Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson ignited uproar in the Senate on Monday after entering the chamber wearing a burqa, part of her continued campaign to ban the Muslim garment in public spaces. Her actions immediately provoked accusations of racism from Muslim senators and condemnation across the political spectrum.
Hanson appeared in the full-body covering shortly after being denied permission to introduce a bill seeking to prohibit burqas and other full-face coverings in public places. It marks the second time she has worn a burqa in Parliament - her first was in 2017, when she similarly called for a nationwide ban.
The chamber erupted in anger as she walked in, with proceedings suspended when she refused to remove the garment.
“This is a racist Senator demonstrating blatant racism,” said Mehreen Faruqi, a Muslim Greens Senator from New South Wales.
Fatima Payman, an independent Muslim Senator representing Western Australia, described Hanson’s appearance as “shameful”.
Senior figures from both major parties - Penny Wong, Leader of the centre-left Labor government in the Senate, and Anne Ruston, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate - also condemned Hanson’s behaviour. Wong subsequently moved a motion to suspend Hanson for refusing to remove the garment.
Hanson, who represents Queensland, first rose to prominence in the 1990s for her staunch opposition to Asian immigration and to asylum seekers. She has long campaigned against Islamic dress, and her One Nation party has increased its Senate representation to four seats, winning two more in the May general election amid rising support for far-right, anti-immigration policies.
In a statement posted later on Facebook, Hanson said her actions were a form of protest against the Senate's refusal to consider her bill.
“So if Parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head covering that endangers our national security and the treatment of women on the floor of our Parliament, so every Australian knows what is at stake,” she wrote.
“If they don’t want me to wear it—ban the burqa,” she added.