James Paterson has defended Coalition senators who voted against a motion to censure Pauline Hanson over comments about Muslim Australians, saying the measure should be reserved “for the worst” conduct.
Labor, the Greens, and two Liberal moderates, senators Andrew McLachlan and Paul Scarr, successful passed the motion on Monday afternoon to censure the One Nation leader – the second such motion since December.
The censure was sparked by Senator Hanson comments on Sky News last month, including: “How can you tell me there are good Muslims?”
However, the motion was opposed by several high-ranking Coalition senators, including Anne Ruston, Jacinta Nampijinpa-Price, and Michaelia Cash, who said censure was “one of the Senate’s most serious institutional sanctions”.
Appearing on ABC Radio National on Tuesday, Senator Paterson, the Coalition’s defence spokesman, said senators voted in favour of “every element of that motion instead of the censure”, which sought to “reject any attempts to vilify people”.
The Victoria senator noted an amendment put forward by the Coalition to condemn Senator Hanson, rather than censure her, was also shot down.
“We have previously voted to censure Senator Hanson,” he said.
“The reason why we think she should be condemned for those comments is that they were appalling and they were wrong. There are many good and decent Muslim Australians, including those in my portfolio who serve our nation in uniform, patriotically and with distinction.
“But, censuring someone in the Senate is usually reserved for the worst conduct and particularly relates to their behaviour as a senator in the Senate or as a minister represented in the Senate.
“We don’t think it should be routinely used just to condemn people for making statements that we may profoundly disagree with as we do in this instance.”
Senator Hanson stormed out before the vote was held after slapping herself on the wrist.
“You know what? There, are you happy? I’ve given myself a slap,” she said.
Senator Hanson claimed the motion was a “stunt” and that she had been misquoted.
She also linked the vote to One Nation’s surging polling.
Senator Cash, who said Senator Hanson’s comments were not “appropriate”, said a censure should “not be used as a routine tactic to score political points”.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe similarly said it was a “cheap political stunt designed to undermine the Coalition’s chances in the Farrer by-election”.
In an impassioned speech, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said to “say there were no good Muslims is to say there are no good Australians among them, is to tell a child no matter how hard they study, they how kindly they treat others, how much they love this country, they will never belong”.
Senator Wong decried Coalition senators “who contemplate working with them (One Nation)”.
“There was a time when leaders understood some lines should not be crossed,” she said.
