Bridget McKenzie is next up on the ABC and she was asked about the One Nation protest yesterday, when they turned their backs en masse to the Welcome to Country.

Does McKenzie think that protest is disrespectful and should be punished by the senate?

McKenzie:

I think we all have to be be respectful in the chamber and on a day like yesterday it is not a day for politics, we have our representative, our sovereign, our head of state to the Governor-General who was rightfully above politics setting out her agenda for her government in this parliament.

That is our constitutional requirement, and irrespective of whether you won or lost the election, whether you like or hate the ceremony that goes around it, because that is for the Government to decide, how the ceremony is conducted, it is about respecting our democracy.

I chose to face the chair in the chamber and, on a significant day like that, respectfully listen to the Welcome to Country. One Nation chose to turn their back.

Other senators that have issues with things in the chambers like prayers every morning.

So should all disrespect be treated equally?

McKenzie:

Disrespect is one thing and politicisation of the sovereign is another and I think on a whole number of levels, Senator Faruqi breached standing orders by bringing a prop and abusing the Prime Minister on his way out and so on a lot of levels it was appalling behaviour and I’m glad she won’t be going on delegations, I would have liked to have seen her kicked out of the Senate for the week.