Politics

Battle of the burqa: Who’s talking the most rot?

Aug 21, 2017

Pauline Hanson and Sarah Hansen-Young clashed this morning on live television.

Greens’ senator Sarah Hanson-Young has labelled One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s “ban the burqa” stunt an “absolute disgrace” on breakfast television.

The pair made a joint appearance on Channel Seven’s Sunrise early Monday morning with Hanson-Young telling Hanson the next terror attack will be on her head while accusing her of assisting Islamic State extremists by fuelling hatred in Australia as a result of wearing the burqa into federal parliament.

“Pauline, I think you need to really reflect on the fact that security experts, foreign policy experts have said that what you did last week will now be used as the recent kind of fodder for promoting extremism,” Hanson-Young told the One Nation leader.

“You are doing ISIS’s work for them. It is extremely dangerous. You are putting the entire country at risk.”

Hanson once again defended her controversial decision to wear the burqa last Thursday, saying the religious garment was a security risk and that no security guards checked her identity before she walked into the chamber.

“Everyone knew it was you, being a goose,” Hanson-Young responded. “Everyone knew it was you putting the country in danger. The next attack in Australia will be on your head.”

While Hanson didn’t respond at the time, she hit back later in a statement, saying it was the Greens putting Australia at risk, according to The Australian.

“To think that drawing attention to the problems associated with full face coverings like the burqa, and starting a debate, might somehow justify a terrorist attack on Australian soil shows you just how out of touch the Greens are,” her statement said.

“It was disgusting and Ms Hanson-Young should apologise.

“The Greens want to open Australia’s borders, they are weak on security and regularly pander to ideological extremists. It is the Greens who are putting this country in danger.”

Despite the latest Newspoll on Monday showing Hanson’s party saw a boost in voter support following the stunt, Hanson denied there was a link.

“I don’t take credit for that, it is not on the back of this, but I do believe that the burqa is something we have to talk about,” she said.

Hanson’s burqa stung during Question Time on Thursday was immediately slammed by Attorney-General George Brandis and Greens and Labor senators.