‘Most loathed woman in parliament’

Karl Stefanovic has dubbed Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe “the most loathed woman in parliament” during a fiery interview, in which the unrepentant politician said it was time to “get rid” of King Charles III as Australia’s head of state.

The Channel 9 host opened an interview with the under-fire politician this morning by noting that her decision to heckle the King with a foul-mouthed rant was not winning much support.

It follows revelations that Ms Thorpe claims to have sworn an oath to “the Queen’s hairs” rather than heirs, in a bizarre act of protest against the oath of allegiance.

“Lidia, good morning to you. Nice to see you. I think it’s fair to say you might very well be the most loathed woman in parliament in Canberra at the moment. And that’s really saying something,’’ Mr Stefanovic said.

But an unrepentant Senator Thorpe said she wasn’t terribly fussed, telling viewers she was used to being “the black sheep” of politics.

“Oh, well, it’s just another day in the colony, Karl. I’m used to that treatment,” she said.

“You know. I am the black sheep of the family, if you like. But I wanted to send a message to the King. I got that message across. The whole world is talking about it.

“And my people are happy because my people have been protesting for decades and decades. As you all know, for exactly this. And so the message has been sent, delivered. Now it’s up to the King of England to respond.”

But Mr Stefanovic responded by suggesting: “The question this morning you were being asked is, why the hell doesn’t Lidia Thorpe just do everyone a favour and get out of Canberra? Will you?”

“I’m about truth telling. I’m loud, proud, black. Get used to it and listen to what I have to say,’’ she said.

“We need to grow up as a nation and get rid of him and have our own head of state.”

Channel 9 then broadcast vision of Ms Thorpe swearing faithful and true allegiance to “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.”

“Did that hurt a little when you swore your allegiance? Did it take a little bit of your soul?’’ Mr Stefanovic asked.

“Absolutely it did. And I had to go through a process with my family prior to doing that, because swearing allegiance to someone else from another country whose ancestors have done a lot of damage to my ancestors, I think is completely inappropriate,” Ms Thorpe said.

“We don’t need to be paying the Governor-General $800,000 a year to sign a piece of legislation. And we paid for that man to come here. How many millions of dollars did that cost?”

Mr Stefanovic then suggested Ms Thorpe, who has a taxpayer funded salary of over $200,000 is “getting paid pretty well to be part of the process and to be part of parliament, a place you clearly despise.”

“Yeah. I’m being paid to do my job. You could say it’s paying the rent if you like,’’ she said.

“This government has walked back a treaty. I know the opposition is not interested in treaty. So where else do you go? You go to the King of England. Who? Whose ancestors treated with other countries but didn’t treaty here. So there’s unfinished business. I’ll spend the next three years getting that unfinished business done.”

Speaking on Channel 9 earlier, 2GB host Chris O’Keefe accused the Coalition of “hypocrisy” after Nationals leader David Littleproud backed Senator Jacinta Price’s outspoken remarks on restricting abortion, suggesting “I don’t discourage anyone from having a belief in any topic”.

“I just find it very hypocritical of David Littleproud,’’ Mr O’Keefe responded.

“Is he going to encourage Lidia Thorpe to continue to continue to express what she thinks and express it in the way she expressed it to the King? I’m sure he’ll be outraged. And this is a joke about this.

“Because when it doesn’t suit your politics, when it doesn’t suit your politics, you’re happy to have a crack. But you’ve got a senator of your party who is stirring up an extremely emotional issue, that nobody is asking in this country for it to be stirred up.”

Meanwhile, Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher left the door open to some form of censure for Ms Thorpe for heckling the King.

“Look, I think there will be discussions, obviously across the chamber about any response to that behaviour on Monday,’’ she told ABC radio.

“I mean, we need to work out a way to ensure that the institution of the Senate, and you know, the important role it plays in democracy is upheld and respected, and I think that’s at times challenged with some behaviour in particular from Senator Thorpe, but she also does like attention that comes from these, you know, public displays.

“And so we have to think through and manage that, and we’ll work with people across the chamber about what the appropriate response is.”

Senator Gallagher confirmed that members of the public were raising it with her in Tasmania.

“People are really shocked and upset by that display of behaviour and see it as incredibly disrespectful. So you know, we’ll work through that with other members of the Senate when the Senate sits,’’ she said.

“There are standing orders and there are powers available to the Senate to deal with disorderly conduct, so we need to work through that.”

Opposition Senate leader Simon Birmingham said Ms Thorpe’s claim raised questions about her eligibility to sit in parliament.

“This is a deeply serious claim to be making that does bring her eligibility to participate in the proceedings of the Senate into question,” he said.

“Section 42 of the Constitution requires that a senator make and subscribe the oath or affirmation before taking the senator’s seat in the Senate.

“A senator must therefore be sworn in before sitting in the Senate or participating in its proceedings.”