Hanson’s Burka Stunt in Senate Reignites Tensions Over Diversity

• Nov 24, 2025

Senate business came to an abrupt stop on Monday after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson walked into the chamber wearing a full black burka, moments after colleagues blocked her latest attempt to introduce a bill seeking to ban full-face coverings in public.

The Queensland senator sat quietly at her desk for several minutes before the senate president instructed her to remove the garment. She only complied after initially refusing, prompting outrage from senators across the political divide.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who is Muslim, denounced the display as “blatant racism,” while independent senator Fatima Payman described it as “disgraceful.” Government leader in the Senate Penny Wong condemned the act as deeply disrespectful to the diverse communities represented in parliament and openly questioned whether Hanson was “worthy” of holding office.

Wong attempted to have Hanson suspended for refusing to take off the burka when first directed, but the motion failed. Labor and Greens senators accused Hanson of once again using Muslim women as political tools to sow division and attract attention.

Hanson later defended her actions on social media, writing, “If they don’t want me wearing it, ban the burka,” a comment that appeared to echo her long-running push for a nationwide prohibition on full-face coverings.

This was not the first time Hanson had staged such a protest. In 2017, she wore a similar burka into parliament during an earlier campaign to introduce a national ban, removing it only after being recognised to speak.

Her latest bill was dismissed before it was even formally introduced. Crossbench and opposition senators argued that it targeted a very small number of Muslim women and offered no security benefits beyond what existing laws already provide.

Hanson has a lengthy history of inflammatory rhetoric. Her 1996 maiden speech warned that Australia was at risk of being “swamped by Asians,” and two decades later she claimed the country faced being “swamped by Muslims.”

Critics say the repeated burka displays highlight her focus on fear-driven politics rather than public safety. Supporters, however, applauded the act as a firm stand against what they view as growing Islamisation.

As debates over migration and multiculturalism intensify ahead of the next federal election, Hanson’s actions have again pushed cultural and religious attire into a national discussion many Muslim women wish could unfold without her involvement.