Jacqui Lambie slams Lidia Thorpe for calling her ‘a racist’ as income management reform bill passes

Jacqui Lambie has slammed Lidia Thorpe for labelling her as a racist.

On Wednesday legislation was put forward to the Senate to expand compulsory income management.

Labor and the Coalition both voted in favour but the debate surrounding the bill created tension, with Senator Thorpe heckling politicians before being reprimanded for her ‘disorderly and disrespectful’ conduct.

Senator Lambie took exception to the Greens defector’s egregious behaviour.

‘I will not be called a racist in here,’ Senator Lambie said.

‘And I’m quite sure all these people over here offended quite frankly I’ve had a gut full of it.

‘I will not be labelled with that and they should not be labelled with it either. I would like her to come back. It is enough today. It is enough. Thank you.’

Following the Tasmanian Senator’s remarks, Senate President Sur Lines described Ms Thorpe’s actions as ‘disorderly and disrespectful’.

‘I will review the tape and if necessary, we’ll ask her to come in and withdraw,’ she said.

Following the altercation Senator Thorpe fired up again on social media over the reintroduction of what she called the ‘racist basics card’.

‘Labor has just re-introduced income management. The racist basics card continues,’ she wrote.

‘The ration days continue. Assimilation continues. And we are meant to trust a government like this with listening to an advisory board?

‘They don’t even listen to themselves.’

Labor and the Coalition both voted in favour of the bill but the debate surrounding the bill created tension, with Lidia Thorpe (pictured) heckling senators before being reprimanded for her ‘disorderly and disrespectful’ conduct

The Income Management Reform Bill means for people on income support who are deemed to live in an Income Management location, and who are believed to benefit from assistance in managing their budget will be placed on a SmartCard.

The card places restrictions on how the income support payment is spent.

It aims to help people budget their welfare payments and ensure they are getting the essentials, such as food, housing, electricity and education.

Greens Senator Janet Rice said Labor, Liberal and One Nation teamed up to pass the bill.

The Income Management Reform Bill means for people on income support who are deemed to live in an Income Management location, and who are believed to benefit from assistance in managing their budget will be placed on a SmartCard (pictured: Lidia Thorpe)

‘Labor has betrayed people on income support, most of whom are First Nations people, by reversing their election pledge to abolish the Cashless Debit Card.’ Ms Rice said.

‘Between the Cashless Debit Card 2.0, the measly $2.85 a day Jobseeker increase, and refusing to help renters during the worst housing crisis in generations, Labor has no business calling itself the party of the working class.

‘The bills Labor are bringing to the parliament ensure the housing crisis will get worse, abandon millions of renters to unlimited rent increases and poverty, and leave those already in poverty in dire situations.

‘Labor promised voters they would abolish the CDC. Now they’re rolling it out again, just with new branding. Labor has now gone further than the Libs did in expanding racist and ineffective compulsory income management. We don’t need another Conservative Party in this country.’