16th Aug 2018, 12:25 PM – Senate Motions - Parliamentary Behaviour - Code of Conduct

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Richard Di Natale (Vic), which means it failed.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that over recent times, the Senate has witnessed:

(i) Senator Hanson wear a burqa in the Senate chamber, with the purpose to ridicule a religious community,

(ii) Senator Leyonhjelm use sexism to attempt to belittle and intimidate a fellow parliamentarian, and

(iii) Senator Anning use racism and hate speech, including language from the Holocaust, to incite hatred against the entire Muslim community;

(b) seeks to ensure that hate speech and intimidatory behaviour do not go unfettered in the Senate under the name of parliamentary privilege;

(c) notes that the Member for Indi, Ms McGowan, has tabled a motion in the House of Representatives to develop a code of conduct for members of Parliament and their staff;

(d) agrees that, as a Parliament, we must stand up against unacceptable behaviours; and

(e) gives in-principle support to include in the Senate standing orders a code of conduct, with the aim of preventing a senator behaving in such a way, or using language, which is discriminatory or incites hatred towards a community.