The Australian Liberty Alliance candidate for Farrer had claimed treating Indigenous people differently to other Australians was “reverse apartheid” and that “they” were better off before land rights reform.

“Aboriginal culture has got no future for the Aboriginal people,”  Mr Pike said.

Ms Collins said she felt a need to stand up against a party that would “destroy my culture, my land and my people” and so she began actively campaigning for Greens candidate Amanda Cohn, the first time she had ever engaged in politics.

“People like Ron Pike and his party are ignorant and have no empathy for our country or people,” Ms Collins said. “This sort of ideology is just wrong.”

According to Ms Collins, Indigenous culture and society was incredibly intricate and it was wrong to perpetuate old stereotypes.

“You’ve got to be black to know black,” she said. “There are hundreds of Aboriginal nations and there’s an intricate network of elders, there’s no one group or leader. I’m Wiradjuri but I also happen to live in a country called Australia, we’re the caretakers and sovereign owners of the land.”

Indigenous people had excelled in business, media, the arts and sport, Ms Collins said. Implying people were just getting benefits was wrong.

“One of my sons has worked in the one job for 18 years, he’s never been on the dole,” she said. “We work and we do our duty as best we can. We pay our taxes, we spend our money here, we’re faithful to Australia.”

When former Senator Nova Peris recently stood up to a racist attack on social media, Ms Collins said she felt proud.

“She stood her ground and didn’t give in and neither will I,” she said. “Mr Pike has made an enemy of a nation, maybe he’d best get back on his boat and go back where he came from.”