Senate
Lidia Thorpe
Lidia Thorpe is an Independent senator for Victoria. First elected 4 September 2020.
- 2020 Entered Senate for Victoria
- 2022 Became Senate deputy leader
- 2022 Lost deputy role over relationship
- 2023 Left Greens, became independent
- 2024 Protested King Charles visit
- Australian Greens
- Independent
Before this: won Wills by-election (2017).
What do they focus on?
Her 28 tracked speeches include support for a national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people National Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People (Transitional Provisions), and for removing the Attorney-General’s sole power to block genocide prosecutions Criminal Code Amendment (Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes). Other speeches support stronger protections for casual and gig workers Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes No. 2) and stronger anti-slavery laws, including prison-labour oversight Modern Slavery Amendment (Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner).
Her tracked votes also cover routine government spending, including legal-aid and Middle Arm precinct funding under an appropriation bill Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2024-2025, alongside migration removal powers Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) and nuclear safety Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety.
Bars show tracked speeches and amendments by policy area.
How do they vote?
With no party line, this shows how often their votes matched each party's majority.
How do they compare?
- Years in parliament i Total time served across every stint in either chamber, up to the end of the tracked record. 5.8 yrs 0.2 avg 8.5 yrs 33.3
- Votes against their party i Independents have no party line, so crossing it can't be counted for them.
No party line to cross — see how they vote.
- Bills introduced i Bills they introduced to Parliament, counted across the tracked record. 2 avg 2.8 46
- Amendments sponsored i Amendments to bills they put forward during debate, counted across the tracked record. 170 avg 7.9 226
Her votes are overwhelmingly aligned with progressive causes, even though her anti-establishment style sometimes produces unusual alliances with conservatives. Topic strips exclude accountability and process votes; read small counts loosely.
What have they done lately?
Since late 2025, Thorpe’s activity has centred on speaking and voting rather than moving her own proposals: she made five speeches, recorded seven votes and moved no division motions. She supported a new national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and voted for the transitional rules for that commissioner, including proposals to raise the age of criminal responsibility and require responses to commissioner reports. Those proposals were defeated, although the bill itself passed.
She spoke against broader powers to block visa holders and parts of changes to social-security payments. On new firearms and customs laws, she welcomed stronger gun laws but said the hate-crimes provisions meant she could not support the bill. In April, she also voted for changes to urgent-payment caps and the remote-area allowance; all three proposals were defeated.
When do they vote against their party?
Not applicable. As an independent, Lidia has no party line. The alignment figures show how often their votes matched each party’s majority.
What do they say in debate?
27 tracked speeches across 22 bills.
- 13 backing a bill
- 2 with reservations
- 10 against
- 2 no clear position
Go deeper
Every figure links to a cited page.
About these numbers
Based on 766 tracked bills from the 47th and 48th Parliaments, current to 6 July 2026. This is a sample of parliamentary activity, not the complete record.
Career markers come from dated public records. Voting figures use division lists only. For party members, the left-to-right marker begins at the party position. It moves only when the member votes against that party and on the same side as a neighbouring party; other cross-party combinations do not affect it. Independents and minor-party members are placed by their votes in divisions where the Greens and the Coalition took opposite sides. If this position differs from a member’s broader public politics, a note appears below the strip.