Lidia Thorpe splits from Greens on the Voice into Parliament

The move paves the way for Bandt to announce Green Party support for Voice and also changes the numbers on the Senate cross bench Labor needs to pass legislation.

Thorpe did not attend a two-day retreat in Mount Macedon, Victoria, last week where the party discussed its position on The Voice.

Thorpe’s office told this imprint on Friday that she was attending the meeting remotely. But on Saturday, after sources confirmed she was not present at all, Thorpe’s office admitted she was not present. The office said Thorpe was attending to the death of a relative earlier last week.

On Saturday, Age And Sydney Morning Herald reported that Thorpe had demanded that none of her fellow Green MPs, including another Indigenous senator, meet with members of the Indigenous community via the Voice of Parliament and insisted that only she should be allowed to do so.

Three senior Greens said they are increasingly frustrated that Thorpe’s open hostility to the vote is seen as the Greens’ position because the high-profile senator is negotiating with the government as the party’s spokesperson on indigenous affairs.