Greens boss Di Natale marched over ‘pig’ jibe

The Senate will make changes to its standards after sexist slurs were slung at Sarah Hanson-Young, Mathias Cormann says.

Senator Richard Di Natale leaves the chamber after he was suspended from the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, yesterday. Picture: AAP

The Senate will make changes to its standards after sexist slurs were slung at Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young during debate, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale was suspended yesterday by a bipartisan vote after he refused to withdraw calling Coalition senator Barry O’Sullivan a “pig.”

Senator O’Sullivan made offensive comments about Senator Hanson-Young and her personal life and he withdrew his statements.

But today, he walked out of the chamber while Senator Di Natale spoke out against abusive comments aimed at female senators.

“The current rules are not working. We are allowing harassment and we are allowing women to be demeaned in this chamber,” Senator Di Natale said during the walkout.

“They stand on all sides of the chamber but predominantly they are those people who are walking out right now who aren’t strong enough, who simply cannot hear the truth.

“They are the cowards here.’’

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and independent senator Fraser Anning also walked out.

Labor senate leader Penny Wong says Coalition Senator Barry O’Sullivan “trashed” the standards of the Senate in his personal attacks against Senator Hanson-Young.

“The Senate itself will not respected if the behaviour in here demeans it,” Senator Wong said.

“We saw those expectations trashed yesterday, trashed yesterday, by Senator O’Sullivan. But he is not the first.’’

There will be a temporary order placed on the ability of senators to start debates on procedural motions. And the Senate procedure committee will look at more wholesale changes.

Senator Cormann said there is a requirement for all senators to be respectful in the chamber.

“At times that debate can become quite robust, but there is always a requirement on all of us and a responsibility for all of us to engage in the debate in a way that is appropriately robust, but also appropriately respectful,” he said.

“It is true that in recent times, and we are getting to that point of the cycle, I guess, where tensions do increase somewhat in the natural course of events, but it is very important for all of us to remind ourselves of the standards that people expect us to observe.”

Senator Di Natale’s suspension for calling Senator O’Sullivan a “pig” came after he made offensive comments about Senator Hanson-Young and her personal life.

Senator O’Sullivan had been accusing Senator Hanson-Young of poor attendance at Senate committee hearings when he made the remarks. “She didn’t turn up. She didn’t front … It was her inquiry co-sponsored with the Labor Party and she didn’t turn up.

“There’s a bit of Nick Xenophon in her — and I don’t mean that to be a double reference — but there’s a bit of Xenophon in her, references com­mit­tees and not ­attending,” Senator O’Sullivan said.

Senator Di Natale replied: “He’s an absolute pig. He should be booted out. He’s a disgrace!”

Senate president Scott Ryan asked Senator O’Sullivan and Senator Di Natale to withdraw their comments, but the Greens leader refused. “You are leaving me with no option, Senator Di ­Natale,” Senator Ryan warned.

As a result, the Senate voted to eject Senator Di Natale. Only the Greens senators voted not to suspend their leader.

“Real men don’t insult and threaten women, they don’t slut-shame them, and they don’t attack them and make them feel bullied in their workplace,” Senator ­Hanson-Young said.

Speaking afterwards, Senator Di Natale said his female colleagues had endured “a pattern” of unacceptable sexist behaviour over a period of months, “some whispers, some on the record”.

With Rosie Lewis