One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson has landed herself in hot water for making and refusing to withdraw comments about Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, which have been described as “repugnant” and “despicable” by Faruqi’s colleagues.
On Monday whilst giving a speech during a Senate debate Hanson referenced Faruqi’s Pakistani heritage and questioned her patriotism, before saying to her fellow senator that she “will actually take you to the airport and put you on a plane and wave you away”.
Hanson’s comments were then addressed again on Wednesday when Greens Senator Larissa Waters requested that senate president Sue Lines have Hanson withdraw the personal remarks she made about Faruqi.
In response to the request, when called to speak to the senate Hanson chose to recite her disputed comment as it was written in Hansard.
Lines then requested Hanson take her seat, and informed she must not make personal comments about any senators, and should refer to them with their proper title.
However Hanson refused to take her seat, and doubled down on her previous comments, interrupting Lines to say she “used to make those same statements at immigration ceremonies to people and they thought it was wonderful.”
When asked again to withdraw her comments for being personal remarks, Hanson took a moment, before uneasily replying: “That is a serious matter, let me think about it. Let me think about it.”
This caused the Senate to erupt as Lines called for order in the room.
“I am in the chamber now. I am the president. You made a personal reflection. It’s not up for debate. I’ve asked you to withdraw that and I remind you again, you need to withdraw,” Lines demanded to the One Nation senator.
Upon her final chance to withdraw, Hanson continued to stand her ground.
“Well I expect senators in this place to respect the Australia people and our laws,” she stated.
Hanson was then cut off by Lines, ordered to take her seat, and was refused from speaking again until she had reviewed her comments and agrees to withdraw.
The entire interaction can be viewed in the video below.
These comments from Hanson come after Faruqi has already filed a federal lawsuit against the senator who published a Tweet saying Faruqi should “piss off back to Pakistan.”
Faruqi has claimed Hanson’s Tweet violated racial discrimination laws. Hanson has taken to selling her personally knit sweaters to raise money for the case.
