Burning Bridges with Our Paycheck:
Burning Bridges with Our Paycheck: A Note to Senator Thorpe
There’s a fine line between protest and provocation. And somewhere between the flames of rhetoric and the embers of responsibility, Senator Lidia Thorpe has taken a blowtorch to it.
At a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne on 12 October 2025, Thorpe declared:
“If I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point… I am not there to make friends. I am there to get justice for our people and I am there to free Palestine from the river to the sea”.
It’s the kind of statement that grabs headlines, stirs outrage, and leaves taxpayers wondering: Is this what representation looks like now?
Let’s be clear. Passionate advocacy is vital. So is dissent. But when a sitting senator—paid handsomely by the very system she threatens—calls for symbolic destruction of our national institution, it’s not just tone-deaf. It’s a slap in the face to every worker who clocks in, pays their taxes, and expects their representatives to uphold the dignity of public service.
Thorpe’s base salary as a federal senator is approximately $225,000 per year, excluding allowances. That wage is funded by the Australian taxpayer—not as hush money, but as a mandate to serve. To challenge injustice, yes—but also to respect the democratic framework that enables that challenge. Rebuking the system while cashing its cheques is not resistance. It’s hypocrisy.
This rubbish can’t continue. Not because we fear change, but because we deserve better. We deserve leaders who can speak truth without torching trust. Who can fight for justice without threatening the very institutions that protect it.
Thorpe may see herself as a revolutionary. But revolutions built on rage alone rarely end well. Australia needs reformers, not arsonists. Builders, not burners.
So here’s a modest proposal: If you’re going to burn down Parliament House—metaphorically or otherwise—start by refusing its wage. Lead by example. Show us what integrity looks like when it’s not subsidised.
Until then, the rest of us will keep showing up. Paying our dues. And demanding that our representatives do the same.
Footnotes & Sources
Thorpe’s remarks at the Melbourne rally were reported by multiple outlets including Sky News Australia, The Australian, and News.com.au on 12 October 2025.
Parliamentary base salaries are published by the Remuneration Tribunal: https://www.remtribunal.gov.au
