The Senate has formally censured One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson over comments suggesting there are no “good” Muslims, with Labor and the Greens backing the motion, while the Coalition refused to support it.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong moved the motion on Tuesday, condemning Hanson’s remarks as “inflammatory and divisive” and reaffirming parliament’s support for migrant communities.
The motion passed with the backing of the Greens and two Liberal senators, Paul Scarr and Andrew McLachlan, who crossed the floor to vote in favour, marking the second formal sanction against Hanson in four months.
Senator Hanson was absent for the vote, labelling it a “stunt” and accusing the media of misrepresenting her earlier comments. She posted on X,
“I couldn’t even get through my comments without being shouted down by Senators Thorpe and Hanson-Young, completely disrespecting my right to speak in the Parliament, yet I’m the one who apparently deserves a censure.”
Last month, during an interview with Sky News about the potential return of women and children linked to Islamic State, Hanson asked:
“You say, ‘Well, there’s good Muslims out there.’ How can you tell me there are good Muslims?”
Days later, she clarified to the ABC that she did not believe there were no good Muslims and issued a qualified apology, noting she regretted any offence caused to those “that don’t believe in sharia law, or multiple marriages, or want to bring ISIS brides in, or people from Gaza that believe in a caliphate.” She also reiterated her call for stricter vetting of Muslim migrants.
Opposition Senate leader Michaelia Cash said the Coalition agreed with the principle of condemning inappropriate remarks but argued formal censure should be reserved for conduct within parliament.
A censure motion is a symbolic parliamentary tool that allows members to express disapproval of a colleague’s behaviour but carries no formal consequences.
Senator Hanson has previously faced criticism over her stance on Islam, including a Senate suspension last year for wearing a burka in the chamber to highlight her campaign to ban face coverings.
In her first speech after her 2016 re-election, she warned that Australia risked being “swamped by Muslims” whose “culture and ideology” were incompatible with Australian society.
One Nation’s recent polling success has raised the party’s profile, with the upcoming Farrer by-election set to test its ability to attract votes in a seat long held by the Liberals. Analysts suggest the result may also serve as an early indicator of voter sentiment under new Opposition Leader Angus Taylor.
Hanson took to social media after the vote to dismiss the censure, writing that Australians were facing urgent issues such as housing, cost-of-living pressures, and an under-strength Defence Force, yet parliament chose to focus on her comments. She described the motion as a “joke” and said One Nation would continue to challenge major parties on issues she claims matter to Australians.
“The people of Australia will judge me at the next election, not these out of touch snobs.”
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