Pauline Hanson defends burqa protest and warns ‘England has become unrecognisable’ telling voters to ‘wake up’

Ms Hanson, 71, donned the full-face veil in the Senate on Monday as she pushed to bring forward a Bill banning such coverings in Australia.

When fellow senators blocked her from formally presenting it, she marched straight back into the upper chamber still wearing the garment in a defiant show of protest.

Ms Hanson insists her walk into the Senate wearing a burqa was not a “stunt” but a protest against being shut down before she could even introduce the legislation.

She argues that Australia’s left-leaning Labour Government and the Greens are refusing to confront concerns shared by “ordinary Australians”.

She said: "Well, that’s what I’ve said all along. We’re multiracial, but at the end of the day we must be Australians, people who can speak the English language, can assimilate, and want to accept and acknowledge our laws and be treated equally under the one law.

"I don’t have a problem with that. People from all different cultural backgrounds, even a Muslim who has actually stood for me as a candidate, I don’t have a problem with that.

“But I see the divisions that are happening in our nation because these people come in here as tourists, have no intention of ever becoming Australians, just want to get on the welfare system, don’t want to get a job, want to get on our health program and NDIS and I’ve had enough of it.

"So have the taxpayers. I want a country that’s united and strong and proud patriotic Australians.”

Ms Hanson argues multiculturalism has failed and insists Western nations must defend the values that made them strong.

She blames decades of globalisation, left-wing influence in universities and political apathy for weakening national identity.

The senator warned that without unity and shared cultural expectations, Western countries become vulnerable to division.

She praised Nigel Farage as a leader capable of “getting your country back” but said he cannot do it alone.

Ms Hanson said Britain has allowed national pride to be eroded to the point where people are criticised for saying they are “born and bred here”.

She claimed England has become “unrecognisable” and urged voters to “wake up” before it becomes “a hell of a place to live”.

She said: "We can turn it around if we take the time and we really want to fight as a team effort to get your country back, because it's not about now, it's we're talking about the future generations.

"And when I watch the programme, this woman over there, I don't know if she's a candidate, member of Parliament, she was doing an interview and she made a comment.

"She said, I'm born and bred here. She stopped and the interviewer said, you shouldn't have said that, should you?

"And she was apologetic. How disgusting is that? I can't believe how bad England has become.

"And you've allowed this to happen. People wake up. Otherwise you're going to find you. It'll be a hell of a place to live in."

Ms Hanson said she has been targeted, jailed and silenced for her politics, and warned Farage could face similar treatment.

She argued media, politicians and activists will “throw anything” to discredit those challenging the status quo.

Despite this, Ms Hanson said she will keep raising issues of immigration, security and cultural cohesion.

She warned Australia is “five years behind the UK” and heading in the same direction if radical change is not made.