Pauline Hanson’s burka stunt leads to push for Senate dress code

The Senate President will call for a formal dress code after Pauline Hanson’s stunt.

One Nation senator Pauline Hanson wears a burka in the Senate. Picture: Gary Ramage

Senate president Stephen Parry will urge the upper house to consider adopting a formal dress code in the wake of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s controversial decision to wear a burka into the chamber to make a political point.

The Australian can reveal Senator Parry is planning to refer the lack of a formal dress code to the Senate standing committee on procedure where it can be properly considered and, if agreed, put to a vote in the upper house to amend the standing orders.

Senator Parry will also ask the procedure committee to examine the powers of the Senate president to enforce any new dress code.

Currently, the Senate president does not have the power to eject people from the chamber — a power that is often exercised by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The last time a senator was suspended from the chamber was after the upper house voted in favour of a motion to eject Greens senator Bob Brown in March 2003 under section 204 of the standing orders. Senator Brown had ­accused then prime minister John Howard of blackmail in a debate over the Timor Sea Treaty and refused to withdraw the comment when directed.

While there are no formal dress rules for the Senate, there are clear provisions governing the conduct of senators when in the chamber. These include a prohibition on T-shirts and clothes that promote political messages.

The most recent guidance notes on Senate procedure state it is “not in order for senators to hold up newspapers or placards in the chamber, or to wear T-shirts or other clothing bearing slogans”.

The guidance notes also state that senators “may not have on their desks items which are offensive to other senators”. The procedure committee to which Senator Parry will deliver his reference is chaired by Senate deputy president, West Australian Labor senator Sue Lines, and comprises government and opposition senators as well as one Greens member. While the procedure committee is not required to reach a consensus, any recommended changes to standing orders will need to be passed by a majority vote in the Senate.

The Australian understands Labor is not inclined to support an amendment to the Senate standing orders to formalise a dress code in the wake of the Hanson burka incident.

Senator Lines yesterday said she did not support changing the standing orders to “outlaw stunts” and argued it was important to ensure people of faith were able to wear religious garments in the upper house.

“Hanson abused an accepted religious dress code,” Senator Lines told The Australian. “Our dress code would enable those of faiths to be able to wear religious garb into the parliament and I wouldn’t want to see that changed. Senator (Pat) Dodson adheres to and respects the dress code when he removes his hat in the Senate.”

Victorian Liberal senator James Paterson said that any garments “extraneous to normal clothing” should not be allowed by the standing orders.