Victorian Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has accused Virgin Australia staff of racially profiling her while she waited to board a plane at Canberra Airport late last year.
Senator Thorpe told the ABC's RN Breakfast program that she was waiting in the express queue to board her flight from the national capital in December, but after seven minutes had not been able to continue onto the plane.
Senator Thorpe, a Gunnai-Gunditjmara woman and the first Aboriginal senator from Victoria, said she was ignored by Virgin Australia staff.
She said that after a while she noticed passengers were being processed through the general queue for the remainder of the plane's seats and so joined that line instead, in the hope of being able to board.
But even then, she said she encountered difficulty.
"I then proceeded to the ... desk, where I was told that my handbag was over [weight], which contained my parliamentary iPad and phones, and was asked to take out my water bottle, take out my denim jacket, which I did.
"And then I was told it was still over [weight], and .... I didn't know what to do."
The senator said she was told that she would have to leave something behind, and when she said she was not able to, airline staff called security.
Senator Thorpe said she was able to catch a Qantas flight home to Victoria later in the day but had not forgotten her experience with Virgin.
"I don't think this would have happened to a white woman," she said.
In a statement to the ABC, Virgin Australia said it was unable to comment in relation to the specific incident, but that it was aware of a complaint being made.
The airline said that on the day Senator Thorpe attempted to board their plane, they were experiencing "major disruptions" due to check-in delays caused by an airport baggage system malfunction.
"The accusations made are counter-cultural for our organisation and are being thoroughly investigated. Virgin Australia will respond privately in due course."
Online register to report racism launched
Senator Thorpe spoke about her experience with the airline while promoting a new service for First Nations people to report incidents of racism.
The Call It Out register is an online reporting system that aims to illustrate the true nature of racism and how it is experienced across Australia.
Reports of racism and discrimination made to the register will be collected and analysed by the Jumbunna Institute, and will inform an annual report.
Those behind the register said the findings would be published as part of an effort to raise awareness and drive systematic change.
Senator Thorpe said her experience was just one of many experienced every day by people of colour in Australia.
She admitted there could be an innocent explanation for what happened, but said she wanted to receive an explanation from the airline.
"How they made me feel and how I was completely disrespected, I'd like to have an explanation around that," she said.
She said she hoped something positive could come out of what occurred.
"I'm happy to work with both [Canberra Airport and Virgin Airways] to look at what happened and how can we create a safe space for people of colour when they go into these environments," she said.
"We've got to end systemic racism and all forms of racism in this country because it's a sickness and it makes people sick."
