Protests mark return of parliament as One Nation backs out of welcome to country

One Nation senators turned their backs during an acknowledgment to country in the upper house, following an anti-Israel protest by Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi.

Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Roberts, Warwick Stacey and Tyron Whitten turn their backs on the welcome to country in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

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One Nation senators turned their backs during an acknowledgment to country in the upper house, following an interruption by Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi of Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s opening of parliament with an anti-Israel protest, in a rowdy beginning to the Albanese government’s second term.

As Opposition Leader Sussan Ley sought to differentiate herself from Peter Dutton by embracing the role of acknowledgments and welcome to country ceremonies ahead of parliament resuming this week, Pauline Hanson and all three of her party colleagues protested the practice by turning away from the Senate president during the reading.

While Senator Hanson has turned her back during the acknowledgment before, it is the first time her colleague Malcolm Roberts has chosen to do so.

Newly elected One ­Nation senators Warwick Stacey and Tyron Whitten also turned their backs, marking the most ­people to protest against acknowledgments in the opening of parliament.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi holds up a pro-Palestine sign during Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s address in the Senate for the opening of the 48th Parliament. Picture: Martin Oldman

It follows Mr Dutton declaring welcome to country ceremonies were “overdone”, garnering criticism from colleagues internally who blasted the prioritisation of culture wars over solid policy at the 2025 election.

Anthony Albanese invoked Mr Dutton’s failed campaign to garner support over the issue and said the ceremony was “not controversial today. Nor should it be.”

“What a welcome to country does is hold out, like a hand warmly and graciously extended, an opportunity for us to embrace and to show a profound love of home and country,’’ the Prime Minister said.

Senator Hanson said the One Nation protest reflected what she had heard from constituents who were “fed up” with the “divisive” ceremony being held arbitrarily.

It came as a vastly different parliament was sworn in on Tuesday, with Labor MPs spilling over to seats once occupied by the Greens and the Coalition not able to fully fill one-quarter of the benches.

As anti-Israel protesters were ejected from parliament’s main entrance earlier in the day, Senator Faruq brandished a sign calling for Israel to be sanctioned during the Governor-General’s address to mark the official return of ­parliament.

While sitting in the Senate for the address, Senator Faruqi wore a green kufiya and held up a sign that said: “Gaza is starving. Words won’t feed them. Sanction Israel.”

The protest signals that the Greens will continue to protest against Israel’s role in the Middle East conflict, as the party did during Labor’s first term, and took place as a pro-Palestinian vigil was held on the lawns of parliament

Arrests were made after protested swarmed the marble foyer inside parliament and were detained by police.

Despite Labor MPs being widely jovial, even bursting into laughter when Anne Urquhart stood next to former basketballer Matt Smith, reaching only his hip, not all members of government looked pleased by the changes enacted for this term.

Former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus, demoted to the backbench in May, was seated three rows back from the frontbench, just two rows from the exit.

Ed Husic, also demoted from cabinet after the election, was seated on the outer side of the horseshoe dominated by Labor.

Where once the Muslim MP sat with the most senior people in the party, he now sat between newly elected member for Moreton Julie-Ann Campbell and member for the WA seat of Swan, Zaneta Mascarenhas.

Ms Mascarenhas was one of two MPs wearing traditional dress, entering her house adorned with a purple sari.

Independent Dai Le wore traditional Vietnamese dress, covered in an Australian flag print.

There were multiple moments during the swearing in where a Bible, Quran and Torah were used by members who had approached the central table in the house to making a religious affirmation.

Tony Burke brought in his iconic bible, almost as big as the dispatch box, while Richard Marles held a bible that fitted in his palm and Jewish MPs including Julian Leeser, Josh Burns and Mr Dreyfus wore kippahs.

On the Coalition benches, newly returned Tim Wilson sat immediately in the front row, while once-relegated Alex Hawke, who last term sat in the back corner with Scott Morrison, was also on the frontbench.

Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister Pat Gorman was seated shoulder to shoulder with independent Andrew Wilkie, due the bulging government numbers which demanded they spill into the section of parliament meant for the crossbench.

House Speaker Milton Dick was voted in for another term, with Michael McCormack speaking in favour on behalf of the Coalition.

Senate president Sue Lines was also re-elected.