Australia’s Senate was suspended for nearly an hour on Monday after a far-right senator was seen entering the chamber wearing a burqa and sparking widespread outrage.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was barred from the chamber for the remainder of the day after she repeatedly refused to take off the Muslim face covering.
Hanson was condemned by all parties in the Senate over this very offensive display, which was a reminder of the similar stunt that was carried out in the year 2017.
Her actions caused a major dispute that delayed the final sitting week of the year. Senate president Sue Lines ordered her to leave immediately, but Hanson prompted Ms Lines to first suspend proceedings, which was an uncommon measure that has been used only on rare occasions. The chamber reconvened at nearly 5:50 pm without Ms. Hanson being present.
Through social media, Ms Hanson accused her colleagues of hypocrisy for preventing her from putting forward her bill. She mentioned how she wore the burqa to highlight her security risks and the mistreatment of females, arguing that the parliament had failed to address the issue.
Ms. Hanson was unable to name a single safety matter linked to this burqa.