Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson sparked outrage in Parliament on Monday after wearing a burqa as a political statement to push for a ban on the Muslim garment in public. The stunt drew accusations of racism from Muslim senators.
Hanson wore the burqa shortly after being denied permission to introduce a bill that would outlaw burqas and other full-face coverings in public places. This marks the second time Hanson has used the garment in Parliament to advocate for such a ban.
The Senate erupted in anger as Hanson entered the chamber wearing the burqa, with proceedings suspended after she refused to remove it. Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, a Muslim representative from New South Wales, condemned the act as “blatant racism,” while Muslim independent Senator Fatima Payman from Western Australia called it “disgraceful.”
Both Penny Wong, leader of Australia’s centre-left Labor government in the Senate, and Anne Ruston, deputy Senate leader for the opposition coalition, publicly criticised Hanson’s actions. Wong described the display as “not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate” and moved a motion to suspend Hanson. When Hanson refused to leave the chamber, Senate proceedings were suspended.
Hanson, a senator for Queensland, first gained national attention in the 1990s for her strong opposition to immigration from Asia and asylum seekers, and has consistently campaigned against Islamic clothing throughout her parliamentary career. She previously wore a burqa to Parliament in 2017, similarly calling for a national ban.
Hanson’s One Nation party currently holds four seats in the Senate, gaining two in May’s general election amid rising support for far-right, anti-immigration policies.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Hanson defended her actions as a protest against the Senate rejecting her proposed bill. “So if the Parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb that risks our national security and the ill-treatment of women on the floor of our parliament so that every Australian knows what’s at stake,” she said. “If they don’t want me wearing it—ban the burqa.”
