‘Cowardly brand of political correctness’: ‘Gutless’ MPs refused to address burqa bill

Sky News host Rita Panahi gives her opinion on One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt in the Senate earlier this week.

“I have some thoughts about this week's burqa ban controversy, which saw Pauline Hanson become the first MP to cop a seven-day suspension since 1979,” Ms Panahi said.

“The Iranian mullahs would be looking at Australia in 2025 and would be rather impressed by the manner in which our gutless politicians have defended not just hijabs but full-face coverings like the burqa. Utterly gutless antics. Sadly, Australia has become a political outlier on multiple fronts.

“We continue to avoid uncomfortable truths, and the hysterical response to Pauline Hanson donning a burqa on the floor of the Senate is just further proof that Australia's media and political class is captured by a particularly cowardly brand of political correctness.

“Now Pauline Hanson has said she wants to ban the burqa on national security and social cohesion grounds, calling the garments ‘oppressive, radical and non-religious’ and at odds with Australian ‘culture and way of life’.

“But her colleagues in the Australian Senate would not even entertain her bill being introduced. You know the standard of debate has sunk to new lows in this country when the notion of banning the burqa is seen as more extreme than the garment itself.

“Meanwhile, more than 20 countries around the world have bans on full face coverings like the burqa and niqab, including France, Belgium and Denmark.

“But in Australia, our politicians are too terrified to even discuss the issue.”

“The truth is not all cultures are equal and pretending otherwise is dangerously delusional.”