John Oliver Praised Lidia Thorpe For Calling The Queen A Coloniser
Legends supporting legends.
In a segment of Last Week Tonight about the monarchy’s dark side, John Oliver has come out in support of Lidia Thorpe calling the queen a coloniser.
Djab Wurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe made national earlier year when she put her own spin the senate allegiance oath.
“I sovereign, Lidia Thorpe, do solemnly and sincerely swear that I will be faithful and I bear true allegiance to the colonising her majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Thorpe said in her initial oath, before being forced to re-read it word for word, which she did in a rebellious and reluctant tone.
While many media pundits, including Australia’s own Waleed Aly, grilled Thorpe’s choice of words, Thorpe remained true to her statement. “Sovereignty never ceded,” she tweeted, above a photograph of her taking the oath.
Despite the backlash, it seems Thorpe has won over John Oliver. In a segment about debunking the claim the monarchy is merely ceremonial on last night’s Last Week Night, Oliver used Thorpe’s ordeal as an example of the monarchy’s continuing control over what people can say and do.
“The ceremonial still has the power to infuriate,” Oliver said. “I hate that she was forced to do that, but I absolutely love the way she was able to make a pledge to a fancy old lady on the other side of the world sound exactly as stupid as it fucking is.”
Senator Thorpe tweeted Oliver’s clip, thanking him for his support. “Thanks for the solidarity @iamjohnoliver, time for a Treaty Republic in this Country. We don’t need a new King, we need a head of state chosen by the people.”
Thanks for the solidarity @iamjohnoliver, time for a Treaty Republic in this Country. We don’t need a new King, we need a head of state chosen by the people. pic.twitter.com/O5X9Xucnav
— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) November 14, 2022
During the segment, Oliver also covered the AFLW’s refusal to honour a minute silence for the Queen. He also gave a brief history of the colonial violence endured by Aboriginal peoples in Australia, including the massacres of Aboriginal people committed by early colonisers in the Crown’s name.