‘Ignorant, racist’: Pauline Hanson blasted for Senate storm out

A fellow senator has condemned Pauline Hanson for her decision to flee the chamber during a routine morning acknowledgment.

Pauline Hanson has been branded a racist after she sensationally stormed out of the Senate during the Acknowledgement of Country.

Senate President Sue Lines acknowledged the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples as the traditional custodians of the Canberra area and paid respect to elders past and present during the opening of Wednesday’s sitting.

But before Senator Lines could finish the acknowledgment, the One Nation leader interjected.

“No, I won’t,” she yelled, adding, “I never will.”

While it wasn’t captured on the parliamentary broadcast feed, NCA NewsWire photographer Gary Ramage caught Senator Hanson fleeing the scene.

Senator Pauline Hanson storms out of the chamber. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Senator Hanson has been accused of racism for her decision to storm out. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, a proud Djab Wurrung Gunnai Gunditjmara woman, quickly condemned the “disrespectful” move.

“Day two of the 47th parliament and racism has reared its ugly head,” she tweeted.

“Pauline Hanson disrespectfully stormed out of the acknowledgement of Country in the Senate, refusing to acknowledge ‘those people’. You want to make parliament safe? Get rid of racism.”

Pauline Hanson, you are ignorant and you are racist.

— Senator Lidia Thorpe (@SenatorThorpe) July 26, 2022

As is tradition, the acknowledgment is given daily after the Lord’s Prayer.

The acknowledgment was made a permanent feature of daily proceedings in 2010 after the election of the Gillard government.

Senator Hanson has been a member of the upper house since 2016. Colleagues say she has sat through years of daily acknowledgments without a peep.

Senator Hanson before storming out. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

In a statement, a spokesman for Senator Hanson said she would “refuse” to acknowledge country in the Senate.

“Senator Hanson considers that ‘acknowledgement of country’ perpetuates racial division in Australia,” the spokesman said.

“Like many non-indigenous Australians, Senator Hanson considers this country belongs to her as much it does belong to any other Australian, Indigenous or otherwise.

“From this point forward, Senator Hanson will refuse to acknowledge country in the Senate.”

The protest comes as the Senate is due to consider a motion to display the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags in the chamber alongside the Australian flag.

The One Nation leader will oppose the motion on Wednesday afternoon.

“Senator Hanson considers that only one flag, the Australian national flag, truly represents all Australians,” the spokesman said.

Anthony Albanese made a point to include the flags in the backdrop of his first prime ministerial press conference after being sworn in.

The three flags are already displayed side-by-side in the House of Representatives.