Pauline Hanson writes to Anthony Albanese to overturn Senate suspension
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has demanded Anthony Albanese lift a week-long Senate ban if parliament is recalled early so she can take part in the debate on new hate speech and firearms laws.
The Prime Minister confirmed that recalling parliament was a priority for his government; This means parliamentarians are likely to return to Canberra before February 6, currently scheduled for the first session of the year.
Parliament is expected to vote on draft legislation on hate speech and the proposed national arms buyback plan following the Bondi terrorist attack.
Currently Senator Hanson is banned for seven sitting days, meaning he will not be able to vote on new legislation when parliament returns.
In November, she was censured by the Senate and suspended from parliament after wearing a burqa on the floor of parliament.
The stunt was a protest after a request for a bill banning religious veiling was rejected.
In a letter addressed to Mr Albanese, Senator Hanson said he was seeking his support to “lift the ban imposed on him by the Senate from discussing these urgent bills”.
“As leader of One Nation and senator from Queensland, my contribution to this debate is critical,” he wrote.
“I don’t care if you choose to support the Senate’s resolution banning me from participating in official parliamentary delegations abroad.
“This determination does not preclude my ability to make special arrangements to meet one-on-one with world leaders or participate in privately funded international travel.”
Senator Hanson also claimed he issued “constant warnings” about Islamic extremism and accused the government of choosing to “smear” him for sharing his concerns.
“It appears that you intend to recall parliament ahead of the scheduled date to implement legislation on hate speech and the national arms buyback scheme designed to divert attention from the real problem of radical Islam, about which I have been warning successive governments for the last decade,” he wrote.
He also claimed he had “ignored” warnings from Labor and the Greens, openly accusing them of trying to garner votes in Labor-held Western Sydney seats that have a higher proportion of Muslim Australians, particularly those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
In November, Senator Hanson shrugged off the Senate’s decision to censure him, saying: “I’m constrained. Does that really concern me? No, it doesn’t. Not at all for seven days.”
It was the second time in her decades-long political career that Senator Hanson wore a burqa on the floor of the Senate chamber, and it was swiftly condemned by parliamentarians from across the political aisle.
