Mehreen Faruqi mulls human rights commission. Greens senator says One Nation leader created hostile and unsafe workplace. Also, she is subjected to racist hate speech by others.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has accused Senator Pauline Hanson of creating a hostile and unsafe workplace and is considering a complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission after the One Nation leader told her to “piss off back to Pakistan” on social media.
Faruqi said she had been subjected to racist hate speech from others on social media after a tweet from Hanson, who last week took offense over her comments about the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The standoff between the two senators began on 9 September, the day of the Queen’s death, Faruqi, deputy leader of the Greens, tweeted: “I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonized peoples.”
Hanson quote-tweeted that post to her own followers, replying: “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.”
That tweet was signed “PH”, indicating Hanson had personally written the post.
Senator Jacqui Lambie became embroiled after initially tweeting that Hanson was “right on the mark” with her response, before later clarifying that she didn’t “agree with all of Pauline’s tweet, or the language she used”.
Faruqi on Wednesday fired back at the One Nation leader and said the Greens would look to move a censure motion when parliament resumes for normal business on 26 September.
Faruqi said she believed parliament and politics should be a “safe workplace” free from such hostility.
“The kind of racist hate fuelled by these comments cannot go unaddressed. The community, particularly migrants of color, need to see parliament strongly condemn Senator Hanson without delay,” Faruqi told.
It is understood Faruqi is considering a complaint to the human rights commission. Or the parliamentary workplace support system, over Hanson’s tweet.
“People who look like me heard to go back to where they come from. I’ve copped it more times than I can count, but the hurt and sorrow it causes never lessens,” Faruqi said.
“Of course there’s going to be disagreement about the Queen’s legacy in the wake of her passing. However, there’s never an excuse for attacking someone for who they are. I will not be silent and neither will the millions of others around the world affected by the brutal reality of colonization.”
Faruqi challenged Labor, and Lambie, to support the censure.
“No decent workplace would tolerate such brazen discrimination against a colleague. The Jenkins review showed us how toxic and unsafe parliament can be. If parliament is to be a safe workplace, we need to send a clear message that this hostility to migrants and people of color will not be tolerated,” she said.
Faruqi’s office said she had received emails from critics over her comments. She received abusive and hateful emails.