Australian Senate suspends far-right leader over burqa stunt

Far-right activist and Senator Pauline Hanson was suspended from Australia’s Senate for seven sitting days on Tuesday after she wore a burqa into Parliament in a political stunt that triggered widespread criticism.

Hanson wore the burqa in the upper house on Monday after she was denied permission to introduce a bill banning burqas and other face coverings in public spaces. Her action immediately drew accusations of racism from Muslim lawmakers.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who leads the centre-left Labor government in the Senate, condemned the stunt, saying: “Senator Hanson’s hateful and shallow pageantry tears at our social fabric and I believe it makes Australia weaker, and it also has cruel consequences for many of our most vulnerable.”

She added that Hanson had “mocked and vilified an entire faith … observed by nearly a million Australians.”

A motion censuring the One Nation leader passed 55–5.

One Nation, which has tapped into rising nationalist sentiment and anti-immigration views, increased its Senate presence to four seats after gains in May’s general election.

Recent polls suggest support for Hanson and her party has continued to rise.

Hanson defended her actions and said Parliament had no dress code.

“If you can wear a helmet into the bank or any other venue where they tell you to take it off, why is the burqa any different?” she told reporters, adding that she would “stand my ground” and let voters judge her.

The Queensland senator first rose to prominence in the 1990s for her hardline stance against immigration from Asia and asylum seekers, and has long campaigned against Islamic clothing.

This marks the second time she has worn a burqa in Parliament, repeating a similar 2017 stunt calling for a nationwide ban.

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