Australian far-right senator accused of 'blatant racism' after burqa stunt

Senate suspends proceedings after Pauline Hanson refuses to remove garment worn 'in protest'

An Australian far-right senator has been accused of racism after wearing a burqa in parliament in a stunt designed to further her efforts to have it banned in public.

Pauline Hanson wore the burqa on Monday shortly after she was denied permission to introduce a bill that would outlaw the burqa and other full-face coverings in public places. It is the second time that she has worn the burqa in parliament in an effort to impose a ban.

The Senate erupted in anger when Ms Hanson, 71, walked into the chamber wearing the burqa. Proceedings were suspended when she refused to remove it.

“This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism,” said Mehreen Faruqi, a Muslim senator from New South Wales. Fatima Payman, an independent senator from the state of Western Australia, called the stunt “disgraceful”.

Australian leaders condemn stunt

Both Penny Wong, leader of Australia’s centre-left Labor government in the Senate, and Anne Ruston, deputy Senate leader for the opposition coalition, condemned Ms Hanson's actions.

Ms Wong called them “not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate” and moved a motion to suspend Ms Hanson for failing to remove the garment. After she refused to leave, Senate proceedings were suspended.

Pauline Hanson said she was protesting against the Senate rejecting her proposed bill. AAP

Ms Hanson, a senator for Queensland, first rose to prominence in the 1990s because of her strident opposition to immigration from Asia and to asylum seekers. She has long campaigned against Islamic clothing during her parliamentary career.

In a statement later posted on Facebook, Ms Hanson said her actions were in protest at 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,” Ms Hanson said. “If they don't want me wearing it – ban the burqa.”

History of Islamophobic diatribe

Far-right senator Pauline Hanson outside of the Senate chamber before her burqa stunt. AAP

She previously wore a burqa to parliament in 2017, also calling for a national ban at the time. Her One Nation party has four seats in the Senate, gaining two in May's general election due to rising support for far-right anti-immigration policies.

Ms Hanson left parliament when she lost her seat in 1998 and quit as One Nation’s leader in 2002. The firebrand politician was jailed in 2003 for several months for electoral fraud before her sentence was quashed.

In 2010, Ms Hanson abandoned plans to emigrate to the UK because “it's overrun with immigrants and refugees”.

But she returned to lead One Nation in 2014 and was re-elected in 2016. She used her first address to say “Australia was in danger of being swamped by Muslims”.

- with reporting from agencies