Tuesday 27 September 2022 11:14 PM Penny Wong loses it at Pauline Hanson trends now
Foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has blasted Pauline Hanson over comments made in the Senate, admitting they brought back painful childhood memories.
The One Nation leader sparked uproar in the Senate and was branded a 'scumbag' for refusing to withdraw a tweet telling Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi to 'p*** off back to Pakistan'.
Senator Hanson doubled down on her attack on Tuesday when she offered to take Senator Faruqi 'to the airport' after the Greens deputy leader tweeted saying she could not mourn Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Her controversial comments prompted an extraordinary response from Malaysian-born Labor Senate leader Wong, who condemned Ms Hanson's comments 'without reservation' in an emotionally charged speech.
Senator Wong admitted she's still triggered by bigotry as she backed a parliamentary push to condemn Senator Hanson's speech.
Labor Senate leader Penny Wong was among those shocked by Pauline Hanson's speech
'I think they're appalling, and they're comments that have been levelled at me countless times since I arrived in this country, and I remember getting them as a kid in the schoolyard,' Senator Wong said.
'Can I say to Senator Faruqi, we on this side do understand your grievance at the comment, and we understand why you are calling out such behaviour, and I pick up something that Senator Faruqi said in her contribution about how triggering this is.'
'It's true, it is. It's triggering each time you hear it. I'm the Senate leader, I still get triggered, and I wonder how it is for kids in the schoolyard who get the same thing.'
Senator Wong also referenced her inaugural speech in parliament two decades ago.
'How long do you have to be here, and how much do you have to love this country before you're accepted? How long?' she said.
Senator Faruqi moved a motion to censure Ms Hanson, saying, 'I have the right to talk about this issue (the Queen and the empire) without being racially vilified'.
'We've got to name and shame racism ... it is a symbolic but important step that everyone in this place can take to make clear that we condemn racism in all its forms, shapes and sizes,' the Greens Senator added.
The Senate eventually passed an amended motion which doesn't specifically censure Hanson but instead called on all senators 'to engage in debates and commentary respectfully, and to refrain from inflammatory and divisive comments, both inside and outside the chamber at all times'.