14/03/2026
Abuse and racism in the Senate have reached a level where the chamber's president must intervene, a group of independents and Greens say, calling for mandatory anti-racism training for politicians.
The call follows a motion moved by Senator Mehreen Faruqi on behalf of herself and Senator Thorpe to refer behaviour in the Senate to the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure, which was voted down last week.
Senators Thorpe and Faruqi, along with Fatima Payman, wrote to Senate President Sue Lines on Wednesday morning, urging her to act on the "overt and insidious" racism the three say they have experienced in the chamber.
The letter — seen by National Indigenous Times — said that when the senators have attempted to call out the behaviour they have witnessed, they have often been "punished for it", leaving them feeling "belittled, isolated and worn down simply for doing our jobs".
"Over the years, we have repeatedly faced racism inside the Chamber. Yet we are the ones targeted for calling out racist conduct, forced to withdraw truthful statements about racism, and regularly told we are out of order and out of line," the letter said.
"Allowing racism — overt or subtle — to fester in the Parliament undermines its integrity. It corrodes democracy. It harms people. It signals to young women of colour across the country that their participation in public life will be met with hostility, belittlement and punishment. It discourages future leaders from stepping forward, from speaking out, and from trusting that their Parliament is a place for them."
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Senator Thorpe said none of the concerns raised was "new".
"No other workplace would allow this kind of behaviour," she said. "No other workplace allows people to be racist — except this place. And when we do call it out — we're the wild, crazy black women with mental health; we're demonised, for simply standing up against racism."
The Victorian Senator said Parliament should be setting a leadership example for the rest of the country. Instead, "It's not; it's making excuses and covering up racism and telling the rest of the country that there's nothing to see."
In a statement, Senator Faruqi said: "Racism does not exist only at neo-Nazi rallies and One Nation press conferences. It is alive and well in the Senate, and women of colour who stand up to the government are subjected to it even in these halls of power."
"I understand that there is a need for robust debate in parliament, and I participate in that robust debate, but I will never accept that racism has to be part of my job. We must draw the line at racism," she added.
In their letter, the three pointed to far-right Senator Pauline Hanson's burqa stunt last year. Liberal Senator Slade Brockman — acting as deputy president at the time — said: "Dress is a matter for an individual senator's conscience" and refused to take action.
Both Senators Thorpe and Faruqi were asked to resume their seats when they raised points of order. When Senator Payman also attempted to raise a point of order, Senator Brockman responded, "On the same issue, I take it?" in what the letter described as a "condescending" tone.
"This patronising behaviour publicly undermines women of colour, like us, seeking to speak to an issue that directly impacts them and their community," the senators said.
"This behaviour is part of a broader pattern where we are treated as interruptions, as irritants and as subjects for ridicule and criticism, rather than as equal members of the chamber."
Senator Hanson — who in 2024 was found to have breached 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in a social media post about Senator Faruqi — spent more than 25 minutes in the chamber, according to parliamentary video, before the sitting was suspended. She was eventually censured and suspended for seven days.
Despite Senator Hanson's comments — where she told Senator Faruqi to "p**s off back to Pakistan" — Labor refused to censure her, the letter says, even after the Federal Court ruling. Earlier this month, the Liberals also refused to censure her over comments that there are no good Muslims, arguing a censure should only be used for the most serious matters.
Last week, Senator Hanson allegedly swore at Senator Thorpe in the chamber during a heated sitting. After speaking on another matter, the Victorian senator said she had been "called a bitch by the racist".
"Multiple inquiries and reports, including those looking into bullying, harassment and racism in Parliament, have already warned of a racist culture," the letter states, urging Senator Lines to take "immediate steps to ensure that the Senate is a safe, anti-racist and respectful workplace for all members".
"This must include recognising and addressing the racism faced by women of colour like us in the Chamber. And it must start with changing the way standing orders are used, ending double standards, and it must include mandatory anti-racism training for all parliamentarians, including and starting with those who have the honour and privilege of overseeing proceedings."
Last week, the motion brought by Senators Thorpe and Faruqi to refer behaviour in the Senate to the Senate Standing Committee on Procedure, was voted down.
It asked the committee to examine whether changes to the language and interpretation of standing orders are needed "to eliminate language, behaviour, decision-making and practices that are sexist, racist or otherwise exclusionary and discriminatory". A similar motion brought by the two senators in 2024 was supported by the government and referred to the committee, but no report was delivered before the last election.
Labor's Senate leader Katy Gallagher said that while the "conduct and behaviour of senators in this place has deteriorated to an unacceptable level," the government would not support the motion. She argued that referring the issue to the committee would not be a "solution to remedy that behaviour".
- by Dechlan Brennan, National Indigenous Times https://bit.ly/40w9wj6
