Australia’s Parliament was thrown into disarray on Monday when right-wing populist Senator Pauline Hanson dramatically walked into the chamber wearing a burqa. This unexpected entrance sparked outrage among Muslim lawmakers and resulted in the suspension of parliamentary proceedings.

Senator Hanson’s controversial appearance followed her unsuccessful attempt to introduce legislation aimed at banning burqas and other face coverings in public spaces. As she entered the chamber cloaked in the full-face covering, senators erupted in protest, demanding that she remove it. The session was eventually halted when Hanson refused to comply.

Leaders from Australia’s major political parties swiftly condemned Hanson’s actions. Penny Wong, the Labor Senate leader and Foreign Minister, criticized the stunt as “unworthy of a member of the Australian Senate,” as reported by Reuters. She motioned to suspend Hanson for not adhering to the directive to remove her burqa. Anne Ruston, the Opposition Deputy Senate Leader, also voiced her disapproval of Hanson’s actions.

The incident was particularly offensive to Muslim senators, with Green party Senator Mehreen Faruqi expressing strong condemnation. She labeled Hanson’s actions as “blatant racism.” Independent Senator Fatima Payman echoed these sentiments, describing the act as both “disgraceful” and “shameful.”

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s theatrical display has, once again, brought the contentious debate over religious attire into the spotlight, highlighting the deep divisions within Australia’s political and cultural landscape.

The incident marked the second time Hanson has worn a burqa inside Parliament. The 71-year-old senator first did so in 2017 as part of her longtime campaign against Islamic dress. Hanson has spent decades opposing immigration from Asia and criticizing Australia’s multicultural policies, positions that helped launch her political career in the 1990s.

Her One Nation party currently holds four seats in the senate after gaining two in May’s national election, reflecting a rise in anti-immigration sentiment, according to Reuters.

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson wears a burqa in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas via Reuters.)

Following the uproar, Hanson released a statement on her verified Facebook page. She wrote: “Today I wore a burqa into the Senate after One Nation’s bill to ban the burqa and face coverings in public was blocked from even being introduced. The usual hypocrites had an absolute freak out. The fact is more than 20 countries around the world have banned the burqa because they recognize it as a tool that oppresses women, poses a national security risk, encourages radical Islam and threatens social cohesion. If these hypocrites don’t want me to wear a burqa, they can always support my ban.”

Her statement continued, “So if Parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, nonreligious head garb that risks our national security and the ill treatment of women on the floor of our Parliament so that every Australian knows what’s at stake. If they don’t want me wearing it, ban the burqa.”

France and 21 other countries, including Tunisia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Portugal, have already implemented burqa bans.

Senator Pauline Hanson removes a burqa she wore during question time in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017. Hanson repeated her protest for a second time on Monday, Nov 24, 2025. (Jed Cooper/Australian Broadcasting Corp. via AP)

Hanson left Parliament after losing her seat in 1998 and resigned as leader of One Nation in 2002. She was jailed in 2003 on electoral fraud charges, though the conviction was later overturned. 

In 2010, she dropped plans to move to the United Kingdom, saying it was “overrun with immigrants and refugees.” She returned to lead One Nation in 2014 and won election to the Senate in 2016. She used her first speech to warn that “Australia was in danger of being swamped by Muslims.”