Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson ignited a firestorm of controversy in the nation's Parliament on Monday by using a burqa as a political prop. Her act was a direct protest after being blocked from introducing a bill to ban the full-face Muslim garment in public places across Australia.
A Deliberate Political Protest
The dramatic scene unfolded shortly after the Senate denied Hanson permission to table her proposed legislation. In response, the One Nation party leader entered the parliamentary chamber wearing the burqa, a garment worn by some Muslim women. This marked the second time in her career she has used this tactic, having done so previously in 2017.
The chamber quickly erupted in anger over the stunt. Proceedings were temporarily suspended after Hanson refused to remove the garment when requested. The act was widely condemned as a calculated provocation that disrupted the business of government.
Widespread Condemnation from Colleagues
The reaction from other senators was swift and severe. Mehreen Faruqi, a Greens senator from New South Wales and a member of the Muslim community, did not mince words, labeling Hanson "a racist senator, displaying blatant racism."
Fatima Payman, an independent Muslim senator from Western Australia, called the act "disgraceful." The condemnation was bipartisan, with both government and opposition leaders criticizing Hanson's actions.
Penny Wong, the leader of the centre-left Labor government in the Senate, stated the behavior was "not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate" and moved a motion to suspend Hanson. After the senator refused to leave, the Senate was forced to suspend its business entirely.
Hanson's History and Justification
Pauline Hanson, a senator from Queensland, has a long history of controversial stances. She first rose to prominence in the 1990s due to her strident opposition to Asian immigration and asylum seekers. Campaigning against Islamic clothing has been a recurring theme throughout her parliamentary career.
Her One Nation party, which holds four seats in the Senate, gained two additional seats in the general election this past May. This reflects a noted rise in support for far-right, anti-immigration policies in the country.
In a statement later posted on Facebook, Hanson defended her actions. She claimed the display was a protest against the Senate rejecting her bill. "So if the Parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb that risk our national security and the ill-treatment of women on the floor of our parliament," she wrote, concluding, "If they don’t want me wearing it - ban the burqa."
