The debate over the burqa took a theatrical turn in the Australian Senate on Thursday, as senator Pauline Hanson donned the garment to House proceedings, before taking it off with a flourish, in a bid to get it banned in the country.
Hanson, leader of the far-right One Nation party, wore the burqa for 20 minutes during the Senate's daily question time session. She removed it to demand the garment be banned in public for national security reasons.
"I'm quite happy to remove this because this is not what should belong in this parliament. If a person who wears a balaclava or a helmet in to a bank or any other building, or even on the floor of the court, they must be removed. Why is it not the same case for someone who is covering up their face and cannot be identified?" Hanson told the assembly.
The senator's action was roundly criticized, with attorney general George Brandis stating unequivocally that the government does not plan on banning the burqa. In remarks that elicited a standing ovation from bipartisan parliamentary benches, Brandis condemned Hanson's stunt and "counselled and cautioned" her against causing offence to religious communities.