Australia (FNO): A major row erupted in Canberra on Monday after far-right Senator Pauline Hanson walked into the Senate chamber wearing a burqa, reigniting a long-running debate over the garment and drawing sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum.

Hanson appeared in the full-body covering moments after being denied permission to introduce a bill seeking a nationwide ban on burqas and other full-face coverings in public. The provocative act — her second such stunt inside Parliament — immediately halted proceedings as senators voiced outrage.

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi denounced the move as “blatant racism,” while independent Muslim senator Fatima Payman labelled it “disgraceful.” Leaders from both major parties joined the criticism, with government Senate leader Penny Wong calling Hanson's behaviour “not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate.” Wong’s motion to suspend Hanson triggered a brief shutdown of the chamber after Hanson refused to remove the garment.

Hanson, who rose to prominence in the 1990s with hardline views against Asian immigration and asylum seekers, has long campaigned against Islamic clothing. She previously wore a burqa in Parliament in 2017 during a similar push for a national ban.

Her One Nation party, which secured four Senate seats after gains in May’s general election, continues to draw support from voters aligned with far-right and anti-immigration policies.

In a later statement posted on Facebook, Hanson defended her actions as a protest against the Senate’s refusal to consider her bill. “If the Parliament won’t ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb so that every Australian knows what’s at stake,” she wrote. “If they don’t want me wearing it — ban the burqa.