Pauline Hanson has sensationally doubled down after she called Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe a ‘b****’ during a fiery Senate debate.
The One Nation leader said she had been provoked by Thorpe, who she likened to a ‘banshee’, a mythical spirit known for her piercing wails or cries.
‘I apologise if the public heard me call Senator Thorpe a b****, however I don’t take back what I said,’ Hanson said in a statement on Monday night.
‘The Senate chamber is meant to be a place for debate, not constant screaming and yelling over the top of senators like we see from Senator Thorpe.
Hanson then lashed Liberal Senator Dave Sharma for failing to bring Thorpe into line in his role as acting Senate President.
‘If the weak Liberal chair won’t pull her up for screaming like a banshee, I will,’ she continued, before directing her fury at the Greens, Thorpe’s former party.
‘Thorpe reminds us daily what the Greens represent in this Parliament. Division! It’s never about the Australian people,’ she said.
‘Every single Green is cut from the same horrible cloth.’
Pauline Hanson (pictured) doubled down on her comments made against Lidia Thorpe
The clash erupted while Hanson was speaking in support of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, during which Thorpe repeatedly interrupted, shouting, ‘You’re lying!’
Visibly frustrated, Hanson accused the Greens of being ‘un‑Australian’.
‘This is your whole attitude. This is the Greens’ attitude,’ she said. ‘The Greens are the most un‑Australian people here in the Senate.
‘That is the most un‑Australian people, who do not fight for this country, our flag, our patriotism… nothing!’
Thorpe fired back, telling the One Nation leader: ‘Oh, sit down, sit down, sit down, you’re an absolute disgrace.’
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson‑Young also joined the heckling against Hanson.
‘What have you ever done for the Iranian refugees in this country? You’re the one who hates Australia,’ Hanson-Young said.
But Hanson pressed on, telling the women: ‘So immature. I wish you would actually start fighting for the Australian people.’
Lidia Thorpe (right) accused Pauline Hanson (left) of calling her a ‘b****’ on Monday
As she returned to her seat, Thorpe called out across the chamber.
‘She just called me a b****… I just got called a b**** by the racist,’ she said.
Hanson left the chamber moments later, directing one final remark at Thorpe.
‘I will be glad to see the back end of you in this place in two years’ time,’ she said.
