Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Sarah Basford Canales

Payman, Thorpe and Faruqi demand Labor change parliamentary rules to counter ‘overt’ racism

Australia HansonOne Nation Leader Pauline Hanson wears a burqa in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson wears a burqa in the Senate chamber at Parliament House in Canberra. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AP

Increasingly ugly abuse in federal parliament has prompted a group of independents and the Greens to call for an urgent intervention from Labor to change the rules, warning that allowing racism and bigotry to “fester” is corroding democracy.

Guardian Australia can reveal independents Fatima Payman and Lidia Thorpe, and the Greens’ Mehreen Faruqi are demanding Senate president Sue Lines take the problem seriously with a new inquiry and mandatory anti-racism training for politicians.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.