After Australia’s Senate refused to act Monday on a proposal to ban the burka from being worn in public, the supporter of the bill spawned a war of words by wearing one into the chamber.
The Senate was then suspended due to the actions of Sen. Pauline Hanson of the One Nation party, according to Sky News.
“So straight away they denied me the right to ban the burka. So I actually left the chamber, went up and I put the burka on. And I thought ‘Well, if you won’t the ban the burka, then I’m going to wear it,’” Hanson, an opponent of immigration, said.
“Well, didn’t that upset them. They didn’t want me to wear the burka in Parliament. They don’t want to ban it, but they don’t want me to wear it in Parliament, so what do they want? They’re a bunch of hypocrites,” she said.
The ruffled feathers included allegations of racism.
“This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism,” said Mehreen Faruqi, a Muslim Greens senator, according to the BBC.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong called the stunt “disrespectful”.
“We represent in our states, people of every faith, of every faith of all backgrounds. And we should do so decently,” she said.
Should burkas be banned from public?
Greens leader Larissa Waters said, “Clearly, what has happened today is not a genuine demonstration of faith,” according to Sky News.
“In fact is the middle finger to people of faith. It is extremely racist and unsafe,” she said.
Hanson said she wants to improve security.
“My concern is, as a nation, for national security … Also for women’s rights, that they’re not forced to wear the full burka against their will,” she said.
“I think it goes against our culture and our way of life,” she said.
🚨 After the government BLOCKED her move to ban full-face coverings, Pauline Hanson entered the Senate in a BURQA to prove her point.
The reaction from the usual suspects says everything.
Full story: https://t.co/ql6admIApo pic.twitter.com/4j4NiUvNCt
— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) November 24, 2025
“Despite the ban in 24 countries across the world (including Islamic countries), the hypocrites in our parliament have rejected my Bill,” Hanson posted on Facebook.
“So if the parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb that [risks] our national security and the ill treatment of women on the floor of our parliament so that every Australian knows what’s at stake,” she posted.
“If they don’t want me wearing it – ban the burka,” she posted.
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