Pauline Hanson and One Nation colleagues turn their backs on Acknowledgement of Country inside Parliament - as she makes a surprising nomination for Senate leader
The One Nation leader was joined in protest by her colleagues Malcolm Roberts and newly elected senators Warwick Stacey (NSW) and Tyron Whitten (WA).
Hanson has long railed against Welcome to Country ceremonies, labelling them 'unnecessary' and 'divisive.'
'I've made this protest on my own for years, but today, our whole team made it clear: we've had enough of being told we don't belong in our own country,' Hanson said on Tuesday.
'We took this stand because we're listening to Australians, hardworking, decent people who are sick of being lectured to in their own country.'
Back in September, the controversial Senator urged Australians to reject the tradition, claiming it excluded non-Indigenous people.
'If they are not to cater to white people, then why are white people constantly subjected to them? These welcomes are based on lies that Australia is not our home. So many people tell me they are just over it,' she said at the time.
She also argued the ceremonies had been allowed to 'fester for too long' and should be scrapped from public events entirely.
But Hanson's protest wasn't the only curveball she threw.
In a surprising twist, the Queensland senator nominated progressive Independent David Pocock to serve as President of the Senate, a political move that left many in the chamber stunned.
'I would like to nominate David Pocock,' Hanson said.
Pocock, a former Wallabies captain and senator for the ACT, is known for his strong stance on climate action and progressive reform, often clashing with Hanson's views.
Caught off guard, Pocock politely declined the nomination.
'I am very flattered that you would put me forward,' he said. 'I would politely decline the nomination, but thank you.'
Ultimately, Labor's Sue Lines was re-elected Senate President, a role she's held since 2022.
Though Pocock was once a crucial swing vote during the Albanese government's first term, Labor's bolstered Senate numbers now mean it only needs the Greens' support to pass legislation.
Hanson wasn't the only senator making a statement on opening day.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi held up a pro-Palestine sign during Governor-General Sam Mostyn's address to mark the start of the 48th Parliament.
Hanson is no stranger to headline-grabbing stunts.
In 2017, she entered the Senate chamber wearing a burqa to push her campaign for banning the religious garment, a move that was widely condemned, including by then-Attorney-General George Brandis, who called it 'appalling.'
Parliament returned on Tuesday for the first time since the May 3 election and will sit for two weeks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley are set to face off in their first Question Time on Wednesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
What are the corruption issues behind Ukrainian protests against Zelensky?
Thousands of people, including veterans, took to the streets of Kyiv on Tuesday evening to protest against president Volodymyr Zelensky's anti-corruption measures. The demonstrations, which have reportedly spread to Lviv and Dnipro, are the first public protests against the Ukrainian president since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Some of those outside Mr Zelensky's presidential office claimed Ukraine was ' turning into Russia ', with placards reading 'welcome to Russia', according to reports. 'We chose Europe, not autocracy,' read one placard by a demonstrator. Another read: 'My father did not die for this.' So why are people protesting, and what are the anti-corruption measures? The Independent takes a closer look below. What are the anti-corruption measures? Kyiv has toughened restrictions on two anti-corruption agencies at the centre of the government's reform drive, rolling back their autonomy in favour of tighter executive control. Stamping out endemic graft - a form of political corruption - is a requirement for Kyiv to join the European Union as well as to secure billions in Western aid. Amendments passed on Tuesday grant the general prosecutor, appointed by the president, strict control over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. The vote came a day after Kyiv's domestic security agency arrested two NABU officials on suspicion of ties to Russia and conducted sweeping searches into agency employees on other grounds. Mr Zelensky, whose party holds a majority in parliament, approved the amendments late on Tuesday. Anti-corruption bodies would continue to function 'but without any Russian influence', the president said. Why are people protesting? Demonstrator Vladyslava Kirstyuk, 18, said memories of her childhood in occupied eastern Ukraine, after Russia's covert invasion in 2014, left a strong impression. 'I know what it means for one person to have all the power, when nothing is transparent and everything is working against you," she said. "I don't want it to be the same for us here.' Oleksiy Goncharenko, an opposition MP who voted against the measure, said the bill was 'about the end of the independence of anti-corruption bodies inside Ukraine', blaming the 'personal choice of President Zelensky'. What has been the reaction? The vote drew sharp criticism from the heads of both agencies and a top EU official, and spurred the largest public protests since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Writing on X, EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said she was "seriously concerned" by Tuesday's vote. "The dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU's independence is a serious step back," she said, adding that rule of law was at "the very centre" of EU accession talks. Benjamin Haddad, France's European Affairs minister, said it was not too late for Ukraine to reverse its decision to roll back the autonomy of two anti-corruption agencies at the centre of the country's reform drive. A Western diplomat familiar with Ukraine's reform effort described the developments as "the most dangerous moment" yet for the independence of anti-corruption authorities. "The Ukrainian side is testing the limits more and more," the person said, referring to the patience of Kyiv's allies. After the protests, Mr Zelensky met anti-corruption and security officials on Wednesday and promised the creation of a joint plan to fight corruption within two weeks. "We all hear what society is saying. We see what people expect from state institutions and ensured justice and the effective functioning of each institution,' he said.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Awkward moment political party backing a pro-squatter candidate gets a brutal taste of its own medicine
