The feud that Pauline Hanson started when she tweeted at Greens Senator, Mehreen Faruqi, to “piss off back to Pakistan” could now see Hanson referred to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
Senator Faruqi says Hanson’s offensive words have created a hostile and unsafe work environment, and that she is considering lodging a complaint to the AHRC, the independent body that investigates complaints about discrimination and human rights breaches.
Following Hanson’s tweet, Faruqi says she’s been subjected to further racist hate speech on social media and has been receiving abusive emails and calls.
Some such comments accuse the Senator of being part of a group of “un-Australian trolls” and describe her as an “enemy of our country.”
Senator Faruqi told SBS News that people who look like her have all been told to go back to where they come from at one point or another but that this doesn’t lessen the hurt and sorrow that the words cause.
“The kind of racist hate fuelled by these comments cannot go unaddressed,” she said. “The community, particularly migrants of colour, need to see parliament strongly condemn Senator Hanson without delay.”
So what led up to this hate speech against Faruqi? On the day of the Queen’s death, the Deputy Greens leader tweeted: “Condolences to those who knew the Queen.
“I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples.”
“We are reminded of the urgency of Treaty with First Nations, justice & reparations for British colonies & becoming a republic.”
Replying to Faruqi, One Nations leader Senator Hanson tweeted: “Your attitude appalls and disgusts me. When you immigrated to Australia you took every advantage of this country. You took citizenship, bought multiple homes, and a job in a parliament. It’s clear you’re not happy, so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan. -PH”
In response to the trolling she’s received from Hanson’s tweet, Faruqi says she “won’t be silenced and neither will the millions of others around the world affected by the brutal reality of colonisation.”
The Greens Senator remains respectful in saying that there’s going to be disagreement about the Queen’s legacy in the wake of her passing but that this doesn’t justify attacking someone’s identity.
In addition to her consideration of a complaint to the AHRC about Senator Hanson, the Greens plan to move in the Senate to censure Hanson when Parliament sits on September 26.
Responding to this “threat” of accountability, Hanson responded on Thursday, saying that the Greens’ considerations were “straight out of the woke rulebook.”
This is not the first time that Hanson has spewed hateful rhetoric as the right-wing Senator is known for giving disparaging speeches and openly sharing racist views.
And she’s not without support either. On Saturday, Jacqui Lambie in response: “Pauline right on the mark!!”
Critics of Hanson’s comments point to the importance of creating a safe workplace environment, especially in parliament which has not had the best record for workplace safety. Part of this includes holding offensive language accountable.