Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has referred a tweet from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
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Senator Hanson used expletives on Twitter in reply to Senator Faruqi's recent criticism of the British monarchy, telling the Pakistan-born Australian to go back to her country.
She has been criticised by Labor and the Greens for making "appalling" remarks.
Senator Faruqi said there was a backlash against her and her family, with people calling her husband's workplace to reiterate similar comments.
"Many migrants let me know how triggered they felt. It never gets easier to deal with racist attacks," she told the Senate on Wednesday under parliamentary privilege.
"It is insulting and it is humiliating."
Senator Faruqi said Senator Hanson had crossed the line between robust public debate and racism.
"I and everyone like me ... have every right to participate in public debate," the NSW representative said.
"I will not be silenced, especially on the topic of the British monarch and monarchy.
"The truth about the empire must be told. I have the right to talk about this history without being racially vilified."
Malaysian-born minister Penny Wong told the upper house Senator Hanson's comments were "appalling".
The foreign minister said similar comments had been levelled against her after she migrated to Australia.
"It is triggering each time you hear it."
Senator Wong said racist attacks were an "attack on democracy because fundamentally what it is saying is you are not equal".
Senator Hanson defended herself, saying she didn't refer to Senator Faruqi's race.
"This has just been pure, spectacular hypocrisy," she said.
"(Greens) senator (Lidia) Thorpe yelled at me in this very chamber to go back to where I came from.
"This is blatant reverse racism."
Senator Hanson denied she was racist, saying she didn't see herself as superior to any other race and would continue to call out anti-Australian remarks.
"Criticism is not racism," she said.
"If I was a racist I wouldn't have people from different backgrounds (on my election ticket)."
The Greens moved to censure the One Nation leader in the Senate, but the motion was amended by the government and opposition.
Senator Wong said a censure motion couldn't be the standard response to social media comments and remarks outside the chamber.
The amended motion condemned racism "in all its forms" and "called on all senators to engage in debates and commentary respectfully".
The amended motion passed without objection.
Senator Faruqi later wrote on social media she was disappointed the Senate didn't formally censure Senator Hanson.
"Senator Hanson's tweet instigated an avalanche of hate," she wrote on Twitter.
"This afternoon I've lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission over Senator Hanson's attack tweet.
"Racism must be held to account."
Australian Associated Press
