Newly elected Labor Senator Fatima Payman says she desires “to get to know” One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson to raised perceive her views on Islam and Muslims in Australia.
Senator Payman – a 27-year-old former refugee from Afghanistan – is the primary Afghan-Australian and the primary hijab-wearing Muslim lady in parliament.
Talking with ABC radio, she was requested about Senator Hanson’s provocative stunt to put on a burqa in Australia’s Senate as a part of her calls to ban the garment worn by some Muslims.
Senator Payman stated she believed Australia had come “very far” for the reason that 2017 incident.
“When it comes to Senator Hanson’s stunt, I feel I’d wish to get to know her extra so I’m actually wanting ahead to that,” the Western Australian senator stated.
Requested if she meant to strategy her to debate these points, Senator Payman replied: “For positive, I’m a giant believer [that] everybody has their very own story.”
“I wish to know what are some experiences she could have had – that formed her viewpoint of Islam and Muslims in Australia,” she stated.
“All it is advisable do is go in with an open thoughts and get to know one another.”
SBS Information contacted Senator Hanson for a response to Senator Payman’s provide, however she declined to remark.
In August 2017, Senator Hanson was carrying a burqa as a part of her makes an attempt to ban the burqa.
In her maiden speech to the Senate, she stated Australia was prone to being “swamped by Muslims” telling who “bear a tradition and beliefs that’s incompatible with our personal”.
She has additionally beforehand known as for a ban on Muslim immigration and advised these unwilling to “change into Australian” to “return to the place you got here from”.
In different controversial feedback made in March 2017, she described the Islamic religion as a “illness” that “we have to vaccinate ourselves towards”.
New MPs arrive in Canberra
Newly elected members of Australia’s decrease home on Tuesday gathered within the nation’s capital for a crash course on parliamentary life.
The brand new arrivals can be launched to their parliamentary roles by Speaker of the Home Andrew Wallace throughout a two-day seminar.
They are going to be taught concerning the expectations of MPs, parliamentary programs and procedures and tips on how to navigate the 75,000 sq. metre workplace that’s Parliament Home.
Unbiased MP Dai Le – who just lately gained the western Sydney seat of Fowler – stated it felt “surreal” to be becoming a member of the parliament.
Unbiased MP Dai Le. Supply: AAP / DEAN LEWINS/AAPIMAGE
“Strolling in there, strolling into your workplace after which attending to know the audio system, the clerk and the entire those who make parliament work,” she advised SBS Information.
Ms Le has change into one of many new crossbenchers, which embrace six independents and three Greens, after a wave of teal independents have been elected.
“It’s nice to fulfill all the opposite independents we’ve solely been speaking through messages so it’s nice to place names to faces,” she stated.
