Penny Wong slams Pauline Hanson over derogatory comments
Penny Wong has called out Senator Pauline Hanson for her derogatory comments toward Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi.
The One Nation leader told Ms Faruqi to “p*** off back to Pakistan” after saying she could not mourn Queen Elizabeth’s death as she was a “leader of a racist empire”.
“Condolences to those who knew the Queen. I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples,' Senator Faruqi’s tweet read.
“We are reminded of the urgency of Treaty with First Nations, justice & reparations for British colonies & becoming a republic.”
In the Senate on Tuesday, Senator Hanson continued to blast Senator Farqui saying she’s happy to take her “to the airport”.
This exchange prompted a heated response from Senator Wong who said Senator Hanson’s comments brought back painful childhood memories.
Senator Wong called for the Senate to condemn Senator Hanson’s bigotry comments, also revealing that it was triggering her from her own experience.
“I think they're appalling, and they're comments that have been levelled at me countless times since I arrived in this country, and I remember getting them as a kid in the schoolyard,” Senator Wong said.
“Can I say to Senator Faruqi, we on this side do understand your grievance at the comment, and we understand why you are calling out such behaviour, and I pick up something that Senator Faruqi said in her contribution about how triggering this is.
“It's true, it is. It's triggering each time you hear it. I'm the Senate leader, I still get triggered, and I wonder how it is for kids in the schoolyard who get the same thing.”
Senator Wong then referenced her inaugural speech in parliament two decades ago in which she asked how long does one have to live in Australia to be accepted.
“How long do you have to be here, and how much do you have to love this country before you're accepted? How long?” she said.
Senator Faruqi then spoke up saying that she had the “right to talk about this issue (the Queen and the empire) without being racially vilified”.
“We've got to name and shame racism... it is a symbolic but important step that everyone in this place can take to make clear that we condemn racism in all its forms, shapes and sizes.”
The Senate passed the motion but not specifically calling out Senator Hanson and called for all senators “to engage in debates and commentary respectfully, and to refrain from inflammatory and divisive comments, both inside and outside the chamber at all times”.
Images: Twitter