'Disgrace to human race': Australian lawmakers slam 'racist' accusations in fiery exchange

Australian lawmakers on Wednesday denounced "racist" accusations made by a senator who challenged an Afghan-born colleague's place in Parliament.

Senator Fatima Payman condemned Senator Pauline Hanson's statements questioning her standing in Parliament, calling them a "disgrace to the human race."

In a heated exchange, Payman accused Hanson, leader of the One Nation party, of being "racist," as seen in video footage of the parliamentary proceedings.

Payman gained the support of Indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe, who tore up documents and stormed out of the Senate in protest of Hanson's remarks.

The exchange began after Hanson presented documents in Parliament questioning Payman's eligibility to sit in the chamber due to her dual citizenship.

Payman and her family fled Afghanistan during the early 2000s after the US-led invasion. She still holds Afghan citizenship, but blames this on problems after the Taliban retook power in 2021.

In response to Hanson, Payman labeled her "racist" and said: "You bring disgrace to the human race."

"The fact that you would say just weeks ago to Senator (Mehreen) Faruqi, 'piss off back to Pakistan,' you're not just vindictive, mean, nasty. You bring disgrace to the human race," Payman added.

She was referring to a recent court ruling in which it was determined that Hanson violated race laws with her comments about Muslim lawmaker Mehreen Faruqi.

Faruqi had filed a case against Hanson in court after a September 2022 social media post, made the day Queen Elizabeth passed away, in which Faruqi claimed Hanson had breached the Racial Discrimination Act.

As Labor senators moved to support the motion, Thorpe was heard shouting and tearing up documents, throwing them at Hanson.

Later, Thorpe told reporters that the exchange highlighted the need for "stronger anti-racism standards to ensure a safe workplace" in Parliament.

"Now we saw this morning a convicted racist (Hanson) with the disgusting vile that spews out of that mouth against anybody who is not white. That means that this workplace is not safe for anybody who's not white," Thorpe said.

Hanson's attempt to refer Payman to a parliamentary committee was defeated by Labor and the Greens.

Last month, pro-Palestinian Senator Payman announced her plan to launch a new political party after resigning from the Labor Party due to its stance on Palestine.