New Greens senator Lidia Thorpe is planning to shake things up in Federal parliament, arriving in Canberra with a reminder of the hundreds of Indigenous Australians who have died in custody.
Ms Thorpe was sworn into parliament on Tuesday, officially taking over from former Greens leader Richard Di Natale.
She is the first Aboriginal person to represent Victoria in the Senate after being the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state parliament in 2017.
The businesswoman and activist walked to Parliament House alongside Ngunnawal and Ngambi traditional owners after a smoking ceremony at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
Ms Thorpe carried with her a message stick to memorialise the 441 Indigenous people who have died in custody since the royal commission into the issue nearly 30 years ago.
Ms Thorpe’s priorities are achieving a treaty and justice for Indigenous Australians, ending economic disadvantage and tackling climate change.
