Multicultural Minister Anne Aly says Australian women should be afforded "bodily autonomy" following a burqa stunt by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
The Queensland senator was trying to table a motion to ban the burqa — a head-and-body covering predominantly worn by Muslim women in Afghanistan — on Monday afternoon, but the motion was not granted.
Moments later, she returned to the Senate chamber to vote in a division, alongside Coalition and crossbench senators, wearing a black burqa, with her legs visible, to the protests of Senators.
Speaking exclusively to SBS News shortly after the stunt, Aly says she is "disappointed" that the elected representative "chose to disrespect" a small cohort of women.
"It's a very, very, very small minority of women who wear a burqa," she said on Tuesday afternoon.
Multicultural Minister Anne Aly says Australian women should be afforded "bodily autonomy". Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
She said, women "should be allowed and afforded the bodily autonomy to wear what she wants to wear, whether that's a bikini or a burka".
Senators interjected in the chamber as Pauline Hanson strode in wearing the full-body covering. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
While labelling the behaviour "unacceptable" and "unworthy" of office, Aly stopped short of listing consequences, leaving that up to the Senate.
Senators erupt over 'racist' behaviour
Senators erupted in protest, calling Hanson an "old hat" and "been there, done that", after it replicated a similar stunt she performed in the Senate in 2017.
Senators became outraged as Senate president in the chair, Slade Brockman, allowed the vote to proceed, with many using their minutes to call out the behaviour.
As senators began to interject, Brockman said: "This matter has been considered before, dress is a matter for individual senators' conscience."
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who is Muslim, accused Hanson of racism.
"Dress code might be the choice of the senators but racism should not be the choice of the Senate," she said.
"This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism and Islamophobia ... Someone should pull her up on that."
Senator Fatima Payman, who is also Muslim, labelled the behaviour, with Hanson allowed to partake in the vote, as "disgraceful, it is a shame".
"She's disrespecting a faith, she's disrespecting the Muslims out there ... it's absolutely unconstitutional. This needs to be dealt with immediately before we proceed," she said.
Greens leader Larissa Waters asked Brockman to reconsider his ruling, with senators including Lidia Thorpe urging Hanson be removed or the Senate suspended.
"Review your earlier ruling because clearly what has happened today is not a genuine demonstration of faith, in fact it's a middle finger to people of faith," she said.
"It is extremely racist and unsafe. And I'd like to reconsider your earlier ruling that it is not appropriate to draw attention to a religion people don't subscribe to."
Senate president Sue Lines then arrived in the chamber and ordered Hanson to leave for being disrespectful, citing a previous ruling that using religious dress as a prop was disrespectful to the parliament.
But the One Nation leader refused to leave or remove her burqa.
The chaos continued after the majority of senators voted in favour of a motion by Labor's Penny Wong to suspend Hanson from the Senate.
But One Nation senators demanded a division be held, refuting the president's ruling.
Eventually, the Senate was suspended after another motion by Wong was agreed to.
Outside the chamber, conservative senator Matt Canavan said the incident was "inappropriate" and "disrespectful" to Muslim Australians.
He said he left the chamber during the stunt, which he described as "attention-seeking".
"I don't support you ridiculing people who have certain multicultural dress standards, it is inappropriate," he told ABC TV.
"You can make a fair and reasonable point about immigration and migration and integration and Pauline has a voice to do that in the Senate but this kind of stunt, it weakens her case and cheapens our Parliament, and most Australians will look away in disgust."
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