KEY POINTS:
- Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi says she's experienced racism within the party.
- The Greens are yet to receive a formal complaint from Lidia Thorpe.
- Leader Adam Bandt accepts the party is not immune from systemic racism.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi says she's suffered racism within the party, as leader Adam Bandt concedes it's not immune to bigotry rife in society.
Senator Faruqi's revelation comes just days after her former colleague, independent senator Lidia Thorpe, said she plans to lodge a racism complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission over her alleged treatment while she was still in the party.
Senator Faruqi stressed the Greens were the only party to mandate anti-racist training for its staff, but said "anti-racism is an ongoing project".
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi says she has suffered racism within the party. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"What is really important to do is to acknowledge that to support people who face avalanches and pile-ons of racism, especially those who are in the public eye," she said.
"I have worked in many organisations before I stepped into politics, and I've experienced racism in each and every single one of them. And yes, I have experienced racism in the Greens."
Mr Bandt said he had held discussions with numerous MPs about their experiences, and conceded "no one is exempt" from institutional racism.
"What they made clear to me is that they have experienced racism in society. That includes, frankly, within the Greens," he said.
"It's my obligation as someone who's committed to stamping out racism, and the leader of an anti-racist party, to take steps to ensure that that doesn't occur. That's what we're doing."
Mr Bandt said he was not aware of the substance of Senator Thorpe's complaint, and had not received "any proceedings" from her.
"Obviously, if that happens, we'll consider that and respond to that ... More broadly, any complaints [we receive] we act on," he said.
Greens First Nations spokeswoman Dorinda Cox said she had experienced racism "on a daily basis", but did not speak to her experience within the party specifically.
"I've also experienced [it]across the span of both personal and professional life. Racism does not happen in isolation, it happens in institutions across the country," she told ABC News.
With AAP.
