Nationals senator Matt Canavan says One Nation leader 'debased' parliament while independent Fatima Payman says she is 'disrespecting Muslim Australians'
Pauline Hanson has again worn a burqa into the Senate, repeating a previous widely-condemned stunt as she sought to ban the Muslim face covering on national security grounds - despite being unable to name a single safety incident linked to the burqa.
Hanson, the One Nation leader, was ejected from the Senate on Monday, forcing the the suspension of the chamber as she refused to take off the burqa, in violation of a parliamentary ruling. She was condemned by all parties in the Senate for repeating the offensive display, with Nationals senator Matt Canavan saying Hanson's stunt "debased" the parliament and was "ridiculing" Muslim Australians.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe, interjecting loudly numerous times upon seeing Hanson's dress, called for Hanson to be ejected from parliament. Fellow independent Fatima Payman, who is of Muslim faith and wears a hijab, accused Hanson of "disrespecting a faith, disrespecting Muslim Australians".
"This needs to be dealt with immediately before we proceed, it's disgraceful," Payman said.
Greens leader Larissa Waters called the burqa stunt an "insult". Labor Senate leader Penny Wong said senators should not be "disrespectful of the Senate" and said her conduct was "not worthy" of the parliament and politicians.
Liberal Senate leader Anne Ruston said "this is not the way you should be addressing this chamber", and called for respect for others.
The Senate resumed after more than an hour's suspension. Guardian Australia understands some senators were discussing whether a formal censure motion will be levelled against Hanson.
After being denied leave to introduce her own private senator's bill to ban the burqa in Australia, Hanson left the chamber and soon returned wearing the black garment. It kicked off instant outrage in the chamber, with opposing politicians calling the move "old hat" and "been there, done that".
It was a repeat of her widely-criticised 2017 stunt, which prompted then-Liberal senator George Brandis to furiously call out the One Nation leader for mocking the Islamic community, calling it "an appalling thing to do".
"Pauline Hanson needs some new material because... she recycled this from eight years ago," Canavan, a conservative senator, told the ABC on Monday.
"I don't know if this is the right move for them because while this might attract the interest of small fringe in our society, I don't think middle Australia like the parliament being debased like this."
After Hanson refused to remove the face covering, the Senate resolved to ban Hanson from the parliament until she complied. After again refusing, the Senate was suspended temporarily. After the chamber was suspended, Hanson and her fellow One Nation senators were the last to leave. She yelled comments to supporters in the public gallery, claiming she'd been denied her right to introduce her bill.
Hanson and her One Nation colleagues held a fiery press conference in Parliament House shortly after she was ejected from the Senate for refusing to remove the burqa. Explaining her bill, she claimed wearing a burqa was "a national security issue", noting head coverings like helmets were required to be removed when entering banks and other businesses.
She denied she was contributing to social discord by repeating her burqa stunt, and said she was upset at not being given leave to introduce her bill to ban the burqa.
"We have so many issues in the country with national security," she said.
But asked for data about how many incidents of national security risk she was aware of relating to face coverings like the burqa, Hanson said: "can I suggest you call ASIO".
Pressed further for any details, she could not provide any.
"I can't answer you that question," Hanson replied.
Earlier in the chamber, Hanson initially sat in the wrong seat when re-entering the Senate, which was dividing for a vote, and had to be quietly guided to the correct side of the chamber by a colleague.
Hanson published on Facebook a photo of herself wearing the ankle-length black body covering, standing in her Parliament House office in front of a large painting of her own face.
Hanson claimed "if the parliament won't ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb that risk our national security and the ill treatment of women on the floor of our parliament so that every Australian knows what's at stake."