One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has been censured and suspended from the Senate for a week following her burqa stunt that Muslim communities fear could lead to a rise in hate crimes.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong raised the censure motion on Tuesday after Hanson wore a burqa into the Senate a day earlier, repeating a stunt she pulled in 2017.
The motion was passed, but separated at the request of the Coalition, who did not want consequences applied to Hanson.
Wong then moved a motion for Hanson to be suspended, which the One Nation leader initially called for a vote on before retracting the call.
Before her microphone was abruptly silenced and she departed the chamber, Pauline Hanson declared, “The people will judge me at the next election.” Her statement reflects a defiant stance in the face of criticism, particularly following a controversial incident that has sparked widespread discussion.
It comes as Muslim communities said they feared a potential rise in hate crimes and attacks against women and girls wearing headscarves as a result of Hanson’s actions.
She was suspended from the Senate following the incident, and the Senate sitting was also suspended.
The stunt received condemnation by Labor government figures, Muslim senators Fatima Payman and Mehreen Faruqi, Greens and conservative politician Matt Canavan.
Now, members of the Muslim community have expressed disappointment that some elected officials — including those in the Opposition — remained silent.
Mariam Ardati, project manager at Action Against Islamophobia, said it was not surprising that the most vocal in Opposition in the Senate were two Muslims and an Indigenous senator — Lidia Thorpe, because it was minority communities that “bore the brunt” of such stunts.
“They know what comes next. They know what happens next,” Ardati told SBS News.
“So it is disappointing that we didn’t see again a more collective objection to what she did in recognition of the impact of her actions. Surely they know the repercussions of antics like this.
Independent Senator Fatima Payman has openly criticized Hanson for her actions, describing them as “disrespectful.” The One Nation leader’s latest burqa stunt has drawn significant backlash, with many viewing it as a provocative gesture lacking sensitivity. “It’s 2025, and there seems to be no deterrent whatsoever for someone like Pauline Hanson to do this again,” Payman remarked, highlighting a broader concern about political accountability.
Meanwhile, community leaders, including those from the Muslim community, are voicing their apprehensions. Ardati, who is herself a hijab-wearing woman, expressed the unease felt by many Muslim women in the aftermath of Hanson’s actions. The incident has reignited conversations about the treatment and representation of Muslim women in public and political spheres.
The response from both the public and political figures underscores the ongoing debate about cultural sensitivity and the responsibilities of elected officials to foster a respectful and inclusive society. As the political landscape moves toward the next election, Hanson’s actions and their implications will likely remain a significant talking point.
The Islamophobia Register, which tracks Islamophobic incidents in Australia, warned the stunt was not just “harmless political theatre”.
“When a national political figure parades in a burqa to mock Muslim identity it isn’t just an insult to faith — it creates a climate in which visibility identifiable Australian Muslim women become easier targets for abuse, harassment and violence,” the organisation said in a statement.
Ali Kadri, CEO of the Islamic College of Brisbane, said Monday afternoon he witnessed a primary-school-aged Muslim student with a head-covering being verbally abused by an older man passing in a ute as she was waiting to be picked up from school.
“This is the experience of Australian Muslims. Whenever Pauline does these stunts in the parliament, it escalates and radicalises people even more where people think that it is OK to abuse a little Australian Muslim girl wearing a hijab,” he told ABC News.
Bilal Rauf, a senior adviser to the peak Islamic body ANIC, said Australian Muslims had become “easy targets” for Hanson.
“[The stunt] is utterly reprehensible and sinister in its consequences,” he told SBS news.
“In particular, it creates grave concerns for women, particularly those who choose to identify themselves by reference to their faith.”
Hanson doubled down on her burqa ban, saying such garments were “oppressive, radical, non-religious” that “risked national security”.
She vowed to continue displaying it in parliament, “so that every Australian knows what’s at stake”.
When asked by reporters on Monday, following the stunt, if she could identify any national security incidents related to face coverings like the burqa, Hanson said: “I can’t answer that because I don’t have the figures to pluck it out of my head.”
“Can I suggest you call the AFP or ASIO?” she said.
Hanson also questioned concerns about a rise in anti-Muslim attacks with such stunts, with her One Nation Senate colleague Malcolm Roberts requesting data supporting those assertions.
“How is it? Where do you get that from?” she responded to a question from another reporter.
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