One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been formally censured and suspended from the Australian Senate for a period of seven days following a controversial stunt where she wore a burqa in the parliamentary chamber.
Overwhelming Senate Vote Leads to Censure
The censure motion was passed on Tuesday by an overwhelming majority of 55 votes to five. The motion condemned Senator Hanson's actions as being "intended to vilify and mock people on the basis of their religion" and "disrespectful to Muslim Australians". The move saw support from members of Labor, the Coalition, the Greens, and the crossbench. Only Hanson, her three One Nation colleagues, and United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet opposed the measure.
The motion also highlighted Hanson's "blatant disregard for the authority of the Senate President" after she ignored rulings to remove the burqa on Monday. This defiance forced a temporary shutdown of the Senate and led to her initial suspension for the remainder of that day.
Refusal to Apologise and Further Consequences
As part of the censure, Hanson was called upon to "immediately make an explanation or apology" for her conduct. However, she staunchly refused. Instead, she used a five-minute address to defend her actions. Immediately following her speech, Government Leader Penny Wong moved that Hanson be suspended from the chamber for seven days, a motion which Hanson ultimately agreed to.
In a significant further consequence, the Senate determined it was "not appropriate for Senator Hanson to represent the Senate as a member of any delegation during the life of this Parliament", effectively barring her from official overseas trips.
Emotional Debate Highlights Parliament's 'Racism'
The debate preceding the vote was highly charged. Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi delivered a powerful speech, stating, "This parliament drips in racism." She accused politicians from both major parties of allowing hate to fester for decades, saying, "Finally, after three decades … of piling on hate and racism, on Muslims, on Asians, on people of colour, finally, at least some of us in this chamber want to hold Senator Hanson to account."
Penny Wong, who moved the censure motion, argued that Hanson "has been parading prejudice as protest for decades". In an emotional moment, Wong recounted a story of a seven-year-old girl who, after witnessing the events, asked her mother, "Mummy, do all Christians hate Muslims?" Wong stated this question summarised the damaging impact of such stunts.
During this part of Wong's speech, Senator Ralph Babet was heard by numerous sources to call out "I do". When approached for comment, Babet clarified to Guardian Australia that he said, "I do, I hate radical Islam," adding that "radical Islam has no place in Australia".
The censure against Hanson mirrors a similar motion passed against Senator Faruqi in July after she held up a "sanction Israel" sign during a speech by the Governor-General.
