Senators Jacinta Price and Pauline Hanson were ordered to remove Australian flags from the Senate on Sept. 3, which was Australia’s National Flag Day.
The order to remove the flags came after Greens Senator Nick McKim complained as Price addressed the Senate while draped in the national symbol.
The Senate president can decide what constitutes disorderly conduct in the Senate, which may include the use of props, symbols or signs.
This is because visual elements can be viewed as distracting from verbal debate.
McKim argued that if the Australian flag is allowed, then he should be allowed to address the Senate draped in the Palestinian flag.
“I do want to make a point that if it’s ok for Senator Nampijinpa Price to wrap herself in this flag, I would intend to wrap myself in a Palestinian flag and come into the chamber and exercise the same rights that Senator Nampijinpa Price is currently exercising,” he said.
McKim asked for a ruling on whether the wearing of the flag constituted a prop.
In response, Deputy President Liberal Senator Slade Brockman ordered Price to remove her flag.
“We do not want to set a precedent in this place that would have very unfortunate consequences for the future,” he said.
Greens members have themselves brought props into the chambers in the past, including earlier this year when Senator Sarah Hanson-Young brought a dead salmon with her to protest legislation she said would harm the species.
The fish was ordered to be removed.
More recently, Greens Deputy Leader Senator Mehreen Faruqi held up a pro-Palestine sign which resulted in her being barred for the remainder of the term.
In response to McKim’s argument, Price noted some Greens members had worn the keffiyah—a woven cloth that has come to be incorporated into the pro-Palestine movement.
“You can wear a keffiyeh in here, perhaps you should remove that article from you whenever you walk through these chambers for the benefit of all Australians in this country,” she said.
“Yes, snark all you like, it’s revolting.
“You don’t love this country the way I do, certainly like most Australians do.”
One Nation Senator Hanson responded by encouraging Australians to display the Australian flag in any way possible.
“For 124 years we’ve had our flag,” Hanson said in a video posted to X.
“It’s represented us through wars, Olympics, championships, at sporting events and people fly it with pride, and so they should.
“I’m a patriotic Australian but I was so disgusted ... when members of parliament, including myself, were told to remove the flag.”
Hanson also wore a flag while attempting to seek leave to move an urgent motion involving special consideration for the right to display the Australian flag in the chambers.
Similarly to Price, she was asked to remove the flag. Hanson complied with the order, but noted she was “standing up and speaking out for the people of this nation.”
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young interjected with the comment “blah, blah, blah.”
Hanson argued the flag is not a prop, but something that represents the nation and should have been permitted on Flag Day.
Her motion did not pass.
