Pauline Hanson backtracks on ‘repugnant’ comments against Pakistani-born Greens senator after she offered to take her ‘to the airport’

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson was temporarily gagged after being barred from speaking in the Senate after offering to take Pakistan-born Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi ‘to the airport’.

During a debate on counter-terrorism legislation on Monday, Ms Hanson made a personal comment about Ms Faruqi, which she recited again on Wednesday.

“I’ll take you to the airport, put you on the plane and wave you away,” she said.

The One Nation leader is already being sued by Ms Faruqi over similar comments she made on social media site X earlier this year.

Ms. Faruqi’s colleague, Larissa Waters, on Wednesday asked Senate President Sue Lines to order Hanson to retract the “despicable” and “race-based” comment.

Ms Hanson was temporarily gagged after initially rejecting the request, before later withdrawing the ‘unparliamentary’ comments and avoiding further censure.

“It’s tantamount to saying, ‘Go back where you came from,’” Ms. Waters said.

“As if Senator Faruqi isn’t Australian. As if Senator Faruqi is not a citizen of this country.

“As if she isn’t an elected representative for the people of New South Wales.”

Ms Hanson responded to Ms Waters’ request by repeating her speech on Monday.

“I said Sen. Faruqi, I’ll tell you again, if you don’t see yourself as loving, as someone who loves this country and abides by the laws of the land, I have no problem. I’ll actually take you to the airport,” Mrs. Hanson said.

Ms Lines then ordered Ms Hanson to withdraw the ‘personal reflection’, to which Hanson said: ‘That’s a serious matter, let me think about it. Let me think about it.

“Look, Senator Faruqi, there’s a tissue here if you want.”

Ms. Lines, who was not in the Senate on Monday, told Ms. Hanson that “personal reflections” are against Senate policy and again ordered her to withdraw.

‘I’m in the room now. I’m the president. You have made a personal reflection,” she said.

‘It’s not up for debate. “I asked you to withdraw that and I remind you again that you must withdraw,” she said.

However, Ms Hanson argued she “made the same statements at immigration ceremonies” and “spoke for millions of Australians”.

On her last chance to withdraw the comment, Ms Hanson said: “I expect the senators here to respect the Australian people and our laws.”

Ms Faruqi, who was hugged by colleagues as she left the Senate, asked people to be held accountable for what they say in the chamber.

‘Because that’s how we set the standard here. By holding people accountable for what comes out of their mouths, especially… language that is racist,” she said.

Pauline Hanson was temporarily gagged after speaking in the Senate after telling Pakistani-born Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi (above): ‘I’ll take you to the airport, put you on a plane and wave you away’

However, One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts defended Ms Hanson’s speech, saying she ‘did not refer to race and did not even refer to skin colour’.

“(Hanson) was talking about going home. That is it. And yet this is yet another sting because you’re afraid of Senator Hanson,” he said.

After Ms. Hanson refused to retract her personal comment about Faruqi, Ms. Lines issued a rare silence order against Hanson speaking on the Senate floor until she reviewed her comments.

Ms Hanson walked back into the Senate just before 7.15pm and announced she would withdraw her comment.

“I withdraw any comments deemed unparliamentary this week,” she said.

Ms Faruqi released a statement on Thursday saying Ms Hanson must be held accountable.

“If Parliament wants to be a safe place to work, it must set the standard that any form of bigotry and racism is unacceptable,” she said.

“People who look like me have all been told to ‘go back to where they came from,’ and it’s harmful and unacceptable every time.

“I’ve experienced it more times than I can count, and so have many others in the community. Enough is enough!’

Ny Breaking Australia has contacted Pauline Hanson for comment.