On separate occasions in 2017 and 2025, Pauline Hanson, a senator for Queensland and leader of One Nation, wore a burqa into the chamber of the Australian Senate as a form of protest over that chamber's refusal to consider a ban on full-face coverings throughout Australia. Hanson, a prominent conservative political figure in Australia, has long supported a ban on full-face coverings, including the Islamic burqa and niqab, citing threats to Australian national security. In both incidents, she was widely condemned by the senate, and in 2025 was censured. Despite widespread condemnation, former Nationals leader and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce expressed his support, as did senator Ralph Babet.
On 17 August 2017, Hanson wore a burqa into the senate for the first time, protesting the lack of a full-face covering ban in Australia. Her actions were met with an impassioned speech by then-leader of the government in the senate, George Brandis. After this protest, a poll conducted found that 57% of Australians supported banning the burqa in public spaces, with 44% claiming strong support. In the previous parliamentary term, she was also joined by Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie in calls for a burqa ban.
In the lead up to the 2025 incident, One Nation was experiencing a polling surge, hitting 20% in a RedBridge poll. It was also revealed in 2025 that Iran had conducted multiple terrorist attacks within Australia in 2024.
On 24 November 2025, in a repeat of her 2017 actions, Hanson wore a burqa into the senate following the chamber's refusal to grant her leave to introduce a bill on the ban of full-face coverings. Prior to entering the chamber, she posted a Facebook post of her wearing it in her office, with the following statement:
After walking into the chamber, she was heckled across the chamber, including by Fatima Payman, a Muslim senator from Western Australia, asking "Did she just come from Afghanistan!" Upon Hanson taking her seat, a number of senators sought the call to request the intervention of the president. Eventually, the president requested she leave the chamber, which Hanson refused to do. After further debate, Hanson left the chamber alongside other One Nation senators as well as United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet.
On 25 November, she was censured by the senate.
During the 2017 incident, then Leader of the Government in the Senate, George Brandis of the Liberal Party launched an impassioned speech against Hanson stating:
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) politician Wiebke Muhsal wore a niqab to the Thuringian Landtag (state parliament) in a protest calling for a ban on the face covering in 2016.