One Nation Leader Hanson Censured, Suspended After Wearing Burqa in Senate Chamber
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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was censured and suspended from the Australian Senate for seven days after wearing a burqa during parliamentary proceedings—the second time in eight years she has donned the full-face covering to protest its use in Australian society, sparking renewed controversy over religious freedom and parliamentary conduct.
The Queensland senator wore the Islamic garment in the Senate chamber after her private member’s bill seeking to ban full-face coverings was blocked from debate, setting off a parliamentary confrontation that saw government leaders limit her response time and cut off further discussion.
“I was denied that right yesterday on the floor of Parliament to actually speak to it,” Hanson told reporters in the Parliament House courtyard following the censure vote. “Senator Wong made sure there was only 30 minutes. I wasn’t aware of that.”
The disciplinary action represents one of the Senate’s strongest rebukes, removing Hanson from parliamentary proceedings through early December and formally condemning her conduct as contrary to Senate standards.
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The Parliamentary Confrontation
Hanson attempted to introduce legislation banning full-face coverings in public spaces yesterday, but the bill was shut down before she could complete her introduction. Tasmanian independent senator Tammy Tyrrell and the Greens blocked the legislation from proceeding to debate, using a single voice objection—a parliamentary mechanism that requires unanimous consent to advance private member’s bills.
“Without even allowing me to introduce the bill, they denied me that right,” Hanson said. “If you think that the Australian people are on their side, debate the bill, let it go to the vote. But they denied me that right.”
In response to the blocked legislation, Hanson donned a burqa in the chamber—an action she characterized as exposing what she called parliamentary hypocrisy. “You don’t want to ban the burqa, but you don’t want me wearing it,” she said, noting that senators rejected both the ban and her wearing of the garment despite no formal dress code prohibiting it.
Senate leaders responded by moving to censure Hanson, with Labor Senate leader Penny Wong limiting debate on the censure motion to 30 minutes. Hanson claimed she was given only five minutes to respond before Finance Minister Katy Gallagher moved to end discussion.
“Five minutes was not long enough for me to respond to it,” Hanson said. “This is what happens to me all the time.”
What is Senate Censure?
Senate censure is a formal parliamentary reprimand representing the upper house’s strongest non-expulsion disciplinary measure. While it carries no legal consequences beyond the suspension period, censure places a permanent notation on a senator’s parliamentary record and signals collective disapproval from fellow lawmakers. The Australian Senate has rarely invoked censure motions, typically reserving them for conduct deemed to bring disrepute upon the chamber or breach parliamentary standards.
Historical Context
This marks the second time Hanson has worn a burqa in Parliament. She first donned the garment in 2017 during a Senate session, prompting then-Attorney General George Brandis to deliver an impromptu speech stating “we have unfailing respect for the religious garments of other people.” That incident did not result in formal disciplinary action.
Hanson argued that the 2017 episode established a precedent for wearing the garment in the chamber. “If they had done that seven years ago, I would never have been able to wear the burqa,” she said, referring to the lack of a formal dress code decision following the first incident.
The senator has maintained a consistent position advocating for banning full-face coverings since her return to Parliament in 2016, citing security concerns and what she characterizes as integration issues.
Government and Opposition Positions
Labor and Greens senators who voted for censure have not yet issued detailed public statements regarding their reasoning, though the censure motion itself condemned Hanson’s actions as disrespectful and contrary to Senate values of mutual respect.
The government has previously rejected Hanson’s characterization of the burqa as a security threat, with multiple administrations declining to pursue legislation restricting religious garments. Australia has no national laws prohibiting full-face coverings, though some state regulations require face identification in specific contexts such as court proceedings.
Coalition senators’ positions on the censure remain unclear, with no Liberal or National Party members quoted in available parliamentary coverage of the debate.
Hanson’s Defiant Response
The One Nation leader dismissed the censure’s significance and pledged to continue advocating for her position. “Does it really worry me? No. It doesn’t,” she said when asked about the seven-day suspension.
Hanson framed her actions as part of a broader pattern of being denied parliamentary rights to advance her legislative agenda. “They threw it out. They wouldn’t even vote on it, did nothing about it,” she said of the 2017 incident. “One voice, that’s all it takes.”
The senator emphasized she would seek re-election in Queensland at the next federal election. “I will let the people of Queensland judge me whether I have earned my place to be re-elected again or not,” she said. “I will not let these people here judge me.”
Political Support and Isolation
Hanson thanked her three One Nation senate colleagues—senators Malcolm Roberts, Ralph Babet, and recently elected senators from the 2022 election—for their support. “They’ve never questioned me, my actions, what I have done,” she said. “We are a team and we’re doing an excellent job for the Australian people.”
The senator claimed public support for her position, citing feedback on social media and radio appearances. “They’ve told me overwhelming support for myself on this issue,” she said, adding that migrants have approached her saying “we love Australia and we don’t want it to become like the place we’ve left.”
However, Hanson acknowledged limited parliamentary support, stating: “I don’t have respect for most of them. I think they say one thing and do another.”
What Happens Next
Hanson will be barred from the Senate chamber through the suspension period, unable to participate in debates or vote on legislation. The seven-day suspension expires in early December, allowing her to return for the final sitting weeks before Parliament’s summer recess.
Her burqa ban legislation remains dead, unable to advance without unanimous consent or government support to schedule debate time. Private member’s bills face significant procedural hurdles in the Senate, requiring either cross-party backing or major party sponsorship to reach the debating floor.
The censure motion itself represents a permanent parliamentary record, though it carries no long-term legal or political consequences beyond the temporary suspension. Hanson’s ability to introduce future legislation remains unchanged after the suspension concludes.
Parliament is scheduled to resume full proceedings in February 2026, when Hanson would be eligible to reintroduce similar legislation, though the same procedural obstacles would apply.
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