Senator Mehreen Faruqi has called on the Senate to hold people accountable for what is said in the Senate chamber, following remarks by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
After Senator Hanson was issued a temporary gag order in the Senate on Wednesday, Senator Faruqi from the Greens Party reminded the Senate of the importance of taking action against racism and discriminatory language.
“Words don’t matter unless we hold people accountable,” Faruqi said.
“That is how we set the standard in this place – by holding people accountable for what comes out of their mouths, especially language which is a racial slur.”
Earlier, Faruqi’s fellow Greens Senator Larissa Waters made a speech to the Senate, condemning Hanson’s remarks directed at Faruqi, who was born in Pakistan, on Monday.
“On Monday evening in this chamber, in the course of debate on the counterterrorism bill, Senator Hanson’s contribution was awash with racist language, including some despicable race based personal remarks about Senator Faruqi that should be withdrawn and that Senator Hanson should apologise for,” Waters said.
The Queensland Greens Senator was referring to Hanson’s comments, where she told Faruqi: “If you don’t see yourself as loving this country and abiding by the laws of the country, I have no problem. I will actually take you to the airport and put you on a plane and wave you away.”
Waters said the remark was a breach of the behavioural code of the Senate and was a “personal reflection” of another Senator.
“It is tantamount to saying ‘Go back to where you came from,’ as if Senator Faruqi is not an Australian, as if Senator Faruqi is not a citizen of this country, as if she is not an elected representative for the people of New South Wales,” Waters said.
“People of colour deserve to feel safe and welcome in this country and not have the likes of Senator Hanson say foul and racially discriminatory things which amount to ‘Go back to where you came from.’
“There is no place for this kind of hateful language here or anywhere in this country.”
The President of the Senate, Sue Lines, asked Hanson several times to withdraw her comments, which Hanson at the time refused to do.
In response, Lines used her discretion to issue a rare temporary gag order to Hanson, prohibiting Hanson from speaking in the Senate until she has reviewed her comments.
In May this year, Senator Faruqi launched a lawsuit against Hanson for a racist tweet directed at her last year. Faruqi wants Hanson to donate $150,000 to charity and to post a public tweet acknowledging that her language was offensive.
Hanson withdraws comments amid blistering statements
Women’s Agenda understands Hanson has now withdrawn “any remarks considered unparliamentary this week”.
As reported by The Guardian, Senator Hanson returned to the near-empty Senate chamber at around 7:15pm on Wednesday night, announcing: “I withdraw any remarks considered unparliamentary this week.”
This means her temporary gag order has been lifted and Hanson is no longer at risk of being censored by the Senate.
Senator Faruqi released a statement on Thursday, hoping this week has sent “a strong message to Senator Hanson that she cannot continue to make this parliament an unsafe workplace for people like me day in, day out”.
“If Parliament is to be a safe workplace, then it needs to set a standard that any form of bigotry and racism are unacceptable,” Faruqi said.
The Senate’s president Sue Lines and the deputy president, Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan, also issued a rare joint statement, saying “unparliamentary language” no longer has “any place in this senate”.
“We have a strong view that Senators must take responsibility for their actions and their words,” the statement read said.
“Of course, we do have standing orders which ensure that highest standards are upheld. But ultimately what is said and done in this space is the responsibility of each and every senator.
“We urge senators to always withdraw any language and actions which offend others and to do so willingly.”
Women’s Agenda contacted Senator Hanson but she declined to comment.
PHOTO CREDIT: Instagram @mehreenfaruqi