Overview
- Hanson was denied leave to introduce a bill to ban full‑face coverings, then entered the chamber in a burqa, refused to comply with a ruling to remove it, and was sanctioned and ordered out.
- The Senate was suspended for more than 1.5 hours and later resumed without Hanson present after the rare shutdown in the final sitting week.
- Leaders across parties, including Penny Wong and Anne Ruston, condemned the stunt, while Mehreen Faruqi, Fatima Payman and Lidia Thorpe denounced it as racist and disrespectful; Nationals senator Matt Canavan called it debasing to parliament.
- Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia Aftab Malik warned the renewed ban push would worsen harassment and safety risks faced by Muslim women who choose to cover.
- Hanson vowed to keep wearing the burqa in protest, and discussion of a possible censure was canvassed as One Nation registers record polling support reported between 12% and 18%.