Liberal senator cries during debate over banning Nazi symbols

A senator has broken down in parliament during a debate over banning Nazi symbols as the political fallout continues from a controversial protest.

A Liberal senator has broken down in parliament during a debate over a new law to ban Nazi symbols amid the ongoing political fallout from a controversial anti-transgender rights protest.

The Coalition on Friday unsuccessfully pushed to have the Senate consider legislation to prohibit the display of Nazi symbols after the rally held in Melbourne last weekend was attended by neo-Nazis who performed the Sieg Heil salute.

Emotions ran high as senators weighed in on the Coalition’s proposal to suspend standing orders to bring on the Bill, with Liberal senator Sarah Henderson bursting into tears after an interjection from Labor minister Murray Watt.

Senator Watt’s interjection was inaudible to those watching the Senate livestream but he told the upper house his remarks had been about text messages Senator Henderson reportedly sent to Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto after the anti-trans rally last weekend.

The ABC reported it understood Senator Henderson had been personally lobbying Mr Pesutto not to remove controversial upper house MP Moira Deeming from the party over her participation in last Saturday’s Let Women Speak rally outside Victorian state parliament.

Mr Pesutto has vowed to hold a vote in the party room to expel Ms Deeming for “organising, promoting and attending” the rally, although Ms Deeming has said the men who performed Nazi salutes gatecrashed the event and she condemned their actions.

After Senator Watt raised the reported text messages in parliament on Friday, Senator Henderson took to her feet, crying, and shouted across the chamber: “I am disgusted in you”.

Senator Watt withdrew his remarks.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson cried in parliament on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Both senators raised the incident in separate statements to parliament later on Friday, with Senator Henderson calling on Senator Watt to “unconditionally apologise”.

“As he (Senator Watt) pointed directly towards me, he said words that I will not repeat and that no other person should repeat. They were abhorrent and offensive,” she said.

“The precise words uttered by Senator Watt will be seared into my memory for a long time.”

Senator Watt responded by seeking to make a personal explanation.

“For the clarity of all senators, this morning, in response to Senator Birmingham moving the suspension motion, I asked Liberals why they were not condemning their own senators who are texting Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto to support Victorian MP Moira Deeming, who recently stood with neo-Nazis,” he said.

“It was consistent with my view that, as senators, we are all accountable to each other for our actions.

“I did not intend to upset Senator Henderson and that’s why I withdrew my remark. As did (Liberal) senator (Michaelia) Cash when she withdrew remarks she made against me.”

Senator Henderson has hit back at Senator Watt over his explanation and said she plans to take the matter further.

“Senator Watt’s personal explanation, in reply, improperly misrepresented the abhorrent and offensive statement he made about me in the Senate this morning,” she said.

“I will now be referring this matter to the Senate President.”

Ms Deeming has denied any connection with the neo-Nazis and said they had gatecrashed the event.

NCA NewsWire sought comment from Senator Henderson’s office regarding the ABC story.

Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham called for a multi-partisan approach to banning Nazi symbols as he attempted to suspend standing orders to have parliament consider the Coalition’s legislation.

Senator Birmingham said parliament should “stand as one” against an ideology most associated with genocide and persecution.

Senators from Labor, One Nation and the Greens all said they supported the outlawing of Nazi symbols but they needed more time to consider a response and accused the Coalition of attempting to bring on the legislation at the last minute as a political stunt.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said Nazi ideology had no place in Australia but questioned the timing of the Coalition’s bill, saying it had been rushed and hadn’t been through “any process of scrutiny”.

“I think we should also acknowledge this is a complex area of law and any move to ban Nazi symbols deserves serious consideration,” she said.

“This is serious work that needs to be done. It deserves a serious approach and the Senate should enforce that.”

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the Coalition’s Bill was rushed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Senator Gallagher also alluded to the text messages Senator Henderson reportedly sent to Mr Pesutto regarding Ms Deeming’s participation in the Melbourne rally.

“Where is the condemnation from (Opposition Leader Peter Dutton) of reports of senior members of Mr Dutton’s frontbench undermining the Victorian Opposition Leader’s attempts to stand up to right-wing extremism in his party?” she said.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young urged the Albanese government to come up with legislation to deal with the display of Nazi symbols but said “politicking” over the issue was wrong.

“We urge those in this place to work together to deal with this properly,” she said.

“Nazi symbols being displayed in this country is wrong. And that needs to be managed. But you don’t do it by springing on a debate in this place without a proper process.”

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson said she believed “every member in this house would vote to get rid of Nazi symbols” but said the relevant legislation should be a debate for another day.

Senator Hanson defended her decision to attend British anti-transgender campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull’s rally outside Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday.

Ms Keen-Minshull, who also goes by Posie Parker, headlined the rally in Melbourne which drew the neo-Nazi presence.