Leader of Australia’s right-wing One Nation party Pauline Hanson has defended her ‘right’ to wear a burqa – despite critics branding the stunt ‘blatant racism’. 

Ms Hanson, 71, has been seeking to introduce a bill that would ban full face coverings in Australia – a policy she has campaigned on for decades.

Just minutes after other lawmakers blocked her from introducing the bill this morning, she returned wearing a black burqa and floral dress that cut off above the knee. 

The controversial display has been met with furious backlash from fellow senators – who condemned it as ‘racist’ – while some social media users praised Ms Hanson, echoing her calls to ‘ban the burqa’. 

But Ms Hanson today defended her decision to wear the garment, calling those who criticised her ‘hypocrites’. 

Speaking to Andrew Bolt on Sky News Australia, the senator said: ‘My concern is, as a nation, for national security – terrorist threats and attacks are happening. 

‘Also for women’s rights, that they’re not forced to wear the full burqa against their will. I think it goes against our culture and our way of life, and this is why I want to introduce the bill.’

Explaining why she put the burqa on, Ms Hanson said: ‘I had just started to introduce the bill and it took one voice, there was a couple actually, who denied me the right. Straight away they denied me the right to ban the burqa. So I actually left the chamber, went up and I put the burqa on, and I thought if you won’t ban the burqa, then I’m going to wear it. 

‘Well, didn’t that upset them. They didn’t want me to wear the burqa in parliament. They didn’t want to ban it, but they don’t want me to wear it in parliament, so what do they want? They’re a bunch of hypocrites.’ 

The Australian Senate descended into chaos after the leader of the right-wing One Nation party, Pauline Hanson, entered the chamber wearing a burqa (pictured)

Pauline Hanson (pictured) wearing a burqa on the Senate floor on Monday afternoon

Ms Hanson has been suspended from the Senate after wearing a burqa in the chamber

It marks the second time she has worn the garment in parliament, having previously put one on in 2017. 

Mehreen Faruqi, a Greens senator from the state of New South Wales, said today: ‘This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism.’

Meanwhile, Fatima Payman, an independent senator from the state of Western Australia, branded the stunt ‘disgraceful’.

Ms Payman, who wears a hijab, added: ‘She is disrespecting a faith, she is disrespecting the Muslims out there, Muslim Australians.’ 

Penny Wong, leader of Australia’s Labor government in the Senate, also condemned Ms Hanson’s controversial stunt. 

Ms Wong said it was ‘not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate’, and moved a motion to suspend Ms Hanson for her refusal to take off the burqa. 

Proceedings were suspended after Ms Hanson refused to leave. 

Shortly after the incident, Ms Hanson took to social media, reiterating her stance to ‘ban the burqa’.

Ms Hanson had attempted to table a bill which would have banned burqas and full face coverings in Australia

Ms Hanson had attempted to table a motion calling for the burqa to be banned

Ms Hanson said she would continue in her efforts to ‘ban the burqa’ 

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BREAKING NEWS

Australian politician branded racist for wearing burqa to Senate as she tries to ban face coverings 

‘Today, the Senate blocked the introduction of my Bill to ban the burqa and other full face coverings in public places,’ she said.

‘Despite the ban in 24 countries across the world (including Islamic countries), the hypocrites in our parliament have rejected my Bill.’

Hanson said she would continue to wear the burqa until it was banned.

‘So if the parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb that risk 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,’ Ms Hanson said.

She previously described Islam as ‘a culture and ideology that is incompatible with our own’.