Australian Senator Pauline Hanson has been suspended from Parliament for one week after wearing a burqa in the Senate chamber to promote a bill seeking to ban the garment, which is commonly worn by Muslim women. Hanson, a Queensland senator and member of the anti-immigration One Nation party, faced strong criticism from fellow lawmakers. This is the second time she has appeared in Parliament wearing the full-body, face-covering attire. She said she did so in protest after the Senate rejected her bill. On Monday, after senators blocked her attempt to introduce the bill, Hanson walked out of t

Australian Senator Pauline Hanson has been suspended from Parliament for one week after wearing a burqa in the Senate chamber to promote a bill seeking to ban the garment, which is commonly worn by Muslim women. Hanson, a Queensland senator and member of the anti-immigration One Nation party, faced strong criticism from fellow lawmakers. This is the second time she has appeared in Parliament wearing the full-body, face-covering attire. She said she did so in protest after the Senate rejected her bill. On Monday, after senators blocked her attempt to introduce the bill, Hanson walked out of the chamber and returned dressed in a black burqa, sparking extended debate. Independent senator Fatima Payman of Western Australia called Hanson’s behavior “shameful.” On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who represents the government in the Senate, announced that Hanson would be suspended from parliamentary proceedings for a week. Wong said Hanson’s actions targeted people based on their religious beliefs and were insulting to Muslims in Australia. She added that Hanson “does not deserve to be in Australia’s Parliament.” In a Facebook post, Hanson responded by saying, “If they don’t want me to wear it, they should ban it completely.” This is not the first time Hanson has worn a burqa in Parliament. In 2017, she wore one while calling for a nationwide ban on the garment.

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