Senator Lidia Thorpe and Jacinta Price have finally come to blows over Anthony Albanese’s encounter with NBA great Shaquille O’Neal.
The former NBA player was meant to speak to Parliament in favor of the Indigenous Voice, but instead he muttered a few lines about love Australia and God.
Two indigenous MPs, Senators Thorpe and Price, who support opposing sides of the Indigenous Voice debate, criticized the event as a divaricating gimmick.
They routinely argue in public and on social media, and they have radically different political stances on the majority of subjects.
Left-leaning Greens MP Senator Thorpe criticized O’Neal for interjecting himself into the discussion amid the escalating argument.
She said on Twitter that she believed a Black guy entering our nation would be more respectful to First Nations people than becoming involved in a contentious issue and separating our people.
I hope you take the time to make things right. Ill advised. We don’t visit your nation and meddle in your affairs.
Lidia Thorpe, a Victoria-based senator for the Australian Greens, raises her arm as she takes her oath of office in the Senate chamber of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on August 1, 2022.
Despite firmly endorsing the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, Senator Thorpe seemed to believe that the basketball great done more damage than good.
Prior to the meeting, Senator Price attempted to derail it by claiming that “desperate circumstances call for desperate methods.”
The recently elected Country Liberal senator was very critical of the prime minister, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, and the person known as Shaq. She opposes an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Pictured with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney (left) and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is NBA great Shaquille O’Neal (center) (right)
“It shows how stupid and out of touch the PM and the Minister for Indigenous Australians are,” she added, “if they believe that Shaq’s experience with “raising people up who are marginalized” is the key to obtaining Yes votes for the Voice.”
I have no doubt that Shaq is a great guy, but it seems a little condescending to ask a black American to assist with black Australians as if skin color were the only factor.
Indigenous Australians, according to Ms. Price, are more like Native Americans than African Americans.
When confronted with such severe challenges, she said Mr. Albanese and Ms. Burney, an indigenous woman, should feel embarrassed for their “such shallowness with no substance.”
Ms. Burney made things considerably lighter-hearted by sharing a photo of herself on social media with Mr. Albanese and O’Neal.
You don’t get to shake hands with NBA superstar Shaq every day, she remarked.
The four-time NBA champion spoke about basketball, philanthropy, and his interest in the First Nations Voice.
On Wednesday, July 27, 2022, Senator Jacinta Price of the Country Liberal Party is seen giving her first speech in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra.
“I hope he appreciates the South Sydney NRL club shirt, the killer boomerang crafted by 25-year-old Wiradjuri artist Josh Evans, and both of these gifts,” she said.
According to Mr. Albanese, O’Neal asked for a meeting in Sydney to hear more about the planned Voice to Parliament plebiscite.
At the brief picture session, the 2.11m monster overshadowed both Mr. Albanese and the little Ms. Burney.
On this occasion, Shaq showed himself to be a man of few words, although he did make an intriguing gesture by allowing Ms. Burney’s hand to lightly brush his forehead.
The meeting, according to Mr. Albanese, was successful. He said: “It was a really pleasant chat,
He is curious about this nation since this is his second trip to Australia.
He is aware of our warmth and generosity and sought to learn more about the topic of the Voice discussion by speaking with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Indigenous Affairs personally.
It is a very nice conversation about how the world perceives Australia.
Though many of the Facebook commentators on Ms. Burney’s page backed him, several questioned why they were exploiting O’Neal to promote Australian politics.
Mr. Albanese, Ms. Price, and Ms. Burney have been approached by Daily Mail Australia for comments on this article.
At a news conference in Sydney, Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Albanese were present.
Shaquille O’Neal made an odd gesture to meet Linda Burney, the minister for Indigenous Australians, during a news conference in Sydney.
O’Neal sought the meeting in Sydney on Saturday, according to Mr. Albanese, in an effort to learn more about the planned Indigenous Voice to Parliament.