Activist Drew Pavlou has infuriated a minor political party, after filming himself pretending to be homeless inside the Victorian Socialists headquarters. Pavlou arrived uninvited at the party's Melbourne office on Tuesday, camera rolling, and claimed he was there to 'squat', echoing a stance by a party's candidate. 'Hello guys, I'm at the Victorian Socialists Office,' he announces in the video. 'They actually support squatting, they support people getting inside buildings and squatting. So I thought I would squat inside the Victorian Socialists HQ.' He then amps up the performance, lying down on the floor and wrapping himself in a sleeping bag. 'I'm homeless and I'm a meth addict and I haven't been able to get housing due to the capitalist system, so I thought I would just crash here for a few nights.' A visibly uncomfortable staff member calmly asks him to stop filming and leave, which he does, just under a minute after arriving, as soon as his cameraman lowers the camera. The stunt follows comments made by Victorian Socialists Senate candidate Jordan van den Lamb, also known online as Purplepingers, who urged people in 2024 to squat in vacant properties. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Drew Pavlou (@drewpavlou) One of his posts was linked to a high-profile incident in April 2025, when a Melbourne woman's home was broken into after the address was shared online. The squatters changed the locks, sold her late father's possessions, and left her with a $70,000 repair bill, a cost her insurer refused to cover. At the time, Pavlou criticised van den Lamb, calling him 'unhinged.' After the stunt, Pavlou posted to social media slamming the Victorian Socialists as hypocrites. 'The Victorian Socialists officially support breaking into homes and squatting so I thought I would take a sleeping bag and pillow and try sleep in their front office for a few nights,' Pavlou wrote. 'They threatened to call the police on me as an unhoused neurodivergent POC. Zero solidarity.' The Victorian Socialists fired back on Wednesday with a scathing statement, accusing Pavlou of exploiting the issue of homelessness for clicks. 'Yesterday we were paid a visit by right-wing social media 'influencer' Drew Pavlou who was cosplaying homelessness in order to generate engagement for his social media pages,' the party said. 'He was asked to leave by one of our young volunteers (no-one threatened to call the police on him as he claimed in his posts about the stunt) and he did so as soon as his cameraman was no longer able to film him, about one minute in total.' They also used the opportunity to distance themselves from the stunt, reminding supporters they take the issue seriously. 'As a party, we take the issue of homelessness very seriously, and have developed a policy plan that would, if implemented, mean people in actual housing emergencies have a chance of finding secure shelter.' Victorian Socialists also said they didn't have a party policy on squatting, but did 'oppose perfectly good housing being left empty long-term without a good reason' 'One of our policies is to seize those empty for 12 months or more for use as public housing,' they wrote. Pavlou hit back on social media, saying he was not politically right wing. 'I am not a right wing social media influencer, I am a social democrat philosopher and intellectual. Read some theory and get back to me you infantile leftists,' he wrote. Victorian Socialists supporters criticised Pavlou for his acts. 'This is behaviour I would expect from a toddler' someone wrote on social media. 'He inadvertently made a statement about what it's like to sleep rough,' said another. Pavlou's followers meanwhile backed his protest. 'Oh so suddenly private property is a thing?? Good on you Drew,' said one follower. 'This is awesome. You forgot their main philosophy which is they only care about things if it doesn't affect them personally. They are only generous with other people's money and property, not their own.' wrote another. Pavlou became known in 2019, after a protest against the Chinese Communist Party saw him suspended from the University of Queensland. He has since remained an outspoken critic of the Chinese and Russian Governments, and like Van Den Lamb, unsuccessfully ran for the Australian Senate in 2022.
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Escorting Epping protesters was a safety decision
Escorting pro-refugee protesters to demonstrations outside an asylum hotel was a "public safety decision", a police force were filmed escorting about 50 people to and from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on 17 group went on to clash with rival protesters calling for the hotel to stop housing asylum seekers, leading to eight constables being Police denied "collaborating" with those supporting the hotel occupants and said it was standard practice to facilitate a lawful protest. The force is due to hold a press conference explaining its policing of the demonstrations on than 1,000 people have attended protests across 13, 17 and 20 July. A police spokesman said the officers would not stop the counter-protesters attending the hotel, so chose to escort them there in an effort to prevent were later accused of "giving protesters lifts" when taking them to a line of waiting vans after disorder broke out, which involved objects being the spokesman insisted officers had to act "on the ground at that moment" to ensure they could concentrate on policing the counter-protesters were taken to a side street and police blocked Epping High Street with their men have been charged with violent disorder in connection to the protests on 17 was also accused of criminally damaging a hotel sign, while a fifth man was accused of refusing to remove a face covering. The demonstrations followed a man living in the hotel being charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and was remanded in custody during a hearing on have also been staged outside the Britannia International Hotel in London's Canary Wharf after it was designated as asylum Wood, a former Tower Hamlets Conservative councillor, told the BBC the hotel became asylum housing within the past few Home Office refused to confirm if that was true, but denied rumours on social media that migrants from the Bell Hotel were being moved a spokesman for Tower Hamlets Council said: "We are aware of the government's decision to use the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf to provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
