00:00It was a moment that stopped Australian politics in its tracks.
00:18On Tuesday, Senator Pauline Hanson, leader of the far-right One Nation Party,
00:24walked into the Senate wearing a full-face burqa, triggering a political storm.
00:28The stunt was her latest move in the long-running campaign to ban the burqa in public places.
00:35But this time, it would go much further than just words.
00:39For decades, Hanson has been one of Australia's most controversial political figures.
00:44Known for her outspoken, often inflammatory views on immigration and multiculturalism,
00:50she first made national headlines in the 1990s when she warned that Australia was being swamped by Asians.
00:58Since then, she has consistently raised eyebrows with her criticism of Islamic practices,
01:04particularly the burqa, which she has called a symbol of oppression and a threat to national security.
01:12Hanson's latest stunt came after her attempt to introduce a bill banning burqas was blocked.
01:17Refusing to back down, she entered the Senate chamber draped in the very garment she had spent years condemning.
01:25Her arrival sparked immediate outrage.
01:28Senators, including Muslim members, demanded she remove the burqa, calling the act disrespectful and racist.
01:35President, a dress code might be a choice of the senators, but racism should not be the choice of the Senate.
01:43President, this is a racist senator displaying blatant racism and Islamophobia, President, and if someone, someone should pull her up on that.
01:54Senator Farruki.
01:56When Hanson refused, the Senate was suspended and she was barred from attending for the rest of the year.
02:03On social media, Hanson defended her actions as a protest against radical, non-religious practices, arguing it was a stand for women's rights and national security.
02:16But when pressed for specific examples of security threats posed by the burqa, she couldn't provide any.
02:22Can I suggest you call ASIO, she quipped, dodging the question.
02:28The political fallout was swift.
02:31Leaders from both major parties condemned her actions.
02:34Penny Wong, Labour's Senate leader, called it unworthy of a member of the Australian Senate.
02:40Whatever views we may have on policy is to be this disrespectful of the chamber and of people of faith.
02:48Whatever our own beliefs may be, whatever our own beliefs may be, the sort of disrespect that you are engaging in now is not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate.
03:00And it should not be allowed to stand.
03:03But Hanson's supporters rallied behind her, calling it a brave stand against Islamic extremism.
03:10This protest wasn't just about a burqa.
03:13It was a flashpoint in Australia's broader debates on identity, multiculturalism and security.
03:20Is this a legitimate fight for women's rights and national safety?
03:24Or is it a cynical move to stoke fear and division?
03:40We'll see you next time.
03:40We'll see you next time.
03:40We'll see you next time.
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