Senator Lidia Thorpe has doubled down on her actions after
for ripping up a motion by Pauline Hanson on the chamber floor and giving senators the middle finger.
It came after a furious row erupted in the Senate after the
.
Payman — who was born in Afghanistan — accused Hanson of racism, while Thorpe called her "disgusting" while leaving the chamber, putting up her middle finger as she left.
"What Senator Hanson did to Senator Payman was an act of disgusting racism, questioning Senator Payman's legitimacy to be in this place. That is an act of racism," Thorpe told ABC News on Thursday morning.
"I am not one to stand or sit silent and allow this to happen. I would do it again," Thorpe said.
"It's been a horrible week, and when you're subjected to racism … I stand up against it. I ripped up a piece of paper."
Thorpe was suspended from the Senate for the remainder of the sitting week.
She questioned parliament's response to racism and criticised being labelled the "naughty little Blak girl".
"They are quick to punish the Blak woman here all the time for calling it out, but I am responding to racism, and that's what they need to focus on," she said.
"It seems like there's one rule for white people who get away with racism, and there's one rule for us when we call that out: we're the ones that are the naughty little Blak girl."
Speaking to the motion, Government Senate leader Penny Wong said there had been "multiple instances of Senator Thorpe making inappropriate and sometimes abusive comments towards other senators".
"All Australians have a right to feel safe at work … this behaviour would not be tolerated in any workplace, and we will not tolerate it in our workplace," she said.
The motion passed 45 votes to 11, with the Greens Party voting against — in solidarity with their former colleague.
But Thorpe criticised Wong's comments, urging the government to do more to respond to racism in parliament.
"They need to not allow Senator Hanson and others to spew hate speech in our workplace. Pauline Hanson has walked in there with a burqa. She constantly is across the floor spewing racism and disgusting violence towards us and anybody else who is not white," she said.
"That is not acceptable behaviour either. Why won't Wong and [Simon] Birmingham call that out?"
Thorpe said the incident was proof an open inquiry into racism in parliament was necessary.
"It is very convenient for them to uphold this colonial violence that continues to be perpetrated against Black and Brown people in this country. If we can't stamp it out here, then we can't stamp it out for the rest of the nation."
She said she would "continue to disrupt until it is taken seriously".
The Senate voted on Monday to refer an inquiry into racism to an internal committee.
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe and Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi push for racism inquiry in parliament
The suspension will prevent Thorpe from moving a private member's bill on genocide on Thursday, which seeks to remove the attorney-general's power to block prosecution of genocide or war crimes.
Thorpe questioned the timing of the suspension.
"It is very convenient that I am suspended today when that bill was to be voted on," she said.
On Thursday morning, Thorpe entered the press gallery viewing area of the Senate, yelling a "free Palestine" chant. She then exited the chamber.
Protests in support of the bill are expected to occur on the lawns of parliament on Thursday, with Thorpe saying she too will be present.
"They may not be able to pass the legislation that needs to be passed today because they suspended me from participating, and they suspended me for standing up to a racist."
