Senators from the Green Party stormed out of the Australian Senate as newly-elected member Pauline Hanson made her maiden speech and warned those unwilling to adapt to the Australian way of life to “go back to where you came from”.
As Breitbart London reported, Senator Hanson told the chamber Australia is “in danger of being swamped by Muslims” resulting in its people “living under Sharia law” unless the country radically changes its immigration policy.
Now video has emerged that shows the left-wing Green Party representatives fleeing as the One Nation party leader spoke. One by one they left before taking to social media to explain why they were affronted by her exercise of free speech and sought to “stand with those people hurt by her words”. Watch the exit below:
Greens leader Richard Di Natale tweeted about the offence he felt:
“Together, our MPs have left Senator Pauline Hanson’s 1st speech because we’ll call out racism wherever it occurs, including Parliament,” Mr. Di Natale wrote.
“Racism has no place in Parliament but that is what we have just heard from Senator Hanson. I stand with those people hurt by her words.”
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young echoed Mr. Di Natale’s sentiment, also taking to Twitter to air her outrage.
“I won’t be sitting by and letting racism and bigotry get an easy hearing in our nations Parliament. It has no place in a modern, smart Australia,” she wrote.
One person who called out the Greens for their intellectual cowardice was former Australian Prime Minister John Howard. He backed Senator Hanson’s right to be heard and her views respected – even by those who might disagree.
According to ABC News, he told the Lateline television programme that Senator Hanson was “entitled to be treated in a respectful fashion by the rest of the Parliament.
“I think that reflects poorly on them.”
He told 774 ABC Melbourne earlier that it would be a mistake to generalise Ms. Hanson and her supporters as bigots.
“When I was in politics I always thought it was a mistake and it was inaccurate and it was unfair to brand her supporters as racist and it remains my view, and I don’t think anything is gained by those allegations,” he said.
Mr. Howard said the Parliament should deal with the newly elected senator on the merits of individual issues.
“When she was wrong I said so and when she wasn’t wrong I didn’t say anything,” he said.
Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com
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