Hanson burqa stunt halts Senate before debate resumes

Burqa stunt shuts down Senate

The Australian Senate briefly shut down after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson entered the chamber wearing a black burqa. 

She walked in during a division, minutes after being refused permission to introduce a bill banning full-face coverings in public. 

The move echoed her 2017 appearance in similar dress, when she first used the garment as a protest prop. 

Proceedings stopped as senators questioned whether the stunt breached parliamentary rules and disrespected Muslim Australians.

Senators condemn Hanson’s burqa protest

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi called the act “racist” and “Islamophobic”, saying Hanson was mocking a visible religious minority. 

Independent senator Fatima Payman said Hanson was “disrespecting the faith” of Muslim Australians and fuelling hateful rhetoric. 

Other senators, including independent Lidia Thorpe, demanded Hanson leave the chamber and repeatedly labelled her behaviour racist. 

Even some conservatives, such as Nationals senator Matt Canavan, said the stunt was inappropriate and ridiculed multicultural dress. 

Senate suspension and Hanson’s removal

Foreign Minister Penny Wong moved to suspend the sitting and bar Hanson from the Senate for the rest of the day. 

Senate President Sue Lines later ruled that using religious dress as a political prop was disrespectful to parliament. 

As a result, she ordered Hanson to remove the burqa or leave the chamber, citing an earlier ruling on the same issue. 

When Hanson initially refused, senators voted to suspend her, and the Senate was temporarily adjourned before later resuming its business. 

Hanson defends burqa stunt as security stand

Hanson defended her actions in media interviews and social posts, insisting the protest highlighted “national security” concerns. 

She argued that full-face coverings make identification difficult and claimed the garments oppress women rather than protect religious freedom. 

Hanson also accused other senators of hypocrisy for backing restrictions on some face coverings while rejecting her proposed burqa ban. 

However, critics noted that security agencies have not singled out burqas as a unique threat requiring special national laws. 

2017 burqa protest still shapes debate

The controversy revived memories of Hanson’s 2017 burqa appearance, which drew a sharp rebuke from then attorney-general George Brandis. 

At that time, Brandis warned the Senate that mocking Islamic dress risked alienating Muslim Australians who already felt targeted. 

His speech won a standing ovation from Labor and Greens senators and sparked a review of parliamentary dress standards. 

Those events still frame today’s debate, as many argue Hanson ignored that warning and repeated an act already branded “disgraceful”. 

Ongoing debate over respect and free speech

Supporters of Hanson say the protest sits within free speech and raises legitimate questions about social cohesion and security. 

Opponents counter that turning religious clothing into a political costume inflames division and makes Muslim women feel unsafe. 

The latest stunt again pushes parliament to confront how far protest can go inside the chamber before it becomes bigotry.

Meanwhile, the Senate has resumed its normal program, but the argument over respect, faith and free expression is far from settled. 

Featured Image: Sky News

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