Right-wing populist Senator Pauline Hanson shocked Australia’s Parliament on Monday by entering the session wearing a burqa, a full-face veil traditionally worn by Muslim women. The move came after her bill seeking to ban burqas and other face coverings in public was blocked by the Senate, sparking immediate outrage from Muslim lawmakers and forcing proceedings to be suspended.
Hanson arrived in the chamber with the burqa shortly after being denied permission to introduce her legislation, prompting shouts from senators demanding she remove the garment. Senate leaders eventually halted the session when she refused to comply. Leaders from both major parties condemned the stunt, with Labor Senate leader and Foreign Minister Penny Wong describing the display as ‘not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate,’ and moving to suspend her after she refused to remove the covering. Opposition Deputy Senate Leader Anne Ruston also criticized the act.
Two Muslim senators denounced Hanson’s actions. Green party Sen. Mehreen Faruqi denounced the move as racist, while Independent Sen. Fatima Payman called the act ‘disgraceful’ and ‘shame.’ The incident marked the second time Hanson has worn a burqa in Parliament. The 71-year-old senator first did so in 2017 as part of her long-standing campaign against Islamic dress. Her anti-immigration stance and criticism of Australia’s multicultural policies have fueled her political career since the 1990s.
Her One Nation party, which has gained two seats in the Senate following the May elections, reflects a growing anti-immigration sentiment in the country. 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, national security risks, and threats to social cohesion. She argued that if the Parliament would not support her proposed ban, she would demonstrate her opposition by wearing the garment, highlighting the stakes involved.