‘Racist’: Hanson condemned for reprising burqa stunt
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has been suspended from the Senate after wearing a burqa into the chamber for the second time in her parliamentary career.
Source: AAP
Controversial One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been labelled a racist and suspended from the Senate after wearing a burqa into the chamber.
Shortly after Hanson failed on Monday to move a bill banning the Islamic head covering from public places, the 71-year-old entered the chamber wearing a burqa during a vote on a separate motion.
Her appearance brought a furious reaction from Greens and independent senators, including Fatima Payman and Mehreen Faruqi, both of whom are Muslim.
“A dress code might be a choice of the senators, but racism should not be the choice of the Senate. This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism and Islamophobia,” Faruqi said as Senate deputy president Slade Brockman talked over her, ordering her to stop.
Payman called Hanson’s actions “disgraceful”.
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“If this is about the dress code, she is disrespecting a faith. She is disrespecting the Muslims out there – Muslim Australians,” she said.
“It’s absolutely unconstitutional. This needs to be dealt with immediately before we proceed.”
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has worn a burqa in the Senate chamber for a second time. Photo: Mike Bowers
Senate President Sue Lines then arrived in the chamber and ordered Hanson to leave for being disrespectful, citing a previous ruling that using religious dress as a prop was disrespectful to the parliament.
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But the One Nation leader refused to leave or remove her burqa.
The chaos continued after a majority of senators voted in favour of a motion by Labor’s Penny Wong to suspend Hanson from the Senate.
But One Nation senators demanded a division be held, disputing Lines’ ruling. Eventually, the Senate was suspended after another motion by Wong was passed.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe repeatedly called Hanson a “racist” and yelled for her to leave the chamber.
“We have a right to be in a safe workplace and that racist is making it unsafe,” Thorpe said.
It’s the second time Hanson has attempted the stunt.
After first wearing a burqa in the Senate in 2017, she was lashed by then attorney-general George Brandis, who called it an “appalling thing to do”.
-with AAP
