Australian right-wing populist Senator Pauline Hanson has sparked significant controversy by wearing a burqa in Parliament, following the rejection of her bill to ban face coverings. The incident caused the suspension of parliamentary proceedings and drew sharp criticism from both major political parties and Muslim senators, highlighting the polarizing nature of her stance on multiculturalism and immigration.
Hanson entered the chamber in full-face covering shortly after her bill seeking to ban burqas and other face coverings in public was blocked from introduction. This act triggered shouting across the chamber as senators demanded she remove the garment. When she refused to comply, Senate leaders halted the session.
Leaders from both major parties condemned the stunt. Labor Senate leader and Foreign Minister Penny Wong called Hanson’s display ‘not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate,’ and moved to suspend her. Opposition Deputy Senate Leader Anne Ruston also criticized the act.
Two Muslim senators condemned Hanson’s actions. Green party Sen. Mehreen Faruqi denounced the move, stating, ‘This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism.’ Independent Sen. Fatima Payman similarly denounced the act as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘shame.’
The incident marked the second time Hanson has worn a burqa inside Parliament. The 71-year-old senator first did so in 2017 as part of her longstanding campaign against Islamic dress. Her opposition to immigration from Asia and criticism of Australia’s multicultural policies played a crucial role in establishing her political career in the 1990s.
Her One Nation party currently holds four Senate seats after gaining two in May’s national election, reflecting a rise in anti-immigration sentiment, according to Reuters.
Following the uproar, Hanson released a statement on her verified Facebook page, asserting that over 20 countries have banned the burqa due to its association with oppression of women, national security risks, and threats to social cohesion. She emphasized that if Parliament refuses to ban the burqa, she would continue to display it.
Hanson left Parliament after losing her seat in 1998 and resigned as leader of One Nation in 2002. She was jailed in 2003 on electoral fraud charges, though the conviction was later overturned. In 2010, she abandoned plans to move to the United Kingdom, citing its ‘overrun with immigrants and refugees.’ She returned to lead One Nation in 2014 and won election to the Senate in 2016, where she warned that ‘Australia was in danger of being swamped by Muslims.’