Pauline Hanson's burqa stunt shocks Senate
Senator Pauline Hanson has stunned fellow senators by wearing a burqa into parliament.
The One Nation leader wore the Islamic veil into the upper house on Thursday to step up her campaign to ban the burqa.
She walked into the chamber late, and with her fellow senators already in their places heads turned as Senator Hanson took her seat covered in the black head-to-toe veil.
Sitting quietly until she seized her opportunity, Senator Hanson fired her first question at Liberal Senate leader, Attorney-General George Brandis.
"I'm quite happy to remove this, because this is not what should belong in this parliament," Senator Hanson said as the house broke into an uproar.
"Senator Brandis, in light of the national security of this nation, will you work with me to ban the burqua in Australia.
"There has been 13 foiled national threats against us with terrorism, three that have been successful, and Australians have lost their lives.
"Terrorism is a true threat to our country," she said. "Many Australians are very much in fear of it.
"What I would like to ask on behalf of the Australian people, considering there has been a large majority of Australians wish to see the banning of the burqa."
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Attorney-General George Brandis slammed the One Nation leader for "the stunt".
"I would caution and counsel you with respect to be very, very careful of the offence you may do to the religious sensibilities of other Australians," Senator Brandissaid.
"We have about 500,000 Australians in this country of the Islamic faith and the vast majority of them are law abiding good Australians. Senator Hanson, it is absolutely consistent with being a good, law-abiding Australian and being a strict adherent Muslim."
'Can I appear in fancy dress?': Senator Hinch
Senator Penny Wong congratulated the Attorney General for condemning the One Nation leader.
"I make this point on behalf of all of us on this side of the Chamber, it is one thing to wear religious dress as a sincere act of faith, there is another to wear it as a stunt here in the Chamber," she said.
Senate President Stephen Parry said Senator Hanson's identity had been confirmed before she entered the chamber.
Crossbencher Derryn Hinch questioned whether Senator Hanson could remain in the chamber.
"I understand that she is not a Muslim, not of Islamic faith. Can I appear tomorrow in fancy dress unchallenged?" he asked the president.
Senator Parry said he was not going to dictate the standard of dress for senators.
Greens leader Richard di Natale said the chamber had "seen the most disgraceful disrespectful shameful behaviour".
"With a senator of this Parliament mocking a community of decent, hardworking, law-abiding citizens of this country there is no stronger example of why this Parliament needs a Parliamentary code of multicultural ethics than this," he said.
Independent senator Cory Bernardi also weighed in on the stunt.
"I did warn you that proroguing the parliament was in national interest. Things are getting seriously weirder by the day," he posted to Twitter.
Twitter users slammed the Senator for wearing the burqa in the Senate with some saying she "committed an act of racist hate".
"Chuck her out of parliament immediately," one user said.
"What insensitive, offensive and disrespectful behaviour. Pauline Hanson reaches a new low," another user tweeted.
Another user suggested the Senator try a different type of garment next time.
“Next time maybe Pauline Hanson can wear Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility,” they said.
Pauline Hanson will be appearing live on Sunrise tomorrow morning after 7am.
