Thorpe (pictured) has criticized the Albanian government over the budget, claiming that the lives of First Nations people will continue to get worse under the measures
“There have been a number of times inappropriate touching that I have not authorized and have addressed,” she said.
Ms Thorpe revealed that she will leave politics in 2028.
‘I love my job. And I’ve been able to make big changes in the short time I’ve been here. I don’t plan on running again,” she said.
“I’ll be 50 next month. I don’t want to be a grumpy old politician.”
The interview also turned to Senator Thorpe, the infamous strip club stoush back in April, where she was repeatedly filmed yelling at a group of men “little penis” outside a strip club at 3 a.m. on a Sunday.
“It wasn’t until we left and walked out the door that I was yelled at. One thing I did wrong was reacting to someone else’s bad behavior,” she told Stefanovic.
However, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Ms Thorpe allegedly went to ‘white men’ before the incident by saying ‘you stole my country’, earning her a lifetime ban from the establishment.
Senator Thorpe (pictured) was filmed unleashing an extraordinary spray on a group of men outside a strip club in Melbourne at 3am on a Sunday in April
She also claimed there was racism within the Greens, her former party, in “places that should know better.”
Senator Thorpe labeled the proposed Voice to Parliament a “powerless advisory body” and said it would fail.
‘We are not one homogeneous group of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. We are allowed to think differently and we are allowed to say no because it is not enough,” she said.
Senator Thorpe also revealed that she would be leaving politics once her term ends in 2028 because she doesn’t want to become an “old crusty politician.”